2022 Baker and Hamilton Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Baker & Hamilton 2022 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is the more accessible, restaurant-facing wine from the Phillips family, longtime stewards of Vine Hill Ranch in Oakville, one of Napa's most storied single vineyards. Winemaker Francoise Peschon crafted this vintage from a growing season widely regarded as one of Napa Valley's finest in years, often spoken of in the same breath as the celebrated 2013. Prolonged drought reduced soil moisture and canopy size, while a mild August and September allowed for slow, extended ripening, producing fruit with real depth and character. The Phillips family established their Oakville estate in 1959 and still farms it using implements descended from designs once manufactured under the original Baker & Hamilton brand, a 19th-century hardware and agricultural company co-founded by their ancestor. The wine's label carries images of these old tools, pulled directly from vintage company catalogs. Francoise Peschon, who has guided some of Napa's most respected bottlings, works with the smaller crop and concentrated fruit that the 2022 drought conditions produced, shaping a wine with the structure and intensity of the vintage but enough natural freshness to keep it lively rather than heavy. The wine shows a deep garnet purple in the glass, with a vivid nose of crushed black cherry, boysenberry preserves and blueberry pie framed by anise, sandalwood, dusty soil and dark currant, with underlying cedar, tobacco leaf and a touch of chocolate. On the palate it is full-bodied and richly fruited, with plush, well-managed tannins and enough acidity to balance the depth, finishing long and gently spiced. Pour it alongside grilled ribeye, braised short ribs, or a sharp aged cheddar, or open it on its own when the occasion calls for a serious Napa Cabernet that doesn't demand years in the cellar. The 2022 Baker and Hamilton Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is in stock at Off Premise in Chicago.