Regular Price $175, A Brave New World Special $134.99, shipped

WOh my goodness! We were offered a great price on this Napa Valley blue chip to help the distributor ‘make their month,’ and though they’d only sell us a tiny bit, we’re pleased to pass the savings on to you! 

One of the leitmotivs at PRIMA these past five years- since COVID really- has been reaffirming our relationships and commitments to the Old School aristocracy of California wine, the wineries and winemakers that grew up along with us, paid their dues along with us, and set the stage for the newest wave of the state’s micro-producers to gain the prestige and success they now enjoy. Our path has led us back over the past year to wineries like  Ridge, School House, Corison, Turley and many others: properties that not only created the template for success way-back-when, but have remained relevant and even thrived in this Brave New World. One of the stalwarts we admire most from the halcyon days when you could actually make a turn across traffic onto Highway 29 is Groth. Their long term success is attributable to both real estate (the Groth’s estate vineyard sits in the middle of Oakville’s high rent Cabernet tenderloin with neighbors like Opus One and Screaming Eagle) and remarkable consistency. Since the winery’s founding by Dennis and Judy Groth in 1981 there has been a remarkably continuum of style; the now-retired, ex-Mondavi/Vichon winemaker Michael Weis was at Groth for nearly thirty years and his successor Ted Henry is only the fourth winemaker the Groths have ever employed. And, since the very first vintages of Groth Napa Valley Cabernet hit the streets in the mid-eighties to immediate acclaim (the 1985 Cab Reserve was the first California wine ever anointed with 100 points by critic Robert Parker!) the style has changed not at all! It remains an elevated, very pure expression of Oakville: honest, focused, long-lived and thoroughly delicious. As an ardent advocate wines that don’t sacrifice personality for balance, it always gives me great pleasure to drink a Groth Cabernet. Back in the days when I was teaching wine, even though I had a cellar full of old Mondavi, I loved to showcase Groth in comparative tastings of Napa Valley appellations and the terroir of Oakville. The 2021 Cabernet Reserve shows Groth at the top of its game- a great vintage for Oakville in general and a world-beater at this address. I had a glass right alongside as I wrote this- here are the intense black currants, the whiff of snapped pencil-graphite, chocolate mint and the layers of complex flavors that show themselves only begrudgingly with air. Not massive but not mid-weight either- it’s a classic of the ‘weighty-but-not-heavy’ school that draws its inspiration from Bordeaux. And the finish. The finish that hints at the sweetness to come, the tannins that will keep it for years and the quality for which this wine has been known for over forty years. In a valley where wines like this routinely top three digits in price, it’s easy to mistrust real value when you’re looking right at it…..but look no further. It was right in front of us the whole time! This Brave New World pricing is good on current inventory only so grab while the grabbing is good!

Wine Advocate A selection of the best lots from the winery's Oakville estate, aged in 100% new oak, Groth's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is a great wine at a realistic—for Napa Valley—price. Textbook notes of cedar and vanilla gently cosset black cherries and hints of dried herbs. It's full-bodied, creamy and lush in texture, showing more concentration, tannin and length than the winery's regular Oakville Cabernet. 95 points

The Wine Independent: The 2021 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, with 2% Merlot in the blend, is deep garnet-purple in color. Scents of creme de cassis, plum preserves, and boysenberry slowly emerge from the glass, revealing underlying hints of tar, rose oil, and cast-iron pan. The full-bodied palate is laden with expressive black fruit preserves flavors with earthy accents and a firm frame of ripe, grainy tannins, finishing long and fragrant. 95 points

Wine Spectator Ripe and with a bit of flash thanks to its glossy toast, this red delivers a violet-accented core of cassis and plum reduction, with black licorice, sweet tobacco and singed alder notes. Solid and steady through the lengthy, polished finish, with a hint of flinty minerality lurking in the background. Drink now through 2040. *Collectible* 94 points

Jeb Dunnuck A much smaller production release, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve checks in as 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Merlot that was brought up all in new barrels. Its dense purple hue is followed by a ripe, concentrated, medium to full-bodied wine with lots of blackcurrant and plum fruit, some smoky herb, graphite, and chocolate notes, ripe, focusing tannins, and good mid-palate depth. As with many 2021s, the cellar will be your friend. Give bottles 2-4 years and enjoy over the following two decades. 94+ points

James Suckling Refined, textured and harmonious, with controlled power and poise throughout. It’s full-bodied with fine tannins and a velvety texture on the center palate. Subtle aromas of dark cherries, blackberries, raw chocolate, dried thyme, pebbles and baking spices mingle on the nose. Velvety, restrained and polished in the long finish. Try from 2025. 94 points

Vinous The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is absolutely gorgeous. Bright acids give the 2021 striking energy to match its understated, mid-weight personality. Dark red cherry, rose petal, blood orange and spice open first, driven by beams of supporting tannin that confer energy. Winemaker Ted Henry crafted a Reserve that melds old school classicism with contemporary polish. 94 points

Wine Enthusiast Generous and approachable, with the structure to serve a meal beautifully. This wine features flavors of ripe blackberries, cocoa, juicy plums and cloves. Tannins are just grippy enough to keep the wine palate cleansing. It is flavorful enough to enjoy on its own. 94 points

Bin Location: K11