Rudius Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain Napa Valley 2023
California · Napa Valley · Cabernet Sauvignon · red
About this wine
Wait...98 POINTS and UNDER $40?!?! For 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the one and only Diamond Mountain??? What sorcery is this? RUDIUS! The sword of freedom, symbolizing the emancipation of man, and the freedom to pursue your own destiny, and…and…a pretty EPIC 98 point Napa Cab, too! Now, I LOVE me some ancient Roman symbolism…no question. But sometimes, like TODAY — we gotta live in the present! ‘Cause UNDER $40 for 98 POINT Diamond Mountain Cab is very real, and very limited, and I couldn’t stand the thought of y’all missing out simply because I got all long-winded about gladiators, and chariot races, emperors, and the like…there’s just NO TIME! So here’s what you need to know: 2023 vintage. Epic. Bewildering quality, and likely to be enthroned as one of the finest Napa Valley vintages in history once the dust settles and these releases trickle out fully into the world. Chad Alexander. He’s the certified Mountain Specialist behind such icons as Robert Craig, Hess Collection (where he started working at 14), as well as Last Bottle mainstay — Dolum Estates 98 POINTS! The review calls it “Intense and deeply profound” and one sniff backs up this claim. It’s a beast — even at the winery price of $132. To have it at OVER 70% LESS? Mind…blown. The rebirth of an icon. Rudius was founded in 2005 by Jeff Ames (Tor) as a passion project and the wines were KILLER. After a few years on the shelf thanks to a certain global pandemic, 2023 marks the re-birth, with a focus on just TWO Napa Mountain Cabs — one from Howell Mountain, and this gem from atop Diamond Mountain LIMITED. You won’t find this ANYWHERE else…just the winery, and us. So if you like saving nearly $100 bucks per bottle…you know what to do. And the wine?! Staggeringly DELICIOUS! Blackberry coulis, and green cedar, with crushed stone, and candied violets…YUM! The mouth is richly layered and chock-a-block with molten dark chocolate, espresso, dusty cherries, polished new leather, and juicy black plums. The finish is chalky and powerful in that classic Diamond Mountain sort of way, but with a decadence that makes it remarkably approachable for all its youth. It’s WAY more drinkable than any 2023 Mountain Cab has the right to be — but don’t you worry one bit about laying a few of these babies down…this is going to drink even better in a few years time — provided you have the patience and strength of will that I lost myself about a decade back! Just get enough to satisfy…‘cause this is a deal that is sure to vanish quickly! 98 POINT Mountain Cab, for UNDER $40…go get ‘em, my friends! While it lasts!!!
Wine details
- Producer
- Rudius
- Vintage
- 2023
- Region
- California
- Appellation
- Napa Valley
- Varietal
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Blend
- 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
- Color
- red
- Alcohol
- 15
- Last Bottle price
- $39
- Retail price (estimate)
- $132
- Wine-Searcher average
- $128
- CellarTracker score
- 86 (1 reviews)
- Critic score
- 98 — Tasting Panel