Today’s Atlas Peak Wines 2016 Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon was an instant hit with a panel of wine experts. This wine is a classic mountain cabernet sauvignon from the Napa Valley—and one of Napa’s finest cabernet houses.

Fruit, earth, and spice abound in this heady wine. Rich, focused aromas of blackberry, black cherry, spice box, cigar leaf, cedar, cassis, sandalwood incense, chocolate-covered cherry, and toasty oak abound. Bold flavors rush onto the palate, delivering a mouth-coating abundance of delectable notes of blackberry reduction, young cherry, cigar box, baker’s chocolate, raspberry, alpine strawberry, vanilla, and toasted cedar.

Characteristic of a young Napa cab, this wine shows off impressive tannin at first. After a few moments, flavors settle onto the palate, driving fruit and spice to the far corners. Gradually, as flavors fade, the palate is left with a dry, softly grippy feel across the palate. Be sure to decant this wine for best results. Or swirl and sip your way slowly through this elegant treat.

This wine is best enjoyed with your favorite red meat pairings—with, say, a marbled tri-tip, with a simple garlic, salt, and pepper rub, grilled to perfection and served nice and rare. If you have a smoker, hang a tri-tip on it and smoke over applewood—and serve with chimichurri.

The Lowdown on Atlas Peak Winery

Known for its exceptional Mountain cabernet sauvignon, Atlas Peak Winery crafts its extraordinary limited-production Cabernet Sauvignon, exclusively from Napa Valley mountain fruit. With four mountain appellations in the valley, each produces fruit that expresses the uniqueness of its slopes.

The Atlas Peak AVA (American Viticultural Area) is located in Napa County, on the western slopes of the Vaca Range. This mountain separates Napa Valley from Sacramento Valley. With an elevation of 2,663 feet, Atlas Peak is the most prominent peak in the region.

Production of wines in the Atlas Peak AVA dates back to 1870. Of the 11,400 acres of land that comprise the AVA, more than 500 acres are under vine. This appellation, which used to be known primarily for Zinfandel production, now produces the premium varietals used to create Bordeaux-style wines. These include the varietals Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot, and Petit Verdot, but there are also small plantings of Syrah, Sangiovese, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc.