2019 Pompier Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County Alexander Valley

The winemaker was furious.

There were eight absolutely stunning barrels of Alexander Valley Cabernet sitting in the cellar, but the Napa producer he worked for had absolutely no intention of bottling a wine from the other side of the Mayacamas.

The grapes were originally brought in to round out their Napa Valley Cabernet, a bottling that, like many at its price, incorporates the 15% of allowable wine from outside the appellation. But when blending was done they still had eight gorgeous barrels—ones filled with the type of wine that showed off why Alexander Valley was famous for names like Peter Michael, Jordan, and Ridge.

It seemed like a no-brainer for the winemaker: He’d bottle a banging Alexander Valley Cab for his employer. But his bosses were adamant—they were a Napa producer known for legendary old-vine Napa Cabs. Make a Sonoma-labeled wine? That just wasn’t part of their brand.

So he called us—and now his name and the winery’s are buried behind an inch-thick NDA. That means Wine Access members get a shot at a bottle that would have sold for $95 if he’d had his way.

“We only got fruit from that vineyard in ‘19,” he told us, explaining the decision, “and it was so much like those legendary 90s Alexander Valley wines that it blew my mind. I mean, it smoked our entry-level Napa bottling—I’d have put our name on it in a heartbeat.”

That NDA means we can only say that the winemaker has worked at renowned wineries on three continents, and his employer is a top-quality producer whose farming roots stretch back over a century. The proof is in the glass on this one.

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

• ABV 14.90%
• 15 mins
• Now – 2026
• 95% Cabernet Sauvignon3% Merlot1% Malbec1% Petit Verdot
• Serving temperature – 62°
• Cork