Mother’s Day Gift Guide: Big Red Wines

Your mom is bold and beautiful, and you are beholden to her so this Mother’s Day, gift her with a wine as wonderful as she is. Here’s a roundup of big red wines to celebrate her.

Baldacci Family Vineyards Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, ($110)

This limited production Cabernet Sauvignon derives its grapes from a vineyard that has been in continuous production since 1888 in its Stag Leap AVA. This sophisticated wine boasts a velvety texture with smooth tannins, balanced acidity and blackberry, rose and chocolate aromas. Let your mom appreciate it on its own, or make her a dinner to enjoy it with.

The Vice 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon “Five Peaks”, $98

What makes this Cabernet Sauvignon a rare vice for your mom to enjoy is that it’s made from grapes harvested from the five mountain AVAs in Napa – Atlas Peak, Mount Veeder, Diamond Mountain District, Howell Mountain, and Spring Mountain District. These five vineyards are some of the most difficult to farm, and they make up less than 1 percent of the wine made in the region, which makes this bottle all the rarer.

James Cole Winery 2019 Privado Red Wine, ($125)

This luxurious red blend is comprised of 50 percent Merlot, 45 percent Cabernet Franc, and 5 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, all harvested from the heart of Napa Valley. With a bouquet of black cherry, cedar wood, and hints of lilac, it boasts a silky finish. Perfect on its own or paired with meat, this just released red wine is sure to please your mother.

Hamel Family Wines 2017 Nuns Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon, ($160)

This lusciously impressive wine boasts a pure ruby color and a pure expression of Sonoma County. With notes of fresh blackberry and cassis, as well as an overlay of lavender and sage, this wine is persistent and powerful…perhaps like your mom. This wine can be decanted to be enjoyed on Mother’s Day, or it can be aged in her cellar for her to enjoy on a future Mother’s Day.

Châteaux Magnol 2019 M de Magnol Bordeaux Red, ($24.99)

This elegant, juicy and fruit forward red wine is a blend of 45 percent Merlot, 38 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 4 percent Cabernet Franc and 3 percent Petit Verdot. Aged for a year in French oak, this delicious French wine is made for drinking with food like grilled meats, mature cheeses and dark chocolate desserts.

Modus Operandi Cellars 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Sage Ridge Vineyard, $185

This deeply garnet-colored wine was made from vineyards grown high above Lake Hennessy in Napa, with grapes that cost nearly $20,000 per ton. Intense aromas of black currants, black cherries and dark earth waft out of the glass, along with lighter scents of cedar, rose and espresso, making this wine one to savor. Winemaker Jason Moore advises carefully cellar-aging this wine for three to five years, but it can be enjoyed over the next two decades.

Decoy Wines 2019 California Merlot, ($25)

This merlot is definitely a big red: from its plush, refined tannins to its rustic undertones, with juicy layers of black cherry, raspberry and plum. Lovely on the palate – and on your pocketbook – this Merlot is affordable yet comparable to more expensive vintages. It’s perfect for your Mother’s Day celebration.

Justin Vineyard & Winery 2019 JUSTIFICATION, ($65)

JUSTIFICATION is a sort of Old World meets New World wine, with a blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. With 51 percent Cabernet Franc, this wine embodies the spirit of some right bank French Bordeaux with its red fruit and elegant structure yet it comes with a Paso Robles twist of full, mature fruit. A versatile pairing wine to a wide range of foods, it makes for a great Mother’s Day gift.

Scattered Peaks 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, ($29.99)

With an intense aroma of black and red fruits and just a hint of anise, this lovely drinking wine tastes of opulence with a long, lingering finish. Let your mom enjoy it with her Mother’s Day dinner or just let her savor it on its own.