Bella Union Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 2018

Special occasions call for special wines. Katie here, and I’m currently on a trip with my husband’s family for an early celebration of my mother-in-law’s birthday. So obviously, we need some great wine to celebrate!

Enter: Bella Union Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 2018

This is a beautiful bottle of wine, and thankfully for us, it tastes as good as it looks.

Bella Union comes from the same partners who create Far Niente, high end California wines. It’s name comes from their creation of Cabernet wine using a “beautiful Union” of grapes avcross several vineyards. And they’re not overselling it.

It’s certainly true that some of your enjoyment of anything, wine included, comes from the setting in which you enjoy it and the people you’re with. So maybe the fact that I was drinking this wine on a back patio in Breckenridge among the trees, in 60 degree weather (when it’s 100 at home), smelling the evergreens and the aspens and the fresh mountain air and listening to the breeze in the tree tops and the hummingbirds zipping by, played some role in how much I liked it. But honestly, all that aside, this is a delicious wine. Napa Cab is known for being fruity, and this certainly is—ripe blackberries and black plums—but there’s also just a bit of earthiness to it that surprised me, like blackberries just picked off the vine at Elderslie Farm. It also has some elements of baking spices to it, and sipping it, I also get some notes of dark chocolate.

We actually had it’s big brother, Far Niente, as well (this is a celebration after all), so it was a fun comparison. In the manner of most beloved Napa Cab, the Far Niente was a BIG wine with very ripe fruit and vanilla flavors. The Bella Union was more subtle, and really enjoyed the subtleties.

This is a great special occasion wine! But guys, I’m sorry, I don’t know if this is available in Wichita right now, since I wasn’t the one who brought it. Maybe Jamie at Jacob Liquor or Aaron at Plaza Wine and Spirits would know the answer to that! Online, it appears to sell for around $60.

Keep enjoying wine, and we’ll be back soon!