Cornerstone Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Benchlands Napa Valley 2018
People! Good people, weekend-weary people, whatever you are doing this brisk Monday morning, STOP IT for the next 30 seconds and LOCK this up! Over 67% OFF a long-time Last Bottle best-seller, the simply LEGENDARY 2018 vintage that Wine Spectator scored a reality-altering 99 points, and one STUNNING good deal on Napa cab. Who’s ready for CORNERSTONE?!
UNDER $30?! For primo Napa cab, from choice vineyards in Saint Helena, Rutherford, and Oakville – including the iconic OAKVILLE STATION vineyard that was carved out of the very heart of the OG To Kalon plantings and bequeathed to UC DAVIS?!?! OH MY! This is such a deal, I’ll be needing our rarely-used bullet points to cram it all in. Just make SURE you get some – I mean, you’re seeing that price, right??! BOOM! Good luck!
- Kari Auringer, winemaker extraordinaire cut her teeth under two of my all-time favorite Napa grape whisperers – Celia Welch (Scarecrow, Corra, and dozens more) from the early 2000s up until 2009, and then alongside current winemaking consultant, Charles Thomas (Cardinale, Lokoya, Mondavi Reserve, Quintessa, and many more) to this day! Both 100 point winemakers that stand at the top of their craft!
- You’ve heard me howling about the 2018 vintage for years. This is 100% why. The inky concentration, the pure and powerful fruit, the balance and elegant precision that will impress for decades…if you’re not salivating, you must be dehydrated.
- Oakville, Saint Helena, and Rutherford fruit – those are the sort of benchlands we LOVE in Napa, and the beloved Oakville Station? Stop it!
- 94 POINTS! That’s what we’re talking about! And the best part…?
The PRICE!!!! Cornerstone cabernets have historically sold like hotcakes ‘round here – I mean, remember that post-marathon Saturday from last month’s Holiday Marathon?! We kept this off to the side, biding our time and saving this for that first Monday of 2025 – when your winter break is done, the kids are back to school, the in-laws have gone home, and man, oh man – do you ever need a glass of the GOOD STUFF!!!
Seven years young and SINGING! The nose rocks out of the glass with INKY blackberries and ripe plums, with this heady, sweetly toasted note of barrel spice, immediately followed in the mouth with luscious black cherries, red currants, and hints of green tobacco and cedar planks, with fresh fennel, some perfumey violet flowers, and a bit of mocha and vanilla leading into this rich, sweet, mouth-coating texture that just goes on for DAYS! YES!!! I said you could score some for over 67% OFF, right??? And that simply INSANE price of under $30???
Whatever are you waiting for?! Go, go, GOOOO!!!
Free ground shipping on 4 or more bottles.
94 points
“To be published January 2025: The 2018 Benchlands Cabernet Sauvignon from Cornerstone presents a dark-fruited profile with layers of toasty oak, tobacco, earth, and pressed wild herbs and flowers, underscored by graphite minerality. Full-bodied with velvet-textured, fine-grained tannins, it finishes with mocha spices, offering length, depth, and a polished expression of Napa Valley Cabernet.”
~Decanter
92 points
“Brimming in cedar, dried herb and dill, this bold, full-bodied wine offers classic bursts of dust and red currant, both earthy and fruity in equal measure. Balanced in oak and tannin, it refreshes with persistent acidity that helps to contrast the richness and brawn.”
~Wine Enthusiast
85% cabernet sauvignon, 12% cabernet franc, 2% merlot, 1% petit verdot aged in 65% new French oak barrels and 35% neutral oak.
Technical Details
- Country: United States
- Region: California
- Appellation: Napa Valley
- Blend: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot
- Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
- Vineyard: Benchlands
- Winemaker: Kari Auringer
- Aging/Cooperage: 65% new French oak barrels
- Alcohol: 15.1
- Production: 1927 cases
About The Producer
Founded in 1991 by Michael Dragutsky, Cornerstone Cellars is the quintessential Napa Valley mountain and benchland producer of Cabernet Sauvignon. Our winemaking led by Kari Auringer honors Napa Valley’s great heritage by crafting intense, elegant, and balanced wines that stand among the very best winegrowing estates in the world. Through intellectual rigor, humility, and with the utmost respect for the land, Cornerstone Cellars aims to make wines that truly speak to its exceptional vineyard sites in the most authentic and genuine way possible.
Pairing Suggestions
Chili cheeseburger with criss-cut fries
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