Flora Springs Rennie Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Flora Springs Rennie Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 is a limited-production, single-vineyard 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from St. Helena, Napa Valley, in a standard 750ml bottle. It earned 95 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and was ranked #74 among the Top 100 Napa Valley Reds of 2016 by James Suckling, who scored it 94 points.

Quick Facts: Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon  |  Origin: St. Helena, Napa Valley  |  Vintage: 2013  |  Winery: Flora Springs  |  Production: 500 Cases

Production & Heritage

Flora Springs takes its name from the natural springs that run through its historic estate, originally established in 1885 in St. Helena. The Rennie Reserve honors the winery's founders and draws fruit exclusively from Old Block C on Komes Ranch — a three-acre parcel planted in 1988 with clone 7 on 5-C rootstock. This block, arguably the finest of Flora Springs' 650 acres of vineyard, is farmed with precise deficit irrigation and carefully matched clone-to-soil selection. The 2013 was aged for 22 months in 95% French and 5% American oak, with 70% new barrels, resulting in a larger-than-life expression of Napa Valley Cabernet.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with dense, dark chocolate character, layered with black currant and juniper berries. Beneath those initial notes, meaty, dusty, and leather-scented elements emerge alongside ground black pepper.

Taste: Crème de cassis explodes across the entry, followed by waves of coffee, black pepper, and sandalwood at mid-palate. The full-bodied structure carries abundant licorice, dark chocolate, and toasted oak through to the peak, revealing densely packed layers of tannin and fruit.

Finish: Long and commanding, with ground allspice lingering well after the last sip. The tannins maintain their grip throughout, providing structure that suggests continued cellaring potential.

How to Drink Rennie Reserve 2013

This wine is best served neat in a large-bowled Bordeaux glass at 60–65°F; decanting for at least an hour will open up its densely packed layers. Given its intensity and limited 500-case production, the Rennie Reserve is built for contemplative sipping rather than cocktail use. A splash of water is unnecessary — the wine's structure unfolds on its own timeline.

Best For

• Cellaring alongside other benchmark 2013 Napa Valley Cabernets
• Gifting a serious Cabernet collector who values single-vineyard rarity
• Anchoring a formal dinner course alongside prime cuts of beef
• Marking a milestone anniversary tied to the 2013 vintage year

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Rennie Reserve 2013 taste like? It delivers an explosive core of crème de cassis, dark chocolate, and black pepper, wrapped in a full-bodied frame of toasted oak, licorice, and sandalwood. The finish is anchored by ground allspice and firmly structured tannins.

How does Rennie Reserve compare to Flora Springs Rutherford Hillside Reserve Cabernet? Both are single-vineyard reserve-level bottlings from Flora Springs' most prized estate blocks, but the Rennie Reserve sources exclusively from Old Block C in the St. Helena appellation, while the Rutherford Hillside Reserve draws from the Rutherford bench. The Rennie Reserve tends toward darker, more brooding chocolate-and-cassis intensity, reflecting its specific clone and site.

Is Rennie Reserve 2013 good for aging? Yes — the wine's dense tannin structure, 95-point Parker score, and full-bodied concentration suggest it has significant cellaring potential. Drinking windows for the 2013 vintage typically extend well into the late 2020s and beyond.

Where is Rennie Reserve made? Rennie Reserve is produced by Flora Springs at their estate in St. Helena, within the Napa Valley AVA in California. The fruit comes from Old Block C on Komes Ranch, a three-acre parcel planted in 1988.

What foods pair well with Rennie Reserve 2013? Grilled ribeye steak benefits from the wine's dark fruit and tannin structure. Braised short ribs complement its licorice and sandalwood notes. Aged Gruyère or Comté cheese echoes the toasted oak character. Dark chocolate desserts mirror the wine's cocoa-laden nose. Roasted lamb with black pepper crust aligns naturally with the wine's spice profile.

What sizes does Rennie Reserve come in? The Flora Springs Rennie Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 is available in the standard 750ml bottle format.

Is Rennie Reserve 2013 worth the price? The Rennie Reserve positions as an ultra-premium, limited-production Napa Valley Cabernet — only 500 cases were made — with critical acclaim from Robert Parker (95 points), James Suckling (94 points), and Connoisseurs' Guide (93 points), placing it among elite single-vineyard bottlings from the outstanding 2013 vintage.

Why Rennie Reserve 2013?

What separates this wine from the broader Flora Springs lineup — and from most Napa Cabernets at any price — is its singular source: a three-acre block farmed for over thirty years with meticulous deficit irrigation and clone-to-soil matching. The 95-point score from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate confirms the quality of this site and vintage. With only 500 cases produced and 22 months in predominantly new French oak shaping its structure, the Rennie Reserve 2013 stands as one of Flora Springs' most concentrated and collectible releases from a landmark Napa Valley vintage.