Classic Napa Cabernet with the polish you’d expect and a price that doesn’t scare you off. The 2023 leads with ripe black currant, blackberry, and dark cherry, layered with notes of cocoa, sweet cedar, vanilla, and a whisper of crushed herb. The palate is rich and full-bodied, with plush, well-integrated tannins and just enough acidity to keep all that dark fruit lively. Oak is present but tasteful, framing the wine rather than dominating it, and the finish is long, smooth, and gently spiced. Approachable now with a short decant, but with the structure to develop over the next several years. A confident, crowd-pleasing Napa Cab—pour it with a ribeye and watch it disappear.

Method is a négociant project from Master Sommelier Ian Cauble (featured in the documentary "Somm") and Precision Wine Company's vintner Trevor Sheehan. Their jam is to source high quality grapes from small plots across California and turn them into premium wines at Tuesday night wine prices. A classic Napa red, full bodied, silky and hot, the 2023 Method Napa Valley is majority Cabernet Sauvignon and includes small amounts of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. On the nose, violets, blueberry, mocha, eucalyptus, and black fruit. Since most Napa Valley Cabs start at $50, the price on this is mind-boggling.