80% Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot

Food pairings: Grilled steak, roast beef, lamb, venison, roast poultry and mature hard cheeses.

Scores:

• 96 points, James Suckling

Winemaking: Faust is a modern classic built on balance between richness and freshness. The 2023 blends 80% Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot and was aged for 20 months in French oak, 25% new, from the coopers Seguin Moreau, Taransaud and François Frères. A cool spring delayed budbreak and flowering, and moderate temperatures lasted through summer and well past recent harvest dates, so the team could wait for full phenolic ripeness and complex flavors and pick with the two in perfect balance.

Vineyards and terroir: Most of the fruit comes from the cornerstone Faust Estate Vineyard in Coombsville, at the southern tip of Napa Valley, complemented by small lots from Oakville and Rutherford that add richness. The estate lies in a caldera, a bowl formed by an ancient volcano that collects the cool air and fog drawn in from San Pablo Bay; Coombsville runs about ten degrees cooler than up-valley appellations during the growing season, and Faust is invariably among the last to pick. The slow ripening and volcanic soils give dark fruit, vibrant acidity and a marked minerality.

Family and history: Faust was created by vintner Agustin Huneeus, of the family behind Quintessa in Rutherford, to capture the most seductive side of Napa Valley Cabernet; its name and label nod to Goethe's Faust. Estate Director Jen Beloz and winemaker David Jelinek lead the winemaking, and visitors taste the wines at Faust Haus in St. Helena, a restored 19th-century Victorian with terraced gardens.

In the pictures: Winemaker David Jelinek; the Faust Estate Vineyard in Coombsville; and Faust Haus, the restored Victorian in St. Helena (photos courtesy of Faust / Huneeus Vintners).