2017 Michel Rolland Cabernet Sauvignon MR Napa Valley

Is there a better-known, more lauded, more accomplished consulting enologist in the world than Michel Rolland?

In the Napa Valley, are there any more meticulously tended, more highly regarded vineyards than Andy Beckstoffer’s To Kalon, Missouri Hopper, and Dr. Crane? 

The answer to both questions is NO, which means that there may be no more pedigreed Napa Valley wine than the 2017 Michel Rolland Cabernet Sauvignon MR. 

Rolland’s skills have been in feverish demand for nearly 50 years now: He opened a wine lab in 1973 and has been consulting since 1985. He’s seen his name dropped by countless icons, from Ornellaia to Pontet-Canet to Screaming Eagle, but here in Napa, only one label bears his own name: the 2017 MR Cabernet Sauvignon, which delivers classic Napa power and elegance. 

Opening a bottle of Michel Rolland’s Napa Cabernet Sauvignon comes with a certain level of anticipation. After all, this is the winemaker who steered to greatness Bordeaux châteaux such as Angélus, Ausone, Pavie, and Pontet-Canet, as well as iconic Napa estates, including Bryant Family, Harlan Estate, Dalla Valle Vineyards, and Screaming Eagle. Together with 100-point winemaker Jean Hoefliger (who led Alpha Omega to stardom), he’s crafted a 2017 that’s already jockeying for a place in the Napa Cabernet pantheon. 

The quality of the vineyards and craftsmanship are undeniable from the moment the cork is pulled. Aromas and flavors of dark cherry and plum with lush layers of lilac plus cassis, licorice root, and Darjeeling tea spill from the glass, supported by a lush, silken, dark-fruited palate and the kind of million-dollar tannin structure that will help this wine cruise a decade or more.

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

• ABV 15.80%
• 1 hour
• Now – 2030
• % Cabernet Sauvignon
• Serving temperature – 60°
• Cork