2022 PlumpJack Syrah Napa Valley
Hold the phone. Bar the door. This Syrah is officially out-of-control good. It’s incredibly plump and succulent, brimming with flavors of huckleberry pie, blueberries, white and black pepper, and a savory, meaty character. Just killer Syrah! Do yourself a favor and smoke some beef short ribs on an oak fire, prep the horseradish, and Go. To. Town.
If we were to pick just one Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon to blast into interstellar space for aliens to try when they stumble upon it someday, that wine would be Plumpjack Estate Cabernet Sauvignon from Oakville. In our view it is the most flavor-packed, complex, complete bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon that you can buy, in pretty much every vintage. Plumpjack is in one posh neighborhood, with Screaming Eagle, Rudd, Bond St. Eden, and Dalla Valle all nearby. This is Oakville’s (and the Valley’s) absolute sweet spot, near the crossroads of Oakville Cross and Silverado Trail. Their Cabernets are absolutely spectacular, stuffed to the gills with ripe cherry fruit and red rose perfume—and very fairly priced compared to the neighbors.