- About This Wine
- Ratings & Reviews
- Tasting Notes
About This Wine
Ratings & Reviews
Tasting Notes
ABOUT THIS WINE
REVIEWS
WINEMAKER NOTES
From Rutherford to the peaks of Howell Mountain, the 2023 Robert Craig Affinity Cabernet Sauvignon represents a thrilling new chapter for one of Napa Valley’s most respected Bordeaux-style blends. This vintage marks the first time Affinity has gone fully mountain-born, drawing its strength and character from the high-elevation vineyards of Howell Mountain, Mount Veeder, and Moon Mountain. The result is a wine of riveting purity, structure, and poise—a Cabernet that redefines balance through the lens of altitude and meticulous viticulture.
The growing season of 2023 will be remembered for its measured pace. A historically cool start gave way to a moderate summer and an unhurried harvest that extended well into late October, allowing each parcel to ripen with precision. Low yields at elevation concentrated every berry, yielding fruit packed with dark, brooding intensity and vivid natural acidity. The small, thick-skinned clusters imparted richness and dimension to the final blend, creating a Cabernet of impressive depth and harmony.
In the glass, the 2023 Affinity Cabernet Sauvignon reveals an opaque, garnet-black hue that speaks of mountain provenance. Aromas of graphite, crushed rock, and blackthorn rise with the freshness of cool elevations, followed by layers of black currant, plum, and violets. On the palate, the wine is both muscular and refined—polished tannins support a core of dark mountain fruit, tempered by subtle mineral tension and a long, graceful finish. Eighteen months in French oak, with 65% new barrels, lend a delicate frame of spice and cedar that enhances the wine’s natural precision rather than overpowering it.
What truly distinguishes the 2023 Affinity is its seamless interplay of power and elegance. The addition of Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot adds lushness and aromatic lift, while the Cabernet Sauvignon’s mountain backbone ensures decades of aging potential. It is a wine that speaks fluently of place—cool nights, rugged soils, and the relentless pursuit of balance amid shifting climates.
Robert Craig’s 2023 Affinity Cabernet is more than an attainable collectible—it is a statement of intent from a winery that continues to push the limits of Napa Valley craftsmanship. For those seeking a true expression of mountain-grown Cabernet, few wines deliver such resonance, refinement, and value. This is Affinity at its most complete, a wine destined to enthrall both seasoned collectors and those discovering the soul of Napa for the first time.
Blend: 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 5% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot
Alcohol: 14.8%
The growing season of 2023 will be remembered for its measured pace. A historically cool start gave way to a moderate summer and an unhurried harvest that extended well into late October, allowing each parcel to ripen with precision. Low yields at elevation concentrated every berry, yielding fruit packed with dark, brooding intensity and vivid natural acidity. The small, thick-skinned clusters imparted richness and dimension to the final blend, creating a Cabernet of impressive depth and harmony.
In the glass, the 2023 Affinity Cabernet Sauvignon reveals an opaque, garnet-black hue that speaks of mountain provenance. Aromas of graphite, crushed rock, and blackthorn rise with the freshness of cool elevations, followed by layers of black currant, plum, and violets. On the palate, the wine is both muscular and refined—polished tannins support a core of dark mountain fruit, tempered by subtle mineral tension and a long, graceful finish. Eighteen months in French oak, with 65% new barrels, lend a delicate frame of spice and cedar that enhances the wine’s natural precision rather than overpowering it.
What truly distinguishes the 2023 Affinity is its seamless interplay of power and elegance. The addition of Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot adds lushness and aromatic lift, while the Cabernet Sauvignon’s mountain backbone ensures decades of aging potential. It is a wine that speaks fluently of place—cool nights, rugged soils, and the relentless pursuit of balance amid shifting climates.
Robert Craig’s 2023 Affinity Cabernet is more than an attainable collectible—it is a statement of intent from a winery that continues to push the limits of Napa Valley craftsmanship. For those seeking a true expression of mountain-grown Cabernet, few wines deliver such resonance, refinement, and value. This is Affinity at its most complete, a wine destined to enthrall both seasoned collectors and those discovering the soul of Napa for the first time.
Blend: 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 5% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot
Alcohol: 14.8%
92 POINTS - "The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Affinity is a fine introduction to this range. Brisk acids, red-toned fruit, blood orange and cinnamon lend notable energy. Bright and focused, the 2023 is positively stellar. This is the first vintage that blends fruit from Mt. Veeder and Moon Mountain, two sides of the same mountain. A year or two in bottle should help soften the tannins." - Vinous
The mineral, graphite and black thorny-vine fruits are all on full display in this mountain sourced wine. The tiny clusters that proliferated in 2023 at high elevations in the Napa Valley provide strength and structure in this deeply colored Bordeaux blend. The long, cool vintage was ideal for power and backbone. A more judicious use of new French Oak helps the dark fruit to pour from the glass and extend on the palate.