Lot 552
2023 Oak Knoll Cabernet Sauvignon

$130/bottle under the original label

Lot 552 is a 100% single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from a Napa stalwart who specializes in vineyard-designate bottlings. While it’s a tall order to live up to a term like “virtuosic craftsmanship,” it’s entirely appropriate here – the winemaker’s deft touch and sense of restraint let the world-class fruit showcase its full potential. The result is nothing short of magical: a wine of remarkable grace that’s as pure an expression of terroir as you’ll find anywhere in the valley.

Pouring a deep ruby into the glass, the nose is vivid with blackberries and graphite, followed by layers of dried herbs, new soft leather, and currants. The entry is impeccably structured and perfectly balanced, where blackcurrant and plum interplay with savory notes of tobacco and leather, uplifted by barrel spice and medium acidity. Plentiful, medium-grained tannins are beautifully integrated throughout, and a dry finish unfolds with dark fruits giving way to spiced vanilla blossoms and crushed violets that linger gracefully across a long, resonant close.