United States · California

Vichon

Vichon Winery was founded in 1980 in Oakville by three Napa restaurateurs, producing Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay in a style designed for the fine dining market and positioned as an accessible premium alternative to the valley's top established producers. The winery was acquired by Robert Mondavi Corporation in 1985 and operated as a premium label within the Mondavi portfolio through the 1990s before being discontinued around 2000 when Mondavi consolidated its brand architecture for strategic efficiency. The Cabernet Sauvignon, primarily sourced from Oakville and Napa Valley floor vineyards, was aged in French oak and produced in the accessible premium tier — positioned below Opus One and the Mondavi Reserve but above the Woodbridge commercial range. At auction, 112 lots average $93 per bottle — surprisingly high for a discontinued label — suggesting that older vintages from the 1980s and early 1990s dominate the auction record rather than recent commercial releases. Top Vichon Cabernet vintages from 1984, 1985, and 1986 can trade at $80–$150 when condition is verified, representing a slice of early Napa Valley collector history. The label's discontinuation in 2000 created natural secondary-market scarcity that supports prices beyond what the wine's intrinsic quality alone would typically warrant.