Ghost Block’s 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon is a single-vineyard Oakville wine from the Pelissa family, longtime Napa growers and owners of organically farmed estate sites in Oakville and Yountville. The Ghost Block name traces back to a local Yountville legend: the “ghost of pioneer George C. Yount” reportedly seen near the family’s vineyard in the early 1980s, a story the winery has folded into its identity.

This 2023 Cabernet comes entirely from the estate’s Rock Cairn Vineyard in Oakville, a site described as having “gravelly loam soils” that naturally limit vigor and can help concentrate fruit. According to technical details published by First Bottle Wines, the blend is “94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot,” and the wine was matured “24 months” in French oak with “60% new” barrels. Alcohol is listed at “14.5%.”

In style and intent, the wine sits squarely in the classic, polished Napa Cabernet lane. The élevage suggests a framework built for dark-fruited depth, tannin management, and integrated spice rather than overt sweetness. First Bottle describes the result as “devilishly velvety,” language that points to a texture-forward profile and a finish shaped as much by cellar work as by site.

A notable production detail for collectors is the winery’s limited availability. Ghost Block itself emphasizes “limited-production wines,” and notes that its single-vineyard bottlings are “extraordinary wines,” positioning the Cabernet as part of a tightly allocated, small-lot program rather than a broad-market release.

The 2023 vintage also marks a transition in the cellar. First Bottle reports that the wine is crafted by winemaker “Priyanka French,” following longtime winemaker Kristi Koford.

As of the information provided here, there are no published major-critic tasting notes or scores for the 2023 vintage, so this summary necessarily leans on producer and distributor-reported facts rather than independent reviews.