2020 Maroon Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Maroon Vineyard Coombsville 750 ml

Close your eyes and imagine an excellent Napa Cabernet on your palate. You might think of sophistication, of lush, dark fruit, of polished tannins. You’d be correct, of course, but Napa Cabs can vary in many ways—the Valley is riddled with tiny corners of unique terroir, each yielding Cabernet Sauvignon of distinct character.

When you’ve got a terroir like Maroon, that character demands to shine on its own.

For years, founder Paul Maroon sold his grapes to Joseph Phelps to use in their famous Insignia flagship. But one year, after making two barrels for himself, Paul knew this wine had to stand alone. Today, winemaker Chris Corley is dedicated to channeling Maroon’s one-of-a-kind terroir into estate Cabernets.

Step into the vineyard and you’ll see why. It sits in a bowl-shaped depression near Mt. George, an extinct volcano, where grapes are planted at 200–600 feet in elevation. The vineyard contains varied types of dirt, including well-draining volcanic soils and gravelly loams, which keep Corley’s blending arsenal loaded with multiple Cabernet expressions. On top of that, the site sits on the southern end of Napa, where fog burns off later in the day, ideal for slow and steady ripening.

In 2020, Maroon’s unique vineyard produced a Cabernet poised between muscular power and silky richness. Black cherry, cassis, licorice, red flowers, and a distinct minerality on the nose lead to lush dark fruit on the palate, with nuances of dark chocolate, espresso, and spice. It shows the refinement and polish that has made Napa famous, yet has a character all its own.

After 20 years of making wine from this vineyard, Corley knows every row intimately, and exactly how his wine will play out in the barrel and bottle. He aged the ’20 in 1/3 new French oak and 2/3 neutral barrels for 30 months, letting all the intricate flavors coalesce into a seamless and polished whole. After a couple more years in the bottle, the result is an enthralling Cabernet from one of Napa Valley’s intriguing pockets of terroir.