Being a Golden State native and part of the wine industry for so long, I like to consider myself well-versed when it comes to California Cabernet Sauvignon. Over the past two decades, I’ve tasted thousands of Cabernets from all over this sprawling state, from Malibu to Mendocino and beyond. But as with any growing industry, there will always be a few names that slip under the radar—and for me, one of those was Topel.
One taste of their 2005 “Estate Reserve” unleashed a deluge of questions, starting with: Who are these guys? How is their wine library so impressive? And how in the heck are the wines so reasonably priced? The answer to each was surprisingly simple: They’re nearly off the grid! Deep in Mendocino, in the timberlands of Duncan Peak, Topel painstakingly crafts long-aged, one-with-nature wines. This small team hand-farms their 15-acre vineyard and ages their reserve wine many years before offering it to the public—but even then, only a few know they’re available. If this isn’t one of the greatest domestic discoveries of the year, I haven’t tasted enough wine (and I hardly think that’s the case)! Today’s 2005, their first-ever “Estate Reserve,” has all the savory components of a mature Bordeaux, and yet it remains distinctly Californian with its deep-fruited charm and wonderfully sweet spice. All this, mind you, for $50. If you want an exquisite, perfectly aged Cabernet that offers more value than this, pack a large suitcase because you’ve got some traveling to do. Coming straight from the cool cellars of Topel’s high-altitude woodland winery, you can’t ask for better provenance—take everything you can!