Meteor Vineyard

Cabernet Sauvignon Clone Project Horizontal (4, 7, 337) 3-pack

Coombsville

2016

Vintage

Varietal

Cabernet Sauvignon

Peak 2023-2040

Where it is, November 2026

At Peak: inside the peak window (2023-2040), within the full drinking arc.

In 2026, this three-bottle 2016 Clone Project set is three years into its stated 2023 to 2040 peak window. Each clone has settled differently: Clone 4's dried violet lift is now more integrated, Clone 7's firm acidity and graphite structure has softened at the edges without losing its brooding frame, and Clone 337's plush mid-palate has filled out further. Tasted together now, the set makes the clonal differences on this single Coombsville site easier to read than it would have been on release.

The ‘16 Cabernet Sauvignon Clone Project Horizontal (4, 7, 337) 3-pack.

Meteor Vineyard's three-clone Coombsville Cabernet horizontal, Clones 4, 7, and 337, from the celebrated 2016 vintage, three years into peak.

Cellared Ageability Index (CAI) drinking timeline

Full drinking arcYou are here · at peak, 2026

Storage and bottle condition can shift the experience.

Full drinking arc 2021-2048Peak window 2023-2040

The peak window sits inside the broader full drinking arc.

Tasting note

This is a horizontal, not a single wine: three 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon bottlings from the same Coombsville block, separated only by clone. Clone 4 leans toward lifted red fruit and dried violet, carried on fine-grained, silky tannins. Clone 7 is the most brooding of the three, built on dark cassis and graphite with a firmer, more structured frame and noticeably firm acidity. Clone 337 sits between them, showing dark cherry and earthy loam with a plush, rounder mid-palate. What ties all three together is cool-climate precision, natural freshness, and a mineral-driven finish that reads as Coombsville terroir rather than clonal signature.

The 2016 vintage

2016 closed out a run of drought-influenced Napa vintages that started in 2012, but without the serious heat spikes that marked some of the years before it. Coombsville's rockier soils and drier spots ripened first, while the site's heavier soil pockets allowed longer hang time for the later-ripening blocks, a contrast that plays directly into why this three-clone horizontal shows such distinct fruit intensity from bottle to bottle. Yields were still down from a normal crop, which concentrated the fruit. Wine Spectator's vintage chart rates the broader Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon vintage 98 points for 2016, in its Classic band, a rating for the region generally rather than Coombsville specifically.

About Meteor Vineyard

Meteor Vineyard sits on a Coombsville knoll that vineyard owner Barry Schuler and winemakers Bill and Dawnine Dyer farm on stony, rich volcanic soil, according to the estate. The Clone Project bottlings, first produced in 2014, exist specifically to show what that single site does across different Cabernet Sauvignon clones, part of why this horizontal reads more like a terroir study than a conventional single blend.

Pairing suggestions

Cellared suggestions based on the wine and dish descriptions.

A trio of grilled meats: lamb chop, venison, and dry-aged beef

Matching each clone to a different cut lets Clone 4's silky tannins meet lamb, Clone 7's firm structure meet venison, and Clone 337's plush texture meet beef, mirroring the wines' own range.

Mushroom and juniper-crusted venison loin

Clone 7's graphite and dark cassis backbone and firm acidity need a dish with real gaminess and earthiness to match its brooding structure rather than a lighter cut.

Aged cheddar and dried fruit board

The mineral-driven finish common to all three clones plays well against a salty, aged cheddar, while Clone 4's dried violet note echoes the dried fruit on the board.

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Frequently Asked

Are all three bottles in this set ready to drink now, or should some wait longer?

The canonical CAI full drinking arc is 2021-2048. Within that arc, the peak window is 2023-2040. The full arc is the broader period the wine may drink well; the peak window is when it is most likely to show its best balance. Storage, fill level, cork condition, and preference can shift the decision. Taste before adding more air or holding the rest.

Do I need to decant all three bottles the same way?

No. Clone 7 is the most structured and firm of the three, so it benefits most from a full hour of air; Clone 4's silkier tannins need closer to 30 minutes; Clone 337 sits in between at around 45 minutes. Treating them identically will mute the differences the horizontal is built to show.

Is there a single dish that works across all three clones if I don't want to cook three separate proteins?

A well-marbled ribeye, cooked to different points of doneness for each pour, gets you most of the way there. The char and fat give every clone something to react against, even though a dedicated pairing per bottle shows the differences more clearly.

How much longer will this set improve, especially Clone 7?

Clone 7 has the most structure of the three and will keep resolving its firm acidity and graphite backbone for years yet; the stated window runs to 2040 before a slower decline. Clone 4 and Clone 337 are more accessible now and won't gain as dramatically from further time.

How does this compare to Meteor's single-clone Clone 4 bottling?

The horizontal includes the same Clone 4 wine alongside Clone 7 and Clone 337 from the identical 2016 vintage and site, so buying the set gets you the standalone Clone 4 release plus two additional expressions for direct comparison rather than a different wine entirely.