Gemstone Vineyard has been on the short list of cult Napa estates since the late 1990s, when Suzie and Paul Frank turned a former Chardonnay parcel on Yountville’s western bench into a tightly subdivided, Cabernet-focused “gem” of a vineyard. Early on, they brought in top‑tier consultants and winemakers—including Philippe Melka in the 1990s/early 2000s—to vinify tiny, micro‑block lots that quickly drew 95‑point scores and rapid sell‑outs, cementing Gemstone’s reputation as one of Napa’s most coveted modern Cabernet houses. Ownership has since transitionedover the years, but the ethos has remained the same: obsessive farming of a 16‑acre estate, a relentless focus on Cabernet Sauvignon, and a succession of elite winemakers—Melka, then Thomas Rivers Brown, and now Julien Fayard, who brings his own 100‑point pedigree from wines like his 2018 Sleeping Lady Vineyard Cabernet and other critically acclaimed projects.

2022 Gemstone Vineyard “Facets” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley is the estate’s non‑estate sister wine: instead of drawing solely from the Gemstone property, it’s crafted by Fayard from top sites across Yountville and Oak Knoll, allowing him to paint a broader, valley‑wide portrait of Napa Cabernet while retaining Gemstone’s polish. In 2022 he gently pressed the fruit straight to barrel, fermented and aged it for up to 18 months in 40% new French oak, and bottled a Cabernet that’s immediately seductive yet built to age. The wine has already earned 95 points from Decanter, which praises its “crowd‑pleaser” appeal, heady violets, rose petals, and sweet candied red berry fruit, plus velvety, fine‑grained tannins and a finish laced with cedar and crushed cacao nibs. For many collectors, Facets is the gateway into Gemstone’s world: a wine where a cult‑level estate, a star winemaker at the peak of his powers, and blue‑chip Napa vineyards all intersect—in a bottling that you can actually open and enjoy now.

Why you’ll love it

• Cult lineage in the glass: Made under the Gemstone banner, with a winemaking continuum that runs from Philippe Melka to Thomas Rivers Brown to 100‑point talent Julien Fayard—this is serious Napa pedigree without the flagship price.

• Top vineyards, broader canvas: Sourced from carefully selected sites in Yountville and Oak Knoll, Facets marries valley‑floor generosity with benchland structure for a complete, modern Napa Cabernet profile.

• Critic‑backed hedonism: 95 points from Decanter and 95 from Antonio Galloni highlight intense florals, plush red/black fruit, seamless tannins, and cedar‑cacao complexity—delicious now, with a drinking window into the mid‑2030s.

How to serve it

• Temperature & decanting: Serve at about 60–65°F; decant for 60 minutes to let the violets, rose petal, and cedar/cacao notes fully emerge and to polish the already fine‑grained tannins.

• Glassware & food: Use a large Bordeaux stem alongside ribeye, lamb chops, short ribs, or truffle‑mushroom dishes—the wine’s richness and structure can handle serious protein and umami.

• Cellaring plan: Drink now for plush fruit and upfront appeal, or cellar easily through 2036.