If back in May when we grasped the opportunity to feature this we knew that more was available, you wouldn’t be looking at its WIA award today, with every bottle long sold out then and there.

True Napa Valley insiders know Robert Craig crushes it. They have a rabid following, a devoted family of fans who scoop their releases year in, year out. Frankly, we’re astounded to have any of this.

From their winery at the very top of Howell Mountain (2300ft) they have been cranking out blockbuster wines since the early 90s, focusing almost exclusively on hillside and mountain fruit sourced from their estate vineyard and also from Mount Veeder, Diamond Mountain, and Spring Mountain. If there was a King of the Mountain Cabernet award, Robert Craig would be a front runner.

This pretty little thing is “suave , silky, and super-polished” as Galloni said in his 94 point review. We’ll just call it a MEGATON bomb of a wine, built to last but also approachable right now. It blasts opulent and rich shades of red and black fruit - fresh picked Maine blueberries, ripe black cherry, creamy vanilla and melted milk chocolate. BIG YUM. As CEO and self-proclaimed “toilet scrubber” Elton Sloane says, “Our wines are very classic,like an 80’s throwback. Super intense, and made for the cellar. We’ve really stuck to our guns in making fairly priced, small lot, single vineyard, property expressive wines that age for decades.”

Robert Parker and Antonio Galloni have both placed Robert Craig wine on their ‘Best Buys for Collectable Napa Valley Cabernet’ lists. Wines can get more expensive and more points, but they don’t get much better than this - even at their release price, Robert Craig’s wines represent EXCELLENT values. At this price? It’s like being offered a unicorn ride with rocket boosters. You wouldn’t say no to that, would you?

Today, in a rare coup you have access to a wine that’s not often accessible outside the winery. If you could taste it, you’d buy it - unfortunately you can’t download a cyber sip so just trust us and make your move. Not much of this one!

94+ Points - Antonio Galloni’s Vinous

“The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain is suave, silky and super-polished. Sweet red cherry, blood orange, mint, pomegranate and wild flowers give the 2016 a distinctly exotic quality that is hugely appealing. Medium in body and decidedly gracious, the 2016 speaks to finesse above all else. Although a few years in bottle will only help, the Spring Mountain is the most accessible of these 2016s. Drink 2020-2036.”