10 Best Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Under $100 to Buy Now in 2025

Elizabeth Spencer winery is named for husband-and-wife team Spencer Graham and Elizabeth Pressler who made their first Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon in 1998. Today Sarah Vandendriessche works with consulting winemaker Heidi Peterson Barrett to make some of Rutherford’s best made and well-priced red wines with amazing provenance. Their 2019 is drinking perfectly right now at the six-year mark. It introduces itself with aromas of strawberry, raspberry, and blueberry that transition to flavors of red currant, cassis, and black raspberry. Polished tannins and a burst of acidity linger on the palate after the last sip.

Bill Foley and his wife, Carol Johnson Foley opened Foley Johnson Estate Winery in 2012 after years of dreaming about a winery bearing both of their names. Their 60-acre Napa estate is composed of 50 acres in the heart of Rutherford and a 10-acre parcel near the main estate growing varieties that allow them to concentrate on high end Bordeaux style blends. A blend of 78 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 16 percent Merlot, 4 percent Petit Verdot, and 2 percent Cabernet Franc, this delightful wine offers aromas of cassis, anise, crushed violet petals, geranium leaf, and black raspberry that invite you into the glass for flavors of black currant, black olive paste, red plum, brown baking spices, and black licorice. The tannins are suede like, and the finish goes on for days.

Australian born winemaker Peter Gago is well known for his excellent and highly collectable Aussie wines such as Grange, but in 1998 he and his team planted Australian grapevines in American soil and began making Napa Valley wines. The result has been simply amazing and today these wines grace the wine racks of serious collectors here in the U.S.A. and abroad. Penfolds 2021 Bin 704 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has aromas of cassis, mint, crushed violet petal, finely ground black pepper, and black raspberry that lead to opulent tannins and flavors of blackberry, black currant, fennel, red raspberry, and pencil lead.

Although Matt Crafton has been Chateau Montelena’s winemaker for years after following in the footsteps of his predecessor Bo Barrett, most people know Chateau Montelena because of Croatian born winemaker Mike Grgich’s 1973 Chardonnay that won the 1976 Judgement of Paris. Matt’s 2021 Cab has already claimed numerous accolades and is an amazing bargain for the price. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, it has aromas of tobacco leaf, dried fig, vanilla, and ripe black fruits. Soft and supple with velvety tannins, it has flavors of cassis, black raspberry, and red plum.

Named for an abandoned mining town that once operated in Napa Valley, Silverado is currently lovingly managed by Bill, Carol, and Courtney Foley. In 2022 they purchased the property that Ron and Diane Disney Miller originally founded in 1981 and continue to make quality Napa Cabs that happen to be very well priced. Their Silverado 2022 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 88 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 5 percent Merlot, 3 percent Cabernet Franc, 2 percent Petit Verdot, and 2 percent Malbec and has aromas of blue fruits, black cherry, and vanilla. Plush tannins lead the way to flavors of ripe cherry, cigar box, and cinnamon.

Vintner, proprietor, and bon vivant Jean-Charles Boisset blends his European heritage and French winemaking skills with Napa Valley American innovation. He purchased the Raymond family’s eponymous estate in 2009 and expanded it to the 300 acres it encompasses today in Rutherford, Jameson Canyon, and St. Helena. His Raymond Reserve 2022 is made using certified organic and Biodynamic principles. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, it has enticing aromas of espresso, black raspberry, black cherry, and lifted eucalyptus that transform to flavors of dark chocolate, cassis, and blackberry on the palate.

Brothers Stuart and Charles Smith purchased the land that would eventually become Smith Madrone Vineyards and Winery in 1971. Their 2021 Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon is drinking perfectly right now after four years. It is composed of 81.9 percent Cab, 17.7 percent Cab Franc, and just a touch of Merlot and offers aromas of black currant, blueberry, crushed violet petals, and cinnamon. Sightly grippy tannins coat the mouth with flavors of cassis, red currant, plum, and a touch of nutmeg in the finish.

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Jerry Lohr was one of the first pioneers to plant vines on the Central Coast of California, specifically in Monterey and Paso Robles. He opened his first J. Lohr Winery in San Jose. In addition to farming over 2,700 acres of vines in Paso Robles, the winery also owns 30 acres under vine in Napa Valley with plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. This delightful 2022 is a blend of 96 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 4 percent Petit Verdot. Aromas of black cherry, black currant, and brown baking spices draw you into the glass for velvety tannins and flavors of dark chocolate, tobacco leaf, and freshly picked black cherry.

Vintner Laely Heron has lived and traveled all over the globe and after owning a restaurant and import company in Denmark she moved back to San Francisco and launched Heron Wines in 1995. Her portfolio at that time included wine from southern France, California, and Spain but today the five wines she focuses on are all produced in California. This stunning 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon from Rutherford is certainly a standout. It has aromas of cherry, black raspberry, dark chocolate and cigar box that transfer to the palate with soft tannins and flavors of cassis, cocoa powder, and pencil lead.

Josephine Tychson, one of the first female winery owners in California, founded Freemark Abbey in 1886. It is located at the northern end of Napa Valley and although it has changed hands a few times, it remains family owned by Jackson Family Wines under the stewardship of Barbara Banke and her children. Freemark Abbey 2021 is a blend of 94 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 5 percent Petit Verdot, and 1 percent Merlot. It has aromas of tobacco leaf, cassis, graphite, and a touch of cedar chest that lead to flavors of black raspberry, blueberry, and red plum.