OG Tasting Notes Lot 401-500

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 Pricing, availability and shipping content may be out of date.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 401 | 2021 Napa Valley Proprietary Red Wine

I honestly thought this deal would never get done - we were simply too far apart...they kept saying the blend is finalized, it's ready to bottle, it's got 100% new French oak. I kept saying it's not Cabernet and, "it's the economy, stupid." Well...sorta, I never called anybody stupid.

But patience won the day and I'm here to tell you this is, without question, the best dN wine we have ever produced.

"Boom boom sheet" as my French friends would say.

Now, I would encourage everyone to practice some discretion on social media *please* as the producer is pretty obvious. Perhaps we refer to this as Project Boom Boom?

Here's the scoop. Lot 401 is a Proprietary Red blend of 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot from a single vineyard (starts with a "S") planted at the southern tip of Napa Valley in the hills rising just above San Pablo Bay and running to about 1,000 feet of altitude. Super-lean, rocky soils make for intense small berries. 100% new French oak adds richness and an otherworldly chocolatey dimension to this wine.

It's simply fantastic juice. As I said in the Lot 400 release, 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.

In fact, this fabulously massive 2021 Proprietary Red already has a 98-100-point score out of the barrel from The Wine Advocate, 97+ from Jeb Dunnuck and a 94-97-point score from Vinous.

Glass-staining squid ink. Pours a rich, ripe, meaty bouquet of blueberry, violets, and sage that quickly complexes with gobs of super-ripe black cherry, blackberry pie, coffee, cloves and chocolate (and I mean tons of chocolate). Deep, profound, exotic. Immediately rich, luscious, and mouth-coating on entry, but super supple and utterly seamless as the wine silkily glides across your palate with raspberry puree, leather and rich chocolatey blueberry notes that unfurl on your palate with an umami-glycerin glee. Despite the richness, this wine has a fantastically well-integrated tannic spine that sweeps the ripe fruit and chocolatey oak into a long, sustained finish. Yes, this is a massive, lush, hedonistic, palate-staining wine but it always keeps its head about it.

First run juice from an amazing vintage, folks. Seamless, exquisitely balanced, and deftly made wine of deeelicious magnitude.

100% New French oak
60% Cab Franc, 40% Merlot
100% Single-vineyard source
15.2% alc..

Lot 406 | 2021 Santa Barbara County Rose of Grenache

I honestly didn't think we would be able to raise the bar on Lot 366 2021 Santa Ynez Valley Rosé but along comes this stunner from Santa Barbara County.

And a Grenache Rosé to boot, as well.

Lot 406 | 2021 Santa Barbara County Rosé of Grenache comes to us from a small, boutique producer in Santa Barbara County and, like Lot 366, employs a native yeast fermentation on estate, biodynamic fruit and retails right around $30/bottle. Completely produced in stainless steel, it's a bright, crisp mouthwatering Rosé with a beautiful, crystalline mineral structure.

We just bottled this wine last week, however I made notes before the wine went into shock. It's ready to ship and should be drinking beautifully in another month or so. Perfect for the August/September time frame when you'll have depleted your Lot 366 :-). If you are worried about the vintage, don't be, this wine is well-built at 13.3% alc. and singing right now with plenty of life left.

Pale salmon in the glass. Beautifully lifted with a vibrant bouquet of spring flower perfume, blood orange, papaya bass notes, and a streak of white pepper. Fantastic. Juicy, round, and perfectly balanced on entry, Lot 406 unfurls on the palate with a mouthwatering blitz of crystalline, citrus-dusted minerality. The finish is long, vibrant, and pure with a terrific white pepper retronasal kick as it rides into the sunset.

Fresh, bright, and pure in every regard, buy with confidence as this Rosé will continue to perform for another two years easily.

100% Grenache Rosé
100% Santa Barbara County
100% stainless steel
13.3% alc.

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Lot 407 | 2022 California Sauvignon Blanc

Off the top, why in the name of everything good would I go for another California-appellated wine?

Because it's delicious!

Those on this list for long enough know my love for Fumé-styled and Fumé-adjacent Sauvignon Blancs, the world over. It's one of the few categories where I kiss less "frogs" and get more "finds." The reason for this comes from the simple fact that very few do this style nowadays, so you can't bring something to market half-hearted, it's gotta rock!

And, today's offering fits that bill. Lot 407 | 2022 California Sauvignon Blanc comes to us from a boutique winery in the Sonoma region, expertly crafted by the hands of a deft and decorated winemaker. The blend is approximately 50% Mendocino, 30% Russian River Valley and 20% Clarksburg AVA's. (hodgepodged enough to not carry a prestigious appellation, but all that be damned, it's great juice). 50% of the blend sees 6-months in mostly neutral oak on its lees so I owuld call this more Fume-adjacent, than Fumé.

The source wineries reputation is such that they don't worry about the CA appellation and they manage to sell these for around $20-25 a bottle. 

Vanilla blossoms wrap around a core of grapefruit and citrus kissed by ginger and vetiver perfume, all haloed by peach essence. Bright and juicy on entry with a touch of barrel toast influence, stone fruits and citrus flesh out over abundant citrus-flecked minerality. The finish is long and lip-smacking, making for a clean, fresh, bright, and complex experience.

Whether you are looking for a fantastic poolside sipper, palate refresher after a long day at work, or a terrific wine for summer fare, this crisp, refreshing, and remarkably complex wine for the price will knock your socks off!

Alc. 13.5%

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