St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon Reviews

Lovely aromas of dark fruit and berries, roses, black cherries, moss and crushed sage. Full-bodied with silky tannins. Nicely transparent, with currant and blackberry character. Sturdy and steady. Drink or hold.

Lovely aromas of dark fruit and berries, roses, black cherries, moss and crushed sage. Full-bodied with silky tannins. Nicely transparent, with currant and blackberry character. Sturdy and steady. Drink or hold.

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena is once again one of the best wines in this range. All of the natural radiance of this southern sector of St. Helena comes through. Layers of inky red/purplish red berry fruit, spice, mint and wild flowers build effortlessly in the glass. Attractive floral notes reappear on the finish to round things off.

-- Antonio Galloni

Ripe and juicy, with a nicely packed core of red and black currant paste flavors backed by warm earth, singed alder and sweet tobacco notes. Has some heft, but there's definition from start to finish, with a subtle mineral hint at the very end. Best from 2022 through 2032. 275 cases made. — JM

Thick, concentrated waves of dark brooding fruit rise from this warm-climate wine, the tannins sweet and lengthy. Toasted oak adds additional texture and a lasting note of vanilla. -Virginie Boone

Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena District Collection has a deep garnet-purple color and needs a little coaxing to unlock fresh-fruit scents of crushed blackberries, black raspberries and boysenberries with underlying cassis, violets and fragrant earth notes. The full-bodied palate has a solid structure of firm, fine-grained tannins and a lively line, supporting the densely packed, crunchy black berry layers, finishing long and with bags of energy. 273 cases were made. -Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Coming from the southwest side of St. Helena, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon District Collection St Helena (100% Cabernet aged in 59% new French oak) is another classic, great 2018 that reveals a deep purple color as well as lots of cassis and darker currant fruits, full-bodied richness, building yet polished tannins, and complex notes of dried earth, tobacco, and roasted coffee. As with many 2018s, the purity of fruit is top-notch. This will benefit from short-term cellaring and evolve for 20 years or so.

Ripe and focused, with cassis, plum sauce and melted red licorice notes layered seamlessly, ending with an uptick in toast, savory and warm earth notes through the finish. Best from 2021 through 2030. 228 cases made. — JM

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena is one of the most complete wines in this range. Bold and exuberant, the St. Helena Cabernet is impeccable. Bright floral notes and sweet red berry fruit give this juicy, mid-weight Cabernet tons of appeal. This silky, racy Cabernet has so much going on. It's also a terrific example of the appellation.

-- Antonio Galloni

The deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon St Helena District Collection (aged 20 months in 70% new French oak) opens with baked cherries, warm plums and crème de cassis with hints of dusty soil, iron ore, mossy bark and tobacco. Big, concentrated and full, the palate is packed with rich fruit and framed by firm, grainy tannins, finishing long and earthy. 477 cases produced.

Clean, pure and aromatically complex, with tiers of dark berry, cherry, plum and spice flavors. Seamless for its age, yet finishes with dusty, fine-grained tannins. Best from 2020 through 2030. 

Raymond's 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena emerges from a vineyard on the southern edge of town, where the wines tend to be radiant and flashy. That is exactly what comes through here. Super-ripe dark cherry, plum, mocha, spice and new leather all flesh out in this voluptuous, racy Cabernet Sauvignon. This is one of the better wines in the range. Silky tannins add to the wine's considerable appeal. The 2015 finished with enough substance to suggest it will drink well for many years to come.

A wine I was able to taste twice, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon District Collection St. Helena saw an extended maceration and roughly 20 months in 70% new French oak. It offers classic Cabernet red and black fruits, cedar wood, graphite, and tobacco, and is medium to full-bodied, concentrated, and has plenty of structure. It’s approachable today but should be better in 2-3 years and keep for 10-15.

Plum fruit, sweet spices, eucalyptus, vanilla and blueberry cake show on the nose. Full-bodied with grainy tannins, a fine line of acidity and a chewy finish. Drink in 2019.

This wine is notable for its freshness of fruit, its black currant flavors awash in tannins, bringing spicy tobacco notes and stony coolness to the vibrant fruit. It’s approachable and juicy, a wine to pour with grilled lamb. 

From the warm appellation, this wine offers moderate structure and undeniable ripeness—a deep, brooding expression of dark chocolate, plum and leather. 

Lots of smoke, charcoal, blackberry and licorice notes saturate the palate, with a broad, expansive mix of dense, extracted flavors, firm, fine-grained tannins and a long, full finish that keeps this lively and alluring. —J.L.

Sweetened tannins highlight a depth of chocolate and blackberry in this 100% varietal wine made in small amounts. Soft and juicy, it crafts a balance of richness and density around elegant spicy clove and cinnamon. —V.B.

This is firm and well-structured with a tight core of cear-laced dried currant, black licorice, road tar and mocha. Ends with gripping tannins. - JL

An ambitious Cabernet that’s part of Raymond’s program of highlighting individual appellations within Napa Valley. This wine is delicious, exhibiting rich, deep flavors of black currants with tasteful accents of oak. While it’s fine to drink now, the tannins and long finish suggest up to eight years in the cellar will be beneficial.