I was lucky enough to celebrate my birthday last year with some fantastic wines from Napa. The wines might be a bit hard to find, but they all represent some of the best that Napa has to offer, for a somewhat reasonable value (hard to find value in Napa). Try to get your hands on these wines, as they are great for a special occasion. Here are the professional ratings that they received:

Napa Valley Cab Heavyhitters

2006 Ramey Cabernet-

"Bright ruby. Cherry and red berry aromas are complicated by dried rose, tobacco and fresh herbs. Juicy and intense, with gently sweet red and dark berry flavors and slow-mounting tannins. Becomes more floral with air and finishes with impressive clarity and spicy persistence. Eighty percent of the vines that provided this fruit are planted on steep hillsides, Ramey told me." 91 Points, International Wine Cellar

"The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon is a bigger, deeper effort revealing austere tannins in the finish, but also plenty of chocolaty, black currant fruit intermixed with licorice, roasted herbs, and underbrush. " 90 Points, The Wine Advocate

2007 Paul Hobbs Crossbarn Cabernet-

"Quite a distinguished Cabernet. Shows its pedigree in ultra-refined tannins and an overall mouthfeel of lushness and finesse. Flavor-wise, it’s all black currants, blueberries and sweet, smoky oak. Thirty-five dollars isn’t cheap, but this is as good as it gets in this price bracket."- 94 Points, Wine Enthusiast

2008 Chiarello Bambino Cabernet-

"Sleek and bursting with fresh cherry and raspberry fruit, this is built around a complex frame that deftly balances tannins and acidity. Offers notes of smoky pepper, sage and fresh anise. Drink now through 2015.” – 93 points, Wine Spectator