Out here in wine’s Wild West, where cult bottles run thousands of dollars and a single acre on Napa Valley’s floor can fetch hundreds of thousands, a lush and perfectly sculpted Cabernet Sauvignon for $32 seems like an impossible feat. To be clear, plenty of Napa Cabs exist in this price range, but 99% of the time those bottles lack pedigreed terroir, impeccable craftsmanship, and a proper aging regimen—quite simply, they don’t leave a lasting impression. Silenus is one of those extremely rare exceptions: 

With “Tyros,” they source from Napa Valley’s top AVAs, utilize exorbitantly priced Cabernet fruit, and allow it to mature for nearly two years in premium oak. Most producers devoting that much time and effort into their label would start the pricing at $75, but Silenus quietly does it for over two times less. I know two things to be true: (1) This is one of Napa’s greatest current-release values and (2) our customers swoon for luxuriously balanced Cabernet, so I anticipate a proverbial line wrapping around the block for a chance to acquire it. Buy a case and we guarantee it’ll provide immense pleasure for years to come—this stuff is phenomenal! 

“A rocket scientist walks into a walnut orchard” may sound like the start of a groan-inducing joke, but that’s exactly how Silenus’ estate vineyard in Oak Knoll took form when Bruce Newlan purchased this tract of land in the late 1960s. Right away, Bruce started replanting the site to Cabernet Sauvignon (which was still finding its place in Napa at the time), and in no time at all, his crop was being eagerly snatched up by Inglenook, Silver Oak, and Mondavi’s Reserve wines, all of which currently cost 3-4 times more than today’s extraordinary Cabernet value. By 1978, Bruce decided to try his own hand at winemaking. Over the decades, Silenus’ wines have become internationally recognized and although there was an ownership change in the late 2000s, not one ounce of pedigree or quality has been sacrificed.  

“Tyros,” led by 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, is by far Silenus’ greatest value, as it culls Cabernet fruit from their famed estate vineyard, as well as other parcels throughout the AVAs of St. Helena, Pope Valley, and Oak Knoll District. The remaining 23% is Merlot, sourced from two sites within Oak Knoll and Carneros. All fruit was handpicked and after fermentation, the resulting wine was transferred into oak barrels, 60% new (50% French, 10% American), for 22 months.

Although “Tyros” means beginner, or apprentice, there is nothing elementary about today’s 2017 release. It’s ripe, primary, and opulent, but it’s also impressively complex, nuanced, and structured. Upon uncorking and serving in large Bordeaux stems, pronounced notes of crème de cassis, ripe black plum, and black cherry liqueur roll out, followed by intoxicating aromas of candied violet, licorice, cacao nibs, clove, vanilla bean, and dried tobacco leaf. The full-bodied palate announces itself with rich layers of dark-fruited allure and herbal savoriness before giving way to hints of smoky, crushed black stone in the background. While delicious right out of the bottle, I recommend a 20-30 minute decant before enjoying it throughout the evening. As mentioned, I urge you to secure a full case and uncork one every six months. When you open that last bottle sometime around 2026, your jaw will hit the table once you explore all of its nuanced complexities and remember it cost you just $32. Cheers to an extraordinarily rare Napa Cabernet value!