The Vice Cabernet Sauvignon The Hostage Oak Knoll Napa Valley 2019

You want that opulent Napa Cab experience, but you aren't always up for paying triple digits for it.

The 2019 ‘The Hostage’ Cabernet Sauvignon was made in a gorgeous, over-the-top style by winemaker-founder Malek Amrani of The Vice. His wines are accomplishing the impressive feat of attracting multiple generations… more on that in a minute. 

The vineyard source for this bottle is confidential; the wine world is a mix of handshake promises and strict contracts. But we verified it as a prized site in Napa Valley’s Oak Knoll District, making this some fancy fruit you’re snagging for a great price.

The Hostage took full advantage of 2019’s lush and pure harvest. Think brightly polished cherries, rich berries, and a toastiness that melds into chocolate and Madagascar vanilla… while roasted herbs carry everything to a lip-smacking finish. It’s impressive, it’s satisfying, and – praise be – not over-oaked. 

Malek has built a following that’s evenly split between Baby Boomers, Gen X, and Millennials, with a good smattering of Gen Zers starting to discover wine. He was born in Morocco, came to the U.S. at 17, and is a competitive triathlete. Maybe those factors play into the cheerful grit he brings to making Napa luxuries more accessible. “Napa wines are my vice – but it’s an expensive vice,” he says. His primary tactic is the uncommon move of pre-paying farmers for grapes while they’re still on the vine – rather than months after harvest – which lets him secure better pricing (fair, right Gen Z?).

The prestige vineyard character shows up raw and complex (hi, Gen X). It’s meticulously made, small-batch – 114 cases – and aged 24 months in 30% new French oak. A bare minimum of sulfites was used (we see you, Millennials), and the wine was bottled unfiltered for full-on flavor and luscious texture (we’re taking care of you, Boomers). The cool label was designed by Malek’s wife, Torie Greenberg, who has a background in fashion. Plunk this bottle on the table and watch the generations come together.