We’re lucky enough to taste a lot of great wines.

Some are tied to legendary vineyards.

Some crafted by 100-point winemakers.

Some even connected to baseball pennants and NFL franchises.

But when all three collide? We drop everything and move in fast. Especially when we’re talking about an estate Rutherford Cab, made by THE Mike Smith (Carter, Myriad, Envy and many more), with a $165 SRP… for just $65 today.

We’ve been longtime fans of Scarlett, and if you had their Sauv Blanc or previous red-labeled McGah Cab, you know what’s good here. And it’s not just those knockout labels. Their McGah Estate vineyard lies in the beating heart of Rutherford, rubbing shoulders with legends like Caymus and Beckstoffer Georges III. Prime real estate, and home to some of the world’s best Cabernet grapes.

Scarlett founders the McGahs have a background that seems so amazing that it’s too crazy to have been made up. A Red Sox pennant in the ’40s? Check. Co-founders of the Oakland Raiders in the ’60s? Yep. They turned to winegrowing in the ’90s. Not an obvious choice to transition into, but with that kind of track record, we’re not betting against them.

From day one, the McGahs have supplied Rutherford fruit to Napa royalty—one producer even spun their grapes into a perfect 100-pointer. Enter winemaker Mike Smith, whose résumé is stacked. How stacked? Thirty-eight PERFECT 100 scores stacked. With legendary projects like Maybach, Carter, Becklyn, PerChance, and Rivers-Marie attached to his name.

So yeah, you see where this is going… Smith now helms Scarlett’s estate wines, and the results? Nothing short of thrilling.

If you thought his McGah Cab was good, wait until you try this. The Scarlett Reserve Cabernet is pure next-level magic. Pulled from two of McGah’s prized estate blocks (H3 and A3) of old-vine Cab, then aged in elite Darnajou and Taransaud barrels, only the crème de la crème makes the final cut. Yes, we’re repeating ourselves—but only because this wine has us reeling.

Smith’s signature style here is fleshy, ripe, and effortlessly refined. This Reserve roars with plush, plummy fruit, plus layers of cigar box, cocoa, cedar, licorice, dried herbs, and that legendary Rutherford dust. Scar-ed for life? Happily.

Could you cellar it?

Absolutely—this structure will only get more lush and jaw-dropping. But let’s be honest: if you’re anything like us, you’ll fake patience, pop it open, and savor every last drop. Because $65 for a Napa Reserve Cab of this pedigree? That’s a touchdown, a home run, and a two-point conversion all in one—and it won’t last.