87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot

Food pairings: Grilled ribeye steak, roasted lamb chops, roasted duck breast with a natural reduction sauce, risotto with fresh herbs and pasta carbonara.

Winemaking: The fruit is harvested at night, selected in the field and hand-sorted at the winery, then destemmed and mechanically sorted so that only the best berries go into each small fermentation lot. Fermentation takes place in small, temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks at the Oakville Estate winery, and the wine aged 19 months in French oak barrels, 50% new. The 2023 season followed a wetter-than-average winter; a cool spring brought a late budbreak, and mild, even summer weather allowed perfect ripening and great berry flavor, with picking from October 9 to 29.

Vineyards and terroir: The Cabernet comes from Groth's sustainably farmed Oakville Estate vineyards and those of several partner growers, all within the Oakville AVA in the heart of the Napa Valley, between the Mayacamas range to the west and the Vaca range to the east. The estate soils are gravelly sandy loam and Clear Lake clay, and drawing on a diverse selection of vineyards, the wine showcases the complexity of this compact appellation.

Family and history: In 1981 Dennis and Judy Groth, then a CFO at Atari, bought an old farm of frost-bitten vines on Oakville Cross Road, and in 1982 added a parcel in what is now the Oak Knoll District. Their first Cabernet, the 1982 made with Nils Venge, was remarkable, and in 1985 they made the Oakville vineyard their family home and went all-in as winegrowers; their 1985 Reserve Cabernet went on to become one of the most celebrated wines in Napa history. Today their daughter Suzanne Groth leads the family winery into its next generation, with Director of Winegrowing Ted Henry overseeing vineyards and cellar.

In the pictures: Director of Winegrowing Ted Henry in the barrel room (courtesy of Groth Vineyards & Winery); the Groth winery among its vines in Oakville (courtesy of Groth Vineyards & Winery); and estate vines beneath a great oak, with the winery beyond (courtesy of Groth Vineyards & Winery).