Crafting tours since 1999
Saddleback was founded in 1978 by Nils Venge, known as the King of Cab and the first American winemaker to receive a 100-point score from Robert Parker, for his 1985 Reserve Cabernet. His Cabernets still pull 90-plus reviews.
The place has barely changed. It sits off Oakville Crossroad on Money Road, a dead-end lane in the Oakville AVA, and it still feels like a working winery rather than a destination. Cabernet from the 14-acre estate is the first love, but the tasting is more interesting than that suggests: Charbono, Vermentino, Tannat and Petit Verdot all appear, plus one-off blends. Michael scores it a level 7 throughout. A quiet, high-quality stop for a central Napa itinerary that needs a break from the big rooms.
