Freddy R. Troya

9.1

Alta Nova Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 — Napa Valley, California 🇺🇸

Overview
A polished, concentrated Napa Cabernet crafted with finesse under winemaker Britt Richards. Ripe red and dark fruit lead the profile, supported by firm structure, layered depth, and well-judged oak. Powerful yet controlled, delivering intensity without heaviness or excess.

Aromas & Flavors
Black cherry, cassis, plum, raspberry compote, cedar, vanilla, cocoa, baking spice, toasted oak.

Mouthfeel
Medium-plus to full-bodied with confident structure. Grippy but refined tannins, fresh acidity, and a punchy, energetic core. Dense and multilayered while remaining balanced and composed. Long, polished finish.

Food Pairings
Grilled ribeye, lamb chops, braised short ribs, mushroom risotto, aged cheddar.

Verdict
A serious yet approachable Napa Cab that favors elegance over excess. Concentrated, complex, and thoughtfully built, strength with precision rather than volume.

🍷 Personal Pick
This is my kind of Napa: structured, grippy with grace, and multilayered. Punchy in the right way, power with finesse, not a fruit bomb. Credit to the winemaking hand of Britt Richards here.

Did You Know?
A new wave of Napa winemakers is prioritizing balance, earlier picking, and restrained oak to highlight freshness and terroir over sheer ripeness. — 21 days ago

Tom Mitchell

10

Excellent Italian. Bought at Richards — 5 years ago

Nora Scheller

9.2

Great cab for ~$15! Bought at Richards Fine Wines and Liquors. — 7 years ago

Doug Powers

9.2

Medium-dark red-purple color, beautiful redfruit aromas and flavors, with medium-toast oak showing as a seasoning the background, pretty sound structure and backbone, solid acidity, long, lingering finish, excellent California mountain Merlot (w/25% Cabernet Sauvignon). The sheer quality and complexity of this bottle is a wonderful tribute to the vision of Barbara and Jim Richards, who I am certain would be very proud, with Paloma now being ably run by their son Sheldon and his family. — 2 months ago

with Jim

sasha

9.1

Pour Richards 15. A big well-rounded wine with something for everyone. Had a t-bone with it the second night. — 3 years ago

Jennifer Stadnicki

9.0

With Beats from Poyr Richards. — 6 years ago

Jennifer Stadnicki

9.1

Stone fruit and citrus flavors and a bit of minerality. Crisp and lovely. Paired with Korean bulgogi.

Pour Richards ~$17 — 7 years ago

Doug Powers

9.2

Beautiful Syrah from Spring Mountain, savoury aromas and flavors, very French-like if served blind, still has lots of primary redfruits showing, tannins have largely receded, from a partially-shaded 5-acre portion at the bottom of the Paloma vineyard, long finish, I believe the Syrah vines were planted in 1992 and pulled out after the 2001/2002(?) vintage, Barbara and Jim Richards said the farming was more difficult than the Merlot (and smaller amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon) that Paloma is known for and thus they elected to replant (graft? Not sure) more of the other varieties into that plot. While the first vintage of the Syrah (1995) was never commercially released (12 cases produced from 3 year old vines), Jim was kind enough to send me home with 4 bottles, that wine was the best Syrah to EVER come off that vineyard, I was forever in his debt, it was AMAZING. I miss Barbara and Jim, some of the nicest people I’ve ever met in the wine business (I’m NOT in the business myself)!! — 6 months ago

with Jim

Ashlyn Fleener

9.5

Very smooth, a sour apple taste, and full bodied! — 6 years ago

Oliver Seaman

9.5

Ben Richards birthday — 7 years ago