2021 Ad Vivum Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Sleeping Lady Vineyard Yountville Napa Valley

It’s always funny to us to see how one of Napa’s most important winemakers has kept such a low profile all these years. Having made 1991 Dominus—one of the most iconic and hard-to-find wines in Napa Valley, and a personal favorite of ours—Chris is up there with the all-time greats in the region, yet he has never had any interest in taking the spotlight.

Phelps has also been integral to the meteoric rise of Sleeping Lady Vineyard, which started over three decades ago when he struck a deal with vineyard owner Larry Bettinelli. Phelps wanted to make experimental lots of wine to help assess different clones, row orientations, trellis systems, and other aspects of vineyard design.

Sleeping Lady has since become an iconic source of world-class Napa Cabernet, with superstar winemakers like Philippe Melka, Julien Fayard, and Benoit Touquette now locked into their own long-term contracts. But thanks to his longstanding involvement with Sleeping Lady, Phelps has first dibs on his favorite blocks. He knows the slopes intimately, and he knows exactly how to get the fruit he wants. It shows in his wine.

PRESS, in Napa with a Master Sommelier at the helm, proudly features a six-vintage vertical of this wine, ranging from $420 to $600. It’s as fine a Cabernet as you’ll find in Napa Valley, and the 2021 might just be the greatest vintage ever of Ad Vivum. Decanter certainly thinks so, as they said as much in their perfect 100-point review.

Our history with Ad Vivum and the people behind it have left an indelible imprint on our wine journey. It’s a bottling that we absolutely love to introduce to the most discerning of collectors—and it doesn’t get better than this 2021.

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

• ABV 14.40%
• 1 hour
• Now – 2040
• % Cabernet Sauvignon
• Serving temperature – 58°
• Cork