Over the past 50 years, Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon has gone from an attractive wine yet sleepy market segment to the top-selling wine in America and renowned worldwide. Wineries established in that time have been in the forefront of this advancement. Some fine examples follow:
William Hill Estate – 2014 ($50) strong fruit accented with cedar, lush texture – founded by vineyard developer William Hill, first released wines in 1976. It now produces estate wines from the Atlas Peak appellation.
In 1977, Mike Grgich and members of the Hills Bros. Coffee family founded Grgich Hills Estate – 2014 ($72) a fresh core of pure fruit and firm structure. Grgich is the winemaker who fashioned the award-winning Chateau Montelena