Wine Enthusiast 93
Editors Choice
"This impressive red overdelivers on its price point, combining the main variety with Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Merlot, aging the whole in French oak for 18 months (40 of it new). Truffled earth, compost, bark and gunpowder give it a savory edge that leads to a juicy, balanced midpalate of black fruit, cocoa powder and dust. VIRGINIE BOONE"

James Suckling 92
"Attractive, vanilla-dusted violet aromas with blackcurrants and purple cherries. The palate delivers a very succulent array of fresh ripe berries and plums in a fleshy, approachable style. Drink or hold."

Jeb Dunnuck 91
"The inky colored 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Steady State is a ripe, sexy effort that has plenty of black and blue fruits, damp earth, and iron characteristics in its full-bodied, plump, and layered style. It's one big mouthful of fruit and should keep for 10-15 years."

Wine Spectator 90
"Quite rich, with crushed plum, blackberry paste and fig reduction notes cruising through slowly, coated with ganache accents and backed by warm licorice and roasted apple wood elements on the finish. Shows more heft than drive, but this will have fans for the showy fruit. Best from 2020 through 2027. 2,400 cases made. JM"

The Wine
86 Cabernet Sauvignon, 10 Petit Verdot, 3 Cabernet Franc, 0.5 Malbec, 0.5 Merlot
Vineyard sources next to Silver Oak and Paul Hobbs Dr. Crane
18 months in French Oak, 40 new

Vintage Notes
The 2016 growing season emerged from a winter with average rainfall, following four drought years. Spring was marked by good soil moisture and warm, dry weather, which minimized any risk of significant frost and ensured average crop yields. A seasonally warm summer slowed shoot growth, and harvest of our red Bordeaux varieties yielded fruit at ideal maturity, with ripe, rich tannins.

Winemaker Notes
Broodingly deep ruby in color, 2016 Steady State shows fragrant notes of cassis buds, ripe red and black cherries, as well as warm, complex aromas of blackberry brambles, wild rosemary and lavender. Intense and focused on the palate, the tannins are well-proportioned, lending elegance and charm throughout the long, aromatic finish. While drinkable upon release, this wine has the balance and structure to drink nicely for 8 to 10 years.

The Estate
Josh Phelps grew up in St. Helena, Napa, witness to and participant in the processes by which the singular wines in the valley are made. In his adolescence and college years, Josh was a committed student of his father, winemaker Chris Phelps, as his family traversed the valley through the cellars of Dominus and Caymus, among others. Josh also counts among his mentors Joel Gott, Kimberly Jones, and Leslie Rudd, from whom he learned how to tell the nuanced stories of wine, and most importantly how to share them with a broader community.

It is this charge the exciting, challenging endeavor to extend the virtues of historic Napa to Joshs own generation that drives Grounded Wine Co. He has called on two generations of winegrowing relationships in the valley to source compelling, well-priced raw material for these resplendent wines. Whats more, Joshs mission extends beyond California: he has looked north to Washington, too, where he has found opportunity to craft captivating expressions of Bordeaux varieties at a cost within reach of burgeoning young wine drinkers. In the name, Grounded, Josh seeks to reiterate his commitment to heritage, soil, and simplicity his ambitions begin at home.