Seavey Vineyard is a small, family owned estate in Napa Valley. Although vines were grown on the property as far back as the 1870s, the modern estate dates from 1979, when Bill and Mary Seavey acquired the property and began replanting its steep, south facing hillsides. Today around 40 acres are planted, with all wines produced exclusively from estate grown fruit and annual production remaining tiny. The rocky hillside vineyards naturally produce small, thick skinned berries, giving Seavey’s wines their characteristic concentration, structure and ability to age. Winemaking follows a broadly Bordeaux-inspired approach, with careful extraction and ageing in French oak.

Caravina Cabernet Sauvignon is the more approachable expression of the Seavey estate, made from selected blocks of the same hillside vineyards as the flagship Cabernet. Predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, sometimes complemented by small amounts of other Bordeaux varieties, it combines generous blackcurrant, blackberry and dark cherry fruit with cedar, tobacco, graphite, earth and spice. It retains the depth, mineral character and structure associated with Seavey, but with softer, more supple tannins that make it accessible earlier than the flagship wine, while still possessing excellent ageing potential. Production is extremely limited, typically running to only a few hundred cases per vintage.  It pairs excellently with roast beef, grilled steak, lamb or venison, particularly alongside roasted root vegetables, mushrooms or a rich red wine sauce.

"The 2006 Caravina (96% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 4% Petit Verdot) is also surprisingly soft for a wine from this vintage, with melted tannins and lots of scorched earth, blackberry, and cassis notes. With full body and a silky suppleness, it should drink well for a decade as well. As I said last year, there is a strong argument to be made that this is the most underrated great Cabernet Sauvignon produced in Napa Valley."  Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, Dec 2008