JJB: $169*
Paradigm has been making reference point Oakville Cabernet since 1991, and legendary winemaker Heidi Barrett has been at the wheel since the very beginning. It’s hard to understate how much of a Napa rockstar Heidi Barret is, having worked with names like Screaming Eagle and Dalla Valle, earning many 100pt scores in the process. She’s been with Paradigm from the start, and knows its highly respected estate vineyard better than most, so the results should not be missed by anyone who loves Napa Cabernet. Paradigm is all about that classic Oakville fruit, with rich blackberry and cassis matched by perfectly balanced spice, and with their 30 year track record, this is an incredible Napa Cab to grab in magnum format!
This “classic, workhorse styled Cabernet...with lots to love” (Dunnuck) is a terrific representation of Oakville, and while Barrett may have a reputation as “the Queen of Cult Cabernet” (Parker), Paradigm remains one of the most unpretentious and reasonably priced Cabs in its class. 2016 was an “incredibly beautiful, classic year for Napa” (Dunnuck) and this is a wine to be enjoyed, not ‘collected’, though it should cellar well for a decade or more. You won’t find a better price for a magnum of Paradigm’s Oakville Estate, and indeed many cult cabs seem to start their pricing at this level even for a regular format bottle, so long time Oakville fans will want to grab this beautiful 2016 with both hands. Cheers!
90 points, Jeb Dunnuck: "Pretty cassis and blackberry fruits as well as notes of cedar pencil, spicy oak, and tobacco emerge from the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville. Medium-bodied, it has a balanced, elegant texture, moderate tannins, and a good finish. It's a complex, classy wine to enjoy over the coming decade or more. This is a classic, workhorse styled Cabernet from winemaker Heidi Barrett with lots to love. The blend is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, and the balance Cabernet Franc, all aged 20 months in French oak. Drink 2021-2032"
*Offer publication date June 30, 2021. Pricing and availability subject to change.