OG Tasting Notes Lot 301-400

Look back on the amazing wines we have released to check out tastings notes. These are the original product notes archive for the purposes of providing product information for products that no longer have online product information. Pricing, availability and shipping content may be out of date. We make no claims of having any of these products available to sell at the pricing listed in this content. Most recent tasting notes may also be missing.

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Lot 301 | 2019 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

First run juice produced by one of Sonoma's most successful Pinot Noir producer's, Lot 301 2019 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir hails from a collection of some of the finest Pinot vineyards on the Sonoma Coast.

Elegant and nuanced with precision detailing, this is a region-defining offering.

The winery's 2019 Sonoma Coast Pinot has already garnered a 91-point score from The Wine Spectator under its original label. However, with 2019 awarded the first ever "Classic" vintage from the Wine Spectator at 95-points, competition is tough with 250+ wines scoring above 90-points.

Just like Lot 307, new management is trimming inventory and we got the call!

This is a fantastic wine and and, without a doubt, a spectacular value!

Deep garnet with some pale purple verve in the glass. Open-knit and juicy on the nose with a complex and delineated bouquet of black cherry, raspberry, black tea and strawberry framboise with a brown sugar underpinning haloed with toasted spice and rose petal. Dense and full yet seamless and soft on entry displaying an energetic panoply of ripe, juicy red and black fruits assembled with verve and precision over pretty mineral-driven, well-integrated tannins. Rich, perfectly-ripe and sexy with fantastic length and purity throughout!

90% Sonoma Coast, 5% Napa Carneros, 4% Mendocino County,  2% Santa Lucia Highlands
100% Pinot Noir, 100% 2019 vintage
~50% new French oak
~14.5% alc.

 

Lot 302 | 2021 Languedoc (Cesseras) Petite Sirah

I tasted this wine from barrel with winemaker Camille Ournac (a graduate of Burgundy's prestigious oenology school) at Chateau Cesseras in the Minervois (in the Languedoc region) last month and was blown away, not just by having found Petite Sirah in the Minervois, but at the ridiculous quality-to-price ratio.

Eight-generations of Ournac's have produced wine here in Minervois but it was Camille's father, Pierre-Andre, who saw the potential to grow a broader array of varietals and, 15-years ago, began to add Syrah, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Petite Verdot and, thankfully, Petite Sirah to the families 90-hectares of vineyards. The vines, now 9-year-old vines and just hitting their stride, are planted in limestone soils on the foot hills of the “Montagne Noire” close to the medieval city of Carcassonne, at over 200m of altitude.

There are only about 150-200 cases of the Petite Sirah produced every year and we've purchased every last drop of the 2021 which we expect to remove from barrel and bottle in late May.

Deep and dark in the glass with a little purple edge. The bouquet is dense with emerging complexity with a bouquet of black cherry and blackcurrant notes wrapped around rocky minerality, a hint of garrigue and toasty oak notes. On the palate, lots of black fruits and spicy huckleberry notes provide excellent freshness and inform a long, peppery and generous finish with perfectly-integrated tannins.

Given the dense color, this is a surprisingly seductive and elegant wine. However, given the winemaker was trained at Burgundy's prestigious oenology school and has made wine in South Africa, New Zealand, Chile, Italy and the USA (Gramercy Cellars), it should come as no surprise. Cheers Camille!

100% Petite Sirah
100% open top oak vat fermented before transferring to barrel for ageing (40% new French oak)
13.5% alc.
150-200 cases produced
Bottled mid-May 2022

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Lot 303 | 2017 Minervois La Liviniere GSM

A small limestone plateau in the heart of the Minervois with only 350 planted hectares, La Livinierie is the first cru-status appellation and known in the region as the Premier Cru of the Languedoc. One of the driving forces behind the appellation and largest landholders is the Ournac family of Chateau Cesseras (Domaine Coudoulet as well).

I was visiting and tasting with winemaker Camille Ournac last February when he admitted to me that a deal for a significant quantity of his 2017 La Liviniere bottling had blown up when COVID hit. If I could help him move the wine, he would give me a special price.

That's what I do brother, I told him.

The wine, a blend of 70% Syrah and 10% each of Carignan, Grenache and Mourvedre, was fresh as a daisy having been stored in a large oak foudre after 12-months in barrel. This wine has never been exported to the US.

Decanter awarded a 90-point score the 2017 Chateau Cesseras La Liviniere.

If you thought Lot 239 GSM was a good deal, you ain't seen nothing yet.

Deep ruby, almost opaque in the glass. The effusive bouquet is nevertheless beautifully restrained with notes of violets, blackberry, raspberry, black olive and garrigue, leather, and coriander spice with praline notes. Focused and silky with a beautiful structure, the smooth layers of flavors mingle throughout, delicately supported by melted notes of wood. Concentrated on the mid-palate, rich and expressive with an exquisite freshness evolving into a long mineral finish with lingering fruit and spice. Fantastique!

100% La Livininiere
70% Syrah, 10% each of Carignan, Grenache and Mourvedre
12-months in oak barrel, 30% new French oak. 2 years in oak foudre.
14% alc.

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Lot 305 2016 Listrac-Medoc

Deep purple in the glass, just a shade off of opaque. Amazingly fresh bottle bouquet with violets, black fruits and scorched earth opening up to reveal vanilla-specked graphite, blueberry syrup, leather and walnut notes riding a core of riverstone minerality and a pretty clove perfume. Chewy on entry with juicy blackberry fruit riding robust, mineral and tobacco-laced tannins that melt on your palate to unfurl a 30-40 second finish punctuated by a lovely violet and rock perfume.

100% Estate Vineyards, 100% Listrac-Medoc
54% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Petite Verdot
30% new French oak
14% alc.

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Lot 306 2018 Listrac-Medoc

Even darker in the glass. The bouquet is quite similar to the 2016 but bright with more ripe raspberry and juicy black cherry lifted fruit complexed with clove and thyme spice. Savory leather and cedar notes anchor the fruit. Fleshy through the mid palate but balanced and restrained on the finish, a foot in the new world and a foot in the old world, fine tannins throughout and lingering finish that carries endlessly. Fantastic oak integration throughout with tremendous precision across both wines.

100% Estate Vineyards, 100% Listrac-Medoc
52% Merlot, 47% Cabernet, 1% Petite Verdot
25% new French oak
14.5% alc.

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Lot 307 | 2019 Napa Carneros SVD Pinot Noir

First run juice from one of Sonoma's most successful Pinot Noir producer's, Lot 307 2019 Napa Carneros Pinot Noir hails the legendary Hyde Vineyard in Carneros and is part of the unnamed wineries huge single-vineyard designate program.

The winery's just released 2019 Pinot has already garnered a 93-point score from both The Wine Spectator and Decanter Magazine under its original label. However, with 2019 awarded the first ever "Classic" vintage from the Wine Spectator at 95-points, competition is tough with 250+ wines scoring above 90-points. New management is trimming inventory and we got the call!

Deep garnet in the glass, this wine offers a ripe, sexy bouquet of dark cherry liqueur, dried blueberries and cocoa. Rose petal, strawberry, and plum complex the bouquet along with a vinous quality that keeps things lively - there is definitely more here than meets the nose, however. Perfectly plump-yet-concentrated black fruit on entry is melded to a classy structure with sleek tannins carrying vibrant cherry and raspberry notes to hugely long finish layered with more black fruit and spicy floral kick. Extremely well-delineated with fantastic, lingering persistence, this is world-class Pinot Noir without a doubt.

100% Napa Carneros Pinot Noir, 100% 2019 vintage
approximately 50% new French oak

 

Lot 308 | 2021 Alto Totihue Cachapoal Valley Chardonnay/Semillon

The longest and thinnest country in the world with thousands of miles of south Pacific coastline paralleled between thousands of miles of Andean Mountains with valley's sandwiched in-between, Chile is one of the most unique winegrowing regions in the world.

Given the massive coastline, many of the regions rely on marine influence for the diurnal swing that defines many of the world's best wine growing regions. However, some of Chile's most exciting wine regions (particularly for Bordelaise varieties such as Cabernet, Carmenere and Merlot) are hidden inland, back up against the Andes where lean alluvial soils conspire with altitude-driven temperature swings and higher UV radiation to produce concentrated yet ethereal reds and whites that, at their best, bring freshness, elegance and power in equal parts.

Originally content to play second fiddle to its more celebrated neighbors (Maipo to the north and Colchagua to the south), the warm, inland Cachapoal Valley was content to produce good fruit and pedestrian wines. However, a few French winemaking families recognized that the higher-altitude, eastern reaches of the valley, nestled into the alluvial drainages of the mighty Andes, had tremendous potential leading to a post-Pinochet land grab in the 1990's.

One of the first to recognize the potential of Alto Cachapoal (now known as Alto Totihue) was the iconic Bordeaux producer Chateau Larose Trintaudon, who, in 1994, partnered with small growers in the region and brought their know-how to plant the more challenging 2000-foot terroir of the Alto Cachapoal and build the Casas del Toqui winery.

In 2010, the Chilean Court family purchased Casas del Toqui and continues to produce wines of profound structure, depth and complexity with a Napa Valley meets Bordeaux sensibility. We've partnered with them to bring you their top of the line offerings and I am confident you will be blown away by these classic, distinctive wines and the tremendous value they represent. You will not find wines of this breed and concentration at this price anywhere else.

The first wine on offer is their fantastic Alto Totihue white blend, 82% Chardonnay and 18% Semillon. Half the wine is barrel-fermented with a portion (20%) undergoing malolactic fermentation while the other half is produced in tank and stored on its lees. The resulting wine combines fantastic freshness with supple richness, elegance and great persistence on the palate. Classy, artisanal juice.

Pale yellow in the glass. The bouquet is fresh and bursting with lemon candy and butter blossoms draped over a gorgeous minerality. Tropical fruit notes embolden with air adding hints of vanilla and toasted almond to the citrusy complexity. Supple and harmonious on entry turning rich, fleshy and mouthwatering through the mid-palate; however, this Burgundian-styled effort always retains its nervy energy leading to a vibrant finish of tremendous purity and incredible finesse. Like I said, classy juice. Will age beautifully for another decade.

82% Chardonnay, 18% Semillon (from vines planted in 1943)
50% barrel-fermented, 20% new French oak, 20% FML/50% stainless steel resting on lees for 8 months before combing for bottling
13% alc.
200 cases produced
Bottled September 2021

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Lot 309 | 2019 Alto Maipo Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Looking for fantastic Napa Valley Cabernet value? Look no further than the Alto Maipo Valley of Chile. While many of the wines from this region have skyrocketed into the triple digits (Don Melchor, Almaviva, Chadwick, Aurea, etc), the source for Lot 309 is a winemaker I have been with for many years. Very knowledgeable about the international wine market, he has a passion for working with small winegrowers who are passionate about their land but not interested in building a wine brand. I am definitely looking forward to sourcing more treasures from Chile!

And, indeed, Lot 309 is a treasure. A fantastic value, grown at 1600-feet of elevation in the low-yielding, rocky alluvial soils draining off the Andes in the Alto Maipo region of Chile. No expense was spared in the production of this Cabernet including 33% new French oak and 20-months in barrel.

If you are looking for a great everyday Cabernet that is at home in a Michelin-star restaurant as it is on your dinner table, then I encourage you to grab this amazing value before its gone.

Deep purple, inky color. The nose is beautifully expressive with gobs of blueberry and blackberry fruit complexed with cassis, dried fig, and pretty spice notes. Ripe but also complex and well-supported with mineral notes that lift and carry. Similarly, the wine is rich on entry but amply structured with intense rounded ripe tannins that create a firm backbone that leads into a wonderfully textured dark fruit and creamy dark chocolate finish. Rich and ripe yet complex and harmonious, this is a tremendous value in Cabernet Sauvignon.

92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 100% Alto Maipo Valley in Chile
33% new French oak
14.5% alc.
Bottle Date: March 2021

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Lot 310 | 2019 Alto Totihue Cachapoal Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

On offer here is the last of the Court Rollan "Genus" Edition wines. Lot 310 is a fantastic addition to their high-altitude-derived, Alto Cachapoal vineyards.

Mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with just a dollop of Syrah blended in for complexity. The 2018 version scored 91-points in the Wine Enthusiast. I have tasted both and am confident the 2019 is the superior wine.

 Inky in the glass with notes of violets swirling with blueberry and black current. Layer in warm cedar, hint of leather and fennel as well as a hint of graphite. Silky and smooth on the front of the palate, with soft delicate tannins and vibrant acidity to lift the density. The REAL deal, this balanced and juicily complex Cabernet Sauvignon is a true pleasure. 

100% Alto Totinhue, Cachapoal Valley estate vineyards
82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Syrah
33% new French oak
14% alc.
65 cases produced

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Lot 311 | 2020 Alto Totihue Cachapoal Valley Syrah

The longest and thinnest country in the world with thousands of miles of south Pacific coastline paralleled between thousands of miles of Andean Mountains with valley's sandwiched in-between, Chile is one of the most unique winegrowing regions in the world.

Given the massive coastline, many of the regions rely on marine influence for the diurnal swing that defines many of the world's best wine growing regions. However, some of Chile's most exciting wine regions (particularly for Bordelaise varieties such as Cabernet, Carmenere and Merlot) are hidden inland, back up against the Andes where lean alluvial soils conspire with altitude-driven temperature swings and higher UV radiation to produce concentrated yet ethereal reds and whites that, at their best, bring freshness, elegance and power in equal parts.

Originally content to play second fiddle to its more celebrated neighbors (Maipo to the north and Colchagua to the south), the warm, inland Cachapoal Valley was content to produce good fruit and pedestrian wines. However, a few French winemaking families recognized that the higher-altitude, eastern reaches of the valley, nestled into the alluvial drainages of the mighty Andes, had tremendous potential leading to a post-Pinochet land grab in the 1990's.

One of the first to recognize the potential of Alto Cachapoal (now known as Alto Totihue) was the iconic Bordeaux producer Chateau Larose Trintaudon, who, in 1994, partnered with small growers in the region and brought their know-how to plant the more challenging 2000-foot terroir of the Alto Cachapoal and build the Casas del Toqui winery.

In 2010, the Chilean Court family purchased Casas del Toqui and continues to produce wines of profound structure, depth and complexity with a Napa Valley meets Bordeaux sensibility. We've partnered with them to bring you their top of the line offerings and I am confident you will be blown away by these classic, distinctive wines and the tremendous value they represent. You will not find wines of this breed and concentration at this price anywhere else.

Lot 311 is the 2020 Alto Totihue Syrah originally bottled under the top-of-the-line, no-expense-spared, Gran Toqui label. The $30, 2019 bottling was awarded 90-points by the Wine Enthusiast just a week ago and there is no doubt the 2020 is just as good, if not better. There is very little of this wine produced, much less making its way to the USA; in fact, we've secured the entire allocation of 2020 for the US market.

Syrah thrives at altitude and is fantastic in hot dry years like 2020, especially when combined with the low yields that plagued producers. Weighing in right at 14% alc., Lot 311 combines density, concentration, and elegance in a decidedly French package that reminds of a fine Crozes Hermitage crossed with a powerful Burgundian Pinot Noir.

Deep purple, almost opaque, in the glass. The tightly wound and powerfully monolithic nose draws you down into the glass. While the core of oak and black fruit broods, spicy red raspberry, cassis, leather and rock escape the abyss with a kiss of black pepper haloing the bouquet. Medium-complex for now but there is so much more to come. Medium-full-bodied on the palate, it's fleshy and juicy but also surprisingly light and airy with an interesting marriage of ripe plum, oak, pepper and mineral. There's great length and plenty of emerging complexity but clearly this wine is just a baby.

The producer bottle ages this wine for a year before before release, which aligns perfectly with our timeline of a mid-July arrival (of course, we will not ship your wine in the heat and will store it free of charge should there not be a good shipping window) so look to try this out on the Fall - it's fantastic Syrah and a revelation for the region and for Chile in general.

100% Alto Totinhue, Cachapoal Valley Chile
95% Syrah, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
40% new French oak
Bottled July 2021
100 cases produced

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Lot 312 | 2019 Alto Totihue Cachapoal Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 

I was blown away by this wine when I first tasted this fantastic Cabernet. The next in our series of Alto Totihue releases, Lot 312 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon will knock your socks off with its sophisticated power and nuanced richness and structure. Tasted blind, you would be forgiven for thinking this was an altitude-driven Cabernet from either Atlas Peak or Mt. Veeder.

Even more compelling is the fact the 2017 and 2018 versions have scored 92- and 93-points from the Wine Enthusiast and both vintages have scored 92-points from British MW, Tim Atkin (not to mention consistent 94-point scores from Chilean wine guide, Descorchados, for the 2017, 2018, and 2019). Having tasted the 2018 along with the 2019, I am confident its fair to say the 2019 is every bit as good.

Deep ruby, opaque in the glass. Complex, fresh, and well-delineated bouquet of dusty damson plum, blackcurrant, dark chocolate and cedar are embraced in a blackberry and rock perfume. Plush and chewy on entry but beautifully structured with mineral-coated tannins loaded with black cherry, blackberry and cassis fruit and plenty of barrel-toast. Finishes long, generous and ethereal with a persistent dance of fruit and mineral.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon, 100% Estate fruit, Alto Totinue, Cachapoal Valley
33% new French oak
14% alc.
250 cases produced

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Lot 313 | 2021 IGP Gard Rose Wine

Sourced from a long-time colleague in Southern France, this stellar Grenache is 100% organic from the producers estate vineyard in the Gard region just between Costieres di Nimes and the southern Rhone valley. A perennial fantastic value producer, their lower-priced, non-organic offering just scored 89 points in the Wine Enthusiast and was called a "fantastic bargain".

Juicy, vibrant, and richly fruited, this rose is uber-complex and pungent with spring florals, ruby red grapefruit, watermelon and nectarine up front with raspberry, black cherry and lilac notes appearing as the wines opens. Juicy and well-balanced on entry, fleshy and racy across the palate with grapefruit and nectarine fruit fleshing out over mouthwatering, chalky acidity with a crisp, mineral finish with a whisper of watermelon.

100% Estate, 100% Organic
80% Grenache, 20% Syrah
Stainless steel fermentation and ageing.
13% alc.
600 cases produced

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Lot 314 | 2020 Costières de Nîmes GSM

Sourced from a high-end, organic producer in Costières de Nîmes, this wine exudes tremendous complexity, class and finesse along with ripe precision and pure hedonistic pleasure.

With a 90-point score from Jeb Dunnock, it is an absolutely amazing value.

The 100% organic estate vineyard is composed of the same large, fist-sized rolled river rocks that populate Chateauneuf du Pape surrounded by iron-rich clay. Extremely well-drained and poor soils, they provide grapes that deliver robust, spicy reds that maintain their freshness and aromatic complexity.

Complex indeed, this gorgeous bouquet is redolent with ripe yet perfumed fruit and the classic regional garrigue. Black plum and cherry fruit ride a core of caramel dark chocolate truffle haloed with violets, blonde tobacco, and peppery roasted lamb. Palate staining yet lifted and refreshing with candied plum and cherry that carry through the finish of fine mineral tannins. Plush but focused, this wines wonderful mouthfeel and graceful purity guarantee a fantastic finish.

100% Organic, estate vineyard in Costières de Nîmes
60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 20% Mourvedre
Fermented in combo of concrete and stainless steel tanks for effortless extraction
13.5% alc.
350 cases produced

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Lot 315 | 2019 Vin de France Cabernet Savignon 

Yes, indeed, it is time again to back up the truck!

Sourced from old vines planted in the Languedoc-Roussillon and Minervois regions of southern France, this gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon is an absolutely screaming deal.

I think this is the best deal we have ever offered on a Cabernet.

Folks, this is as quaffable and delicious as Cabernet gets but, again, beautifully built and harmoniously balanced - only 13.5% alc!

The ultimate cellar defender if there ever was one - I promise, you are going to love this wine!

Deep garnet in the glass. Ripe, open-knit bouquet of black cherry chocolate truffle decadence with notes of walnut husk, brown sugar and fresh tobacco leaf. Succulent and juicy on entry, plush and full-bodied on the palate with tobacco and mineral-laced tannins carrying black cherry and brown sugar to a delicious, magic-carpet-ride conclusion.

Absolutely fantastic - you won't be able to have just one glass!

100% Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from Languedoc-Roussillon and Minervois regions.
100% barrel-aged in large format foudre, 18% new French oak
13.5% alc. **Note - the label says 14.5%. This was a mistake at the printers in France!**
1000 cases produced
Bottled June 2022 

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Lot 316 | 2020 Costieres de Nimes Vielles Vigne Rhone White

A blend of Old Vine (Vielles Vignes) Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Viognier and Rousanne, this fantastic Rhone-style white blend has scored 91-points from Jeb Dunnock for the 2020 vintage. Pungent with a racy core of sparkling minerality, this gorgeous, crystalline beauty is a screaming deal...

The gorgeous bouquet is simultaneously crystalline and pungent with ripe honeysuckle and acacia flowers adorning a generous core of quince, apricot and pineapple with subtle notes of river rock. Rich on entry with excellent succosite, perfectly-ripe apricot is supported by chalky-minerality punctuated with a crisp finish of honeyed mandarin and allspice. Ripe but never cloying, the finish has huge length and persistence. Fantastic!

100% estate, 80+-year-old vine, organic vineyard
50% Grenache Blanc, 30% Roussanne, 15% Clairette, 5% Viognier
50% barrel (25% new FO), 50% concrete tank aged on lees 8-months
13.8% alc.
Bottled June 20, 2022

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Lot 317 | 2020 Costieres de Nimes Vielles Vignes Rosé Wine

Under its original label, this gorgeous Rose has scored 91-points from Jeb Dunnock every year since 2016. His review of the 2019 pretty much sums up the program: The 2019 Costières De Nimes Vieilles Vignes Rose is rocking stuff, and possibly the finest rosé I’ve tasted from the Costières de Nimes...I’d put it up against any Provençal rosé out there.

As I have mentioned previously, 2020 (which is the wine on offer today), was an all-around fantastic vintage for whites, reds and rose so you'll just have to trust me on this one.

Sourced from 80+-year-old, head-trained Grenache and Mourvedre vines, this beautifully structured Vielles Vignes Rose is crystalline and gorgeous, as well as fantastically mouthwatering.

Blood orange and white peach are complexed with perfumed lavender, lemongrass and orange blossom. Generous and elegant on the palate this wine has a core of fleshy white peach encased in a steel beam of chalky, mineral-laced acidity sprinkled with grenadine, lilac and a fantastic white pepper retro-nasal blast. Mouthwateringly delicious with perfect fruit acid tension, this dynamic Rose will knock your socks off!

100% estate, organically farmed, 80-year-old vines.
85% Grenache, 15% Mourvedre
13% alc.
Bottled June 22, 2022

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Lot 318 | 2020 Costieres de Nimes Vielles Vignes GSM

Fabulously dense, concentrated and super-sexy, this one the greatest "Rhone varietal" red wine deals we've ever offered. Produced from 80+-year-old vines.

Scored 92-94-points out of the barrel in January by Jeb Dunnuck who commented on it's "rocking levels of black and blue fruits as well as notes of smoked meats, violets, and spring flowers. Concentrated and mouthfilling on the palate, it should be another gem of a wine from this talented team."

Singing lavender, simmered plums and black raspberry, complemented with savory notes of dark earth, roasted thyme and fennel. Dense and concentrated but beautifully focused on the palate with elegant lifted acidity and mineral laced tannins carrying chalky black raspberry and licorice notes carry through the finish. Nice Asian spice retronasal note completes the experience nicely.

70% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre
33% whole cluster fermentation
25% new French oak, 75% aged in cement
Bottled June 20, 2022

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Lot 319 | 2018 Santa Barbara County Nebbiolo

Killer Santa Barbara County, single-vineyard Nebbiolo? Talk about a needle in a haystack.

I see a lot of solid bulk wines from this producer (they own a lot of vineyard), but it's usually just that, bulk wine...solid wines but nowhere near great.

This wine, however, is great.

Color me surprised.

Extremely-well-built, it's an excellent approximation of Barolo's Nebbiolo but with a bit of California sunshine. Juicy yet complex with a robust, incredibly age-worthy structure, it will open your mind to the Cal-Ital opportunity on the Central Coast!

Italian wine lovers - ya gotta trust me on this one.

Deep garnet. 20-months in barrel and years in a zipped up tank have open up the bouquet beautifully with rose water, candied fig, ripe strawberry and orange marmalade underpinned with savory leather and tobacco leaf tinged minerality. Smooth and silky up front and resolving with a chewy, robust tannin structure that perfectly mirrors the bouquet on your palate. Bone-dry throughout with fruit and earth in perfect balance, this wine finishes long, echoing with red fruit richness and nicely attenuated minerality. Delicious!

100% Nebbiolo, 100% Single Vineyard
25% new French oak barrels, 20-months.
15.5% alc.
250 cases produced

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Lot 321 | 2018 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

I asked the winemaker - another legendary consultant making wine for the who's who of Napa for over 40 years - why he was selling the wines (I also have the 2019) and his comment was: "I'm too busy with my other consulting projects to worry about 4-500 hundred cases of wine just 'cuz my names on the label...I love making the stuff, but I hate selling it. I'm too old for this shit."

Well, OK, then.

Both Lot 321 2018 Napa Valley Cabernet and Lot 322 2019 Napa Valley Cabernet hail from a small estate vineyard at just under 1,000 feet of altitude high above St. Helena. Just a couple hundred-feet from Howell Mountain appellation, this vineyard is surrounded by luminaries such as Viader, Cade and Merus. The wine is made with no-expense-spared, hand-punched-down in small 1-ton bins and aged for over 30-months in 25% new French oak. Classically-styled but in the tried-and-true sense, it's fantastic wine with superior structure and complexity.

Rich, ripe and voluptuous nose of briary blackberry and blueberry jam are well-supported with creamy mocha and caramel oak notes with hints of leather and red-rock to provide aromatic lift - the bouquet is ripe but never overripe. Supple and balanced on entry with chewy, muscular-yet-well-integrated tannins that are nicely balanced against the ripe blackberry fruit and creme-caramel finish. Great texture. The finish is delicious and complex with very good length, persistence and terrific overall balance. 100% classic and a steal at this price!

100% Cabernet Sauvignon, 100% estate fruit in the Napa Valley appellation, just under 1,000-feet of altitude
25% new French oak, aged for over 30-months.
15% alc.
Bottling end of November 2022

 

Lot 322 | 2019 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

I asked the winemaker - another legendary consultant making wine for the who's who of Napa for over 40 years - why he was selling the wines (I also have the 2018) and his comment was: "I'm too busy with my other consulting projects to worry about 4-500 hundred cases of wine just 'cuz my names on the label...I love making the stuff, but I hate selling it. I'm too old for this shit."

Well, OK, then.

Both Lot 321 2018 Napa Valley Cabernet and Lot 322 2019 Napa Valley Cabernet hail from a small estate vineyard at just under 1,000-feet of altitude high above St. Helena. Just a couple hundred-feet from Howell Mountain appellation, this vineyard is surrounded by luminaries such as Viader, Cade and Merus. The wine is made with no-expense-spared, hand-punched-down in small 1-ton bins and aged for over 30-months in 25% new French oak. Classically-styled but in the tried-and-true sense, it's fantastic wine with superior structure and complexity.

Deep garnet in the glass, the 2019 Cabernet is a bit more blue-fruited than the 2018 with more pronounced florals. However, these wines are quite similar (as one would expect :-), with plenty of ripe blue and black fruit nicely balanced against red rock, leather and mocha turning more caramel-y with air. The 2019 is more vibrant on the palate with sexy acidity and a rich amalgam of blueberry jam and chocolate, hints of cassis and leather that finish atop a robust tannin layer that is so well-balanced it's almost imperceptible. Just a bit less chewy than the 2018, the liquid silk structure is uber-compelling with huge length and, again, incredible balance of fruit and red rock mineral-infused tannin's.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon, 100% estate fruit in the Napa Valley appellation, just under 1,000-feet of altitude
25% new French oak, aged for over 30-months.
15% alc.
Bottling end of November

 

Lot 323 | 2020 Langhe Nebbiolo

Another fantastic wine tasted last Spring at VinItaly, Lot 323 Langhe Nebbiolo hails from the dynamite 2020 vintage in Piedmonte.

Produced from the same Nebbiolo grape as Barolo, Langhe Nebbiolo is a lighter and more approachable style, typically meant to be drunk over the next 3-5 years. Usually softer than a Barolo, in 2020 the exceptional hang-time led to beautifully structured, complex and harmonious wine truly deserving of the Baby Barolo moniker.

It's a great everyday drinking wine that punches waaaay above its weight class and is as food-friendly as it gets - I highly recommend you try it with tagliatelle pasta with a meat or porcini mushroom sauce not to mention red and white meats including grilled game. Great too with medium hard cheeses with some age on them.

Bone-dry, focused and complex, this is an artisanally crafted wine that will thrill Italian wine lovers with its combination of incredible value and high quality.

Pale, medium garnet in the glass. Much appreciated in a big Burgundy bowl with nice chimney. Give it a minute or two of swirling and pretty cherry and raspberry fruit come to the fore, underpinning the tarry rose petal and anise notes and growing more powdery, spicy and ripe with air. Savory mushroom, sweet tobacco, leather and red rock mineral notes complex the bouquet nicely adding depth and dimension. Supple on entry with minerally tannins beautifully attenuated with pretty red fruits and sweet tobacco in a long, youthful finish just beginning to unwind. Dry and harmonious with a beautiful structure, Lot 323 will knock your socks off with its fantastic combination of elegance, complexity and food-friendliness.

100% Nebbiolo
50% tank-raised, 50% large format barrique
14% alc.
200 cases produced
Bottled September 2022

***

Lot 324 | 2021 Barbera D'Alba

Delightful.

Yes, delightful. That's exactly what I think of this wine...racy aromatics with ripe, fresh fruit and pretty florals just make it...delightful.

A 2021 Barbera D'Alba from the Langhe area of Barolo, Lot 324 is the kid sister to Lots 323 Nebbiolo and Lot 326 Barolo, all sourced from the same producer. Lot 326 Barbera was just bottled and should be on the water later this month (along with its siblings) and arriving in early January.

This is a drink early, drink fresh offering that delivers tremendous pleasure for everyday consumption. Sure, it's serious enough to warrant a little cellaring, but happy enough to be plucked and eaten straight off the vine as well.

Either way, it's a pleasure to drink with its vibrant character and excellent freshness. 

Intense ruby red with vibrant purple hues. Fresh, crisp, lovely bouquet of black cherry and blackberry haloed with rose petals and spice with hints of mineral and fresh leather. Concentrated and smooth on entry with ripe fruit layered over vibrant graphite and mineral notes that make for a dynamic palate. Plummy and harmonious on the finish with pretty retronasal fruit blast highlighting the purity of fruit.

This is an amazingly food-friendly wine, in fact, I would say this is purpose-built food wine. It will a perfect pairing for just about any pasta dish, robust stews, cold cuts, baked pork medallions and fairly fresh soft cheeses.

100% Barbera D'Alba
4-months in stainless steel to preserve the pretty fruit
14% alc.
200 cases produced
Bottled August 31st, 2022

***

Lot 325 | 2016 DOCG Barolo

Only at de Negoce!

I tasted this wine at VinItaly last Spring and immediately put my foot on the last remaining 195 cases. Man, do I wish I had more of this...

I am working super-lean here and, thanks to the strong dollar, am able to offset the unprecedented shipping costs and offer this wine to you!

This is direct from the cellar with a 93-point score from James Suckling and a 91-point score from Decanter Magazine. We've agreed to affix our label and not mention the producer (this wine is all over the internet at $40-$50 plus shipping) so I am unable to re-produce the reviews here. However, the descriptors "exceptional", "delicious", "perfumed", "flavorful" and "chewy" all appear in the reviews.

Barolo fans, trust me on this one....this is classic Barolo in an exceptional vintage.

Medium-deep garnet and, as expected, I had a definite preference for a more chimneyed Burgundy glass versus a traditional Bordeaux. Right out of the bottle, the archetypal perfume of tar, roses and cherry is accented by rosemary, and umami leather and mushroom notes in a wonderfully complex bouquet that has evolved nicely and is now fully delineated. The red cherry note becomes more pronounced and spicy as the bouquet opens up further and reveals its numerous layers. Just beautiful. Smooth as silk on the attack with sappy fruit and earth in equal measure resolving in a potent array of chewy but exceptionally-well integrated tannins...fleshy, perfectly ripe, perfectly balanced and complex as hell, this is screaming deal for a wine that delivers tremendous complexity now and will age another 20+ years in your cellar. Perfetto!

100% Barolo DOCG, 100% Nebbiolo
40+months including a mix of ageing 18-months in smaller barrels and longer ageing in large format wooden vats.
Alc. 14%

***

Lot 326 | 2017 DOCG Barolo

From the same producer as Lot 325, Lot 326 is their 2017 Barolo and it is a fantastic wine. Stylistically richer and riper, it will have massive appeal; however, let me be clear, these are not a repeat of the uber-hot, overripe 2003 vintage Barolo's. Riper fruit, yes, but with all the elegant structure and class one would expect from a delicious vintage - you guys are going to love this!

Antonio Galloni sums up the vintage best: In tasting, the 2017s are mid-weight Barolos with the classic structure of Nebbiolo. They are often intensely aromatic. Acids and tannins are prominent in many wines. The fruit profiles are ripe, often distinctly red-toned, but not cooked or over-ripe. Perhaps most importantly, the 2017 Barolos are very true to site, which is always a concern with vintages marked by warm weather. The best 2017s are exceptionally polished, vivid and flat-out delicious. If tasted blind, my guess is that few people would identify the wines as coming from a hot and very dry year.

Only at de Negoce!

Lot 326 2017 Barolo has multiple 92-point scores from Decanter Magazine and James Suckling but, as before, we've agreed to affix our label and not mention the producer (this wine is all over the internet at $40-$50 plus shipping) so I am unable to re-produce the reviews here.

I am working super-lean here and, thanks to the strong dollar, am able to offset the unprecedented shipping costs and offer this wine to you.

Deep garnet in the glass. The bouquet is immediate with morello cherry, leather, tobacco and spicy minerality. It soon blossoms with powdered lilac garrigue, rose petal, menthol and cinnamon beautifully complexing the ripe bouquet - and it is complex. Open knit and accessible on entry with a juicy structure gripped in robust, chewy tannins coated in red cherry and raspberry, tobacco. Great depth! The finish is juicy with mouthwatering fruit and mineral-laced tannins yet velvety carrying red fruits and tobacco notes in a long, persistent finish. Fantastic!

100% Barolo DOCG, 100% Nebbiolo
40+months including a mix of ageing 18-months in smaller barrels and longer ageing in large format wooden vats.
Alc. 14.5%
Bottled September 2022

***

Lot 328 | 2020 Sonoma County Chardonnay

Some of the best deals come over the transom this time of year as folks finalize their blends or look at the upcoming harvest and make some tough decisions on how much inventory they want to hold.

This is one of those deals.

From an absolutely legendary producer comes this fantastic Chardonnay. They would only sell the wine as "Sonoma County" appellation to protect their identity and all I am able to relay to you is that the wine comes from 1500-2000-foot-elevation vineyards not far from the Napa Valley border.

This wine is the definition of no expense spared production and sees 100% new French oak from the worlds best artisan coopers.

Given the impending harvest we were able to secure this wine at a quite advantageous price.

Now, lets get down to brass tacks - this is not a $100/bottle Chardonnay. I think its a 92-93 point wine, not a 96-99-pointer, which is likely why we got our hands on it - it just didn't make the cut.

The bouquet opens with candied ginger and apple pie notes but quickly blossoms with lemon oil, yellow flowers and ripe stonefruit notes haloed with brioche/pastry notes complexed with hints of nougat and marzipan. Fantastic! Smooth yet vibrant on the attack with a honey beam of acidity bursting with lemon curd and stonefruit and finishing with lingering salt water taffy notes. Medium-full bodied and beautifully framed with lush opulence and great mineral focus throughout, this wine has it all!

100% Chardonnay
100% Sonoma County, 100% estate fruit
100% new French oak
15% alc.
300 cases produced
***

Lot 329 | 2019 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 

We managed to get our hands on just 2 barrels (40-50 cases) of Lot 329. This is a very limited, exclusive offer. 

Sourced from the same producer as Lot 328 SoCo Chardonnay I am, again, prevented from mentioning much about this wines provenance. What I can tell you is that this Pinot Noir is sourced from an estate vineyard in Fort Ross/Seaview AVA (we are prevented from using Fort Ross/Seaview AVA on the label, hence the Sonoma Coast appellation) and retails under its original bottling for around $150/bottle. The vineyard sits at around 1200-1500-feet of elevation and the wine is raised in 50% new French oak.

The result is a powerfully structured Pinot Noir that will require a few more years in the bottle to crack open. The bottled wine has garnered 94-, 95- and 96-point scores from Vinous, The Wine Advocate, and The Wine Spectator (not necessarily in that order).

Why do they have two barrels of 2019 sitting around? It's simple: there are a lot of mid-90's scoring, $60-80 luxury Pinot Noir's on the market and even the $150 blue chips have to trim their sails on occasion.

Deep garnet in the glass with shades of ruby - dark for a Pinot Noir from this area. The bouquet features a full array of ripe red and black fruits, from strawberry and cherry kirsch to blackberry tart wrapped in chocolatey oak. As things open up toasty rose petals, forest floor and caramel notes complex the bouquet. Rich and fleshy on the palate, seamless with taught acidity and plenty of plush tannins to carry all the fruit richness and depth. Finishes long and lingering with chocolatey fruit and a spicy top note.

Overall, this is spectacular, muscular, dense Pinot Noir. It shows well now and is nicely delineated already, yet the taught acidity and powerful structure surely indicate great things to come.

100% Pinot Noir, 100% Estate fruit
50% new French oak - top artisan cooperage
15.2% alc.
40-50 cases
Bottled November 2022

***

Lot 330 | 2021 Sonoma County Chardonnay

Lot 330 is from the same producer as Lot 328 2020 Sonoma County Chardonnay and it is the better wine of the two, just a bit younger.

2021 is clearly a fantastic vintage for Chardonnay and, luckily, I have a 100 more cases this time :-). I paid a bit more for the '21, but not too much, so I can hold the price.

More good news, I purchased the wine and the barrels. It's a bit young still so we will store it through harvest to get a little more time in oak. I anticipate bottling and shipping in December.

Here is the copy from Lot 328 for reference...I've tweaked the copy a bit to reflect the quality of the '21 vintage and the tasting notes are different.

Some of the best deals come over the transom this time of year as folks finalize their blends or look at the upcoming harvest and make some tough decisions on how much inventory they want to hold.

This is one of those deals.

From an absolutely legendary producer comes this fantastic Chardonnay. They would only sell the wine as "Sonoma County" appellation to protect their identity and all I am able to relay to you is that the wine comes from 1500-2000-foot-elevation vineyards not far from the Napa Valley border.

This wine is the definition of no expense spared production and sees 100% new French oak from the worlds best artisan coopers. Their various Chardonnay's sell for well over $100/bottle.

Given the impending harvest we were able to secure this wine at a quite advantageous price.

Now, lets get down to brass tacks - this is not a $100/bottle Chardonnay. I think its a it better than Lot 328 and more like a 93-94-point wine, not a 96-99-pointer, which is likely why we got our hands on it - it just didn't make the cut. 

Pale yellow straw in the glass. Gorgeous, succulent bouquet of lychee, orange marmalade, white peach, vanilla blossom and baked baguette, with a whisper of oyster shell minerality giving lift and freshness. Still youthful and evolving, the nose is going to develop into something really fantastic with a few more months of barrel. Rich yet vibrant on entry, with a broad and generous mid-palate weight concentrating in a saline mineral finish, with lingering notes of toasted brioche, allspice, and vanilla creme brulee. Fantastic verve throughout but the wood notes are dominant right now. The additional barrel time will give the fruit time to come up. Trust me, this is going to be fantastic!

100% Chardonnay
100% Sonoma County, 100% estate fruit
100% new French oak
15% alc.
400 cases produced
Bottling in December 2022

***

Lot 340 | 2017 Clare Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

It's time to...

BACK UP THE TRUCK!

Lot 340 2017 Clare Valley Cabernet Sauvignon comes to us from one of Australia's most iconic winemakers, a James Halliday 5-Star Winery and one of critic Huon Hooke's Top Winery's of Australia.

We initially discovered this Cabernet at our massive, 500-wine "triage" tasting in June, then returned in August with a visit to the winery and dialed-in the blend.

The result is a simply astonishing value.

Renowned for its Riesling's, the Clare Valley has a variety of climates and aspects allowing for a wide array of varietals to be successful there. Essentially, the further you move up the valley away from Watervale and towards Clare, the warmer it gets. This Cabernet is produced from an estate vineyard in the northern part of the Valley where Cabernet and Shiraz thrive.

The style is quite classic, with complex fruit, a balanced structure, and deftly-deployed oak. Medium-bodied and plush, it's very approachable now and will continue to improve over the next decade. The Ultimate Cellar-Defender!

A mixture of ruby and deep garnet. With 24-months in barrel and another 24-months in tank (to further clam the tannins), the bouquet is complex, effusive and quite evolved with spicy red hots ("spicy capsicum" the Aussies call it), camphor, powdered violets, blackcurrant, ripe plum and blackberry. Juicy and substantial on the palate with sweet florals haloing spicy blackcurrent, blackberry, and plummy chocolate notes supported with very-well integrated, barely perceptible tannins. The finish long and clean with excellent persistence of fruit and oak. 

Bottling schedule for Mid-November

89% Cabernet, 5% Merlot, 2% Shiraz, 2% Grenache, and 2% Tempranillo
100% estate vineyard
24-months in BBL, 20% new French oak
14.5% alc.

***

Lot 341 | 2018 Eden Valley of the Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon 

Up above the Barossa Valley floor is the Eden Valley of The Barossa. Located at altitudes of 330 to 550-meters, this cooler-climate produces wines of power and intensity as well as elegance and finesse. In fact, this producer is less than a mile away and just across the valley from the legendary, $900/bottle Henschke's Hill of Grace Vineyard and located at the same 400-meter altitude.

Under the sixth-generation producer's label, their top-of-the-line, no-expense-spared, Estate, Icon-level 2018 Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon has received a 95-Point score from James Halliday, 94 from James Suckling, 93 from Wine Pilot (Aussie reviewer), and has multiple 93-point scores from Vinous.com for the inferior 2016 and 2017 vintages (the 2018 will be rated in January 2023 I am told). We have the same wine in our Lot 341 bottling.

Opaque, dark and inky in the glass. Vibrant black currant descends into a deep and luscious spectrum of black plum and dark chocolate candied with bread pudding. The upper spectrum is adorned with roasted thyme, bell pepper spice, leather and graphite and framed with aged spruce. Focused, alluring, and succulent on the palate, the dense core is lifted with youthful and mouth-watering acidity that provides a liveliness and energy to match the depth and richness. Deeeelicious!

100% Estate vineyards, Eden Valley of the Barossa
40% new French oak
15% alc
Bottling November 2022 for Spring 2023 delivery

***

Lot 342 | 2017 Clare Valley GTM (Grenache-Tempranillo-Malbec)

One of the things I noticed visiting tasting rooms in Australia was that the Aussies are planting and producing just about every variety imaginable down there. From Teroldego to Albarino to Tourigo Nacional, they are experimenting like crazy. However, on offer today is a supremely unique wine compromised of old-vine classics like Grenache blended with some of the Clare Valley's original Tempranillo vines. The result is as fantastic as it is unique, a blend pioneered by the producer.

Pinot-lovers, Italian wine-lovers, Spanish wine-lovers, Aussie wine-lovers it's time to...

BACK UP THE TRUCK!

Like Lot 340, Lot 342 2017 Grenache-Tempranillo-Malbec (known as GTM but it also has a little Mouvedre/Mataro and Syrah in the blend as well) comes to us from one of Australia's most iconic winemakers, a James Halliday 5-Star Winery and one of critic Huon Hooke's "Top Winery's of Australia".

This the same wine the producer bottles and we haven't touched it - its perfect as it is - the original bottling scoring 93-points from the Aussie reviewer Wine Pilot (though they got the final blend wrong in the description). FWIW, Vinous reviewed the similar vintage 2013 version and awarded it 91-points - that's the only recent review from them.

Folks, you have to trust me here, this is simply astonishing value and a fabulous wine. It drinks beautifully now, and will go another 10-15 years in bottle.

Despite the Tempranillo, to me the sensibility here is Australia meets Italy. Medium garnet in the glass and super-expressive and fragrant bouquet of black raspberry, dried orange peel, menthol and gumtree backed by tootsie roll, leather, and cedar with a kiss of cherry lurking in the background. While the aromatics are well-delineated and fresh, the palate is surprisingly sensuous and succulent with a plush, viscous entry beautifully integrated with lifted red fruits(Grenache), savory depth (Tempranillo), violet perfume (Malbec) and a tootsie roll magic carpet ride finish from the hogsheads. Outstanding!

I should note that, throughout our Australian tasting room visits, Mark and I noticed that the Australians were planting just about every varietal under the sun down under.

100% Estate vineyards in Clare Valley
39% Grenache, 26% Tempranillo, 12% Malbec, 12% Mataro, 11% Syrah
Aged 24-months in 20% new French oak barrels - Aussies call them hogsheads.
350 cases available

***

Lot 343 | 2020 McLaren Vale Shiraz

Lot 343 comes to us from a fifth generation winegrower and premier viticultural consultant who's family pioneered the Australian wine business in the 1850's. This guy has planted more ultra-premium vineyards and knows South Australia better than just about anyone.

The only reason we got our hands on this wine is the ongoing trade war between Australia and its leading wine export partner, China. Combined with the strong dollar, this situation makes for some rather insane values.

After three-years of drought and a tough 2019 harvest, the 2020 vintage in McLaren Vale turned small but the quality was fantastic. Lot 343 2020 McLaren Vale Shiraz is an absolute classic, archetypal for the region and fabulously delicious.

Deep purple in the glass with ripe, expressive aromas of black plum, blueberry and cocoa contrast with savory notes of black pepper, bay leaf, roasted aromatic herbs and braised lamb. Dried orange peel with air. Silky and rich on entry, the wine is juicy with dried blueberrys covered with dark chocolate, and complexed with the lifted notes of lavender, roasted thyme, and meaty pepper spice. Plush, juicy and generous on the midpalate with fine mineral tannins and focused, mouthwatering acidity that extends through the silky, glycerine-like finish with a hint of roasted cocoa bean. First-class all the way and OMG good!

100% Shiraz, 100% McLaren Vale producer estate vineyards
Aged 20-months in 20% new French oak hogsheads
15% alc.
Projected Bottling November 2022 to arrive USA Winter 2023

***

Lot 344 | 2018 Eden Valley of the Barossa Shiraz

Up above the Barossa Valley floor is the Eden Valley of The Barossa. Located at altitudes of 330 to 550-meters, this relatively cooler-climate produces wines of power and intensity as well as elegance and finesse. In fact, this producer is less than a mile away and just across the valley from the legendary, $900/bottle Henschke's Hill of Grace Vineyard and located at the same 400-meter altitude.

Under the sixth-generation producer's label, their top-of-the-line, no-expense-spared, Estate, Icon-level 2018 Eden Valley of the Barossa Shiraz has received a 95-Point score from both James Halliday and Sam Kim (Wine Orbit), 93-points from James Suckling, 92-points from Wine Pilot (Aussie reviewer), and, like Lot 341 Cabernet, has multiple 92-point scores from Vinous.com for the inferior 2016 and 2017 vintages (the 2018 will be rated in January 2023 I am told).

 As brash and explosive wine as this wine is, it never exceeds its boundaries. The bouquet is redolent with coconut, toffee and graham cracker bass notes enveloping a core of ripe bourbon-soaked cherry with an amalgam of chocolate cake and plum reduction complexed with mint, lavender and thyme florals. Liquid sex on the palate, sensuous and juicy but powerfully structured and intense with lush fruit and oak beautifully entwined. The finish is a fabulously rich yet perfectly-attenuated magic carpet ride, a master class in world-class winemaking.

100% Estate vineyards, Eden Valley of the Barossa
40% new French oak
15% alc.
Bottling November 2022 for Spring 2023 delivery

***

Lot 345 | 2022 Clare Valley Riesling 

The Clare Valley is the spiritual home of Riesling in Australia. It's insane diurnal swing ripens fruit yet allows it to retain its rapier-like acidity which starbursts on your palate in a mineral explosion. Some of the finest examples of the varietal hail from this region.

From the same producer as Lots 340 Clare Valley Cabernet and 342 Clare Valley GTM, this Clare Valley Riesling is an absolute classic from a master of the varietal. Good luck finding this anywhere else in the USA, this wine is gobbled up as a perennial favorite by its core Aussie audience. However, we used our purchasing leverage to get an allocation.

A mouthwatering masterpiece, this electric, bone-dry Riesling is lightning in a bottle!

"[this] Riesling has been  one of my favourite Aussie whites for years now." Oz Clarke

Lot 345 is the same wine as the standard bottling from this producer - it's an outstanding wine from a truly great vintage. It has already been scored 95-points from Wine Pilot under the producers label

"95 points. Always one of the exemplary Rieslings from this classic region, this vintage is one of their best. It offers a glorious Clare Valley nose, perfumed with limes, spices, grapefruit and florals, notably jasmine. Bright, even slightly grippy acidity, with a minerally, chalky texture. Very long and focused. This is superb. Depending on whether you love your Rieslings young and fresh or developed and complex, this is available for drinking any time over the next twenty years. More compelling evidence of how good the 2022 vintage is." Ken Gargett (Winepilot)

A crisp, dry, zingy, intensely flavoured Riesling that will make you sit up and take notice! Aromas and flavours of lemons, limes and candied grapefruit that are fused together by a laser-like beam of acidity that carries right through to the long finish.

It’s drinking beautifully right now, brilliant on its own or as an accompaniment to seafood, salads or poultry dishes.

100% estate vineyards, 100% free run juice, 100% stainless steel.
12% alc.
BOTTLING NOVEMBER AND ARRIVING EARLY 2023 

***

Lot 346 | 2022 Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc

Pound-for-pound, you're really not going to find better QPR in the wine market than the Australians, and that's held true for a few decades at this stage of things - doesn't seem to be faltering any time soon either. Add in a (somewhat recent) messy trade dispute with China, and you can say I've had "the pick of the litter" on some amazing selections from Down Under.

Lot 348 | 2021 Barossa Valley Century Vines GSM

Deep, dark and spicy bouquet is complexed with ripe redcurrant, plums and dried blueberry with dark chocolate bass notes. Lavender, herbs de provence, and new leather halo it all. Juicy, rich, fresh and vibrant (the hallmarks of the fantastic 2021 vintage) with balanced savory depth, beautifully layered with boysenberry, roasted thyme, upholstery leather, and dark earth, with a whisper of lavender lamb on the finish. Super plush, beautifully layered, and punctuated with plum, raspberry, leather, and roasted thyme echoing over fine tannins. Fantastic!

50% Grenache, 35% Mataro (Mourvedre), and 15% Shiraz
18-months in barrel, mostly neutral oak
15% alc
300 cases available
Bottling end of November, 2022

***

Chateau Serilhan 2019 St. Estephe Cabernet/Merlot

Located on the Left-Bank in St. Estephe, Chateau Sérilhan's vineyards and winery were recently re-invigorated across the board and the legendary oenologist Alain Reynaud added to the team. Performing extremely well in 2019, Serilhan was awarded TOP 5 Wines of Saint Estephe En Primeur 2019 from both Vinous.com and The Wine Advocate, earning 92-94 and 91-93 scores respectively.

Check out these fantastic reviews:
Vinous, Antonio Galloni: The 2019 Sérilhan is a total knock out. A rush of grilled herb, inky dark fruit, licorice and menthol notes hit the palate as the 2019 makes a strong opening statement. Deep and virile in feel, the 2019 has so much to offer. It is without question one of the sleepers of the vintage. In a word: impressive. 92-94

Vinous, Neil Martin: The 2019 Sérilhan, attired in a very chic blue label now, conveys real quality on the nose with well defined blackberry, cedar and sous-bois aromas that seem very pure and nuanced. The palate is ripe and succulent on the entry, yet there are genuinely very fine tannins here, lending this Saint-Estèphe a silky texture à la 2016 and a persistent, gratifying finish. Bon vin! 92-94

Wine Advocate (Lisa Perrotti) With a deep garnet-purple color, the 2019 Sérilhan bursts from the glass with notes of ripe blackcurrants, boysenberries, black raspberries and cedar chest plus nuances of red roses, pencil lead and camphor. The medium-bodied palate shimmers with energy, featuring tons of crunchy black fruit and a finely grained texture, lifted by fantastic tension, finishing long and perfumed. Impressive! 91-93

REGION: Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France
BLEND: 60% Cabernet, 40% Merlot
TERROIR: Saint Estèphe Lieu-dit Aillan, Bocq, Pez et St Corbian, Graves of Günz, clay, and limestone.

HISTORY: 20 years ago, this family vineyard property of 20 ha in total in AOC Saint-Estèphe and Haut-Médoc, initiated a “return to its roots” inspired by the vision that Émile Peynaud, founder of modern oenology, had of Saint- Estèphe wines: “lively colour, bright fruit and harmony on the palate”. The resources and methods of renowned growths were used to create a seductive wine: completely picked by hand – meticulous sorting of the grape berries – vinification by plot – haute-couture ageing – special attention paid to the blends.

WINEMAKING: Coming from 33-year-old vines, fermentation takes place in concrete tanks, stainless tanks and wooden vats and includes a 4-day cold maceration. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrel and includes some stirring of the lees. The wine is aged in oak barrels, of which 37% new, 32% one-wine, and 31% second-wine for 15 months.

***

Lot 349 | 2021 Barossa Valley Old Vine Single Vineyard Shiraz

From day one, this wine has been one of my Aussie favorites due to its combination of incredible mouthfeel, intricacy and complexity. It's also slurpy as hell...even if you have found Barossa Shiraz to be a bit overwrought in the past, I am confident you will find this wine quite compelling.

Sourced from a vineyard planted in the 1970's, this 40-50-year-old-vine Shiraz is basket-pressed into open-top fermenters, fermented with natural yeasts only, and aged in completely neutral french oak barrels to preserve the old vine character. Trust me, with all this gorgeous extract and silky finesse, you won't miss the oak here. 

The vineyard is legendary and a source for Rockford, Torbreck, St. Hallett and Peter Lehman.

This wine is not imported into the US but, if it were, it would priced alongside the aforementioned wines not to mention Two Hands, Mollydooker and D'Arenberg. It is every bit as good and, to my palate, better. The purity here is super-compelling, I promise. Dark and meaty out of the bottle with aromas of crushed flowers, mint, stewed mulberry, ripe morello cherry and graham cracker. The bouquet quickly opens up, exuding lavender, blackberry syrup, wild boysenberry bramble, cocoa, leather, and pungent herbs. Pure umami and multi-layered, so good you can hardly pull your nose out.  Silky, seamless and glycerine-like on entry, the rich mid-palate studded with chewy, chocolately tannins and mouthwatering acidity that focuses the wine through the finish. Incredibly well-balanced, this wine is at once dense, hedonistic and sensuous while also being soft, delicate and ethereal. My original notes say "this is a wine that wants to be drunk" and "incredible pleasure derived".

Drink now and over the next decade or two.
100% Old Vine, Single Vineyard, Estate Shiraz
100% neutral French oak for 12-months
15% alc.
Bottling Late November, 2022 to arrive USA Spring 2023

***

Lot 350 | 2019 Adelaide Hills "Reserve" Cabernet Sauvignon

Lot 350 2019 Adelaide Hills Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon was produced by rockstar winemaker Shane Harris for Geoff Hardy's 2019 Tzimmukin program. This is their most expensive and iconic wine, selling for $295/bottle in Australia. We were allowed the privilege of purchasing just 80 cases of this magnificent wine (I had to buy quite a bit of 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon to get my hands on it :-).

This is the priciest wine I have ever offered in the Lot program, but it's worth every penny.

You've likely never heard of Shane Harris but he's a legend in Australia. In 2012, 2018 and 2021, he was named Australian Winemaker of the Year by Australia’s leading wine industry publication, Winestate Magazine (Australia's version of the Wine Spectator). In 2012 and 2014, Wines by Geoff Hardy was also named Winestate Magazine’s Australian Wine Company of the Year, an award based on individual wine scores throughout the year. Shane also played an important role in earning the company’s five red star rating in James Halliday’s Wine Companion, a top rating only awarded to 10% of Australian wineries. The 2016 Tzimmukin was named as one of the Top 10 red blends by The Real Review.

Only produced in special vintages (the last being 2016), the Tzimmukin is made from partially air-dried grapes from the best parcels of their K-1 estate vineyard in the rolling Adelaide Hills region. In the past, the wine has been a blend of Cabernet and Shiraz but, in 2019, they decided to do 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.

The wine was originally presented to us at our epic two-day 500 wines tasting and, I'll admit, at first I didn't get it. It had a concave bouquet, was supremely tightly wound and simply impenetrable on the palate. Still, I thought, there is gobs of structure and potential here - lets see where this goes.

Sure enough, the next day the bouquet had really started to bloom and we spent the next several days watching this wine come to life. By the end of the week it was really singing, and I decided then and there it would be assigned as Lot 350.

The wine arrives next month but here are my notes from a recent tasting of one of the samples I brought home with me last Summer.

Day One: deep purple in the glass with just a kiss of ruby around the rim. Tightly wound aromatics with a concave bouquet that draws you donw into the glass but gives up very little. The palate is the same, just a wall of tannins. Nope, let cork this up and see where it goes.

Couple days later things are looking better...the bouquet is vibrant and sexy with blackberry, mulberry and black cherry interlaced with currant notes that provide lift to the sensuous, rich, high-quality oak. Peppery gumtree, spicy clove and cinnamon florals complex the nose. Vibrant, muscular and sinewy but surprisingly elegant on the palate with beautifully-integrated, minerally tannins interlaced with black and red fruits in a big, lush, palate-staining finish with big, chalky length and resounding fruit that echoes for a good minute or more. Wow. With pinpoint precision, seamless, ethereal structure and exquisite balance, this is a truly Epic wine!

Adelaide Hills K1 vineyards, 100% Estate Vineyards
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
65% new French oak, 20-months
30-year DIAM closure
Bottled Summer 2021

***

Lot 351 | 2021 Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon

Surrounded by Margaret River legends Vasse Felix, Howard Park and Cape Grace, Lot 351 comes to us from one of the pioneering wineries in the Margaret River. Planted in the early 70's, it is one of the founding vineyards of the region (along with Cape Mentelle, Cullen, Moss Wood and the aformentioned Vasse Felix). Ranked in the Top 5% of Australian wineries by Huon Hooke of The Real Review, this vineyard is higher ranked than Cullen and Cape Mentelle!

Priced around $50/bottle in Australia (it is not exported to the US), the wine is renowned for being an amazing value, routinely outscoring its neighbors at much higher prices with the vast majority of the production selling through the wineries very popular tasting room. The 2020 version of this Cabernet Sauvignon has earned either 93- or 94-point scores from both Aussie and International critics James Halliday and James Suckling amongst others.

Produced from 100% estate-grown, organically-farmed fruit, and raised in 30% new French oak barrels for 18-months, this is a damned fine wine. Its supple, cool-climate styling and underlying complexity make for a super-compelling Cabernet Sauvignon that will have broad appeal.

Youthfully deep and dark, almost opaque in the glass. Blackcurrant, blackberry and cocoa lead the charge, brightening up with air as raspberry and blueberry notes for to the fore along with the classic, minty Margaret River bay leaf. Fresh and fruit-focused with 25% new French oak uplifting and not overpowering the bouquet. Supple, elegant, energetic and mouthwatering on entry with a super fine tannin structure covered in dark fruit and chocolatey oak notes that resolve into chocolate covered cherry notes in an pure, elegant, persistent finish with nice minty retronasal blast. Fantastic mouthfeel. Archetypal Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon!

100% Margaret River, 100% Estate
88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.8% Shiraz, 2.5% Petit Verdot, 0.5% Merlot and 0.2% Cabernet Franc.
18-months in 30% new French oak
13.5% alc.

***

Lot 352 | 2021 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon

In retrospect, I should have assigned this wine to Lot 350 - it deserves the honor. Indeed, if there is a wine that defines the de Négoce model of incredible wines at incredible prices, this is it!

Regardless of its number, Lot 352 2021 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon is a stunning value and a compelling wine.

The producer's 2019 and 2020 vintage bottling's have 93- to-95-point scores from James Halliday, Sam Kim (Wine Orbit) and WinePilot. While both 2019 and 2020 were solid vintages, they simply don't compare to the stellar, picture-perfect 2021 vintage.

Folks, there is no better value in Cabernet Sauvignon - accessible, complex, and classically-styled, you simply cannot go wrong here. It has it all: finesse, power, and balance, supple, succulent, silky mouthfeel and pitch-perfect oak deployment. It drinks great now and will age gracefully for another 10-15 years.

If you buy one Cabernet from me this year, this is the one - just trust me (and don't forget the de Négoce Guarantee!).

Yes, indeed, Ladies and Gentlemen, it's time to...

Back Up The Truck!

Opaque in the glass but not quite squid ink - just a little garnet around the rim.  Already showing beautifully with just six-weeks in the bottle with a ripe, gorgeously fragrant bouquet of cassis, dark plum and menthol/bay leaf opening further to reveal ripe cherry, blackberry jam and crushed red rock aromas anchored with chocolate and toasty brown sugar notes. Concentrated, expressive and perfectly-weighted on the palate with a supple-yet-powerful entry leading to a succulent mid-palate where the fantastic complexity of the vintage is in full effect. Here gobs of blackcurrant, ripe blackberry, dark plum, dark chocolate, leather and cedar are perfectly arrayed over silky, nuanced tannins seamlessly woven throughout. Delectable and well-structured at the same time with deftly-deployed oak carrying it all to a fabulously long and sumptuous finish.

100% estate grown and produced
100% Coonawarra
35% new French and American oak
15% alc. (may seem high but the wine is exquisitely balanced)
Bottled November 24th, 2022

***

Lot 353 | 2021 Single-Vineyard Barossa Valley Shiraz

Yes, this wine is bottled and on the water now!

From one of The Barossa's founding families, this gorgeous, sophisticated Shiraz comes from the upper reaches of the legendary Narrow Road Vineyard. The Three Springs block is located high above the Barossa flats on sandy alluvial hillsides at 380-metres, producing world-class fruit that combines richness, power, and elegance in equal measure.

If you are worried about buying and over-ripe, over-extracted Shiraz, don't be. This wine is powerfully built but also a very elegant, complex, elevation-driven expression of Shiraz. The fruit has a crisp, energetic ripeness to it and the overall impression here is remarkably fresh. For comparative purposes, it's structurally akin to Lot 120 Moon Mountain Cabernet, powerful-yet-ethereal. But it's less savory from a flavor profile, more like a racy Gigondas or Vacqueyras, with ripe, energetic fruit.

Opaque in the glass with a little magenta around the rim. Mulberry, reduced plum, and blackberry fruit are vibrant and ethereal riding cracked pepper and leather notes. Graham cracker, creme de cassis, and powdered lilac and sous bois florals further complex the bouquet. Smooth, muscular and precise on entry with crunchy red fruits and mulberry notes over a granitic, minerally spine that gives the wine excellent tension and verve. Sexy, ethereal and elegant with excellent purity, this is world-class, high-elevation Shiraz deftly produced by masters of the craft.

100% 2021 estate, single-vineyard Shiraz
40% new French oak, no American oak (which has been more typically deployed historically in many Aussie Shiraz but, today, winemakers use both French and American)
15% alcohol
Bottled mid-November. On the water arriving in January and shipping in February.

***

Lot 354 | 2021 Barossa Valley Centenarian Vine Shiraz

Folks, trust me on this one. If you like big, rich, powerful-yet-sumptuous red wines, this hedonistic and delicious wine is for you.

Sourced from 120+ year-old Centenarian Bush Vines and aged in 50% new French and American oak, this Icon-level, single-vineyard, mid-to-high 90's scoring (US and AUS critics!).

The producer is legendary and, in this case, rightfully concerned about their brand here in the USA. As such, I am unable to go anywhere near their name; however I can tell you these ancient, dry-farmed vines are planted in red clay loam and river silt over limestone - the classic combo for big, bold, rich, powerfully structured Barossa reds!

I told you the opportunities over there were unprecedented...

Squid ink in the glass, this visually impenetrable wine surprises with a ripe, expressive nose. It's rich and meaty with dark chocolate, coffee bean, savoury leather and peppery cedar notes surrounding layers of blackberry jam, plum fruit and raspberry kirsch over a core of granite and limestone that beautifully complexes the bouquet. Powerful on entry yet silky smooth and generous, the palate oozes with hedonistic richness. Ripe plum, cedar and chocolate notes swirl with pepper and mineral-laden tannins providing excellent structure and tension in a super sexy mid-palate and long, mouthwatering finish. Powerful and rich yet velvety smooth with lots of spice, this is a massively appealing glass of wine!

100%, 100+-year-old Centenarian Vine Shiraz, Single-Vineyard Estate
Dry-farmed, hand-picked
50% new French and American oak
15% alc.
Bottled late November 2022
Arriving early January and shipping shortly thereafter

***

Lot 355 comes to us from a fifth generation winegrower and premier viticultural consultant who's family pioneered the Australian wine business in the 1850's. This guy has planted more ultra-premium vineyards and knows South Australia better than just about anyone. The winery was named Winestate's (Aussie version of Wine Spectator) Winery of the Year several times and is James Halliday 5-star rated.

The only reason we got our hands on this wine is the ongoing trade war between Australia and its leading wine export partner, China. Combined with the strong dollar, this situation makes for some rather insane values.

After three-years of drought and a tough 2019 harvest, the 2020 vintage in McLaren Vale was small, but the quality was fantastic...then 2021 happened; a so-called "Unicorn vintage" - we've already spoken a bit about the exceptional 21s in these pages. 

Lot 355 | 2021 McLaren Vale Shiraz is divine on the nose, maintaining the regional archetype, and absolutely stunning on the palate, and while still in its youth, you'll see the best is yet to come.

Folks, its back up the truck time!

While this particular wine is not exported to the USA, it is comparable in price point and quality to Mollydooker The Boxer or Two Hands Lily's Garden; however, this wine is 100% estate and not overly sweet:

Deep, tooth-staining purple on the pour, the bouquet is vibrant with delineated blueberry and plum accentuated by dried orange peel, cocoa, and pipe tobacco with underlying sassafras and fresh-picked bay leaf. The entry is silky, yet still youthful, playing up the the fruits in the forefront, quickly wrapping them in dark chocolate and tobacco leaf before a meaty, peppery spice takes over showing fine, mineral-laden tannins framed by medium acidity. Mouthwatering into the dry finish, almost glycerine-like, cocoa bean and black pepper umami rises up from the depths through a medium-length exit. Still a baby, a healthy decant is recommended today, but, lay some down to see the real potential with this bottle through 2031.

100% Shiraz, 100% McLaren Vale producer estate vineyards
Aged 20-months in 20% new French oak hogsheads
15% alc.

***

Lot 361 | 2019 Russian River Valley Zinfandel

Sourced from a tiny, boutique producer almost solely-focused on Zinfandel for its red wine program who, like so many wineries in Sonoma County, is largely tasting room driven. And, like so many other tasting room driven wineries still suffering from COVID-related hangover's and the reduced traffic this summer, they are looking to free up some inventory.

Bold, brash, and briary, this flagship bottling of Russian River Valley Zinfandel is an archetypal classic, chock full of rich fruit, pepper and the silky tannins that thrill Zin-lovers. It's perfectly balanced however, with it's ripeness and richness caressing the palate, never overpowering.

Medium- to deep-garnet in the glass with a hint of magenta showing freshness. The bouquet features spicy florals wrapped around wild strawberry and blackberry fruit underpinned with chocolate, bourbon vanilla, and toasty black pepper. Plush, juicy and smooth on entry with an open-knit structure piled high with rich boldness delivering blackberry jam, chocolate-covered cherry, black pepper and toasted vanilla laid over fantastic red dust-coated, minerally tannins providing depth and pitch-perfect balance. Pure, seamless, and well-integrated throughout, there is clearly a deft-hand at the wheel here.

100% Zinfandel, 100% Russian River Valley comprised of three vineyard sites
15% new American oak, remainder second and third fill barrels
15.5% alc

***

Lot 362 | 2019 "Vineyard X" Russian River Valley Zinfandel

Sourced from a head-pruned, old-vine Zinfandel paradise, this gorgeous Zinfandel features a piercing bouquet of plum, pepper, and sweet, powdery florals that opens up to reveal ripe cherry and raspberry notes underpinned with chocolate and white raisin. Smooth on entry but juicy, racy and energetic on the palate with mouthwatering minerality carrying pretty cherry and raspberry notes with a black pepper flourish leading to a long finish of plums and chocolate. Supremely elegant, this deftly-made wine exudes verve and class.

100% Zinfandel

***

Lot 363 | 2019 "Vineyard Y" Alexander Valley Zinfandel

Lots of bass notes up front with brown sugar and chocolate covered blueberries but it quickly opens to complex with pretty wild strawberry and raspberry, caramel/vanilla, and tobacco notes haloed by spicy cinnamon/red hots. Rich yet racy on entry with chalky, mineral-laced tannins carrying juicy, succulent blackberry syrup and ripe cherry notes to a long, sustained finish. Perfectly ripe and expressive with excellent purity and energy throughout, this another classy display of place-driven winemaking.

100% Zinfandel

 ***

Lot 364 | 2019 "Vineyard Z" Russian River Valley Zinfandel

Remarkable for a 2019 Zinfandel, this wine pours deep, dark and brooding with hints of chocolate, blackberry syrup, raspberry and wood resin eeking out of the void. With time, the fruit becomes more pronounced with the cherry, blackberry and cinnamon spice coming to the fore. Dense and tightly wound on entry with red and black fruits arrayed over a powerful layer of minerally tannins that lead to a long, if tightly wound, finish that echoes for some time. Clearly lots more to come here once this cracks open in the bottle.

Field Blend of approximately 85-90% Zinfandel,10% Petite Sirah with the remainder Alicante Bouschet, and Grenache.

***

Lot 367 | 2018 Russian River Valley Chardonnay

Lot 367 2018 Russian River Valley Chardonnay is from the same producers as Lot 247 and 258. We were offered this wine late in summer and bottled it into shiners on September 1st. It was too late to get labels printed so they go on in a couple of weeks. The wine will ship after Thanksgiving and is already drinking great!

Stylistically, this wine is quite similar to Lot 247 with perhaps a bit less new French oak (30% vs 40%) and lower alc. at 13.5%. 

For the uninitiated, here is the original producer release with tasting notes adjusted. I'll be honest, I bought this for a song; however, I am passing the savings along to you.

The winery was a little backed up and had the wine stored offsite. The offsite location needed it out and the winery offered us a hot price to make it go away. Pretty much the same way we got our hands on Lot 239, actually. Same vintage as well, 2018, but the wine has been stored perfectly.

With it's California "sunshine in a glass" styling, this gorgeous wine is a right-up-the-middle rendition of Russian River Valley Chardonnay, bringing purity as well as richness from partial malolactic fermentation and well-integrated barrel support - it perfectly threads the needle between rich, ripe and complex elegance.

Trust me folks, this is top-quality, first-run RRV Chardonnay and it will have hugely broad appeal.

Pale yellow in the glass, this wine features a beautifully perfumed bouquet of lemongrass and lemon blossom underpinned with peaches and creme brulee. Lightly toasty and a little hazelnut comes on with air. Silky smooth on the palate and perfectly balanced with peach and vanilla and caramel flavors riding pretty, lemony minerality to a long, juicy finish that echoes with excellent persistence and purity. The oak is beautifully integrated throughout with classic Russian River Valley mineral providing energy and verve throughout.

100% Russian River Valley Chardonnay
30% new French oak
13.5% alc.

***

Lot 368 | 2021 Ballard Canyon Zinfandel

What I didn't know at the time was what a unique winner it was. Propagated from ancient Zinfandel vines planted in the 1800's on one the Santa Catalina Islands off the coast of Southern California and re-planted in the Santa Ynez Valley's Ballard Canyon, this is a pretty cool Zinfandel. At least, historically.
Cool history does not a cool wine make however, great vineyards and talented homemaking do. And this 2021 Zinfandel features both in spades. Bright, spicy and effusive, Lot 368 is an elegant, beautiful Zinfandel more akin to a Pinot Noir than, say, a deep, inky Dry Creek Zinfandel.

The 2018 and 2019 bottlings have scored 91- and 93-points from Vinous.com.

Medium ruby in the glass and effusive with bright cherry, toffee and sandalwood notes complexed with sweet florals, and a kiss of rosemary garrigue. Plush on entry, medium-full-bodied and immediately lively, spicy and vibrant with ripe-yet-mouthwatering red fruits over elegantly rendered and beautifully integrated tannins. Wow, this wine is deftly-extracted, elegant-yet-rich, and absolutely delicious!

100% Zinfandel, 100% Ballard Canyon in the Santa Ynez Valley
~33% new French oak
14.5% alc

***

Lot 369 | 2021 Ballard Canyon-Santa Ynez Valley Syrah

This lot is from the same producer as the long sold out Lot 368 Ballard Canyon Zinfandel.

Year-over-year and without fail, this wine, under its original label of course, scores in the 90+point range from Jeb Dunnock, Vinous.com, and The Wine Enthusiast. Combine the lesser-known yet increasingly recognized Ballard Canyon microclimate, the deft, seasoned winemaking team with roots in the area going back to the 90s, and the simple fact that their vineyard is a perfect southern-situated setting for a grape like Syrah and it is not hard to see why.

Rhône Ranger fans rejoice; this is a fantastic expression of this grape from a lesser-known Santa Ynez Valley sub-appellation. Beautifully perfumed with the region's distinct blackberry-meets-cassis accented by licorice and violet florals. The entry is immediately uplifted and resonant without getting too rich; meaty dried fruit transitions to blackberry and peppercorn compote, accented with cocoa nibs against medium+ almost nervy acidity and crushed velvet tannin.

The finish is still centered, waiting for some age to fully reveal itself, but at no loss for length and complexity - it’s all there waiting to unfurl. Overall, this is a beautifully balanced effort with excellent energy and vitality...sexy with elegantly deployed oak that elevates the fruit, never over-powering.

95% Syrah, 5% Petite Sirah, 100% Ballard Canyon Estate
1-ton fermenters, hand punch-downs
100% BBL-aged predominantly French with tiny bit of American, 40% new French oak
14.8% alc.

***

Lot 370 | 2021 Santa Ynez Valley Red Blend

Lot 370 comes to us from one of the finest producers in Ballard Canyon, which sits at the tenderloin of the Santa Ynez Valley. A blend of  35% Syrah, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Pinot Noir, 10% Merlot, 5% Petite Verdot and 5% Petite Sirah, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Grenache and 1% Viognier, it is about as unique a wine as you will find in California.

Normally $50-$60/bottle and scoring between 92-95 points year-in, year-out from the likes of Antonio Galloni, Jeb Dunnock and Lisa Perrotti-Brown at the Wine Advocate, this wine can be yours today for just $13/bottle or $156/case.

Having launched my career out of the back of my car back in 2000 with a very unique red blend called Cinergi, I know a thing or two about marrying varietals that are not normally meant to play together and the inherent difficulty in achieving a coherent and symphonic arrangement. However, I can assure you, this purpose-built, incredibly aromatic and gloriously complex wine is a game-changer when it comes to kitchen sink red blends. Concentrated elegance, class and precision are all on full display.

And symphonic it is, hitting all registers with equal precision. Deep, ripe blackberry and graphite notes are equally trebled with a perfumed halo of cherry blossoms, cinnamon spice, slate rock and rosemary/violet notes. Full-bodied and rich, yet transparent and supremely elegant with robust tension seamlessly welding together blackberry, black currant, and pretty maraschino cherry notes with gorgeously perfumed florals that resolve with an earthy black tea and graphite flourish in the finish. Spectacular!

100% Santa Ynez Valley, 82% Ballard Canyon, 100% Estate fruit
35% Syrah, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Pinot Noir, 10% Merlot, 5% Petite Verdot and 5% Petite Sirah, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Grenache, 1% Viognier
~20% new French oak
14% alc.
300 cases available

***

Lot 372 | 2021 Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

Folks, if there was ever a no-brainer Pinot purchase, this is it!

I was blown away the minute I put my nose in the glass. Honestly, I couldn't believe it when I tasted the wine. Oh man, I thought, I can't believe they are selling this!

Sourced from the legendary Bien Nacido vineyard, Lot 372 is a gorgeous Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir and an absolute classic. Perfectly-extracted, complex and sumptuous, this deftly-made wine will have hugely broad appeal. I promise this is one hell of a delicious Pinot!

The producer is a Santa Barbara County pioneer and helped put Central Coast Rhone varietals on the map. They've since reached beyond their expansive estate vineyard holdings, and are now making a series of single-vineyard designate Pinot Noir's from the Central Coasts Grand Cru vineyards sites. Of which, Bien Nacido is certainly one.

This bottling has been rated 93-95 points by the Wine Enthusiast every year from 2015 to the current vintage 2019 and is quite reasonably priced at just over $50/bottle.

It's ready to go into the bottle in December/January and should be singing by Spring!

Rose petal coloring in the glass. Beautifully expressive bouquet of hibiscus and rose petal florals, blood orange, black cherry and wild strawberry with a little black tea and whispers of raspberry and milk chocolate. Supple and seamless on entry with succulent, deliciously ripe red fruits arrayed over pretty minerality and an accessible structure. The mouthfeel is total umami, velvety smooth with raspberry and cherry vanilla getting a nice mineral lift leading to a tremendous finish with huge length and pure persistence. Booyah!

100% Pinot Noir, 100% Santa Maria Valley single vineyard
40-45% new French oak
14% alc.
250 cases available

***
Lot 373 | 2021 "Milesimato" Prosecco Brut Italy

Looking for a fantastic bubbly?

Lot 373 2021 Prosecco DOC - from the Fantinel estate vineyard in Friuli Grave, this is their "highest expression" of Prosecco DOC. The light straw color and beautifully persistent perlage reveal refined and elegant yet intense floral aromas complexed with crisp apple and baked bread notes. Velvety on the palate with perfectly delineated and delicate fruit essences dancing across your tongue. This is an absolutely captivating wine with a persistent finish combining elegance and purity of fruit complimented with a nice, toasty halo. Squisito!

100% Prosecco DOC (Glera grape), 100% Estate fruit
12% alc.
ETA February/March 2022

***

Lot 374 | 2021 "Milesimato" Prosecco Brut Rose Italy

Looking for a fantastic bubbly that won't break the bank?

The Fantinel family own over 300-hectares of vines planted in some of the best dirt in Grave, Colli Orientali del Friuli, and Collio districts in Friuli-Venezia Giulia (the northwest corner of Italy). They've been farming this land since the 60's and, under my friend Marco Fantinel's ceaseless efforts, have expanded their distribution to over 90 countries. If you are ever in the region, do not hesitate to visit their multiple estate wineries - across the board the wines are fantastic.

Lot 374 is a vintage-dated or "Millesimato" 2021 Prosecco Brut Rose straight from Marco's "One and Only" program. Essentially, these are single-vineyard, reserve-level quality sparklers made with tremendous precision and attention to detail.

This wonderful Brut Rose is comprised of 90% Pinot Nero and 10% Chardonnay. The color is a gorgeous pale pink with a hint of gold shading the background such that it is practically luminous. Fine grained bead from a long, 5-month fermentation. Red currant and delicate rendered wild strawberry essences lead the soft, generous bouquet with crusty bread, raspberry notes and a little rose perfume rounding things out. The red fruits are again crisply and delicately rendered over a mouthwatering minerality that fuels a long, velvety, elegant and persistent finish. Delizioso!

100% Estate, Single-Vineyard fruit
90% Pinot Nero, 10% Chardonnay
12% alc.

***

Lot 375 | 2018 Venezia Giulia Cabernet Sauvignon 

RATED 92-POINTS, JAMES SUCKLING

On the Italian border with Slovenia resides the Tenuta Sant'Helena vineyards in Friuli Venezia Giulia, situated south of the Alps and north of the Adriatic Sea, and swept with fertile sandstone marl. It's a perfect environment for exceptional grape growing, so much so that the local terroir has even taken on it's own Friulian name, Ponca.

This Ponca informs local production stylings, accentuating the sense of place in the reds by utilizing an appassimento method (intentional drying of the grapes) to concentrate flavors and aromas, coaxing out incredible structure from the juice. In a region globally known for the quality of their white wines, the last decade or two has proven their red wine production to be undeniable.

Lot 376 | 2017 Dal Peduncola Rosso Refosco

RATED 92-POINTS, JAMES SUCKLING

On the Italian border with Slovenia resides the Tenuta Sant'Helena vineyards in Friuli Venezia Giulia, situated south of the Alps and north of the Adriatic Sea, and swept with fertile sandstone marl. It's a perfect environment for exceptional grape growing, so much so that the local terroir has even taken on it's own Friulian name, Ponca.

This Ponca informs local production stylings, accentuating the sense of place in the reds by utilizing an appassimento method (intentional drying of the grapes) to concentrate flavors and aromas, coaxing out incredible structure from the juice. In a region globally known for the quality of their white wines, the last decade or two has proven their red wine production to be undeniable.

 

***

Lot 377 | 2021 Collio Pinot Grigio

With such an exceptional response to last year's run of Italian whites from the much-heralded Collio region, I am excited to get the 2021's in front of you. These are fantastic, crisp wines with delicious profiles, exuding gobs of terroir. They're all drinking beautifully in the near-term with the ability and structure to coax out more complexity while aging gracefully over the next 5+ years.

On Collio:
Today, Friuli Venezia Giulia offers Italy’s biggest line-up of outstanding white wines...make no mistake about it: Friuli Venezia Giulia is the region where, in the 1970s, Italy’s white wine quality renaissance began. ...Collio has long enjoyed the loftiest reputation of all FVG denominations. Vinous.com, Ian D'Agita

Tightly wound right out of the bottle today, this one opens up nicely with a couple minutes of air; banana oil and crystalline minerality lift with a bit of herb de Provence while lemon oil, lemon blossom, and stones begin to emerge. The entry is fleshy and juicy with apple and citrus notes over a robust mineral structure that is well delineated but still evolving - do not drink this ice cold; cellar temp or even a touch above at 60 degrees is absolutely perfect to see the full potential here folks. This should be fully fleshed out and great by May - just in time for summer.

13% alc.
300 cases imported

***

Lot 378 | 2021 Collio Sauvignon Blanc

With such an exceptional response to last year's run of Italian whites from the much-heralded Collio region, I am excited to get the 2021's in front of you. These are fantastic, crisp wines with delicious profiles, exuding gobs of terroir. They're all drinking beautifully in the near-term with the ability and structure to coax out more complexity while aging gracefully over the next 5+ years.

On Collio:
Today, Friuli Venezia Giulia offers Italy’s biggest line-up of outstanding white wines...make no mistake about it: Friuli Venezia Giulia is the region where, in the 1970s, Italy’s white wine quality renaissance began. ...Collio has long enjoyed the loftiest reputation of all FVG denominations. Vinous.com, Ian D'Agita

Pungently pretty right out of the bottle with a super-zesty bouquet and intense herbal notes blended with peach, melon, and just a kiss of flint. Mineral and flower complexity emerge with some air while the entry is fresh, bright, and zingy on the palate with excellent structure just beginning to unwind into a chalky finish with mouthwatering minerality.

13% alc.

***

Lot 379 | 2021 Collio Friulano

With such an exceptional response to last year's run of Italian whites from the much-heralded Collio region, I am excited to get the 2021's in front of you. These are fantastic, crisp wines with delicious profiles, exuding gobs of terroir. They're all drinking beautifully in the near-term with the ability and structure to coax out more complexity while aging gracefully over the next 5+ years.

On Collio:
Today, Friuli Venezia Giulia offers Italy’s biggest line-up of outstanding white wines...make no mistake about it: Friuli Venezia Giulia is the region where, in the 1970s, Italy’s white wine quality renaissance began. ...Collio has long enjoyed the loftiest reputation of all FVG denominations. Vinous.com, Ian D'Agita

Beautiful lilac, lemon verbena perfume with almond and mineral define the nose. Broad shouldered on entry with more fantastic structure and viscosity, there is lots of “there” there on the palate, however, this is still swaddled in some baby fat; huuuge length on the palate but it's chalky and a touch tight with plenty of complexity yet to emerge…beginning to drink this in July with a 24-hour decant is highly recommended.

13% alc.

***

Lot 380 | 2021 IGT Venezia Giulia Ribolla Gialla

With such an exceptional response to last year's run of Italian whites from the much-heralded Collio region, I am excited to get the 2021's in front of you. These are fantastic, crisp wines with delicious profiles, exuding gobs of terroir. They're all drinking beautifully in the near-term with the ability and structure to coax out more complexity while aging gracefully over the next 5+ years.

On Collio:
Today, Friuli Venezia Giulia offers Italy’s biggest line-up of outstanding white wines...make no mistake about it: Friuli Venezia Giulia is the region where, in the 1970s, Italy’s white wine quality renaissance began. ...Collio has long enjoyed the loftiest reputation of all FVG denominations. Vinous.com, Ian D'Agita

Fresh and bright with pretty lilac and citrus-crusted mineral perfume alongside hints of flint greet you on the front. This bottling is fleshy and zesty on the palate with accessible fruit nicely delineated over crystalline minerality. It's fleshing out nicely now and, while it's quite approachable today, it'll benefit from some air to bring out the deeper complexity awaiting underneath.

13% alc.

***

Lot 382 | 2022 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc

Coming to us from a world-class, decorated winery (and that might be an understatement), we got our hands on a little surplus of an absolutely killer estate-grown St. Helena Sauvignon Blanc. However, to close the deal, we had to declassify it down to Napa Valley (NDA, too), and I'm only able to share a bit of the winemaking specs with you.

Lot 382 | 2022 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc is purpose-built juice; captivating mouthfeel coupled with incredible energy is achieved through barrel fermentation and 9-months on the lees, then moved into a combination of neutral French oak (with just a smidge of new oak) and concrete eggs, all to impart excellent fruit weight and density with a net effect of resonant richness. Long and short, this is damn good juice!

"Now, what is this epic build going to set me back?" you may be asking yourself, well, here's the beauty of declassifying wines...

Lemon chiffon, key lime, and fresh mineral opens to ripe mango, white peach, and spring blossoms on the nose. Mouthwateringly energetic on the entry but completely harmonious as it stretches out across your palate with mango and key lime notes supported on chalky, crushed mineral acidity leading into a long, beautifully balanced finish. I cannot stress it enough, this is utterly fantastic juice.

***

Lot 383 | 2022 St. Helena Chardonnay

Good news folks...the bulk market is starting to offer up some gems. There is still a bit of a standoff over pricing, but things are starting to get reasonable again.

To wit: on offer today is a fantastic St. Helena Chardonnay - a rare gem in this appellation, not to mention Napa Valley in general! Why get $5,000-$6,000/ton for Chardonnay when you can get $8,000-$16,000+ for Cabernet?

I was offered this from one of my friends at a high-end custom crush facility in Napa Valley. Of course, they wouldn't tell me who the producer was (a client obviously), but I was able to discern the vineyard from the Lot code. Located literally just over the Rutherford/St. Helena border, just north of Zinfandel lane on the east side of the valley, just a stones throw from William Harrison to the southeast and Quintessa to the south on the other side of the knoll, this is good dirt. 

Indeed, Chardonnay Lovers, it is TIME TO BACK UP THE TRUCK!

This is an absolutely delicious Chardonnay. The expressive bouquet of vanilla blossom and butter is warm and inviting, drawing you down into an amalgam of tropical and orchard fruit...think banana, mango and apple with a nice citrus lift. Wonderfully complex but it punches the umami button too...you just want to get this in your mouth. Perfectly ripe, succulent and rich on the palate with precision layering of oak and fruit to the point of seamlessness. Beautifully balanced with excellent length, this St. Helena Chardonnay is already drinking beautifully!

Like I said, there is not a lot of this to go around so grab this rare gem while you can!

100% Chardonnay
30-35% new French oak
14.7% alc.

***

Lot 384 | 2022 Monterey County Chardonnay

I don't know if you'll remember the original, early-90's Meridian Chardonnay from "Mr. Chardonnay" Chuck Ortman, but I cut my teeth on that wine as a college student and just loved it. To me, it had just the right amount of buttery richness on top of an energetic, mouthwatering structure - a real umami bomb.

Well, today we're bringing it back!

OK, well, maybe not the original, but a terrific approximation that I think will float your boat and tickle your palate.

Lot 384 | 2022 Monterey County Chardonnay comes to us from a vineyard located just south of the Monterey Pinnacles in a relatively (800-feet) high-elevation, west-east running alluvial wash. It's remote, bumf*ck Egypt and one would think it hot as hell, but the elevation, west-east valley, cobbly soils and King City winds and fog keep the yields low and the temps cool.

Like Meridian, this wine is raised in a combo of American and French oak barrels, about 30% new, but the wine is half-fermented in tank and then finished in barrel so as not to overpower the fruit. Perfecto.

And, yes, I know the original Meridian was Santa Barbara County fruit, but trust me, you're gonna love this Monterey version!

Golden hued in the glass with a vivacious bouquet of honeydew melon and toasted vanilla enveloped in white flower, mandarin orange and mineral perfume. Complex and lovely, like spring in a glass, with very good integration of fruit and wood already, the palate shines even further with a viscous, rich entry and juicy, delicious mid-palate amply supported on citrusy minerality that drives a long, fresh finish with a great mix of rich, oak-elevated fruit and structure. Rich, complex, and balanced, this is an incredible Chardonnay for the price!

***

Lot 385 | 2019 St. Helena/Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 

On offer today is the flagship 2019 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from the sister winery to Lot 300 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. The largest portion of this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from the families hillside St. Helena Estate property, the remainder from contracted ultra-premium Rutherford fruit. The no-expense-spared production includes 60% new French oak and a corresponding price tag just south of $200/bottle.

The winery bottled their portion and sold us the rest of the blend out of the tank so we have the exact same 100% Cabernet Sauvignon blend as the original bottling.

Deep ruby in the glass. The bouquet is so redolent with blueberry jam, ripe blackberry and beautifully-integrated chocolatey new oak you can practically taste it. With air, raspberry candy, red rock and cassis-driven florals complex the bouquet, but the lush umami of the chocolatey oak embracing the fruit really steals the show. Wonderfully complex, the bouquet itself is worth the price of entry and hints at things to come. 

On the palate, the wine is full-bodied yet supple and expressive on entry with ripe, chewy tannins carrying gobs of black and blue fruit, toffee and chocolate in an epic finish that resonates with fruit and oak for a good minute or two. Still pretty wound up but very well-balanced with huge length, this classic Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a terrific example of the stellar 2019 vintage in Napa Valley. It will drink well now and into the future!

100% Cabernet Sauvignon, a blend of mostly St Helena estate Cabernet Sauvignon with a portion of the blend from Rutherford Cabernet.
60% new French oak
15.3% alcohol
Anticipated bottling late February 2023

***

Lot 386 | 2022 Sonoma County Zinfandel Rose

As we all know, Sonoma County is world famous for their Zinfandel offerings. From the premier Dry Creek offerings to the coastal expressions, it's found a strong foothold in the region - and for good reason: unmatched terroir, phenolic ripeness, consistency, well, it's just all around damn good juice!

Recently I came across a Rosé expression of Zin (spiked with a bit Malbec and the other Sonoma heavyweight, Pinot Noir) that literally blew me away. The skin contact seemed a bit heavy handed, so on initial glance, I didn't think much of it, but figured pedigree made it worth a taste. 

WOW! Boom boom.

Lot 386 | 2022 Sonoma County Zinfandel Rosé comes to us from a decorated, established Dry Creek producer with generations farming the valley, and it all shows in this Rosé with exceptional structure, a dynamic, delineated nose, and explosive palate with deftly balanced acidity - it's all here folks. Don't let the color fool you, this is NOTHING like your grandmother's White Zin. This is, again, damn good juice; perfect for porch pounding, poolside sipping, or offering for summer wedding season.

The nose is brimming with delineated watermelon, strawberries, white peach, and herbs. The entry is incredibly balanced with high-toned red fruits, further watermelon, strawberries, and cherries amidst great weight and solid acidity. The finish has some length to note, resonating with herb/cherry/strawberry umami. Fantastic structure for a Rosé!

100% Sonoma County
75% Zinfandel, 21% Malbec, 4% Pinot Noir
13.1% Alc

***

Lot 387 | 2022 Russian River Valley Chardonnay

I was walking vineyards in Sonoma county this weekend and saw 2-3 clusters per shoot everywhere. And I am hearing the same over in Napa Valley. If we get through this next cold spell without any major frost events (knock on wood), 2023 is looking like a bumper crop.

I tasted the base for this wine back in late February and thought it had fantastic potential but, back then, it was simply too expensive. However, the looming 2023 harvest and current economic uncertainty has spurred wineries to trim their inventories and I was invited to revisit the wineries final bottling blend last week. I loved it back in February but love it even more now, especially with the new price :-)

This is archetypal Russian River Valley Chardonnay, exquisitely balanced with a beautiful array of stone, citrus and tropical fruit. Aged in ~30% new French oak (medium and medium+ toast Hermitage, Remond, Cadus), it presents a lovely toast and fresh butter/caramel layer but the wood here is subtle and nicely interwoven, elevating, never overpowering and partial malolactic fermentation softens but keeps things fresh and energetic.

There are three vineyard sources but about 80% comes from an estate vineyard next door to the massive Vine Hill Ranch and Kistler properties just east of Forestville and just north of Dehlinger estate vineyards. Good, elevated dirt here comprised mainly of Goldridge soils. 15% is sourced from one of the Dutton Ranch RRV properties and 5% from another vineyard in the Petaluma Gap.

Chardonnay lovers, it is time to back up the truck!

Tasting notes: Complex and open-knit bouquet of ripe pear notes are lifted with crushed citrus and other stonefruit and haloed with citrus blossoms with vanilla, banana and toasty vetiver perfume. Great mix of stone fruit, citrus and tropical fruit notes. Balanced on entry with fleshy pear and banana up front exploding with citrus and crushed stone-minerality in the mid-palate before unfurling with more ripe tropical fruit, caramel and lingering vanilla and citrus. Obviously youthful on the palate, this wine will be singing in late Summer, early Fall. Fresh, balanced, ripe-yet-elegant and pretty, this is a right up the middle, classic RRV profile.

13.8% alc.

***

Lot 388 | 2021 Mendocino County Pinot Noir

Here's a curveball for ya.

I have long been a fan of the Mendocino County old-vine Zin, Petite Sirah, and Carignan (and, of course, the Anderson Valley sub-AVA Pinot's), but I never gave a thought to Mendocino County Pinot Noir. So, needless to say, I was surprised the other day when this fantastic little wine came across my desk.

Yes, Mendocino County Pinot Noir.

Not something on your vinous radar is it?

Well, maybe today's the day.

Lot 388 comes to us from a Russian River Valley producer who also bottles a Mendocino County-appellated Pinot Noir. It's a juicy, delicious wine, with a sumptuous and succulent character I think you will find quite compelling and extremely drinkable. This is great pop 'n pour, Tuesday night, workhorse wine you just don't have think about. And it punches waaay above its weight-class. Back up the truck? Hell, yeah.

Now, these are friendly people and big believers in the high-quality farming of their northern partners, so they gave me permission to disclose the vineyard sites for a nod to the provenance.

Folks, this is a cellar defender extraordinaire. Ripe cherry and Earl Gray tea notes are lifted in a suave bouquet; quite sumptuous with excellent oak integration rendering it almost imperceptible save for the pretty caramel notes enveloping the nose. Juicy and succulent on the palate with cherry and ripe strawberry flavors nicely supported on a dark earth and caramel framework. Delicious now, medium complex, open knit and very accessible…bet you can’t drink just one glass!
14.1% alc.

***

Lot 389 | 2021 California Cabernet Sauvignon

Lot 389 is a California-appellated Cabernet Sauvignon from the same Russian River Valley producer as the Lot 388 Mendocino County-appellated Pinot Noir.

These folks have been sourcing in California for many decades and have a knack for finding the best value fruit out there. The winemaker is a total pro with vast experience throughout the state in high-end wine production.

The Lodi Cabernet base component is a great wine in its own right. On top is blended 15% St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Alexander Valley Cabernet. Aged in 33% new French oak, she's got all the bells and whistles and the fantastic '21 vintage behind her.

Like Lot 388 Mendo Pinot, Lot 389 California Cabernet Sauvignon is a sumptuous, vibrant, delicious wine that punches waaaay above its weight-class...another great pop 'n pour, Tuesday night, workhorse wine you just don't have think about.

Cab Sauv Fans, be sure to check out the notes below - this is definitely another cellar defender extraordinaire!

Ripe cherry and black raspberry notes are nicely integrated with toasty, chocolatey oak in a sumptuous and vibrant bouquet with seamless fruit and oak integration. Plush on entry yet juicy and energetic with very pure, ripe fruit supported by toasty, cocoa oak notes and a perfectly integrated tannin structure. The wine is broad and open-knit on the palate but still robust with good length and persistence - the vibrant nature of the '21 vintage is on full display here.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon
70% Lodi, 15% St. Helena, 15% Alexander Valley 
Aged in 33% new French oak
13.9% alc.

*** 

Lot 390 | 2021 Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon

Lot 391 | 2022 Monterey County Pinot Noir

Seems the California market is finally cracking open!

And, of course, I have another delicious wine for you. Again, we have a Saturday night wine at a Tuesday night price!

From the same producer as the "sold out in a day" Lot 384 | Monterey Chardonnay, Lot Lot 391 | 2022 Monterey County Pinot Noir originates in the serene upper altitudes of the Monterey Pinnacles and a vineyard site that's bathed in cool air from the King City winds and regional Pacific fog blanket - a perfect home for higher-altitude Pinot rooted to uplifted alluvial soils that produce low yields, great structure and complexity.

Add in a 33% new French oak regimen, and you've got the perfect blend of California fruit and Burgundian savoir - basically it's ridiculously balanced and complex for the price. That said, this is right up the middle stylistically and will have broad appeal to all Pinot fans, layman to connoisseur.

Now, if the "broad appeal" remark makes you think twice, I should point out the '21 vintage scored 92-points from James Suckling under its original label - not too shabby, huh?

Black raspberry and cherries intermingle with fresh-turned earth accented by a kiss of brown sugared, toasty oak haloed by dried rose petal. Plump and juicy on entry it's immediately accessible with ripe cherry and strawberry underpinned by chocolate and brown sugar laid out over ripe, gentle tannins that are perfectly integrated and almost imperceptible. Silky smooth and sensuous on the finish it lays out pretty red fruits delineated over nice minerality.

Excellent balance, composure and right-up-the-middle styling make this an outstanding Saturday evening wine at a Tuesday evening price!

***

Lot 392 | 2020 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, this took a while to find...

It's not news that a lot of the late harvest Bordelaise varietals from north coast's 2020 vintage was largely annihilated, leaving millions of gallons of smoke-tainted wines attempting a new lease on life in the bulk market.

I've tasted 100's of later harvested varietals such as Cabernet and Merlot from 2020 to no avail; and I have the scars to prove it, lips and tongue swollen to the point where I just had to stop even trying.

Many of the these tainted wines went on to be purchased cheap and then, using aggressive filtration techniques, essentially knocked down to the studs and rebuilt. You can make a passable wine this way, but nothing complex or remotely representative of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Consequently, we've largely avoided the 2020 Bordelaise varieties. Until now.

We know a lot of folks were spared the brunt of the taint by wind patterns from August's LNU complex fire and some combination of mitigation such as an ozone wash prior to fermentation. As well, you would have had to pick prior to or just after the the devastating Glass Fire in late September, after that the smoke was unavoidable and heavy.

So, when this producer's wine came across my desk, I thought it could be worth a swirl.

Well, it seems, I have finally found one.

Today's offer is a 2020 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from a LEGENDARY producer in St. Helena. They typically bottle their $100+ "regular" Cabernet under a Napa Valley appellation. The main component is typically comprised of St. Helena estate fruit and then augmented with other AVA's; in this case, the base of 69% St. Helena Cabernet is souped-up with 20% Rutherford and 11% Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in somewhere around 35-40%% new French oak.

Opening with a dynamic nose of crushed, powdery violet florals, fresh blackberry, raspberry, and cassis; there's plenty of nuance and layers here. On entry the wine resonates with juicy, succulent fruit, barrel-kissed bourbon oak, vanilla, and tobacco framed by medium+ acidity and nicely integrated mineral-y tannins. The finish is long with a juicy raspberry vanilla flourish interwoven with minerally tannins and and floral umami. Fully ripe and lovely at 14.9% alc.

Of course, I understand you might be suspicious of this 2020, so please know our normal guarantee absolutely extends to this wine.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon
69% St. Helena, 20% Rutherford, 11% Diamond Mountain
14.9% alc.

***

Lot 393 | 2021 Santa Cruz Mountains Syrah

Syrah-Lover's, start your engines! I've got just three barrels of 2021 Santa Cruz Mountains Syrah to go around.

Raised at 800-feet of elevation on the gravelly hillside of the Cooper-Garrod vineyard (not the producer; however, the fruit is sourced from their vineyard), Lot 393 is classic "mountain" Syrah with wild, pretty aromatics, a potent-yet-elegant structure, and fantastic complexity. Medium+ bodied and weighing in at 14.2% alc., think of it as a darker, more powerful Pinot Noir when it comes to style.

The source winery charges $40+/bottle and their most recent 2019 vintage was awarded 93-points from James Suckling (no 2020 was produced). This is the exact same wine the winery is bottling and, by all accounts on their end, the 2021 is a better wine. I'm telling you, 2021 is a magical vintage!

Deftly-crafted and harmonious with exceptional balance and integration, this is an absolutely gorgeous wine with tremendous energy, verve, and another decade of delicious drinking pleasure. The bouquet itself is worth the price of entry!

So, here we go folks, your price today for this bowlful of pleasure is not inexpensive by de Negoce standards; however, this is a truly soulful wine with a real sense of place and remarkable "vinous" quality to it.

Fresh, charming and super pretty blue nose with a core of plum, violets, cracked black pepper, and sweet tobacco accented by red fruits throughout. The entry is supple and perfectly attenuated, juicy with further plum, a spectrum of red-to-blue fruit and a bit of baking spice that becomes more pronounced with air, all framed by medium acidity and uniform, perfectly-integrated tannins. The finish is long and resonant with barrel-kissed influence uplifting a plum sauce and violet umami.

***

Lot 394 | 2020 Rutherford Zinfandel

After the initial LNU complex fires of 2020, I recall being offered Rutherford and Oakville Cabernet grapes (To Kalon, believe it or not) that, while the growers were convinced were free of any smoke taint, were being rejected by wineries who simply didn't want the risk.

I was skeptical at the time and, just having launched de Négoce, too busy to consider the proposition. Having said that, prior to the October 17th Glass fire, it certainly seemed possible that the middle and southern parts of Napa Valley were largely escaping the smoke that plagued Northern Sonoma and Lake counties, as well as the upper elevations of Napa Valley (Howell Mt, Pritchard Hill, Atlas Peak, Mt Veeder, Diamond Mountain).

In fact, I read Antonio Galloni's recent comments regarding the "rare bright spots" of the 2020 vintage for Napa Valley being the westside benches of Rutherford, St. Helena, and Yountville. Last week, in "Spinning Gold from a blighted vintage", Jancis Robinson notes "I asked the vintners’ organization to put out a call for samples of 2020 Cabernets for me to taste as I found it hard to believe they were all disastrous. Many producers are not releasing any at all, and no one will be boasting of a bumper crop, but among the 48 wines submitted, I found many perfectly respectable wines and list below those that are fine wines by any measure – albeit at Napa Valley’s elevated prices. I detected no signs of smoke taint on any of them (it would surely be a foolish producer who submitted a flawed wine for my tasting)."

Of course, all the wines she listed were from the lower-elevation, eastern and western benches of Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena and Yountville - basically central to southern Napa Valley. Same for Mr Galloni. And it looks like Harlan will bottling their 2020's as well.

Another "Bright Spot" for Mr. Galloni was Zinfandel, he notes: "Zinfandel is shaping up to be the success story of 2020...Obviously, Zinfandel ripens earlier than most other varieties, and that was a huge plus in 2020. I have also heard that, genetically, Zinfandel does not contain one of the compounds that binds with volatile phenols, which could explain why at least some 2020s turned out well. Other winemakers and experts believe that older Zinfandel vines ‘breathe’ more than younger vines, which allows them to expel toxins more easily, and that this might explain why some wines are less affected by smoke."

Having now found the honey-hole for non-smoke-tainted 2020 reds, folks please allow me to introduce you to the fantastic Lot 394 | 2020 Rutherford Old Vine Zinfandel.

This is smoking-good stuff (not literally, mind you), from a historic Rutherford estate that recently changed hands. I love these deals because ownership just wants to clean up the portfolio/balance sheet and I can get access to world-class wine at quite reasonable prices (think Lot 250).

Lot 394 hails from two two historic Zinfandel clones (sorry, can't name them) planted in the mid-70s that complement each other beautifully; one bringing sweet fruit and spice that lifts the inherent richness and dark fruit tones of the other. The wine sees somewhere in the realm of 30% new oak, mostly American and a little French for lift.

This wine has zero smoke. Ripe, luscious bouquet of chocolate-covered cherries and raisins with a brambly boysenberry underpinning. The upper register resonates with sweet tobacco and caramel haloing spicy notes of cinnamon and clove. The entry on the palate is opulent, warm, supple and juicy but always fresh. The mid-palate has good density but plenty of juicy energy yielding to dusty, well-textured tannins that carry the wine into a long, softly-rounded finish of ripe cherry, tootsie roll chocolate and plenty of sweet vanilla, blueberry and caramel oak notes. Powerful yet vibrant, this is textbook Rutherford Zinfandel!

15.8% alc.

***

Lot 395 | 2021 Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

When you distill it all down folks, Dry Creek is known for doing two things very well: Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Nestled up against one of Dry Creek Valley’s most established houses, situated along Dry Creek Rd. with sweeping, scenic views of rolling hills delineated between wild forest growth and identifiable, intentional vineyard plots, sits a small family-run winery that’s no stranger to high-end offerings, some reaching for triple digit asks, built from the ground up on their estate vineyards.

Lot 395 | 2021 Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon comes from these estate vineyards, in a block near the valley floor of the estate, handled by a decorated and seasoned winemaker with stints in Europe and throughout the North Coast. 90% American and 10% French oak make up the conditioning regimen with 25% new barrel. The perfect combination to complex this wine's explosive bouquet. 

Previous vintages are awash in Gold and Double Gold medals.

Beautifully fruited nose of cassis, red fruits, crushed florals, and new, soft leather. The entry is expertly balanced; deftly interwoven acidity plays up the red fruits and new leather framed by medium, plush tannins that come across almost velvety accented by barrel-kissed vanilla and a hint of coconut. The finish is long and elegant, wrapping red fruits around a vanilla and spice core that continues in wave after wave.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon
100% Dry Creek Valley
90% American and 10% French oak
25% New oak
15.2% alc  

***

Lot 396 | 2021 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon

Prepared to be wowed folks...the promise of the incredible 2021 vintage is all here!

We just got this bad boy into the barn. Man oh man, if you are looking for dark, bold, powerful, yet energetic, lithe, and sexy Cabernet with the classic Rutherford profile, look no further, this is your wine.

The single-vineyard Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon on offer today could just as easily have been Lot 400 as the 2020 Oakville Cabernet that excited me so much but, alas, was just a little late to the party.

As most of you know, I like to build up to Lot 400, but this year the pickings are fewer and further between. As such, we will be back-filling as the opportunities come along. But, who cares, it's just a Lot #, right?

Lot 396 2021 Rutherford District Cabernet Sauvignon comes with some serious restrictions as to what I can tell you (including the producer approving this copy). The winery (who has an extensive portfolio of high-scoring Cabernet's from Oakville, Rutherford, Stags Leap, Howell Mountain, etc.) wants no part in getting sideways with this grape source.

Suffice it to say, this is legendary dirt commanding minimum bottle prices of $150 just to be considered for a single-vineyard designate (and, you still have to pass the panel tasting!). Most SVD bottlings from this property are well above the $200/bottle price point. Beyond that, all I can tell you is that the vineyard is located on the eastern side of the valley in the classic gravelly loam and volcanic ash that defines the best of the Rutherford vineyards that run along the Silverado Trail.

Both the winemaker and consulting winemaker are stars in their own right, she for Pinot Noir and he for Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon so, trust me, the grapes are in good hands.

Why sell off precious 2021 Rutherford Cabernet?  The owner tells me they had a much better 2022 harvest in terms of quantity than a lot of folks (smallest harvest in well over a decade) and they're just battening down the hatches, preparing for an uncertain sales environment.

The bad news is we don't have a lot so, if Rutherford floats your boat, the itme to jump on board is NOW. This is gonna go quick...

Weighing in in at 15.3% alc, this Cabernet sees 50% new French oak of the highest caliber (Remond, Cadus, Hermitage, Fouquet) and the integration is fantastic, providing lift and complexity, never overpowering. Cassis and plum are framed with chocolate and cocoa powder perfumed with a pressed flower perfume and caramel halo brushing a kiss of eucalyptus. Sexy on entry with great energy and structure, the cassis and plum combo work quickly to black cherry and caramel with soft leather, tobacco, and that defining Rutherford dust, all lifted across medium+ acidity and plentiful, infinitesimally small tannins. The finish has a strong sense of place with clay pot and fresh turned soil resonating alongside plum sauce reduction and raspberry coulis. 

This is a rich, ripe yet exquisitely-balanced Cabernet, deftly-crafted by the hands of a two masters. The 2021 vintage from which it hails is a masterpiece, combining perfectly-ripe fruit, fresh acidity and ultra-fine, finesse-driven tannins. Given the problematic 2022 vintage, Cabernet-lovers should not pass by this wine lightly!

15.3% alc.
95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot, 2% Malbec
50% new French oak

***

Lot 397 | 2021 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Ladies and Gents - this wine is as much a mystery to me as it'll be to you.

I picked this up recently from a high-end Napa Valley custom crush operation. The producer's name was withheld and the wine sold through the facility's licensing so, to be honest, I am not sure who actually made the wine (which is why I titled it "the Cabernet with a beard").

I do suspect, however, the wine belongs to one of the facility owners because they are big growers in Yountville and, I am told, the bulk of the blend is Yountville fruit with smaller pieces of Oakville, Stags Leap, St. Helena, and Rutherford Cabernet.

And, that's all we know.

Obviously they know our operation and have seen the online discussions around our offerings; hence, I assume, the secrecy.

So be it and, really, who cares? The wine is fantastic and, at the end of the day, isn't that what matters most? It has soul, structure, excellent complexity and that quintessential lithe, sexy tannin structure that makes 2021 vintage so special.  

Indeed, it's all here folks. I would not hesitate to say this is easily $80-$100/bottle quality Cabernet Sauvignon.

Not only that, but we got a decent amount of this...about 600 cases to go around...so, while y'all should get a decent shot at this one, at $299/case, I still think it'll go pretty quick.

Lot 397 shows deep ruby, almost opaque in the glass. Immediate with red fruits on the bouquet, but things shift darker as the wine opens showing blackberry and blackcurrant mixed with purple florals, dark chocolate, menthol, and seasoned-wood vanilla; with just a minute of air, the nose is incredibly expressive and gracefully refined. The entry is plush and immediately captivating; red-to-black fruits take the forefront accented by tobacco, leather, and red volcanics/claypot retronasals laid out over perfectly-balanced acidity and excellent palate weight and gobs of structure over polished, refined tannins. Woof! The finish is long and elegant; red fruit umami rides vanilla and barrel-flecked spices accented by a kiss of caramel. 

I'm guessing about 40% new French oak, mostly medium and medium+ toast was used here. The alc. is what I would consider about picture perfect for the mid-southern Napa Valley at 14.3% - right up the middle. 

Estimated 40% New French oak, medium and medium+ toast
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Blend of Yountville augmented with Oakville, Stags Leap, St. Helena, and Rutherford
14.3% alc.
600 cases produced

***

Lot 398 | 2021 "Trubody Vineyard" Oak Knoll Cabernet Sauvignon

The stars have aligned - our first vineyard-designate Napa Valley Cabernet!

Here's the scoop: we purchased Lot 398 | 2021 "Trubody Ranch" Oak Knoll Cabernet Sauvignon from another producer where it was being used as a component in a $70-$80/bottle of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. I was smitten with the wine's pretty vibrancy and noticed the Trubody name in the winemakers lot code. I did a little research and found the producer didn't use the name on any of their Cabernets, so would they mind if I reached out to the Ranch to see if they wouldn't mind me using it? No problem.

The folks at Trubody jumped at the chance too. Well, ok, more like they didn't mind much. Old school farmers whose families arrived in Napa Valley back in the 1880s, they don't much care for the egotistical gentrification of Cabernet pricing, and mingling their ranch with the lowly negociant didn't seem to offend them.

So, there you have it. If memory serves me (and it hasn't been all that reliable lately - turning 50 sucks), this would be our first SVD.

It's a hell of a place to start, too. Inky, opaque and glass-staining, yet light on its feet with a supple, elegant presentation and robust '21 structure; this is a beautiful Cabernet Sauvignon that truly reflects its terroir.

Located at the northern tip of Oak Knoll (right on the border of the Yountville District) and just on the other side of Hwy 29 from both Blackbird Estate and Sleeping Lady vineyards, Trubody Ranch Vineyard is a hidden gem. The property sits on the alluvial drainages coming off the Mayacamas Mountains and the soil is chock full of gravel, sand, and silt of a volcanic origin.

However, there's more. This unique spot sits at the confluence of both the Mayacamas drainages to the west and the Stags Leap District drainages to the east. In fact, this property is just over the border from the Stags Leap District and is chock-full of Stags Leap volcanics as well as deposits from the ever-shifting Napa River. In short, this is superlative dirt.

The bouquets gravelly, graphitic underpinning powers pretty black cherry and blackcurrant with violet florals. Weighing in right at 14% alc., this is a terroir-driven wine indeed. Kind of a baby Dominus, if I may be so bold.

 

Dark and opaque, this Cabernet stains the glass with a pearlescent purple hue. The bouquet is immediately gravelly and graphitic, opening to an excellent concentration of delineated black cherry, blackcurrant, violets, and dark chocolate covered cherry. The entry is supple-yet-vibrant, mouthwatering with cool-climate structure up front, leading into an array of red and black fruits accompanied by oak spice framed with small, grippy tannins and medium+ acidity. The finish is long and uplifted with nervy red fruits kissed with vanilla bean and barrel spice that folding back into themselves, showcasing more, near-eternal vanilla bean. Super-clean and complex, seamless and elegant, this is lovely example of Oak Knoll Cabernet at its best.

100% French Oak, 28% new barrels
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
100% Oak Knoll, Trubody Ranch Vineyards
13.9% alc.

***

Lot 399 | 2019 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon

As you know, special lot numbers get special wines, and I've been looking hard for an appropriate candidate for Lot 399.

On offer today is a wine that hits it squarely on the head, combining super high-quality, approachability, and incredible value, all-in-one.

Lot 399 2019 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon is a first-run, 80% Dry Creek Valley and 20% Alexander Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 28-months in French oak (about 35% new) and then kept in a zipped-up-tight tank until last week.

Mostly estate-fruit, Lot 399 saw the chopping block due to a significant backup at the producer's distributor which is still selling their 2018 (this is pretty much driving the bulk market now - productions haven't been long at all - wholesale and retail consolidation that are the choke-point).

Like Howell Mountain Cabernet? Here is a delicious approximation for a fraction of the price...big, ripe, muscular Cabernet Sauvignon grown from the valley floor to over 2000+ foot elevations throughout the Dry Creek appellation (the family were significant grape growers long before they were brand owners).

More good news, and why I say this is a Back-Up-The-Truck offer: this wine will drink well with just a couple of months in the bottle thanks to the wonderfully open-knit 2019 vintage and the extended time in barrel; a Fantastic Cellar-Defender that will age another decade to boot!

Fall 2023, here I come!

Opaque in the glass, a shade off of inky, the bouquet is redolent with creme de cassis, chocolate covered cherry, tobacco, hints of leather, white raisin and barrel toast. Plush with chewy chocolate truffle-covered tannins, ripe, spicy cherry, blackberry preserves and a little red dust minerality that speckles rich, velvety tannins in a lush, resplendent finish of ripe raspberry framed with chocolatey oak.

Trust me folks, THIS IS AN ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC CABERNET SAUVIGNON. Chocolatey, chewy, rich, ripe and perfectly-balanced - not to mention just plain delicious - IT WILL KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF.

Cab-fans, don't let this one pass you by! 

15.5% alc.

***

Lot 400 | 2020 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon

Ladies and Gents, I am beyond thrilled to announce the release of Lot 400!

A single-vineyard Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon hailing from one of Napa Valley's top Cabernet Sauvignon producers, this particular bottling has a 97 to 100-point rating history from The Wine Advocate for over a decade straight, 94 to 97-points from Antonio Galloni, and between 96 and 99-points from Jeb Dunnuck.

I know the descriptors "massive," "lush," "hedonistic" and "powerful" don't often find themselves alongside "terroir," "finesse," "grace and elegance,"; however, this producer manages to thread the needle with gushing reviews, year-in, year-out, from a spectrum of wine critics. These wines are the exemplar of no-expense-spared production including 100% new French oak of the finest cooperage.

How on earth did I get my hands on this wine you ask?

Here's the scoop: while this producer normally bottles a prolific number of single-vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet's, they sold off or declassified some of their 2020 wine last year - at crazy prices I might add. I demurred at the time...the wine on offer today would have been literally twice the price!

Lot 400, however, is comprised of the best barrels of 2020 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon and was actually scheduled for bottling next month. Why sell now? My understanding is across-the-board stellar scores for their '21's (several with 100-point potential), combined with the gloomy economic forecast and the pall cast over the 2020 vintage (and the pall is consumer sentiment, not quality -  they've bottled several 2020's and offered them at the same prices as their 2019's), forced them to reconsider.

And you know who got the call.

Now, I know what you're thinking, and you can rest assured, this wine is not smoke-tainted. Trust me, I wouldn't be offering it to you if it was. 

 

Squid ink black in the glass, the meaty, dense and tightly wound bouquet takes a couple minutes to open up. But open it does offering first a lovely array of blackberry jam, blackcurrants, gravel, licorice, and toasty oak. As the bouquet builds in the glass, spicy lavender, lilac perfume and vibrant morello cherry halo crème de cassis and dense, chocolatey black forest cake as the bouquet builds in the glass. Fantastic mouthfeel is combined with a massive, palate-staining structure but the amazingly silky texture and remarkable finesse keeps things graceful and elegant. Rich, decadent and bombastic yet plush, elegant, silky and seamless - what more could one ask for? This is just pure deliciousness that will drink well now and over the next decade or more!

100% new French Oak
14.5% alc.