Collection: From Napa's Golden Era: 1985-1987

Anyone lucky enough to have tasted Napa from the 1970s and 1980s will remember it, not least because the wines have such a different profile to today's. Many are the reasons for the stylistic change, but when it comes to this older generation of wines, the emphasis on balance and subtlety, rather than power and fluid drinkability, stands out. We work hard to source mature Californian wines, and we're pleased to offer three vintages from the mid-1980s, from a run of excellent years (1984-1987).

Sterling Vineyards leads the way, with both the 1986 and 1987 Reserve Cabernet available; under corporate ownership at the time, the ambition was always to produce wines of elegance rather than concentration, and these bottles are the testimony to that approach. Another arguably more famous Reserve follows; the Mondavi, at this point in its glorious heyday and still under family ownership. Think soft, velvety wine with beautiful aromas of gravel and plums. Please review the full, well-priced list at the link below.