Cain Vineyard & Winery Red Blend Cain Five Spring Mountain District Napa Valley 2-Pack Magnum Vertical (17,18)

Cain Five is the Napa Valley wine for people who think Napa Valley wines are too obvious. Chris Howell has spent nearly four decades farming and vinifying from the estate's extraordinary Spring Mountain site, producing a Bordeaux blend with true mountain character: earthy, aromatic, tensile, and built to develop over a long arc rather than dazzle on opening. Its following is devoted, its character unmistakable, and its pricing remains quietly below where comparable quality from the valley tends to land.

This two-magnum vertical pairs the 2017 and 2018 vintages side by side, both in magnum format and both scoring 96 points from leading critics. The 2017 earned 96 from James Suckling, who praised its "solid core of tannins, earthy fruit and firmness" and "beautiful tension and form," calling it "classic, traditional Napa." Suckling described the wine as drinkable now but designed to improve, a blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec, and 3% Petit Verdot. The 2018 earned 96 from Decanter, with Cain describing it as "displaying all the attributes that we love about our Cain Vineyard: a complex herbal-floral bouquet, a savory, mineral palate, mouth-watering substance without heaviness, silky plush tannins, and a long finish." Both vintages were strong years in Napa, and in 1.5L format their aging potential extends considerably.

A two-vintage magnum vertical of one of California's most singular red wines is the kind of thing you buy for the cellar and pull out for a special occasion with some age behind it. Or you can open the 2017 tonight and drink the 2018 in five years. Either way, this is Napa with a genuine point of view. Free shipping on all orders.