Duckhorn 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon

From the heart of Napa Valley’s most storied terroirs—Oak Knoll, Rutherford, Oakville, and Calistoga—emerges the Duckhorn 2021 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a wine of aristocratic composure and thrilling purity. A benchmark vintage shaped by small berries and reduced yields, this Cabernet captures the tension and elegance only the finest years provide. The wine is built on a foundation of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, buttressed with 5% Merlot and a touch of Cabernet Franc, aged 16 months in 100% French oak, half of it new. It is a compelling expression of site and vintage—a wine that balances power and polish with uncanny grace.

The aromatics erupt from the glass with a swirl of spiced blackberry, blueberry cobbler, and cassis, layered with whispers of milk chocolate and anise. This is not merely a fruit-driven wine, but a multidimensional experience—each note meticulously placed, like brushstrokes on a canvas. On the palate, the wine offers a vibrant interplay of acid and structure, a welcome brightness that elevates the dense blackberry and black raspberry core. The tannins are rich and chocolaty, finely grained and supple, giving a sense of depth and persistence that lingers effortlessly.

Duckhorn has long been celebrated for its mastery of blending mountain and valley-floor fruit, and the 2021 Cabernet is a testament to that legacy. The influence of Rutherford dust is evident in the wine’s earthy undertone, while Oakville’s velvet-textured fruit and Calistoga’s dark, brooding concentration add breadth and power. A quiet nod to Merlot lends a plushness and early accessibility, though the wine clearly has the bones to reward a decade or more in the cellar. There is a refined tension here, a push and pull between hedonism and restraint, ripeness and freshness.

At 14.5% alcohol and a pH of 3.77, the balance achieved is remarkable. This is not an overwrought Cabernet that seeks attention through sheer weight, but a wine that seduces with harmony and detail. It will shine alongside a dry-aged ribeye, lamb tagine, or wild mushroom risotto, though it also begs for contemplation on its own. Duckhorn’s 2021 Napa Cabernet is a quintessential example of modern Napa Valley winemaking at its peak—opulent, structured, and above all, sophisticated. A true gem in the Duckhorn crown and a must-have for any serious collector of Napa Cabernet.

Alcohol: 14.5%

93 POINTS - "From Napa Valley, California, Duckhorn 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is a dry, plushy and full-bodied 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc red wine blend, elegant and generous on the palate with blackberry, chocolate and toasty oak spice flavours. Duckhorn has been a part of Napa's premium-wine evolution since 1976 with its first production of Cabernet Sauvignon in 1978." - Natalie MacLean

91 POINTS - "The 2021 Duckhorn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon speaks well of its Napa Valley heritage. Deftly combining the valley floor with hillside plantings, the winery has put it together in one beautiful package. This superbly balanced wine offers aromas and flavors of savory spices, black licorice, and a suggestion of oak." - Wilfred Wong

Crafted from mountain and valley-floor fruit, this voluptuous wine reveals aromas of spiced blackberry, blueberry cobbler, black currant, milk chocolate and licorice. On the palate, lively acidity adds poise and brightness to the blackberry and black raspberry flavors, with rich, chocolaty tannins and notions of black tea adding suppleness and sophistication to a long, luxurious finish.