2016 Cultivar Field Blend Red Wine Napa Valley

It didn’t take long for Cultivar’s overachieving Napa reds to develop a dedicated following on Wine Access. Now, on the heels of back-to-back sellouts, we’ve secured the final cases of a tiny-production, single-vineyard field blend that drinks like a Napa heavy-hitter at a fraction of the cost.  

When we chatted with Julien Fayard, the Lafite-trained legend had palpable excitement in his voice—which was telling for a guy who normally produces wines 6X the price. He likened the 2016 Field Blend to “Metallica played with strings. It’s powerful but delivered with finesse.” 

As Fayard explained, the Field Blend comes from a special site in chilly Carneros. “Complexity is achieved at the edge of ripeness,” he told us, “and this cooler vineyard gives us that edge, which is why we love it. That and the serpentine soils, which lend the wine its beautiful dark notes of licorice, cigar, and earth.”  

The low-yielding vineyard produces tiny lots of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, which Fayard ferments together in the style of a true field blend. The result is nothing short of symphonic, offering waves of fresh fruit, spice, and graphite minerality. 

The 2016 Cultivar Field Blend is extremely versatile. Pour it on its own, drop the needle on a record, and sink into its layers for a masterclass in nuance. Or invite a crowd and throw Alaskan salmon, beer-can chicken, and burgers on the grill. This bottle pays dividends no matter how you enjoy it.  

That is, until it’s gone. We’re getting down to the bottom of our allocation of this extraordinary Napa red, what remains won’t last long.

• Fruit Intensity
• Oak Intensity
• Body
• Acidity
• Tannin

• ABV 14.30%
• 30 mins
• Now – 2028
• % Cabernet Sauvignon% Merlot% Petite Sirah
• Serving temperature – 60°
• Cork