Just to set the stage, here’s Vinous on this 2023, their #4 Wine of the Year:
After the torrid 2022 vintage, the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon marks a return to a much more classic style at Frog's Leap. Aromatic, vibrant and sculpted, the 2023 dazzles from start to finish.
The 2023 is wonderfully deep and so expressive. Rose petal, dried herbs, mocha, pine and a touch of Rutherford earthiness play off a core of distinctly fresh red-toned fruit. Readers who enjoy restrained, classically built wines won't find a finer value.
The winery says:
Deep color and rich texture, almost a given in problem-free years in Napa, are matched in ’23 by a special combination of strong acidity and cool-season complexity, giving the wine both power and grace. This elegance, a hallmark of our emphasis on balance and restraint, gives the ’23 a remarkable amount of drinkability to go with its depth, and makes it equally at home with simple roasted vegetables as it is with steak or other more traditional pairings. It also marks the ’23 as a special candidate for the cellar, as I fully expect it to outlive me.
Simply put: both the finest and THE most classic Napa Cabernet under $100.
Again, by the way, the very first winemaking job for owner John Williams was making, finishing and bottling the legendary 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet. Not a bad start…
