The best and highest-rated Groth Napa Cabernet ever in rare magnum format: this actually outscores a lot of the famous Groth Reserves – including now the legendary 1985…the first American wine that Robert Parker scored 100 points!
Galloni says:
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon (Oakville) is fabulous. Moreover, it shows the important strides that have been made here in recent years. A wine of depth as well as energy, the Oakville Cabernet is both complete and absolutely delicious. Time brings out a whole range of leather, spice and chocolate notes to play off a core of intense, dark-fleshed fruit. I would prefer to cellar the 2018 for at least a few years. In a word: impressive.
Sara D’Amato rates it 95 points and a five-star value at $100, saying:
In this 2018 vintage, Groth exemplifies the power and poise that is such a trademark of the cabernet grown on the gravelly valley floor appellation of Oakville that is just south enough in the Valley to benefit from the fog coverage from San Pablo Bay. Dense and juicy with rich graphite, grippy tannins and excellent concentration, a wine that should stand the test of time, or at least the next decade and a half. From a cooler vintage, this cabernet is balanced by great freshness and minerality with an almost Graves-like disposition. Excellent length. Best 2023-2035.
Ditto for Master Sommelier John Szabo:
Groth's 2018 cabernet is a flat-out gorgeous wine. I love the seamless texture, the perfectly ripe fruit, the beautifully integrated oak and the excellent length and complexity. And, while far from an inexpensive wine, it punches well-above its weight in the relative Napa Valley context, equaling, and surpassing, many far pricier speculative bottlings. The maturity of the estate, established in 1981, is on full display; no need for flash or bling here, just and excellent, meticulously-farmed site and classic winemaking. Best now-2038 or so - this has the stuffing to go the distance.
And Michael Godel:
Oakville in Groth’s hands is a genuine article and marker, a cabernet sauvignon going back more than 40 years that has played solid rock. A prime example of slow, steady and persistently inclining kind of wine, always moving forward, evolving and changing. The acid structure in 2018 is like a breath of varietal air and the freshness instilled just makes the fruit sing in acute frequency, yet one we love to hear. There are dark moments because of ripeness and idiomatic Oakville style but it’s always Grothic, after all. The contiguous effect (and attention to detail) makes Groth’s a special wine. Drink 2024-2032.
