2018 ToyMaker Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Wine, Napa Valley, California, made by winemaker Martha McClellan of Sloan Estate, Checkerboard Vineyards, Levy & McClellan, and formerly of Harlan Estate. Best Napa Valley Grand Cru red wines.

2018 TOYMAKER

CABERNET SAUVIGNON | NAPA VALLEY | RED WINE

97+ Points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW, The Wine Independent

In 2018, a wet winter led into a dry and evenly warm season, resulting in gradual ripening and a relaxed and controlled harvest. Our flagship Toymaker Cabernet Sauvignon is a transparent expression of the vintage, where the keyword is balance. The 2018 Toymaker is rich and opulent, yet detailed, restrained in style, and terroir-driven, due to its fully ripe, but not overripe, style. 


Winemaker: Martha McClellan

Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon (100%)

AVA: Napa Valley

Barrel aging: 28 months Medium+ Taransaud French oak (100% new)

Alc.: 14.9%

Production: 237 cases


Score: 97+ (Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW, The Wine Independent)


The single-varietal 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is deep garnet-purple in color. It prances out of the glass with flamboyant notes of redcurrant jelly, Morello cherries, and blackcurrant pastilles, followed by suggestions of dried mint, espresso, and pencil shavings with a waft of unsmoked cigars. The full-bodied palate offers mineral-laced vibrancy and bags of freshness, supported by firm, fine-grained tannins, finishing with compelling red berry and floral sparks.

- Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW, The Wine Independent (3/8/23)