Faustini Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2016

When New Jersey natives, Anthony & Michelle Faustini caught the wine bug in the early 2000s, they got it just as bad as I’ve ever seen.

The two didn’t just start by buying a random ton or two of grapes while they got their feet wet in the whole business, they dove in head first – starting with grapes from the historic Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard for their first test batch. Next they brought in Opus One & Clos du Val alum Kian Tavakoli to head up the winemaking.

Over the next 15 years, they’ve built quite a cult following producing wines off some of the most famed locations in the valley: Sauvignon Blanc from Galleron Road Vineyard in Rutherford, Cabernet at just 2 tons per acre from Howell Mountain, and Coombsville Vineyard Cabernet.

But their flagship wine has always been the incredible Cabernet they craft off of Andy Beckstoffer’s Dr. Crane Vineyard. In vintages like Napa’s 2016, the wine is even a step beyond.