Keever Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

Keever Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 is an estate-grown Yountville Cabernet Sauvignon blend bottled at 15.2% ABV in a standard 750ml format. Scored 93 points by Antonio Galloni of Vinous, this vintage highlights the rare ENTAV clonal material that distinguishes the Keever estate from most Napa Valley peers.

Quick Facts: ABV: 15.2%  |  Origin: Yountville, Napa Valley, California  |  Vintage: 2014  |  Vineyard: Keever Vineyards

Production & Heritage

Keever Vineyards is a family-owned micro-estate in the heart of Yountville, one of Napa Valley's most celebrated sub-appellations. The 2014 blend is composed of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon with the balance filled by Malbec and Petit Verdot, drawing from four distinct Cabernet clones—including the widely planted 7 and 337 alongside significantly rarer ENTAV clones 191 and 341, some of the oldest plantings of their kind in Napa Valley. Fruit was hand-harvested, sorted twice—once before and once after destemming—then fermented on skins in small batches for approximately 24 days. The wine spent roughly 21 months aging in small French oak barrels, 70% of which were new, and was bottled without fining or filtration to preserve the full expression of the vineyard.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Bright purple-fruited aromatics lead with boysenberry and mulberry, followed by warm summer briars and crushed violets. Deeper layers reveal graphite, pipe tobacco, and a subtle whiff of mint.

Taste: The entry is plush and satiny, delivering concentrated dark berry and black plum fruit that quickly becomes enveloped in mocha, vanilla, and warm baking spice. At mid-palate, cedary spice tones emerge alongside black currants, crème de cassis, and dark chocolate, all supported by super-fine-grained tannins that carry remarkable density without heaviness.

Finish: Long and decadent, with lingering notes of licorice, black cherry liqueur, and pipe tobacco. The tannin structure extends the finish well, resolving into a polished, spice-dusted close.

How to Drink Keever Cabernet

A wine of this concentration and structure rewards quiet attention—pour it into a large-bowled glass and let it breathe for 30 to 45 minutes, or decant it if you prefer to accelerate the opening. Serving at a cool cellar temperature around 62–65°F allows the aromatic complexity to emerge fully without the alcohol becoming dominant at 15.2% ABV.

Best For

• Gifting a serious Napa Valley wine collector or Cabernet enthusiast
• Cellaring alongside other benchmark 2014 Napa vintages for long-term enjoyment
• Pairing with a prime dry-aged steak dinner or special celebration meal
• Showcasing rare Yountville terroir and uncommon Cabernet clonal diversity at a tasting

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Keever Cabernet 2014 taste like? It delivers plush, satiny dark berry and black currant fruit layered with mocha, vanilla, cedary spice, and dark chocolate. Fine-grained tannins give the wine a silken texture that extends into a long, licorice-tinged finish.

How does Keever Cabernet compare to other Yountville Cabernets? Keever is a micro-estate bottling produced in very limited quantities, making it smaller in scale than most recognized Yountville producers like Dominus Estate. Its use of rare ENTAV Cabernet clones 191 and 341 and its unfined, unfiltered bottling approach set it apart stylistically within the appellation.

Is Keever Cabernet 2014 good for sipping neat? Absolutely—its layered aromatics, fine tannin structure, and long finish make it an ideal wine for contemplative sipping on its own, especially with 30 minutes of decanting time.

Where is Keever Cabernet made? Keever Vineyards is located in Yountville, a sub-appellation within Napa Valley, California. The wine is estate-grown, hand-harvested, and produced entirely on the family property.

What foods pair well with Keever Cabernet 2014? Dry-aged ribeye steak complements the wine's dark fruit concentration and cedary spice. Braised short ribs mirror its richness and mocha tones. Hard aged cheeses like Comté or aged Gouda echo its vanilla and spice notes. Dark chocolate desserts align with the finish's licorice and chocolate character. Herb-crusted rack of lamb brings out the wine's subtle mint and graphite aromatics.

What sizes does Keever Cabernet come in? The standard release is a 750ml bottle, which is the most widely available format.

Is Keever Cabernet 2014 worth the price? Keever positions as a premium, limited-production Napa Valley estate Cabernet with strong critical recognition—93 points from Vinous—and rare clonal sourcing that most larger-scale producers cannot replicate, placing it firmly in the upper tier of boutique Yountville wines.

Why Keever Cabernet 2014?

What separates this wine from the broader field of Napa Cabernet is its clonal identity: the ENTAV 191 and 341 plantings at Keever are among the oldest in the valley, contributing a distinctive aromatic signature and structural profile that standard clone combinations do not achieve. The 93-point score from Antonio Galloni at Vinous reinforces the quality of the 2014 vintage, which itself is widely regarded as one of Napa Valley's strongest modern years. An unfined, unfiltered approach to bottling after 21 months in predominantly new French oak preserves every nuance of that vineyard expression. For collectors and drinkers seeking authentic small-estate Yountville Cabernet with genuine provenance, the 2014 Keever stands as a compelling and distinctive bottle.