When it comes to Napa Cab, you typically have to make a difficult choice. Do you want (a) affordability, (b) early-drinking deliciousness, or (c) structure for cellar aging? But for multiple vintages now, Band of Vintners has offered a fourth option to savvy SommSelect readers: (d) all of the above. Since its inaugural 2014 release, we’ve been floored by its ability to compete with—and best—bottles that cost two and three times as much. Napa Valley just isn’t a place where you see many genuine values these days, out here where wine clubs have never-ending waitlists and cult bottles fetch four-figure prices. And 2021 might just be the best vintage yet for Band of Vintners, rumbling with deep new-school fruit, underpinned by soulful, old-school structure. Make no mistake: This offer will sell out with lightning speed. Grab six, grab 12, grab all you can, because Band of Vintners never lasts long!
The actual vand of vintners behind this bottle is something like a Napa Valley supergroup, made up of some seriously talented winemakers, some of the Valley’s most in-demand consultants, and a Master Sommelier. They’re six friends who all happened to be in a tasting group together and recognized that, with their decades of experience doing basically every job in Napa, they knew where to find great, yet underpriced, fruit sources. The vineyards from which Band of Vintners hails are never revealed, but a look at the CVs of some of the friends behind it provides some hints. We’re talking about professionals with deep ties to DANA, Spottswoode, Harlan, Promontory, Hyde de Villaine, and others. We may never know exactly where this glorious Cab was grown, but we can rest assured it’s of the highest quality possible.
To add to the magic, Band of Vintners’ 2021 release is a comeback of sorts. The group didn’t make a wine in 2020, for myriad reasons. Napa was deeply impacted by wildfires in 2020, and whatever fruit wasn’t affected by smoke taint could only be found in miniscule quantities. But ‘21 was the year Napa came roaring back, as evinced by this bottle. The beauty of the fruit produced by a near-ideal growing season rings clear as a bell in this bottle. It was a dry year, with practically zero rainfall during the growing season, resulting in intensely concentrated fruit. The final blend is 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 16% Cabernet Franc with tiny splashes of Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Merlot, all fermented separately and then aged for 15 months in barrel.
The resulting wine is an instant Napa Valley classic. In the glass, it has an almost opaque ruby-purple core, with deeply stained tears. One look at this and you know it’s no shrinking violet. The nose booms with a panoply of black, purple, and blue fruits—blackcurrant, black cherry, blackberry jam, red plum skin, crème de cassis, and violets. There’s a deep, thrumming savory tone too, redolent of dusty earth, leather, cedar, black pepper, and tobacco. On the palate it’s lush and dense, full-bodied yet never lacking freshness, opulent in the best sense of the word. It’s like a single-bottle summation of all the reasons we love great Napa Cab, and more than a few collectors would throw down $100+ for a wine like this without batting an eye. But, of course, that’s the magic of Band of Vintners—we don’t need to. Act fast and load up, or you’ll miss out!
