Collection: Big Red Season: Essential California Cabernets

As temperatures drop and winter menus shift to richer fare—braised short ribs, roasted prime rib, slow-cooked stews—the wines on your table should shift too. Full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon with firm tannins and higher alcohol content cuts through fatty, protein-rich dishes while providing the warming sensation that lighter reds can't match. The structured tannins in Cabernet act as palate cleansers between bites of rich wintry dishes, while the wine's complexity—layers of dark fruit, earth, tobacco, and spice—rewards the slow sipping that cold evenings encourage. These four California producers represent distinct expressions of Cabernet terroir, from Napa's sun-drenched valley floor to the fog-influenced Santa Cruz Mountains, each offering the depth and power that this change of season demands.

HALL Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 sources fruit from 13 of Napa Valley's 16 sub-appellations across 500+ estate acres. The St. Helena Bergfeld Vineyard sits on valley floor alluvial soils packed with river rock and gravel from an ancient Napa River tributary—well-drained deposits that force vines deep for concentration. Protected from western winds and warmed by hillside heat reflection, St. Helena reaches mid-90s°F in summer, making it one of Napa's warmest appellations. Director of Winemaking Steve Leveque avoids fining and filtration to preserve terroir expression, producing wines in California's first LEED® Gold Certified winery completed in 2009. Deep garnet in color with aromas of dried fig, blackcurrant, black pepper, wet gravel, and dried basil leading to blackberry preserves, tobacco, anise, cocoa, and nutmeg. Full tannin spectrum creates chewy, round structure with long, smooth finish.

Kith & Kin Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2021 represents Round Pond Estate's approachable line, drawing from Rutherford's alluvial soils created by volcanic Vaca Mountain runoff. Winemakers Jeff Plant and John Wilson, with consultant Thomas Rivers Brown, employ hot, fast fermentation to extract vibrant fruit while maintaining supple tannins. This sustainably farmed blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, and 6% Malbec spent 14 months in 40% new French oak. The 2021 vintage earned consistent acclaim: Wine Spectator 90, Wine Enthusiast 92, James Suckling 91, and Jeb Dunnuck 90. Bright cassis and raspberry aromas with dried sage and clove lead to blackberry, violet, and cocoa flavors supported by fine-grained tannins and a persistent finish with lingering cocoa and violet notes.

Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains 2023 marks the revival of this label, sourcing from four elevation-spanning sites: Bates Ranch at 680 feet near Mount Madonna, Fellom Ranch at 2,250 feet off Montebello Road, Vidovich Vineyards at 2,450 feet across from the winery, and Monte Bello estate parcels. The cool 2023 vintage delivered 84 inches of rain and extended harvest from October 6 to November 10. Hand-picked grapes at 23.1° Brix were destemmed, sorted as whole berries, then fermented on native yeast—Ridge's pre-industrial method unchanged since Paul Draper arrived in 1969. This 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot blend aged 17 months in 30% new American oak with 35 ppm SO2 at crush and 90 ppm during aging. Black olive, tobacco leaf, blackberry, and licorice with firm tannins, balanced acidity, and 13.2% alcohol earned 93pts from Vinous. 

Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley 2020 continues the legacy Tom and Sally Jordan established in 1972 with legendary enologist André Tchelistcheff. The estate's network of select grower vineyards—40 blocks called "Côte de Jordan"—spans Alexander Valley's gravelly alluvial benchland at the base of the Mayacamas Mountains. These well-drained soils rich in calcium, gravel, sand, and clay allow grapes to ripen fully at lower sugar levels. Winemaker Maggie Kruse, only the second winemaker in Jordan's 50+ year history, blends Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Malbec in the Bordeaux tradition. Certified California Sustainable farming and French oak aging produce ripe black cherry, graphite, blackberry, and violet aromas with blueberry, cassis, and boysenberry flavors woven through silky tannins. Well-balanced with delicate acidity and a graceful, lingering finish.