The Best Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Wines to Buy in 2024

The Napa Valley appellation is home to 16 AVAs (American Viticultural Areas), 400+ wineries and produces some of the most exciting Cabernets on the planet.

Many Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon wines enjoy cult status, and you often have to get on long waiting lists to get hold of some of these prized bottles.

Whether you prefer the rich, fruit-forward wines from the valley floor or more rustic wines from hillside vineyards, there is a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon for every palate!

This article curates 10 exceptional Napa Valley Cabs and why Napa Valley is perfect for Cab Sauv wines. We also look at some delicious food pairing tips and determine whether Napa Valley Cabs makes for a worthy investment option.

What Makes Napa Valley Perfect For Cabernet Sauvignon?

When it comes to producing a world-class bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon wine, you need the perfect terroir. 

The volcanic soils in the Napa Valley region add a unique complexity to the Cab Sauv wines that most other New World regions cannot boast of.

The Cab Sauv grape varietal enjoys warmer climates where it is not too hot. 

Napa Valley is ideally located on the San Pablo Bay (known as Napa County), and is known for warmer evenings and cooler mornings, which slows down grape ripening. 

Also, some of the Napa Valley AVA’s are located at a higher elevation (Howell Mountain and Atlas Peak.) Wineries use this to their advantage to slow grape ripening and to maintain acidity. 

In general, from the hillside vineyards of Calistoga and Howell Mountain to Chiles Valley and Diamond Mountain District, the Cabernet Sauvignon grape has become Napa's star performer - producing an array of styles reflecting each unique terroir.

 Let’s look at some of the top-rated wineries that produce exceptional Napa Cab Sauv wines. 

Top Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Wineries 

Here are some well-renowned Napa Valley wineries that stand out from the others:  

• Amici Cellars
• Beaulieu Vineyard
• Crosby Roamann
• Duckhorn Vineyards
• Ghost Horse Vineyard
• HALL Napa Valley
• Harlan Estate
• Hewitt Vineyard
• Larkmead Vineyards
• Louis M. Martini Winery
• Nickel & Nickel
• Pine Ridge Vineyards
• Promontory
• Realm Cellars
• Round Pond Estate
• Scarecrow
• Schrader Cellars
• Screaming Eagle
• Shafer Vineyards
• Stags’ Leap Winery
• Tusk Estate

10 Exceptional Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Wines

Here are some of Napa Valley’s finest Cab Sauv offerings for your cellar.

• 1992 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
• 2013 Ghost Horse Vineyard 'Spectre' Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
• 2013 Shafer Vineyards 'Premiere Napa Valley' Sunspot Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2016 Schrader Cellars 'Old Sparky' Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 
• 2011 Tusk Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
• 2007 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford
• 2018 Di Costanzo Caldwell Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Coombsville
• 2013 Robert Foley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2017 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars 'Artemis' Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2015 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon

1. 1992 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, USA ($22,325)

This Napa Valley Cabernet wine has an intoxicating nose of cassis, red fruit, jammy berries, and plums. This cult wine from Napa's Oakville appellation has ripe fruit flavors with vibrant acidity and smooth tannin. 

2. 2013 Ghost Horse Vineyard 'Spectre' Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, USA ($5,295)

This Napa Cabernet Sauvignon vintage is a highly aromatic wine with plum, blackberry, cassis, baking spice, and leather notes. The wine has a well-balanced structure and a silky dark fruit flavor with a savory spice finish. 

3. 2013 Shafer Vineyards 'Premiere Napa Valley' Sunspot Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District, USA ($1,499)

This outstanding Napa Valley Cabernet wine has a charming bouquet of plums, chocolate, tobacco, and strawberry. This vintage’s ripe and fruity palate has notes of strawberry, cherry, and ripe plum.

4. 2016 Schrader Cellars 'Old Sparky' Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, USA ($1,084)

A delicious Napa Cab vintage with notes of ripe black fruit, especially blackberry and licorice with hints of dried herb and dark chocolate. The palate has well-integrated tannins that provide a great balance to the fruit core of the wine. 

5. 2011 Tusk Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, USA ($1,084)

This Napa Valley Cabernet varietal has an earthy bouquet of plum, black cherry pit, blackberry, and great minerality. The palate has nuanced layers of red fruit, tobacco, and mushroom. 

6. 2007 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford, USA ($1,046)

A flagship estate wine made from Cabernet Sauvignon grape varietal. It has lovely notes of licorice, black fruit, creme de cassis, and assorted red fruit. The robust palate of this Napa Cab has impressive fruit, mint, and blueberry notes. 

7. 2018 Di Costanzo Caldwell Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Coombsville, USA ($100)

This is an outstanding Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that has an aroma of edgy black fruit, leather, cedar, clove, and tobacco. This is a remarkably polished wine with impressive earthy notes on the palate. 

8. 2013 Robert Foley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, USA ($111)

This gorgeous red wine opens with black currant and black cherry notes with subtle hints of camphor and cedar. This rich, full-bodied wine has a surprising balance between bright acidity and silky fine tannin. 

9. 2017 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars 'Artemis' Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, USA ($75)

This is a full-bodied Napa Cabernet with plum and mocha notes on the palate. This Napa wine’s acidity helps balance the firm tannin level and leads you to a lasting spicy finish. 

10. 2015 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, USA ($63)

This Napa Valley Cabernet opens up with an enchanting aroma of sweet plum, cassis, black cherry, anise, red fruit, and clove. This red wine has a velvety-textured palate with bright acidity and developed tannins. 

Is Napa Cabernet Sauvignon sweet or dry?

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon red wine is far from sweet. These wines are bold and full-bodied with a highly tannic structure and a higher alcohol content.

Let’s now look at some delicious food pairing tips for your favorite Napa wine.

Food Pairing And Serving Tips For Your Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Serve your glass of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon wine at a 55°F–65°F. 

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon wine goes exceptionally well with all red meat, including prime rib, New York strip, beef, and filet mignon.

Pretzels, hard cheese, and dark chocolate also pair well with a bottle of Cab Sauv wine. 

Now, let’s see if Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon wine will make for a worthy addition to your cellar. 

Should You Invest In Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Wine?

The top investment wines in the United States are mainly Californian wines from Napa Valley. 

Most are vintage-dated collector's items - and are generally only produced in small quantities.

They make a regular appearance at auctions:

• An assorted lot of 45 bottles of Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon wine raked in a whopping $149,007 at a 2017 Sotheby’s auction in Hong Kong.

• In a 2019 K&L Wines Auction, a magnum bottle of 2002 Harlan Estate Napa Valley was sold for $1,600.

Napa Valley’s Cabernets have also shown steady appreciation in value:

• The 1996 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon price saw a 66% increase from $3590 to $5970 (2020 to 2021.)
• The price of 2016 Schrader Cellars 'Old Sparky' Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon also saw impressive growth of 118% from $580 to $1270 during the same period.

With so many choices, how will you know which Napa Valley Cabernet will suit your investment style? 

A credible online wine investment company like Vinovest will help you make the right choice. 

With a team of professionals on your side, you will be able to buy, store, and sell investment-grade wines from Napa Valley and other prominent wine regions. 

A Napa Valley King Cabernet For Your Cellar!

Most Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon wines command phenomenal prices and are always sought after by collectors and wine aficionados. 

These glorious vintages can become a part of your prized collection too.

Check out the Vinovest website and get your hands on an investment-grade bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, a coveted Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Merlot or other exclusive wines from across the globe!