Some of Europe’s top wine regions—think Rioja and Barolo—have specific requirements for when bottles can be released, up to six years after harvest in some cases. But wine lovers whose tastes run toward the New World are more or less on their own, with many buying cases from Napa or Sonoma that don’t realize their potential for years.

To solve this, a handful of Napa wineries are setting a new standard by aging bottles themselves, and Baldacci Family Vineyards has emerged as a leader of this trend. Its current Winemaker’s Collection is a three-bottle set that explores the area’s terroir through the lens of the 2016 vintage. In addition, the Cellar Series, a rotating selection of perfectly aged wines stored under ideal conditions for a decade or longer, spotlights Cabernet Sauvignon that has reached optimal maturity.

“Our patience with aging wines is not what it once was,” says Peter Steinbrenner of Henderson, Nev., who has been buying Baldacci Cabernet Sauvignon with his wife, Kathy, for 14 years. “Coming direct from the winery provides confidence the wines have been carefully cellared,” he adds. Josh Seno of Carlsbad, Calif., who started buying Baldacci in 2012, tells Robb Report that although he enjoys exploring differences across vintages, he doesn’t “always have the willpower to store wines over 10-plus years,” and says that buying pre-cellared, slightly older vintages saves on “space and temptation.” An added benefit: “Knowing which vintages were banner years before you purchase.”

Michael Baldacci, the family’s director of winemaking and vineyards, says that the 2016 vintage was praised for its “balance and precision,” and that the bottles in the Winemaker’s Collection offer “layered complexity, polished tannins, and a real sense of place.” He points out that the three bottlings—Brenda’s Vineyard from Stags Leap District, Ruppert from Coombsville, and Howell Mountain—all have fresh acidity and “structured but refined” tannin profiles, “clearly signaling long-term aging potential without sacrificing elegance.”

Of course, to determine when wines are ready, Baldacci and his team have to taste them. “We regularly open library bottles and look for wines where the structure has softened, the aromatics have expanded, and the wine feels complete,” he says. He also notes that the wines have been cellared continuously under controlled conditions “since day one,” so when they are finally released, he knows “exactly where they are and what they’re going to deliver.” While these wines have spent years awaiting their perfect drinking window, with limited quantities available, interested wine lovers should move more quickly.

Top: Michael Baldacci, director of winemaking and vineyards, in the cellar.