Arcudi Terramagra Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2019

Back in 2015 we debuted Tony Arcudi's very first vintage under his label with the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon bottling coming from the Black Sears Vineyard on Howell Mountain. Members loved it, and we were not surprised. With resolute passion, determination, and an outlandishly impressive pedigree of wines that he has helped to craft, Tony is the winemaker to start collecting if you haven't already. In 2001, propelled by the memory of a life-changing glass of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Tony, a Boston native, packed his bags at the age of thirty-eight and moved across the country to the Napa Valley. His unwavering inspiration led him to apply to college for the first time in his life. He then attended and graduated from the prestigious UC Davis, the topmost academy for wine studies in the United States. After graduating, Tony worked an internship at the revered Maison M. Chapoutier in France and then as the Assistant Winemaker for Nickel & Nickel back in Napa. In 2009 he met Napa superstar winemaker Heidi Barrett, whose winemaking resume includes Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle, Grace Family, Amuse Bouche, Fantesca, Diamond Creek Vineyards, and Kenzo Estate, to name just a few. Tony became Heidi's Assistant Winemaker and right-hand man that same year. Working alongside Heidi gave him unimaginable experience and boosted his confidence to begin a project in 2012 under his own label, Arcudi. 

Since then, in addition to becoming the winemaker for Kapcsandy Family Winery and earning three 100-Point Scores there (two in his first vintage), his small production, single-vineyard Cabernets under the Arcudi label have continued to garner glowing reviews from critics and loyal followers. While we have been fans of those single-vineyard Cabernets for several years now, they aren't exactly considered a "middle of the week" wine at $150 retail. Having been asked many times over the last several years, "We love your wines, but what do you recommend opening on a Wednesday night?" Tony finally took the hint and decided to make one himself. Terramagra is his newest release and offering to all of us looking for an incredible bottle of Napa Cabernet at a third or even quarter of the price. Terramagra (literally meaning meager earth) was Tony's mother's maiden name, an homage to his grandfather, and also used as a description of the soil where the best grapevines grow. Tony skillfully bridges the so-called gap between the old and new world, striking a balance of ripeness and structure. This 2018 Terramagra is 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and 24% Merlot, aged for 20 months in French oak. Dark and sturdy in the glass, the wine has aromas of ripe black cherry, cassis, and exotic spice with savory nuances of tobacco and leather. The palate is rich with dark fruit, broadly integrated tannins, and perfectly balanced acid that lifts the richness of this wine to a pinnacle of excellence. Only 275 cases were produced.