(Wine Searcher) - A major French winery owner has made its first foray into Cabernet country.

Forget the fires and global warming and the idea that millennials may never want to spend $100 for a bottle of wine – a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard may still be one of the safest long-term investments in the world.

That's the main takeaway from French insurance and wine company AXA-Millésimes' purchase this week of 5000-case Napa Valley winery Outpost.

The deal includes a winery building that is also used for custom crush and the real prize, 28 acres of vines and 14 unplanted acres on Howell Mountain. It's not immediately clear whether the deal includes nearby nine-acre True Vineyard; Outpost sellers Frank and Kathy Dotzler did not respond to phone calls. Wine Spectator reported the price as approximately $40 million. Winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown is expected to stay on for at least three years.