We can’t tell what’s bolder...the wine or the offer.
Let's start with the juice; a Proprietary Red from an established house on the western side of Napa Valley, just off the scenic 128. If purchased from our source’s tasting room this classic Left Bank Bordeaux-style blend fetches triple digits, complete with gobs of structure and a lean towards the darker side of Napa fruit.
Now, on to the deal: we purchased it directly from their barrels to right their inventory before the '23s come in full force - all we'll do is bottle it up as we offer it to this list.
The source sells this wine out of their tasting room for north of $100/bottle, over $1,200/case, however another water-tight NDA saddled with knowledge of the online chatter around our program led to a strict "don't even name our price" clause. So, for this list it’s ridiculously value priced at just $24/bottle.
Lot 429 is mainly Cabernet Sauvignon accented with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, where roughly 88% of the elegant side of the juice from high-elevation vineyards blend with around 12% of deep, plush valley floor expressions. 100% French oak aged for at least 15 months (some barrels got the 18 month treatment), but due to online sleuthing, they will not allow us to say the specific amount of new wood, but you can rest easy with the safe callout around 40% new barrels.
More approachable for a '21, but all the bones to age gracefully, black-to-blue fruit holds down the core of the open-knit nose with fresh cut vanilla bean, new soft leather, and plum sauce. Plush on entry with red-to-black fruit, eucalyptus, and granite-like minerality framed by polished, grippy tannins leading to an umami rich finish with great length uplifted by barrel spice, further vanilla and potting soils wrapped in blackberry coulis. An exceptionally structured wine ready to be laid down, but also worth a healthy decant for those who would enjoy it in the near-term.
For a beauty of such fine provenance there’s only one thing to do: run, don't walk to the buy line!
Mainly Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot
Approximately 88% mountain fruit, 12% valley floor
100% French oak for 15-18 months, roughly 40% new barrels
14.6% alc.
