Cabaud Wines’ debut vintage was a 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon crafted by Luc Morlet, a much-admired French-born winemaker who has earned a reputation for making outstanding California wines. Philip and Bonnie Cabaud founded the estate and moved their family to St. Helena for several years to start their wine venture. They work with independent growers, sourcing grapes from such prestigious parcels as Beckstoffer’s Missouri Hopper Vineyard. Morlet is winemaker. The wines are generally available only through Cabaud’s mailing list. Reviewers have rated the Cabaud Cabernet Sauvignons with scores in the mid- to high-90s. Robert Parker compared the 2012 to “a young Pontet Canet…full-bodied with stunning fruit intensity and purity…”