Faust Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2021

Owned by the Huneeus family of Quintessa and Flowers fame, Faust debuted in the 2002 vintage. Estate director Jen Beloz and winemaker David Jelinek have been working together here since 2011. This 2021 bottling is sourced primarily from the estate’s Coombsville vineyard, located in the southeastern corner of Napa Valley. From a cool, late-ripening spot, Coombsville fruit is often blended with riper, more forward, up-valley fruit in order to add spine and definition to Napa Cabernets, and this is a prime example. Faust’s Coombsville site, certified organic in ’21, accounts for about half of the blend, along with fruit from Yountville, Oakville, Rutherford and other AVAs. In a category known for triple-digit prices, this is an emphatic answer to the Napa Cabernet value search.

Tasting Note

Packed and broad in feel, with a ganache note draped over black currant, blackberry and steeped cherry. Licorice root and alder smoke flavors check in on the finish as the fruit pumps through, ending with a flash of violet. Hard to resist now, but this has some development ahead. Drink now through 2036.—James Molesworth