Brian S

9.5

Truffle cheese — a month ago

Frank Soldano

9.2

Drinking the 2018 in 2026. Dark thick long lasting legs. Nose has dark fruit and cherry notes, slightly sweet. Light flavor for a cab. Very smooth with a fruity finish. Nice wine. — 5 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.2

Bella Novello – Cabernet Sauvignon – Vintage 2023
Napa Valley, California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
A tribute wine named after Teresa Novello, this Cabernet Sauvignon carries the elegance of heritage with the power of Napa terroir. Crafted in limited production (just 850 cases), Bella Novello is youthful yet already expressive, shaped by winemaking that blends Italian finesse with Napa Valley boldness.

Aromas & Flavors
Aromas of blackcurrant, ripe plum, and blackberry intertwine with cedar, graphite, and touches of dried violet. Subtle hints of mocha and spice round out its aromatic depth.

Mouthfeel
Structured and youthful, with firm tannins and a focused core of dark fruit. The mid-palate shows promise of expansion, leading to a lingering finish marked by cassis and savory spice. Designed to reward both patience and curiosity.

Food Pairings
Pair with classic dishes like bistecca alla Fiorentina, braised lamb shanks, or wild mushroom risotto. Its backbone of tannin and freshness makes it ideal for rich, protein-driven meals.

Verdict
Bella Novello is a Cabernet with poise, combining Old World inspiration and Napa’s hallmark concentration. Drinkable now with decanting, but truly a wine built to age gracefully over the next decade.

Did You Know?
The Novello family’s Italian roots are deeply honored through this label, bringing a personal story of heritage to the heart of Napa winemaking.

🍷 Personal Pick Highlight
This Cabernet feels like a future classic, bold yet refined. While still youthful, it already hints at the elegance it will achieve with time. A bottle worth cellaring, but also one to enjoy now with the right meal and good company. Cheers! — 8 months ago

Sid S

9.3

Full bodied, and rich — 5 years ago

Daniel Ciolek

9.2

Another delightful year of their Meritage style blend. This year it’s made of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Lovely nose with complex fruit and spice flavors, mouth watering acidity, and smoothness throughout with just enough tannins for a pop and a pleasant lingering finish. — 5 years ago

Paco Suro

9.1

This was terrific. 16 years in. Softening. Still holding onto those leathery notes. Good stuff. — 5 years ago

Stephen Fitzpatrick

9.0

2020 vintage, standard Chianti ruby red coloring, decent floral aromas on the nose, cherry and spice on the palette, complete shift in flavor after letting it breath for 30 minutes, it leaves a lingering but pleasant hint of smoke or burnt oak on the finish. — a month ago

Sándor Jaguar

9.0

Possibly a potential go to medium $ Pinot noir. Can't think of what is better except for stuff we have equity in — 6 months ago

with Sydne, Ryan and 22 others

Delectable Wine

Follow to learn about our favorite wines & people.

9.4

Dreamy is the word that comes to mind as the 2018 Vigna la Miccia Marsala Superiore Oro wafts up with a decadent blend of roasted almonds and hazelnuts, complicated by gingery spice and baked peaches. This opens with a pretty inner sweetness and oily textures that are perfectly offset by notes of spiced citrus, cloves, cedar and a bitter tinge of coffee grounds. It cleans up beautifully, ridiculously long and staining yet still fresh, leaving hints of cocoa and butterscotch to linger on the finish. (Eric Guido, Vinous, June 2024)
— 2 years ago

Chip Habegger

9.1

Cherry. Spice, like anise and thyme. Chalky soil. Medium tannins. Medium plus finish. Medium plus perfume. Love Sangiovese but a little tight despite decanting — 4 years ago

Jody Scharf

9.0

Spicy but Nicy. — 5 years ago

Juan Pablo Perez

9.1

Nariz: cereza, frambuesa, ciruela, cuero, rosas. Aromas secundarios y terciarios.

Boca: Tanino M, Acidez M, Alcohol M

En su punto de tomar. — 5 years ago

EL

9.1

Still got it. — 7 years ago

Tobin Spratte

9.3

This is the first wine I've rated where I stood right on the soil where it grew. Classic blackberrry-raspberry and strawberry jam aromas of domestic Zin but significantly more character and earth as it breathes in the glass. — 2 months ago

Christian Fischer

9.2

Well that was a weird bottle. Smelled amazing and tasted very off, no TCA or anything like it, difficult to describe. It had a layer of very tart tannin-like overlaying flavor that was not good. Left it open for 24 hours and it was much improved. After 48 hours it was a nice bottle of CA cab. Clearly something off with this bottle and the 9.2 rating is a 9.1 from day 3 and some add for ‘not typical’. I had high hopes for this wine and don’t think I have had a fair sampling of it — 5 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.0

Pretty deep , almost opaque , thin rim . Quite wild , dried herbs , touch of rounded red fruits . More fruit on the palate , quite ripe red fruits , quite soft but fine , nice balanced acidity . Slightly warm. Quite good length though quite dry finish . Nice now , wouldn’t want to leave this too much longer however . — 4 years ago

Ben Christen

9.5

So good. Corkage. — 4 years ago

Tenley Seidel

9.1

Jordy’s bday! Silky, smooth with a sweet finish — 5 years ago

Sarah Robards

10

All 3 loved it. Sweet, but not overly — 5 years ago

Nick Loewen

9.1

Nice. Melon nose, tasty. — 6 years ago