2023 Gravel Series ‘Secret Garden’ Cabernet Sauvignon
Member Price: $225 – $250
This wine begins in a place few ever see.
Nestled at the base of the Mayacamas in Napa Valley’s revered Oakville bench, the Secret Garden is a hidden gem — M-Bar Ranch, a historic 13-acre vineyard once owned by Mondavi and now shared between Round Pond and Araujo. Surrounded by icons like Harlan, Martha’s Vineyard, Missouri Hopper, and To Kalon, this site quietly rivals them all.
The soil of our Oakville site lies on a gravelly base overlaid with alluvial soils washed down from the Mayacamas mountain range. This site experiences more maritime influence, with the fog layer lingering later in the morning and arriving earlier in the evening, leading to slightly cooler days and nights. From our 10-acre share, we select just two exceptional blocks to craft the Secret Garden Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s 100% Oakville Cabernet, consistently earning 95+ scores, and represents the pinnacle of our winemaking. Thomas Rivers Brown has called this site the best in Napa.
This is the most concentrated wine we produce, yet it’s never about power alone. It’s a study in elegance and restraint—silky, refined, and quietly commanding. A wine that speaks softly, but leaves a lasting impression.
We dedicate this wine to our Mother – an incredible role model for all the women in our family – whose strength is legendary and eye for beauty remarkable.
The Gravel Series wines are the pinnacle of our portfolio. These block-designate Cabernet Sauvignons are sourced from three unique gravel microsites across our Rutherford Estate and Oakville M-Bar properties—chosen for their ability to produce wines of exceptional power, elegance, and distinction. Crafted in extremely limited quantities, these wines are available exclusively through the winery.
Accolades
"The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Gravel Series Secret Garden is a total knockout. Sumptuous and layered, the 2023 is all class. Soft, polished contours wrap around a core of black cherry fruit, blackberry, licorice, plum, incense and mocha. All of this fruit is from M-Bar Ranch, one of the hidden jewels of Oakville." - 97 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
"The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Secret Garden is another stunning effort from this estate. Aged 20 months in French oak with roughly 350 cases made, it reveals crème de cassis, crushed stone, spring flowers, and a wonderful sense of minerality as well as a hint of classic Oakville black olive. It's full-bodied and has a concentrated mouthfeel, chocolaty integrated oak, ripe tannins, and a great finish." - 97 points, Jeb Dunnuck
"Deep black cherry and cassis aromas are joined by a hint of licorice on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is supple, verging on creamy, and lush without being soft, with a long, concentrated and mouthwatering finish." - 96 points, Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate
Tasting Notes
A hint of graphite opens the nose alongside black cherry, blackberry, and cassis, joined by dry rose petal and a whisper of licorice. On the palate, big, juicy dark fruit gives way to succulent raspberry and black cherry, layered with tobacco, sage, and soft spice. Balanced acidity, tannin, and fruit carry a savory sweetness through a long finish, with pepper spice lingering at the end. Drink 2027–2045
Vineyard Notes
The 2023 vintage marked the end of our three-year drought, bringing nearly 30” of rainfall that contributed to the revitalization of our soil profiles and fostering robust canopy growth. The vintage was one of the mildest in the last 10 years which provided a long hangtime, allowing full flavor development leading to very expressive flavors and aromas. As soon as the fruit set after flowering, extensive hand work began in the vineyard opening the canopy to allow for full sun exposure on the fruit. This leads to full, concentrated flavor and ensures the fruit is as expressive as possible. The 2023 vintage will be one for the ages and we feel these wines truly capture the exceptional year.
Winemaker Notes
The soil of our Oakville site lies on a gravelly base overlaid with alluvial soils washed down from the Mayacamas mountain range. This site experiences more maritime influence, with the fog layer lingering later in the morning and arriving earlier in the evening, leading to slightly cooler days and nights. These mild conditions produce wines with an elegant flavor profile and structure.
Technical Details
- Type:
- Red
- Varietal:
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Region:
- California
- Appellation:
- Oakville
- Vintage:
- 2023
- Case Production:
- 10 barrels