Freddy R. Troya

9.3

Nickel & Nickel – Vaca Vista Vineyard – Cab Sauv– 2022
Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley, California 🇺🇸

Overview
A single-vineyard Napa Cabernet sourced from the cool and elegant Oak Knoll District. Fermented and aged with the classic Nickel & Nickel precision, this expression favors balance, red-to-dark fruit purity, and structure over sheer power. A modern Napa style that emphasizes approachability without sacrificing depth.

Aromas & Flavors
Black cherry, cassis, plum, and violet, with cedar, vanilla, graphite, and a touch of baking spice. Subtle oak integration allows the fruit and minerality to shine.

Mouthfeel
Medium-plus in body, polished, and cohesive. Fresh acidity, supple tannins, and a graceful arc from entry to finish. Not a bruiser — a refined, cooler-climate profile that stays lively and lifted.

Food Pairings
Flat iron steak, short ribs, mushroom risotto, grilled lamb chops, herb-crusted pork tenderloin, or aged cheeses.

Verdict
A beautifully balanced, site-driven Napa Cabernet that delivers both sophistication and drinkability. Finessed rather than forceful, and a strong example of why Oak Knoll continues to be one of Napa’s most exciting AVAs for Cabernet.

Did You Know?
Nickel & Nickel was founded by the Far Niente family with a mission to produce 100% varietal, single-vineyard wines, showcasing Napa’s terroir with clarity. Oak Knoll is one of Napa Valley’s coolest sub-AVAs, producing elegant, aromatic reds with natural acidity and restraint.

🍷 Personal Pick Highlight
Oak Knoll being a single-vineyard expression from this sub-AVA makes it one of the easiest, most easygoing Cabernets from the Napa floor, and I always like to have it as an opener when pouring more intense Napa reds. A perfect warm-up that sets the stage beautifully. — 29 minutes ago

Mark Mannebach

9.2

2017 vintage. Plum, pomegranate and chocolate notes with a smooth finish of limestone, spice and wet stone. — 4 months ago

Raul Puga

9.6

Best Malbec I’ve ever had. Truly sublime and still has a few years ahead of it — 6 months ago

Neil Valenzuela

9.0

Deep purple color. Aromas of black cherries, licorice and mocha. Nice flavors of red and black fruit, red currant and chocolate.

🏅92 Points - James Suckling — 8 days ago

Brandon Boesch

9.9

What a wine at 11 years! So much lemon, seagrass, peaches, a bit of stone, some lemon curd. It coats the palate. Interestingly it opened up with more fruit over 2 hours. It is so freaking good. It’s really like a fresh lemon tart with a tiny bit of cream and the crust with some orchard fruit and the at the ocean. Unbelievable. I loved this wine 8 years ago and love it more now. — 3 months ago

Matthew Cohen

9.3

Nose: elegant white flowers.

Palate: balanced mineral. Green apple. Good density. Burgundian. — 5 months ago

Brian S

9.4

Delicious!!! — 15 days ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.2

Brock thompson jordan john s kevin b — 2 months ago

A Name

10

Boardwalk Bellvue bar.
8/22 staycation.

Plum, raspberries, juicy and fruitful but not overpowering sweet. Dryer than Coopers. Better than coopers. The nose is very strong and elegant. Goes down smooth. Has an "evaporation" effect on the end. — 4 months ago

Joshua Figg

9.0

Full bodied, but a total fruit bomb. Smooth, rich and slightly velvety. Lots of tannins, finishes bolder. — 6 months ago