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Accendo Cellars winemakers Françoise Peschon and Nigel Kinsman work with consulting winemaker Michel Rolland to make one of Napa Valley’s best and most coveted Sauvignon Blancs. We’ve tasted more than 10 vintages and are always impressed by the quality and consistency. Their most recent release available on the market is the 2022, but we’re eagerly awaiting the release of the 2023. The 2022 has aromas of freesia, freshly ground white pepper, and lemon curd. It has a hint of salinity on the mid palate with flavors of dried sage, green apple, and peach. Drink now or over the next five to seven years. This wine will age nicely.

The Araujo family chose the name Accendo from the Latin verb and poetically translated it to “illuminate, inspire, and arouse.” With this mantra the family hopes to illuminate their sustainably farmed vineyards, to inspire by producing classically styled wines, and to arouse by continuing the conversation about what makes a wine great. We recently did a 10-year vertical of their classically styled Sauvignon Blancs and can confirm that they are achieving their goals. While we found all 10 wines to be excellent, the 2022 is exceptionally fresh with an enticing bouquet of lemon curd, freshly ground pepper, and freesia that translate to flavors of peach, green apple, and dried sage on the palate with a pleasant yet bracing saline finish.

Look, we get it. Summer has been synonymous with “Rosé all day” for the past couple of years. But when it

comes to wines that hit when it’s warm, you shouldn’t sleep on Sauvignon Blanc.  Though it’s been around for

centuries, Sauvignon Blanc is trending–and its popularity seems to be rooted in true star power.

If we were to play game of word association and we called out “Napa” we’re willing to bet that the majority of respondents, without hesitation, would reply “Cabernet Sauvignon.” If there were a chef or two in the mix, we might hear “cabbage” as well, but knowing our readers we’re aware that Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon remains top of mind. Exploring a little further, we’re sure that we could elicit at least a small amount of acknowledgment that the United States’ most famous wine region also produces Chardonnay. However, beyond that we think we would be hard pressed to find a large cohort of wine drinkers who are aware that Napa Valley’s grows and produces a wide range of white wine.

Yes, the weather has started to get a little cooler but doesn’t mean we have to give up our favorite summertime whites. Sure, white wines are usually thought of as warmer weather pleasures, but they also form a nice bridge as the summer turns to fall. They offer an excellent contrast to some of the heavier meals we begin cooking as we move from the grill to indoor preparations, with crisp, clean acidity...

The issue's most impressive wines. Includes top-scorers and wines that represent optimal purchases based on their combination of score, price and availability. 

Is there anyone left who doubts that—in sheer quality—Napa Valley’s top whites are Sauvignon Blancs?

Maybe it sounds a little severe to say, but over the past five years, while Napa’s Chardonnays have largely stood in place, the valley’s Sauvignon Blancs have soared. These aren’t just good Sauvignon Blancs; these are ravishingly complex white wines that have a kinship with the greatest white Bordeaux.

Napa’s “Super Sauvignons” would be right at home in a blind tasting with, say, Domaine de Chevalier and Château Haut-Brion Blanc—two of the most treasured white wines in the world.

Here’s what these Super Sauvignons are not: they are not simple. They taste nothing like New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs, for example, which are generally straightforward and unfussy.

If you enjoy the clean zippy taste of sauvignon blanc wines, you are not alone. Indeed, sauvignon blanc has been one of the fastest growing wine varieties in the U.S. market over the past several years, according to NielsenIQ. With its classic notes of grapefruit, passion fruit, and gooseberry, it is a popular wine for summer sipping, but also for food-pairing, due to its bright acidity.

But did you know that sauvignon blanc has an ancient heritage, and is actually the main variety in some of the world’s most expensive white wines?

With the 2020 vintage of California Cabernet notably reduced in both number of offerings and quality due to the wildfires that affected many vineyards near harvest time, the 2019s and 2018s continue to be your best bets right now. ... This selection of new releases shows off not only the stylistic differences between these two vintages, but the terrific diversity that California Cabernet now offers. There's a pair of densely structured and packed Abreu wines from winemaker Brad Grimes, alongside the lush, broad and classic Oakville style of Accendo from winemaker Nigel Kinsman

Sharing a meal with family and friends is one of the joys of the holiday season, and few things let them know how much you really care like opening some special bottles when they are gathered around your table...we know most of our guests are carnivores looking for some bold holiday reds...

Energy, freshness and balance characterize Napa Valley’s 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon vintage, which will find broad appeal. The best are incredibly approachable, already showing intricate layers of complexity through the vivid upfront dark fruit, but also boast the structure to cellar for decades thanks to ultra-fine tannins and ample acid tension. ‘In time, we believe 2019 will prove to be one of the standout vintages of the decade,’...

...in 2013, the Araujos embarked on tastings that led them back to the balance and longevity of earlier Napa Valley reds–wines made from multiple sites across the valley. So for their new Accendo Cellars brand, they pivoted to the art of the blend, mingling fruit from a mix of the valley’s most coveted vineyards, the strengths of each chosen wine, according to Bart, complementing the high points of all the others.

One of the most exciting developments in wine over the last several years has been the emergence of a whole new class of California Sauvignon Blancs—wines that are bright, minerally, sophisticated, and complex, often with a ravishing raciness and richness. I call them the Super Sauvignons...

Tasting the newest Sauvignon Blancs, from California and Washington in particular, has more than confirmed that good West Coast versions are anything but simplistic. Layers of complexity—nuances of fruit, yes, but also florals, herbs and minerality, and mouth-filling weight and texture—create compelling wines.

When it comes to wine critics’ scores—whether they sway you in any meaningful way or not—there are some thresholds that arguably matter. A bottle tagged with a 90 on the 100-point scale is in decent standing (if not in stellar position) on shop shelves, but drop that a single point, and it will languish; no one goes out looking for an 89. Halfway into the 90s is another milestone: Scores of 95 and over are downright impressive. In that range, the critics might quibble about nuance and style, but if their numbers are all clustered north of 95, they agree the wine is terrific.

The most compelling achievement, of course, is the century mark. Fully aware of the bragging rights (and marketing bonanza) riding on that perfect-100, critics don’t give it lightly. It’s the one score they’ve put the most serious thought into, and can back up with meaningful high praise.

Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley has built a “can’t miss” reputation. This is true across California, but especially so in Napa, where there are rarely difficult vintages and the grape has become the region’s unquestioned lead player, representing more than half of the valley’s total plantings (23,500 acres, up from 18,246 acres in 2010). The result has been an ongoing string of excellent vintages...top 2018s in this report include the Accendo Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2018 (97, $365).

From wines for the tech guru in your life and the photography aficionado to the rock n’ roll fan and the magnum lover, we’ve got a fabulous holiday list for you! We’ve even tapped a few Bay Area wine experts to offer a few of their top bottle choices this year from our nearby wine regions. And you’ll find a few accessories and non-wine ideas in the mix, as well. Cheers to the holidays!

The winemaking and grapegrowing styles of California Cabernet Sauvignon were on full display at the Wine Experience on Friday in a seminar featuring four stellar wines from Napa Valley. Moderated by Wine Spectator senior editor James Molesworth, the seminar was an exploration of the philosophical and historical factors that influence how grapes are grown, how wine is made and how those factors enrich the final product.

It would be a mistake to think that, in sun-drenched Northern California wine country, all vintages are created equal. It’s true that California vineyards rarely struggle to ripen as those in Old World regions often do, but a late frost can threaten after bud break; a sudden August heat spike can send sugar levels surging; a fire…enough said.

But then there was 2018. After several years of drought, generous rain set vineyards up with the moisture they needed.