2023 Duckhorn - Cabernet Sauvignon Napa (750ml)

Dan and Margaret Duckhorn founded Duckhorn Vineyards in St. Helena in 1976. It was among the first forty or so wineries to open in Napa Valley after Prohibition. After a trip to Bordeaux, Dan released the winery’s first Napa Valley Merlot in 1978, and Duckhorn went on to help make that grape respected in California. The winery’s mallard label, based on a nineteenth-century French lithograph, is now one of Napa’s most recognizable. Winemaker Renée Ary has led the cellar since 2014.

This 2023 bottling marks the winery’s 50th anniversary. The blend is 93 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 6 percent Merlot, and 1 percent Cabernet Franc, drawn from sites across the valley to capture its range. Heavy winter and spring rains delayed budbreak, making 2023 one of the latest Napa vintages in decades. The long, cool season gave red wines with pure fruit and lively acidity. The wine aged for 16 months in French oak, half of it new.

The wine opens with boysenberry, black currant, and huckleberry, along with bay leaf, baking spice, and a touch of pie crust. The palate shows blueberry, wet slate, and graham cracker, framed by bold fruit and well-shaped tannins. The finish is long, with cassis and cedar. Serve it with a ribeye, rack of lamb, or a wild mushroom risotto.