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Plumpjack

Plumpjack Winery was established in 1995 in Oakville, Napa Valley, by Gavin Newsom (later California governor) and Gordon Getty's investment firm, with early winemaking direction from Tony Soter. The estate centers on 42 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon on the Oakville Bench adjacent to Opus One, Groth, and Robert Mondavi, producing wines from one of Napa's most historically celebrated AVAs. Plumpjack attracted widespread attention in 2000 for a controversial experiment: releasing the same wine simultaneously in cork-closed and screwcap-sealed bottles, with a later vertical confirming superior evolution under screwcap — a finding that influenced discussions on closure technology across the industry. The Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is the flagship: averaging $223 per bottle across 138 auction lots with the 2013 vintage most frequently traded and prices reaching $1,353. The Estate Cabernet (non-reserve) averages $177 across 69 lots. The Reserve consistently earns critical scores of 93–97 points, with the best vintages — 2012, 2013, 2016, 2018 — achieving Parker ratings of 95+. At auction, 290 total lots average $195 per bottle. Plumpjack also produces Syrah from a separate Carneros Estate (averaging $86 across 14 lots) under the CADE and Odette labels, though the Reserve Cab remains the sole auction focus for serious collectors.

Plumpjack conducted a landmark 2000 screwcap experiment, releasing identical Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon batches under cork and metal closure simultaneously; a later retrospective tasting showed superior evolution under screwcap, influencing industry-wide closure debates.
The 42-acre estate sits on the Oakville Bench adjacent to Opus One and Robert Mondavi Reserve blocks — among Napa Valley's most historically productive Cabernet Sauvignon soils — producing wines that consistently earn 93–97-point scores.
The Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon averages $223 per bottle across 138 auction lots, with the 2013 vintage most frequently traded and peaks approaching $1,353 for top years in original cases.
Plumpjack was founded with early direction from Tony Soter; its high-profile co-ownership by Gavin Newsom and the Getty family investment group has amplified brand visibility and sustained secondary market demand across nearly 30 vintages.

Auction Lots

539

Avg Price / Bottle

$160

Top Vintage

1997

Price Range

$11 – $1.4k

In the Glass

Plumpjack Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is a textbook Oakville Bench expression: blackcurrant, black cherry, cassis, and dark plum with a distinctive dusty cocoa and graphite mineral note from the well-drained benchland soils. Structured, fine-grained tannins and well-integrated oak (typically 65–70% new French) frame the fruit. The style is powerful but polished — more Harlan-influenced density than Stag's Leap elegance — with 15–25 years aging potential in top vintages.

Portfolio

WineColourAvg PriceLots SoldTop Vintage
Cabernet Sauvignon ReserveRed$1833411997
Cabernet SauvignonRed$157942014
MerlotRed$83532015
SyrahRed$64332015
Reserve ChardonnayWhite$151182019

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Plumpjack is based in the California wine region.

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