Barrett & Barrett was founded in 2008 by the husband-and-wife winemaking team of Bo & Heidi Barrett as their first collaborative wine, following parallel careers of more than 30 years in the wine industry. A single wine from a single property, Barrett & Barrett Calistoga Estate Cabernet Sauvignon represents Bo’s winegrowing experience gained over decades farming Chateau Montelena’s vineyards in the Calistoga AVA (which he helped to gain official AVA status in 2010), and Heidi’s expertise in crafting the finest “cult cabs” of Napa Valley (including Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle, Grace Family, her own brand La Sirena, and numerous others).

The 2019 vintage was a temperate year with excellent growing conditions, similar to the previous vintage, 2018. So nice to have 2 ideal growing seasons back to back, with some incredible wines to show for it! We had late spring rain that resulted in large, healthy canopies, and steady growing weather all summer without any major heat or cooling anomalies. This resulted in good crop yields with great color and flavors and supple, seamless tannins. The 2019 vintage is remembered fondly and expected to deliver top-quality expressions of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon both in the near and long-term.

The wine is a very dark inky blackberry color, with ripe aromatics of lush berries, elegant dried cherry, currants, black tea, graphite, and a kiss of sweet French Oak. Across the palate, it’s impressively seamless and explosive with pure flavors that mirror the aromas. Gorgeous balance with chewy, integrated tannins and a lengthy evolving finish. It surely will be an excellent wine for cellar aging, though it is also delicious and approachable now. A beautiful example of the highly lauded 2019 vintage that will bring pleasure for many years to come!