Napa is universally recognized as one of the world’s premier wine regions, and you pay to enjoy its exalted pours. How much and which wines get the most attention?
Wine-Searcher maintains a daily updated online list of the world’s wines complete with pricing, scores, and links to reviews and maker websites. It is an invaluable tool I have used for years for prices in my tasting notes and reviews.
Part of their reporting is the number of searches on their site for each wine. That presents a snapshot of what people care about. As you would expect, searches for Napa wines concentrate on big reds. Some 70 percent of all Napa wines listed on Wine-Searcher are cabernet sauvignon, merlot, or blends of the two.
When it comes to searches, a whopping 92 percent are for cabernet sauvignon and its related blends. Searchers either are contemplating buying or enjoying the fantasy of what they would buy if they could buy. Here are the world’s most-searched Napa wines on Wine-Searcher along with an averaged score and price:
1. Opus One. 94 points. $412
2. Dominus Estate Christian Moueix. 95 points. $327
3. Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon. 97 points. $4,765
4. Caymus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. 91 points. $91
5. Harlan Estate. 96 points. $1,448
6. Joseph Phelps Vineyards Insignia. 94 points. $277
7. Caymus Vineyards Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon. 93 points. $214
8. Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon. 95 points. $967
9. Silver Oak Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon. 89 points. $145
10. Shafer Vineyards Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon. 95 points. $342
The order has been basically unchanged for several years. Opus One, Dominus, and Screaming Eagle remain unchallenged. This year, Caymus nudged ahead of Harlan. Caymus Special Selection moved up two places while Shafer dropped two.
There was an interesting note. It still costs serious money to enjoy these Napa jewels, but there was a significant slowing of price increases. Opus One actually dropped in price from $416 to $412. Likely still not in your Tuesday pizza night budget, but interesting.
Tasting notes:
• Rabble Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2019: Rich, lush dark fruits; 100% Napa cab. $25-36 Link to my review
• Rombauer Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot 2018: Bold, ripe-fruit, easy-drinking iteration of Napa merlot. $45-50 Link to my review
• Charles Krug Peter Mondavi Family Reserve Generations, Napa Valley 2018: Delivers subtle elegance; 84% Napa cab. $60-75 Link to my review
Last round: You know it is a hot summer when your electric bill is more than your house payment. Wine time.