Napa has come in for a rough ride recently.
The most recent fires blazing through wine country in northern Napa have said to have damaged at least 3 percent of this year's grape harvest, as reported by W. Blake Gray. That 3 percent roughly translates to a cool $65 million, which means Napa producers have quite a shortfall to make up this year.
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Napa's most expensive wines might be in with a chance to make up the difference, if prices are anything to go by – although their own limited allocations might hamper proceedings somewhat. Fortunately, the fortunes of Napa are not resting on these rarefied few; that's what insurance is for.
So who are these Cabernet giants that perennially haunt the auction houses and cellars of the very rich? And how did they reach the pinnacle of Napa royalty?
Well, before we get into it, it's worth noting that the price of each of the following wines is their global average retail price – or GARP – and is listed in US$. Another point worth noting is that although the list is naturally dominated by Cabernet, there are one or two outliers to break the blackcurrant sea.
However, top of the list is not one of them. Napa's most expensive wine of 2025 is the Ghost Horse Vineyard Premonition Cabernet Sauvignon.
Ghost Horse, as the name suggests, plays on mystery and intrigue – after all, from Scottish kelpies and nuggles to Norway's Nøkk – spectral horses have long played a part in world mythology.
So what is so mysterious about Ghost Horse wines? Well, it was in the late '90s when Todd Anderson – owner and winemaker of Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards – set to work on making a wine that he wouldn't then release for another 10 years.
2009 saw the release of the vineyards first 2000 vintage, and Ghost Horse has gone on to achieve cult status, and are clearly angling for legendary. The Premonition lends itself well to that mystery. This Cabernet Sauvignon is only available in select outlets of Total Wine & More, and with little in the way of reviews, it would seem it is pedigree alone that has bolstered the price.
Coming in at an impressive $6000, Premonition both rivals and currently beats Bordeaux's equivalent in the charts. It has also knocked a certain eagle off its perch.
Number two is another Cabernet Sauvignon from the Ghost Horse stable, the Spectre. Again, this is limited in offers with little in the way of critic scores or reviews. However, its cult status prevails giving it a price of $4154.
Three is that old bird, Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon.
One of Napa's original cult producers, Screaming Eagle released its first vintage in 1992. Praised to the heavens by a certain Robert Parker, from the get-go the winery had cemented its status as a Napa vintner god.
Compared to Ghost Horse, Screaming Eagle is widely available but the prices remain lofty, coming in at $3841.
Four is Screaming Eagle's white offering, the Sauvignon Blanc – the only white to make it into Napa's top 10 most expensive. Rarer than its Cabernet brother, it's still not as endangered as the horse herd, coming in at an average of $3448.
Five is another Ghost Horse Cabernet, this time the Apparition, which hovers around $3065. Six is the last of the haunted herd, the Fantome, at $2125.
Seven sees a break from the menagerie with Harlan Estate. Founded by Bill Harlan in 1984, the estate released its first vintage – the 1990 – in 1996 and has repeatedly won the praise of Robert Parker.
Since then, Bill Harlan has stood by his 200-year plan to turn Harlan Estate into Napa's answer to the Rothschilds – and why not? It has certainly one-upped Lafite in price; a bottle currently averages at $1586.
Eight is The Magic made by Tor Kenward Family Wines for the annual Premiere Napa Valley auction.
The auction consists of some of Napa Valley's most celebrated winemakers making unique wine, which are first offered up at auction to various restaurants and retailers before being released to the wider market. One-of-a-kind, The Magic currently comes in at $1368.
Nine is Shafer Vineyards offering for the Premiere Napa Valley auction, with their Sunspot Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon at $1329.
Number 10 sees another mysterious cult producer, Realm Cellars with the Absurd Proprietary Red. The evocatively named Realm Cellars was founded in 2002 by Juan Mercado and Wendell Laidley as a virtual winery, using fruit from various vineyards to be made at various wineries.
Amorphous by nature, Shakespeare remains a key theme, with each bottle emblazoned with an ode to the country that once ruled the US – "This blessed plot, this earth, this realm…" from the Bard's Richard II.
The Absurd is the pinnacle of Realm's nebular naming conventions, giving little away in terms of place, varietal or even taste, other than the fact that it's red. Allocations are offered each July by invitation only. However, for those uninvited a bottle can be bought for $1167.
From equine apparitions to bards and raptors, Napa's most expensive has it all going on. However, even the stuff of myth and legend is not immune from the vagaries of the wider economic picture: all the prices listed are lower than they were at the same time last year. Not by much, admittedly, but it's still a drop in price in Napa, an unheard-of occurrence in recent years.
They are also at risk from the very real threat of fire; those plumped up coffers may be needed after all.
