The 7 Best Napa Valley Bordeaux Blends to Buy Now
Duckhorn, Pahlmeyer, Dominus Estate
Every wine lover knows that Napa is well respected for its excellent single variety Cabernet Sauvignon, but we are here to tell you that its Bordeaux style red blends should not be overlooked. After tasting hundreds of them over the past few years we firmly believe they should have higher priority on every wine lover’s shopping list. When you mention Napa Valley, big and bold wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon immediately come to mind, but Napa’s success is based on much more than one grape.
Winemakers here are growing an assortment of red grapes, but if you concentrate on the six traditional Bordeaux varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Carmenere you’ll find hundreds of single varietal wines or amazing blends of three, four, five, or all six. And because winemakers in America are free from the constraints of Bordeaux and French winemaking rules, you might find the addition of tiny amounts of Petite Sirah, Grenache, Syrah, or other red grapes to round out these wines. Here are the seven best Napa Valley Bordeaux blends to drink buy right now.
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Pahlmeyer 2022 Jayson Red
Image Credit: Pahlmeyer Jayson Pahlmeyer arrived in Napa Valley 40 years ago and planted his hand-carried Bordeaux vines with the goal of making a powerful and rich Bordeaux style wine in Napa Valley. The winery has changed hands, but the current winemaker Katie Vogt is committed to Jayson’s original goal, and we think her Jayson red blend totally hits all the marks of a fine wine from Bordeaux. It is made with 51 percent Merlot, 27 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 11 percent Malbec, 7 percent Petit Verdot, and 4 percent Cabernet Franc. Its aromas of black currant, graphite, forest floor, and dried sage leaves transition to flavors of black cherry, black plum, clove, cocoa powder, and cassis, all wrapped in a silky tannic sheath.
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Duckhorn 2021 the Discussion
Image Credit: Duckhorn Margaret and Dan Duckhorn established their Napa Valley winery in 1976 and bottled their first vintage two years later. They have grown exponentially in the last five decades since their initial production of 800 cases each of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Duckhorn first released the Discussion, its Bordeaux-style blend, in 2006 and it represents the family’s commitment to these two grapes. The 2021 is a blend of 69 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 29 percent Merlot, and 2 percent Malbec. It has aromas of rose water, black plum, and red cassis with flavors of toasted almonds, black berry, brown baking spices, and a touch of cocoa powder in the finish.
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Bevan Cellars 2021 EE Proprietary Red Oakville
Image Credit: Bevan Cellars In our travels through this industry, Russel Bevan has struck us as one of the most passionate and knowledgeable winemakers we’ve met in a long time. He is well known in Napa Valley for receiving more than 20 perfect 100-point scores for wines he has crafted for clients. His 2021 EE Proprietary Red blend is made under his own label and is composed of 55 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 45 percent Cabernet Franc. It has complex aromas of black currant, dark chocolate, and black plum with flavors of black raspberry, cassis, pencil lead, and mocha.
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Dominus Estate 2023
Image Credit: Dominus Estate Jean Pierre Moueix—owner of Chateau Petrus, La Fleur-Petrus, Trotanoy, and Magdelaine—sent his son Christian to University of California at Davis in the late 1960s to hone his winemaking skills. The elder Moueix may have never expected his son to fall in love with Napa Valley and want to return there years later. Christian came back to the valley in 1981 and partnered in the 124-acre historic Napanook Vineyard. He eventually became its sole owner in 1995 and named his wine Dominus for the Latin word connoting “lord of the estate,” to emphasize his commitment to sustainability. His 2023, a blend of 87 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 9 percent Cabernet Franc, and 4 percent Petit Verdot, has aromas of cigar box, brown baking spices, and red raspberry. Silky tannins in the mid palate support flavors of cocoa, black raspberry, and plum.
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Alpha Omega 2022 Proprietary Red
Image Credit: Alpha Omega Robin and Michelle Baggett founded Alpha Omega Winery in the mid 1990s and have been very active in the Napa Valley Vintners association and its charitable organizations since then. In fact, the two were the chairs of Auction Napa Valley in 2025. We’ve highlighted their Chardonnay wines in the past but their 2022 Proprietary Red just seems to hit all the right buttons. It has aromas of black licorice, freshly ground black pepper, and black current with silky smooth tannins that pave the way for flavors of brown baking spices, ripe cherry, and black plum.
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Ehlers Estate 2022 Portrait Red Blend St. Helena
Image Credit: Ehlers Estate Ehlers Estate has a unique microclimate due to its position at the narrowest point in Napa Valley. It benefits from early morning fog and bright sunshine later in the day, and winemaker Adam Casto knows how to craft world class wines using these variables to his advantage. Adam’s experience includes working harvests in Washington, New Zealand, Chile, France, and Tasmania as well as working with Philippe Melka in Napa for over 10 years. His 2022 Portrait red blend is composed of 66 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 16 percent Cabernet Franc, 16 percent Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot. It has aromas of wet river rocks, dried herbs, and black raspberry with flavors of black and red plums, blueberry, and cassis.
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Fortunate Son 2022 the Diplomat St. Helena
Image Credit: Fortunate Son David Fulton and his family farmed the land that would supply grapes for Fortunate Son for more than three decades. After David’s death his family looked to sell the property to someone who would preserve its legacy and, in their search they found well known and highly celebrated winemaker Jayson Woodbridge. His 2022 the Diplomat is a blend of 63 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 33 percent Merlot, and 4 percent Petite Sirah. It has enticing aromas of rose water, cedar box, strawberry, and black cherry. Velvety tannins support flavors of red cassis, black plum, and brown baking spices.
