Napa Valley power couple revives its signature Cabernet
The Napa Valley power couple behind Favia Wines—viticulturist Annie Favia and winemaker Andy Erickson—have brought back their Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon after shelving the cuvée in 2013. The new 2023 release, priced at $150, blends fruit from their Coombsville estate and a recently planted 86-acre Oakville tract.
Though the couple would rebuff the label, their résumés speak for themselves. Erickson has shaped cellar programs at Screaming Eagle, Harlan Estate, Spottswoode, Dalla Valle, and To Kalon Vineyard Company. Favia spent more than a decade with renowned viticulturist David Abreu and has managed vineyards for Newton, Corison, Ovid, Bryant Family, Staglin, and Colgin.
Key Takeaways
- Favia discontinued its Napa Valley cuvée in 2013 to focus on single-vineyard wines; the 2023 bottling marks a stunning return.
- The $150 Cabernet blends Coombsville and Oakville fruit—far below Favia's $250–$300 single-vineyard releases.
- The wine includes 20 percent Cabernet Franc, a signature variety for both Annie Favia and Andy Erickson.
- It is sold through select U.S. restaurants and retailers, with international distribution via the Place de Bordeaux.
- The relaunch coincides with expansion onto an 86-acre Oakville property, where Favia planted 60 acres of vines.
Who are the Napa Valley power couple behind Favia Wines?
Annie Favia and Andy Erickson run Favia Wines from their historic family home and cellar in Coombsville. While many of the wines Erickson has touched trade for $500 a bottle—or far more—the couple's own label has long prioritized site-specific expression over spectacle.
Their partnership sits at the intersection of elite vineyard management and winemaking. For collectors tracking how Napa's top talent invests in land, the couple's real estate moves are as telling as their bottle prices. Explore more luxury property stories in our Luxury Real Estate & Dream Homes coverage.
Why did Favia bring back its Napa Valley Cabernet?
Favia shelved its valley-wide cuvée in 2013 to concentrate on single-vineyard bottlings. The 2023 return reunites two appellations central to the brand's identity: Coombsville, cooled by San Pablo Bay breezes, and Oakville, Napa's benchmark for power and intensity.
"With the new property in Oakville and our deep roots in Coombsville we have the opportunity to reintroduce the blended wine," Erickson told Robb Report. He calls the pairing the most complete expression of Napa Valley—Oakville's stature married to Coombsville's freshness and complexity.
What makes the 2023 vintage stand out?
The 2023 growing season brought mild temperatures, steady ripening, and an extended autumn. Favia notes that good groundwater reserves and cooler summer weather yielded grapes with ample natural acidity, full phenolic maturity, and expressive aromatics.
Erickson leans toward minimal intervention: careful tannin management, 20 months in barrel, and bottling without fining or filtration. Wine industry consultant Vanessa Conlin MW calls the result complete—rich and concentrated, yet energetic and detailed. CVBG CEO Mathieu Chadronnier praises its balance, nuance, and restraint through a distinctly Napa lens.
Where can you try the new Favia Cabernet?
Favia sells the 2023 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon through select restaurants and retailers across the United States. Internationally, it is available via the Place de Bordeaux network.
In New York City, Smith & Wollensky wine manager Aaron Sagendorf recommends pairing it with a well-marbled, dry-aged double-cut sirloin. The upfront fruit, balanced acidity, and long tannic finish complement the beef's char without overwhelming it—a pairing that mirrors the harmony of the two appellations, and the two people, behind the bottle.