2020 Nurseryman Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley [Was $120}

The 2020 Nurseryman Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is rooted in the valley's viticultural foundation — Frank Emmolo's Emmolo Nursery supplied grapevines to the pioneering estates that built Napa's reputation in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Today, his granddaughter Jenny Wagner sources fruit from some of Napa Valley's most prized Cabernet-growing soils, vinifying a wine that honors that legacy without leaning on sentimentality. The 2020 vintage delivers the structured ripeness Napa Cabernet is known for, aged in French oak that adds dimension without taking over the fruit. Jenny Wagner farms select parcels across the valley floor and benchland sites where alluvial soils and well-drained gravels encourage deep root systems and concentrated flavor development. The fruit is hand-harvested at optimal ripeness, fermented in stainless steel to preserve varietal character, then aged in French oak barrels that contribute subtle spice and textural complexity. The cooperage program is calibrated to integrate rather than dominate — the goal is a wine that tastes first of place and fruit, then of the cellar work that shaped it. Wagner's approach reflects a generational understanding of Napa terroir, informed by decades of family involvement in the valley's wine industry. The 2020 vintage opens with wild sage, ripe blackberry, mocha, caramel, and worn leather, with a lifted note of custard and wild berries threading through the core. On the palate, the wine is plush and mouth-filling from the first sip — round, supple tannins provide an elegant backbone without astringency, and the finish lingers with baking cocoa, espresso, and ripe plum. This is a Cabernet that balances the opulent fruit character Napa is celebrated for with genuine structural depth, making it a strong candidate for both near-term drinking and five-to-seven-year cellaring. Pair it with grilled ribeye, braised short ribs, or aged hard cheeses; the wine has the weight and texture to stand up to richly flavored dishes without losing its own voice. Available for pickup at our Lincoln Park bottle shop at 1128 W Armitage Ave, local Chicago delivery, or nationwide shipping.