Napa Valley's Oakville district is considered "holy ground" for Cabernet Sauvignon, and Paradigm is one of the AVA's old-school producers. Founded in 1976, this estate helped establish the Oakville AVA as one of Napa Valley's finest.
Since 1991, every vintage of Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon has been made by Heidi Barrett, the original winemaker at Screaming Eagle. Today, Heidi is a living legend and one of Napa's most skilled and sought after winemakers. When you taste what she "created" at Paradigm in the hot and dry 2017 vintage, you'll understand.
2017 Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville
Classic, classy Oakville Cab made by Heidi Peterson, one of Napa's greatest winemakers.
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Those in the know, already know this: Paradigm is one of the best premium wine values in all of Oakville. Oakville is home to some of Napa's top names and most expensive Cabernet Sauvignons. Ever heard of Opus One, Silver Oak, or Plumpjack? All of these famed estates call Oakville home, and yes, they all make wonderful wines, but their wines are going to run you 2 to 3 times as much as Paradigm.
Paradigm is still very much under-the-radar....unless you are a wine geek like me! When Lynn and I visited Napa in 2013, our first vacation after opening Table Wine in 2010, the first winery we visited was Paradigm. I had always heard that their wines were a taste of "Old Napa" and that owners Ren and Marilyn Harris were about as kind and unpretentious as they come. Not only were our expectations surpassed, they were exceeded. We were greeted with smiles and healthy pours of their 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, and that set the tone of our visit.
After tasting Paradigm's 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon last week, I was reminded of that visit. I was also reminded of how incredibly delicious Paradigm's Oakville Cab was. The style here is rich, ripe, and flamboyant yet balanced and sophisticated, traits often found in wines made by Heidi Barrett. In addition to making Paradigm's wines, she also enjoyed stints at Napa Valley legends like Dalla Valle and Grace Family. She is also married to Bo Barrett, winemaker and owner at Calistoga's Montelena estate.
I would guess by now that you get the point and want to hear what this stuff tastes like. I get it, and I'll start that conversation by saying that 2017 was hot and dry throughout the Napa Valley, yielding ripe and forward wines with softer tannin and more mild acidity. Translated, this wine is drinking like a dream right now!
In a nutshell, it tastes like Oakville! Deep in color and bold in aroma and flavor, this one offers up lovely notes of dark cherry, cassis, chocolate, and toasty oak. The palate is ripe and mouth-coating with huge flavors of berry cobbler, mocha, vanilla, and exotic spice. This wine shows enough structure to be age-worthy, yet it's soft and balanced enough to enjoy upon release.
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Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville