***BOTTLING MID NOVEMBER, SHIPPING SHORTLY AFTER***
It isn’t easy to score a top shelf Cab from St. Helena – it’s been over five years since we landed one, but we’re thrilled to announce that the fourth Cab earning a spot in our Big Fall Series is a 2023 vintage showstopper! Better yet, we’ve secured it for you at an incredible $26/bottle.
St. Helena is one of the world’s most historically significant wine regions, and is quite literally the birthplace of the Napa Valley wine industry. Bringing home a bottle of wine produced here is a direct connection to the oldest lineage of Napa’s great winemakers, tracing back to pioneering estates founded here in the mid-1800s. Titans like Charles Krug endured phylloxera, Prohibition, the Great Depression, World War II, and held their own during the great booms of the late 20th century, continuing to produce gorgeous, globally recognized wines to this day. Land availability is scarce – some of the highest vineyard land values in Napa are here, and most parcels are long established. No wonder some of the priciest bottlings in the valley can be found here amongst the legends – a quick search online shows a double-digit number of different local offerings starting around the $200 mark. Don’t sweat it – we’ve got your back.
Lot 598 is a remarkably polished, estate-grown, single-vineyard 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from a family-owned producer that’s fanatically devoted to crafting small-lot Cabs. They only work with grapes they farm themselves, keeping production extra limited and quality control absolute. With complete oversight from vineyard to bottle (not to mention an epic ’23 vintage), they’ve made an immaculate Cabernet that shows all the depth and class you’d expect from a winemaker with this kind of reputation. As elusive as it is exquisite, most of this wine is allocated to their membership for well over the $120/bottle mark, but with the market being what it is, we were able to acquire some liquid Napa Valley history for our readers for well over 75% OFF! Hopefully we don’t have to wait another five years for the next one, but you never know…
$159/6-pack, $26+/bottle!
St. Helena AVA lies in the heart of Napa Valley just north of Rutherford, where sun-drenched benchlands yield grapes of remarkable quality. Here, cool settling mountain air creates marked diurnal swings that preserve balance in the fruit, while gravelly alluvial soils foster even ripening and concentration, yielding richly flavored Cabernet. Most winemaking specifics remain hush hush per our contract, but this beauty saw extended maceration and expert aging in 100% French oak.
The nose draws you into a bouquet of concentrated plum, cherry, cedar, and granite before subtle notes of violet, toffee, and nutmeg emerge around the rim. On entry, graphite and red-to-black fruit drives the core, accented by pipe tobacco and a touch of charcoal. A bit of air reveals new, soft leather and subtle earth, framed by medium-plus acidity and firm, perfectly integrated fresh tannins. The finish is enduring, with violet and vanilla umami lifted by barrel spice and dark fruit tones.
