Sometimes, we all need to splurge. We splurge on ourselves, on our family, or on a gift for that certain someone we’d like to impress. For those of you who love to splurge on wine, these cabs from Nickel & Nickel are just the treat. Located in Napa Valley, Nickel & Nickel is dedicated to producing single-varietal, single-vineyard wines that express their terroir, or their sense of place. The winery was established in 1997 by the partners of Far Niente, another splurge-worthy Napa winery. They are focused on producing quality wine from the various sub-regions of the Napa Valley, using sustainable and organic methods.

The Swirl Girls have written about Nickel & Nickel in the past. We’ve loved their lush and powerful merlot and their elegant chardonnays. I’m particular to their Darien Vineyard Syrah, which, at $42, is not only a splurge, but a steal.

But as good as these wines are, cabernet sauvignon is their flagship – it’s the grape that Nickel & Nickel is really excited about. So you can imagine our excitement when a package of single-vineyard cabs arrived for potential review.

We gathered, took pictures, ooh-ed and ah-ed over this line of baby kings, decanted for a good 8 hours, and then got down to the business of serious sipping. Here are our thoughts:

From Dry:

2009 Martin Stelling Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon – Oakville ($127 ABC)

Nickel & Nickel farms two acres of this large vineyard at the base of the western hills in Oakville, which is primarily dedicated to producing Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon. This is the oldest vineyard of the group of wines we tasted; its first vintage was in 1997. Bright aromas of ripe black cherry, blackberry, cinnamon spice and toasted oak greet the nose. On the palate, the wine is big and smooth with flavors of cherries and berries, vanilla and spice. Hours after opening, there was still very tight with a strong acidity and firm tannins that will allow it to age for years to come.

2009 State Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon – Yountville ($73 ABC)

One of my favorite wines from the night came from the 23-acre State Ranch vineyard in Yountville. The nose was what we call ‘sigh-worthy’ – very aromatic and almost perfumey with ripe aromas of red and black cherries and berries with hints of red flowers, dried tobacco, vanilla and toast. The palate was rich, smooth and elegant, a regal lady amongst this line of kings.

From Earthy:

2009 C.C. Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon – Rutherford ($73 ABC, $75 Total Wine)

The C.C. Ranch vineyards are planted in Rutherford in Napa Valley, and the wine is 100 percent cabernet sauvignon aged in French oak barrels. It has lush aromas of raspberry and blackberry, intertwined with toasted oak and baking spice notes. Rich flavors carry through to the palate in plum, black cherry and oak, and the mouthfeel is quite dry and dusty. It’s smooth and elegant (like all the Nickel cabs were!) with balanced tannins and a long, engaging finish. I can’t wait to taste this one, or any of them, again after a few more years in the bottle.

From Bold:

2009 Branding Iron Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon – Oakville ($70 Total Wine)

A small Oakville vineyard (only 8 ½ acres) produced this tasty drink. This was my favorite of the five wines, with a big, red berry-cherry nose – fragrant and almost sweetish. It had some toasty woodiness, but the overriding flavors were cherry, blackberry and vanilla, and a little blueberry, too. A delightful rounded, layered, jam-filled wine. It drank very well the next day after opening up a bit more.

2009 Hayne Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon – St. Helena ($100 online)

In St. Helena, this vineyard’s first production was the 2009 vintage, so this wine was highly anticipated. I have to say the wait was worth it. It’s an extremely fragrant wine, one you can smell from 4 inches away, and it smelled so good (a red berry-full of ripeness) that we didn’t taste it for a good while. We were just enjoying the nose. It tastes of big, red berries, too, with some spice, some hints of vanilla and also slightly woody. A nice, long finish just makes it about perfect.