Fiancetto Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Gravelly Loam 2021

The 2021 vintage in Napa Valley was truly a lifesaver. It was the right vintage at the right time. After the wildfires threw a wrench in most folks’ 2020, the 2021 vintage provided a much needed reprieve for the entire valley. The quality across the board is excellent. Not many vintages get a 97-point rating from Wine Spectator.

Based on the dozens of 2021 Cab Sauvs that I’ve tasted, I would say 90% of the wines are fantastic — a pretty staggering amount when you think about it. But, since most wineries were hit hard financially by wildfires and a pandemic, many raised prices the following year in an attempt to make some of it back.

But not Ry Richards. Not Fiancetto. Not even for their trademark ‘Gravelly Loam’ bottling.

Instead, he did what has become a nearly impossible feat: He made a total knockout Napa Valley Cabernet that you can somehow score for under $30/bottle today when part of a case order. That’s as special as it gets.

Winemakers like Ry Richards were able to take advantage of the high quality and high yields of 2021, locking into two parcels to make what I know is going to be a straight-up legendary vintage of his Fiancetto Gravelly Loam Cabernet. This is one of those wines that I know is going to get better each time you revisit it too.