2021 Faust Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

"Inviting aromas of ripe blackcurrants and blackberries as well as crushed walnuts, cedar and bark. Full-bodied, creamy and structured with firm, polished tannins. Balanced and even with a lingering finish." Review Date: September 2023

#4 Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines 2024 Owned by the Huneeus family of Quintessa and Flowers fame, Faust debuted in the 2002 vintage. Estate director Jen Beloz and winemaker David Jelinek have been working together here since 2011. This 2021 bottling is sourced primarily from the estate’s Coombsville vineyard, located in the southeastern corner of Napa Valley. From a cool, late-ripening spot, Coombsville fruit is often blended with riper, more forward, up-valley fruit in order to add spine and definition to Napa Cabernets, and this is a prime example. Faust’s Coombsville site, certified organic in ’21, accounts for about half of the blend, along with fruit from Yountville, Oakville, Rutherford and other AVAs. In a category known for triple-digit prices, this is an emphatic answer to the Napa Cabernet value search. Highly Recommended “Packed and broad in feel, with a ganache note draped over black currant, blackberry and steeped cherry. Licorice root and alder smoke flavors check in on the finish as the fruit pumps through, ending with a flash of violet. Hard to resist now, but this has some development ahead. Drink now through 2036.” – James Molesworth Review Date: May 2024

“Hefty and grippy, this full-bodied wine is sturdy in tannins, deep in black and blue fruits, and will come around nicely with more aging. Blackberries, blueberries, cocoa and hints of oak char make a good, complex expression on the palate. Best from 2027–2037.” – Jim Gordon Review Date: April 2024

“The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is terrific, as well as a terrific value. Cassis, ripe blackberries, tobacco, and some chocolate oak notes all flow to a medium-bodied, supple, elegant Cabernet Sauvignon with terrific purity as well as balance.” – Jeb Dunnuck Review Date: December 2023