OG Tasting Notes Lot 1-100

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 Pricing, availability and shipping content may be out of date.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 1 | 2018 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Priced at $55/bottle under the originating wineries label, this $10/bottle Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon represents an incredible bargain.

Tasting: Opaque in the glass with a dusky plum rim. Dusty blackberry coffeecake with hints of cassis that take on weight as the wine opens up. Before you know it, blueberry, dark chocolate and hazelnut come to the fore before shifting to dusty plums, graphite and earth. Youthful and gregarious, this ever-shifting Cabernet is ripe with complexity. Smooth on entry with chocolate, plums and blackberry fruit coating youthful tannins that dominate the lengthy finish. Well balanced.

Check-in tasting 6.23.21 - The wine that launched it all. Bourbon-soaked cherry on the nose but still dense and oaky with a great spectrum of French and American oak. Fleshy firm and generous on the palate with lots of sexy oak. Fairly approachable but still lots of unwinding to do here. Day 2: brown sugar, mocha and black licorice join the chorus, much fleshier on the palate with lots of coffee in the finish. Lots of oak to integrate here...still a baby. What a deal...

74% Napa Valley (vineyard sandwiched between Coombsville and Atlas Peak AVA's), 21% Coombsville, and 5% Rutherford.
15.1% alc.
Bottled June 4th, 2020

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Lot 2 | 2017 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Opaque core with magenta/violet rim, this 2017 [redacted]-derived Cabernet Sauvignon leaps from the glass with an amalgam of chaparral, blackberry, black currant, rocky loam and graphite. Sappy, ripe black fruit mingles energetically with [redacted] classic dusty hillside tannins in a long finish echoing blackberry, licorice and tobacco. An archetype of the vintage (with no smoke taint), this sexy, ephemeral, hillside Cabernet front-lines for around $90/bottle at the winery. 

Check-in tasting 6.23.21 - Sourced from the legendary Stagecoach Vineyard. Those of you lucky enough to have purchased this should be thrilled I think this will go down as one of the best wine deals of all time. The aromas are dense and huge and just starting to complex. Humongous fruit on the palate is mitigated by even more potent mountain structure. Decant for couple hours prior or 24-hour decant.

96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petite Verdot.
60% new French oak and 15.2% alc.
Bottled June 8th, 2020

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Lot 3 | 2017 Napa Valley Cabernet Franc

Sourced from the same vineyard and winery as N.02 Cabernet.

Dark in the glass with an electric purple rim, this wine leaps from the glass with dark cherry, black raspberry, spicy sage and cigar box all wrapped in a halo of earthy dark chocolate. Smooth on entry with juicy red currant and black raspberry notes pinned against a solid framework of fine tannins. Exceptional quality and attention to detail is evident in every aspect of this elegant yet powerfully built red wine. It will drink well now (and is especially food-friendly) and age beautifully over the next 15-years.

Check-in tasting 6.23.21 - Same vineyard source as N.02. Beautiful aromas, complex and elegant yet powerful with dusty tobacco leaf, dried black cherry and rose petal. Fleshy and approachable on the palate but still just a baby decant for a couple hours and enjoy now but know that this wine will age another 15 years easy.

Scheduled bottling date May 28th, 2020

98% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petite Verdot
60% new French oak
15.5% Alcohol
Bottled June 8th, 2020

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Lot 4 | 2017 Napa Valley Merlot

Plum, chocolate, and black currant give way to soaring blue fruit, blackberry and graham cracker. Supple on entry with a juicy mid-palate that delivers blue fruit, black cherry and mineral earth on a wave of silky tannins. Complex and ripe now with beautiful mouthfeel but also gobs of stuffing and 10-15 years of ageing capability. This is a gorgeous example of Napa Valley Merlot and, given its front line retail at $50-60/bottle.

Check-in tasting 6.23.21 - Like N.03, opening now with deep rich fruit and maybe worth sacrificing a bottle to posterity if only to watch how this evolves over the next 15-20 years. Bourbon American oak chewy tannins, crushed rock, range of pie to fresh cherry. Dichotomy of savory oak and roasted chile are filled with lifted red fruits. Day 2: cherry, forest floor and vanilla aromas meet dense, dark fruit that goes supernova with tannins and minerality on the palate. Drinkable, but still a baby.

96% Merlot
2% Cabernet Sauvignon
2% Cabernet Franc
60% New French Oak
15.3% Alcohol
Bottled June 4th, 2020

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Lot 5 | 2018 Coombsville, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Oh man, this is sexy juice.

Everything I love about Coombsville Cabernet is here: the intriguing meaty florals, the lush richness on the palate.

N.05 features a complex nose of powdered flower, licorice, crushed red rock and coffee bean with pretty red plum and raspberry fruit notes riding a beefy, meaty core. Plump and juicy on the palate with plum, blackberry and cocoa atop a wave of finely tuned tannins that crashes out in a long, velvety finish. This is immensely pleasurable now and will age beautifully over the next 10 years.

100% Cabernet
420 cases produced
75% new French Oak
15.1% alcohol
Bottled June 12th, 2020

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Lot 6 | 2017 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Lively and expressive, our latest offering delivers layered aromas of black cherry, baking spices and seasoned French oak framing ripe plum and blackberry. The aromatic layers compliment the alluring mouthfeel, with a seamless mid palate that balances depth and elegance in equal measure. Sumptuous and racy, its finishes long with sexy red and black fruit riding a wave of beautifully integrated tannins.

With a seriously pedigreed winemaking team and primary sub-AVA's of Oakville and Rutherford, even at $70+ at the winery this is one of Napa Valley's better Cabernet bargains. 
97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petite Verdot
40% new French oak (est.)
14.6% alc.
Bottled June 8th, 2020

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Lot 7 | 2017 Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir

This is an absolutely gorgeous Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir.

Whole-cluster-fermented and finished in neutral oak, this wine is impressive for its purity. Pretty aromas of strawberry puree and spicy black cherry give way to vanilla-kissed raspberry and cola notes. Rhubarb and underbrush are supported on sappy, lip-smacking acidity in a long, sustained finish haloed with lilac and rose petals.

Elegant and complex, it strikes a beautiful balance between perfectly ripe fruit and balanced structure. Its no wonder this same wine scored a 92 from the Wine Spectator under its original label with a $45 price tag.

12 months in Neutral French oak
14.5% alcohol
100 cases produced

Bottled June 12th, 2020

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Lot 8 | 2018 Napa Valley Cabernet

Deep, dark and delicious, this gorgeously brooding, primarily Mt. Veeder-derived Cabernet (full breakout below) is an absolute showstopper. Aged in a blend of 50% new American and French oak, this rich yet powerfully structured wine will thrill those of who like their Cabernet's big and bold.

Retailing just south of $100/bottle at the winery.

Baking spices of toasted vanilla, nutmeg and brown sugar provide a savory counterpoint to the blackberry syrup and lilac aromas. Plump, juicy layers of red and black fruit combine with mysterious deep and savory tones all lifted by the firm acidity and candied black fruit. Simultaneously lush and powerful, this hillside Cabernet will drink well in its youth while having all the structure and stuffing to go another 10-15 years in the cellar. 14.4% alc.

Check-in tasting 6.23.21 - Deep and mysterious, chock a block with wood, mocha, vanilla, cassis, black cherry, toffee, and deeply toasted French oak, barrel spice of vanilla and cardamom on the finish. Chewy tannins and palate staining weight needs 4-5 months to integrate fruit and wood.

81% Mt. Veeder
19% St. Helena

79% Cabernet Sauvignon
12% Merlot
5% Malbec
3% Petite Verdot
1% Cabernet Franc

50% new French and American oak
50% seasoned cooperage
14.4% Alc.
Bottled June 12th, 2020

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Lot 9 | 2018 Carmel Valley Pinot Noir

The Carmel Valley AVA is not known as a cool-climate but this immediately north-adjacent vineyard to the Carmel Valley AVA border vineyard has nothing in common with the warmer valley influence. High-elevation and windblown with an incredible diurnal swing, this uplifted seabed, shale and chalky sandstone site is more reminiscent of the extreme sites of the Sta. Rita Hills with temps that rarely rise above the 70's.

Here we go folks..another $45 bottle of wine for the equivalent of $15 a bottle.

N.09 2018 Carmel Valley Pinot Noir is pitch perfect aromatically with black cherry, dark earth and clay folded into a cinnamon, ginger and rose petal aromas. Its warm and fleshy on the palate with seamless tannin's lingering in a long, spicy finish of rhubarb and lavender. Yep, sexy juice.

100% Pinot Noir
18 Months in 25% new French Oak
400 cases produced
14.5% Alc.
Bottled June 11, 2020

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Lot 10 | 2019 Napa Valley Rose

Pale salmon in the glass. Beautiful, pure nose of blood orange, peach pie spice, kiwi and wildflower are nicely uplifted on a minerally, aromatic spine. Perfectly smooth and balanced on entry fresh cherry-kiwi tension haloed with coriander spice notes in a long, pristine, lip-smackingly juicy finish.

Provencal in style yet anchored by Bordelais varieties, this rose is a study in elegant precision. Retailing for just under $40/bottle under its original label and produced by one of Napa's original cult Cabernet's from some of the finest Bordelais fruit, this St. Helena estate-derived rose is one of the best in Napa Valley. A steal at $108/case or $9/bottle.

58% Cabernet Sauvignon
21% Petite Verdot
19% Cabernet Franc
2% Malbec

13.5% Alcohol
Bottled June 22nd, 2020

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Lot 11 | 2017 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

This all-star Napa Valley Cabernet-based Meritage is sourced from legendary Rutherford and Howell Mountain vineyards with Calistoga playing a supporting role. Focused and expressive, it fully delivers with gorgeous aromas of cassis, black cherry, cigar box and Rutherford dust all accentuated by fine tannins from seasoned French oak. 15% Cabernet Franc blessed the blend bringing added layers of elegant violet aromas and savory depth. Rich and chewy, this is classic Cult-level wine from pioneers in the category; however, its still just a baby so best to cellar this and try in the Fall. Retails for $175/bottle at the winery.

190 cases produced
75% Cabernet, 15% Cab Franc, 9% Petit Verdot, 1% Merlot
60% new French oak
71% Rutherford, 25% Howell Mountain, 4% Calistoga
15% Alc.
Bottled June 22nd, 2020

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Lot 12 | 2018 Napa Valley Chardonnay (100% Estate)

Brilliant in the glass with just a hint of green tinge. The nose is equally brilliant showing banana cream, white peach and nectarine notes with a perfectly meshed with a beautiful jasmine flower, meringue, marshmallow aromatic halo. Its viscous and substantial on entry. On the palate its beautifully knit together, perfectly balanced and seamless with a rich velvety texture. Imagine nectarines over banana creme brulee in a long, lingering finish. This fantastic Chardonnay exhibits textural density without heaviness.

Produced with 100% estate fruit from the originating wineries Oak Knoll vineyard.
Aged in 15 months in 40% new French oak.
100% Chardonnay
14.3% Alcohol
Bottled June 22nd, 2020

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Lot 13 | 2018 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Sourced from a single vineyard of mostly decomposed, well-drained granite from the hills back up behind Darioush winery, this Napa Valley Cabernet is concentrated and pure. Despite the relatively cool-climate, this wine is perfectly ripe and decadent with loads of boysenberry, black cherry, and cassis contrasting with the savory depths of cedar, soy, ginger spice and high-octane vanilla bean from 70% new French oak.

Check-in tasting 6.23.21 - This wine was a mess a couple months ago but it is coming around nicely blackberry, cassis, vanilla, red rock, and sweet florals have evolved nicely on the nose. Explosive minerality dominates the palate, however, this needs time to integrate and for the elegance to return. Mineral focus and cassis will continue to develop and shine.

400 cases produced
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
70% new French oak.
14.7% Alc.
Bottled June 19th, 2020

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Lot 14 | 2019 Sierra Foothills Rose

Everything you love about a true Provencal Rose is here...bright, nervy, energetic and truly pitch-perfect. Pale salmon in color, with aromas of fresh-cut strawberry, ruby grapefruit, jasmine, and a hint of bubblegum, this is a wine that will leave your mouth watering. Seamless, crisp and dry on the palate with cool, bright flavors of bing cherry, lychee, and notes of orange blossom, coriander spice and rose petal.

400 Cases produced
87% Mourvedre, 7% Grenache, 4% Counoise, 2% Cinsault
13.8% Alc.
Bottling dates 6/18 and 8/18 (check the sticker on the outer shipper your wine arrives in for your bottling date)

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Lot 15 | 2018 Napa Valley Merlot (Oakville/Oak Knoll)

92 POINTS, GOLD MEDAL!
2021 CRITICS CHALLENGE WINE COMPETITION

A brooding Merlot that will change anyone's mind about the variety to the positive side. A Gold Award winner at the 2021 Critics Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition.
92-POINTS July 6, 2021

Its safe to say that when its comes to Napa Valley red wines, Merlot absolutely over-delivers in comparison to Cabernet Sauvignon. After the massive culling of California's Merlot vines in the wake of Sideways the movie and the early 2000's oversupply, what's left is the best performing vines wineries were loathe to part with.

Today's offering is sourced from one of Oakville's legendary eastside producers and a combination of 60% Oakville Estate Merlot and 37% from Oak Knoll's western alluvial fans (plus a dollop of 3% Atlas Peak Cabernet we feathered for added depth and focus). The result is deliciously seamless combination of perfectly ripe fruit and loamy earth. At $60+ at the winery, its an extraordinary value at $19/bottle.

Deeply colored and beautifully aromatic with blue and black fruit layered against a background of loamy olive and toasty French oak. Again, its seamless and supple across the palate with brown sugar, clove, blackberry and more toasty french oak haloed with Anaheim chile spice. The finish is long and layered. Drink now and over the next decade.

Check-in tasting 6.23.21 - Even as a barrel sample, this wine took a few days to open up and it is finally opening up in the bottle. No surprise that it is doing so now but the evolution is still surprising from a couple months ago. Beautiful, pure, singing cherry fruit mixes with sweet florals and graphite. A true elevage of character coalescing beautifully with pomegranate, refined savory notes of humidor and aged spruce. Fleshy yet composed, extracted with restraint. Still nicely wound on the palate with pretty acidity lifting elegant red fruits. Fantastic, very classy wine from a legendary producer

60% Oakville, 37% Oak Knoll, 3% Atlas Peak
50% new French oak
600 cases produced
14.8% Alc.
Bottled June 30th, 2020

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Lot 16 | 2019 Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc

We blended two parcels together from top $40-$50 Napa Sauvignon Blanc producers (yes, Napa producers sourcing from SoCo) to create a gorgeous wine better than the sum of its parts.

One parcel is 100% barrel fermented and the other is fermented in a variety of vessels including an array of new French oak barrels, concrete eggs and stainless steel barrels for lees contact. The fruit is sourced from top vineyard sites in Sonoma Mountain, Dry Creek and Knights Valley AVA's. The result is a sumptuous yet electric experience that, for $13.50/bottle, will blow your mind.

Jumps out of the glass with pink grapefruit, ripe honeydew melon, white peach, lemon oil, and fresh cut lemongrass aromatics. The palate is a cool breeze in the warmth of the garden showing great balance, tension and precision. Bright guava, juicy stone fruit, and hints of pineapple pair with a grapefruit acidity that lead to a long finish and a little anaheim chile kick. Frequent lees bâtonnage for both parcels adds a kiss of creaminess and more layers of complexity. This beautiful wine will age gracefully for another 5-8+ years.

Wine Details
55% Sonoma Mountain, 37% Dry Creek, and 8% Knights Valley
13.8% Alc.
Bottled July 30th, 2020

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Lot 17 | 2018 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

94-POINTS! Platinum Medal
2021 Sommelier Challenge Wine Competition

Sometimes Napa Valley producers eschew trends and opt for what I'll call an old school style “ one that's built to age and unwind slowly, revealing its charms down the road. That what's going on in this bottling. The good news is that it's priced in such a way as to let you enjoy its evolution over time. You won't find wines like this at this price “ so jump while you can! A Platinum Award winner at the 2021 Sommelier Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition.
94-POINTS Oct 5, 2021

93-POINTS!
2021 Critics Challenge Wine Competition

There's real structure here, and the oak serves to enhance the fruit and make for a layered delight. A Gold Award winner at the 2021 Critics Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition. Gold Medal.
93-POINTS Jul 6, 2021

Chosen for its approximation of St. Emilion's gravelly soils, this organically-farmed estate vineyard is sandwiched between Atlas Peak and Oak Knoll and situated on a broad, gravelly alluvial fan that straddles one of the creek drainages coming off of Atlas Peak and Mount George. With classic Bordelais-style super-dense vine spacing yielding only 3 tons/acre of intense, concentrated fruit, the resulting wine will be delicious right out of the bottle (once through bottle shock) but has the structure and stuffing to go another decade in the cellar.

Intense notes of blackberry, cassis, and bing cherry followed by layers of cigar box, toasty french oak and violets. Bold plum and ripe raspberry balanced with lively acidity and firm tannins usher in a flourish of vanilla and spice in a long, lingering finish. The tannins soften in the decanter adding subtle notes of brandied cherries and oiled leather. Well-balanced with beautifully attenuated fruit, this French pedigreed, First Growth-quality Cabernet is about as terroir-driven a wine as you'll find in Napa Valley.

Check-in tasting 6.23.21 - Hurray! This wine has gone in and out of funk with cranky, leesy aromatics and an angular palate. It has come around beautifully, however, really cracking open with cassis and raspberry and a palate staining finish this wine is a total monster with an alluvial tannin profile that will continue to complex beautifully.

Wine Details
90% Cabernet, 5% Merlot, 5% Petite Verdot
25% New French and American oak, tight grain, low to medium toast
14.4% Alc.
Bottled June 26th, 2020

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Lot 18 | 2018 Napa Valley Malbec

I rarely find a stand alone varietal Malbec so this wine was a complete surprise. With a French winemaker at the helm and fruit sourced in the cooler climes of southern Napa Valley (alluvial fans east of Silverado Trail sandwiched between Atlas Peak AVA and Coombsville AVA), its Cahors-like stylings feature an inky, dark and brooding character coupled with complex aromatics. Its Reserve-level quality with 35% new French oak and mixture of one- and two-year old barrels.

Inky black in the glass with an electric magenta rim. Beguiling nose of deep plum, blackberry and sensuously meaty dark cocoa halo'd with powdered pink flower with hints of iodine/oregano spice. Fleshy and juicy on the palate with soft tannins, mouth watering acidity, and fine french oak tannins on the finish. This a captivating and sensuous wine made with a deft hand.

300 cases produced
35 new French oak, remainder 1- and 2-year old French oak
14.4% Alc.
Bottled June 19th, 2020

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Lot 19 | 2018 Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir

GOLD - 93-POINTS!

JUNE 2021 CRITICS CHALLENGE RESULTS

Bold black cherry gets the zesty treatment thanks to lively acidity that gives the finish real pop A Gold Award winner at the 2021 Critics Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition.
93-POINTS Jul 6, 2021

Sourced from wind-whipped, 2000+-foot elevation vineyards high in the Santa Cruz Mountains, this estate, reserve-designate Pinot Noir normally retails well north of $50/bottle. A pioneer not just in the region but of the varietal in general, this state-of-the-art winery produces world-class Pinot Noirs balancing forward yet energetic fruit with outstanding complexity.

Elegant and layered, with black cherry, rhubarb, dark redwood earth, cinnamon and ginger, with a hint of vanilla from the lightly toasted French oak. Lovely array of baking spice and cola on the palate, framed in earthy freshness and energetic red fruit structure that offers length and power. A true classic built by the master. Will age beautifully for 10+ years.

Check-in tasting 6.23.21 - This absolutely classic Santa Cruz Mountain Pinot has come around beautifully. Ethereal, mouthwatering and magnificent with its muscular dijon clones just starting to unwind. Elegance, flesh, spice and depth - lifted aromatics of rose petals and dried orange peels, dried strawberry and red hard candy contrast with savory depths of Asian spice and redwood forest (redwood duff, bay leaves). Seasoned French oak lends smoked paprika and toasted vanilla. Lighter red fruit spectrum is complexed with cola and chalky tannins and pretty minerality in a potent structure. So much here.

Bottled July 15th, 2020
20% new French Oak
14.5% alc.
450 cases produced

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Lot 20 | 2018 Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

92 POINTS, GOLD MEDAL!
2021 CRITICS CHALLENGE WINE COMPETITION

Rich oak spice tempers the ripe berry fruit beautifully here. Decant now or cellar a while - I'm in favor of now for the lively spice. A Gold Award winner at the 2021 Critics Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition.
92-POINTS July 6, 2021

This is the Reserve offering from the same producer as N.17 2018 Napa Valley Cabernet and, of course, is produced with the same Bordelais sensibility. Its also the most expensive wine I have purchased to date but well worth it.

As a refresher, this wine is produced from an organically-farmed estate vineyard sandwiched between Atlas Peak and Oak Knoll and situated on a broad, gravelly alluvial fan that straddles one of the creek drainages coming off of Atlas Peak and Mount George. Producing less than 2 tons to the acre, this particular bottling showcases the small but intensely flavored berries of the Clone 337 Cabernet smuggled in from Bordeaux by impatient vintners in the 1980's.

The small berries of the Clone 337 are immediately evident in this virtually opaque, black hole of a Cabernet. Its remarkably aromatic however, brooding at first with dark plum, graphite, blackberry and kirschy cassis notes but then, with just a little air, its quickly lifted by beautifully integrated florals that sing out from the glass. Dark earth and clay, cedar and mocha underpin the higher-toned fruits and round out the aromas. Gorgeous. Seamless on entry, lip-smacking minerality is deftly balanced against a wave of robust, blackberry-slathered tannins in a long, pure, resounding finish. Classically-styled, this wine will age gracefully for another 20+ years in a proper cellar.

Check-in tasting 6.23.21 - Tightly wound out of the bottle with fleeting aromas with a couple minutes of air, however, blue fruit pokes through with savory notes of cola and sarsaparilla laced with herbs of thyme and coriander, seasoned French oak and vanilla toast. Focused and extracted, rich on the palate with fine and chewy tannins throughout - needs time but gaining focus. This big boy has earned a place in your cellar. More approachable than I had anticipated with so much more to come.

100% new French oak but you wouldn't know - very tight grain.
350 cases produced
15.9% alc.
Bottled June 19th, 2020

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Lot 21 | 2018 Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon

Sourced from a Howell Mountain producer famous for their dedication to only producing Cabernet from high-elevation, hillside sites, this Atlas Peak Cabernet is one of several we acquired. Intended to be the inaugural launch of a new $90/bottle Cabernet selection for their brand, they have since decided now is not the time to launch an addition to their lineup.

Inky black in the glass. The classic Atlas Peak aromas of cherries jubilee, raspberries and fresh-turned black earth, white flowers, wet rock, mocha and fresh asphalt are ever-changing and ethereal in this freshly bottled, and still shocky, Cabernet (bottled June 25). Supple on entry with ripe blackberry and raspberry fruit and an acacia flower halo just beginning to coalesce and stretch out over the tannins, its already showing well and should be drinking nicely by mid-August. Of course, the best of this wine is still to come and I think its will be wonderfully approachable by this Fall.

600 cases produced
75% new French oak
14.5% alc.
Bottled July 7th, 2020

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Lot 22 | 2018 Napa Valley Cabernet

Sourced from the same producer as N.21 Atlas Peak Cabernet, this is again a collection of hillside vineyard sites from some of Napa's top AVA's. Less than 300 cases produced.

41% Napa Valley (hillside vineyard just below Atlas Peak AVA)
39% Atlas Peak AVA
11% Calistoga AVA
5% Pritchard Hill AVA
4% Howell Mountain

Opaque in the glass with a hint of brick red. Rich, ripe plum and blackcurrant are nestled against acacia florals and crushed red rock. With air the nose opens up driving complexity to the fore with black cherry and dark clayey earth mingling nicely. The oak here is beautifully integrated, lifting the fruit and supporting the deeper registers but never out of place. On the palate, there's real fruit intensity and liveliness here that frames the red and black fruits and fleshes out the tannins in a long, resplendent finish.

Check-in tasting 6.23.21 - Initial pop of leather fades into the background as cassis and blackberry join the fray but at the end of the day this is still tight and unyielding. However, its huge on the palate, tooth staining and tightly wound. Don't touch for another year.

290 cases produced
60% new French oak, lower toast (that's a guesstimate)
14.5% alc.
Bottled July 8th, 2020

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Lot 23 | 2019 Napa Carneros Chardonnay

92-POINTS, GOLD MEDAL
2021 SOMMELIERS CHALLENGE WINE COMPETITION

From the same producer as N.24 Pinot Noir, N.23 Chardonnay is sourced from one of the most northeastern vineyards in the rolling hills of Napa Carneros that eventually become the Mayacamas range and Mt. Veeder. This is great dirt and about as good as it gets for the region.

From 25-to 40+-year-old vines, whole cluster pressed and 100% barrel fermented in 30-35% new French oak, this beautiful Chardonnay combines vibrant fruit and toasty oak with refined elegance. Partial 25-30% malolactic fermentation adds creaminess without being overbearing.

Gorgeous aromas of spicy pear, pineapple and succulent blossom overlay wet stone and deeper elements of ripe fig and toasty oak. Clean and bright on entry with pretty notes of baked apple and lemon/lime, its finishes with palate coating weight balanced against mineral spice. The harmony of acidity and voluminous fruit here is spectacular. At $16/bottle equivalent versus $35, its phenomenal.

Wine Details
35% new French oak
14.4% alc.
Bottled August 21st, 2020

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Lot 24 | 2019 Napa Carneros Pinot Noir

91 POINTS, GOLD MEDAL!
2021 CRITICS CHALLENGE WINE COMPETITION

OG N.24 Pinot Noir is sourced from one of the most northeastern vineyards in the rolling hills of Napa Carneros that eventually become the Mayacamas range and Mt. Veeder. This is great dirt and about as good as it gets for the region.

Cherry red with a pretty violet purple edge. Leaps from the glass with black cherry, wild strawberry and rhubarb framed against spicy, peppery earth. Rich, ripe and silky across the palate but well supported with ample structure and delicate tannins. Fresh and spicy on the finish with hints of mushroom and herb, this is one delicious pinot you won't want to miss.

I think this Pinot is actually a good deal at the $35/bottle winery tariff. At $18/bottle, its a ridiculously good deal.

900 cases produced
35% new French Oak
14.5% alc.
Bottled August 18th, 2020

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Lot 25 | 2018 Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

94-POINTS! Platinum Medal
2021 Sommelier Challenge Wine Competition

Mountainside tannins are quite tight in this young bottling, as they should be. This will unwind beautifully with extended cellaring that will soften the tannins and integrate the oak load, leaving a solid representation of the AVA. A Platinum Award winner at the 2021 Sommelier Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition.
94-POINTS Oct 5, 2021

Classic Spring Mountain hillside Cabernet Sauvignon! Sourced from one of Napa Valleys more impressive (not to mention naturally low-yielding) vineyards, this Cabernet Sauvignon retails well north of $75/bottle and has mid 90-point scores from either the Wine Spectator or Wine Enthusiast for the 2014-2016 vintages. This is an incredible deal at $32/bottle.

Recent review from Joe Roberts - One Wine Dude:
2018 OG de Negoce Cabernet Sauvignon N. 25 (Spring Mountain District): Punching so far above its weight class and price stature that it must have Inspector Gadget arms. A-

The dense color powerfully suggests its mountain origins. Graphite and violets halo perfumed cherry notes and a beam of pure raspberry fruit framed against savory, earthy tones of rocky clay, crushed rock, bell pepper, and seasoned oak. Blackberry and leather come out with air. Smooth and sophisticated on entry with elegant mouthfeel and subtle fruit framed against firm yet refined mountain tannins on the finish. Structure and elegance abound in this well-proportioned Cabernet weighing in at 14.2% alcohol . Drink now with a good decant and over the next 20 years.

July 2nd Update Showing quite well now and opening up nicely elegant, perfumed cherry notes match savory earthy tones of rocky clay, bell pepper, seasoned oak, elegant mouthfeel with firm mountain structure on the finish. Recommend 24-hour decant at this young stage fairly low pH and big tannin structure has kept this wine pretty tight but it should begin to really sing in the Fall

82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec
100% French oak, 60% new, medium-toast mainly.
14.2% alc.
800 cases produced
Bottled July 21st, 2020

***

Lot 26 | 2018 Russian River Valley Chardonnay

California's version of Montrachet, this is a ludicrously gorgeous wine. Golden in the glass and perfectly ripe with peach blossom, butterscotch and stone fruit enmeshed with a sublime amalgam of pear, apple and creme brulee. If rich, ripe and complex Chardonnay is your thing, I highly recommend this wine.

200 cases produced
100% barrel fermented
14.5% alc
Bottled August 17th, 2020

***

Lot 27 | 2018 Napa Valley Cabernet

N.27 is the first of three hillside vineyard release all from the same producer. The common thread here is hillside vineyards at elevation in the Vaca Mountain range. Each wine is elegantly structured and beautifully delineated with a strong sense of place. Clearly these are expertly made with a deft hand. My favorite part is the gorgeously perfumed aromatics. 60-70% new French oak, 14.7% alc. Bottled July 21st.

Originally priced between $100/ and $150/bottle, now $35/bottle.

Sourced from the producers estate vineyard in the foothills of Howell Mountain but just a stones throw outside the official AVA, N.27 Cabernet features mouth-watering red fruits and spice - black cherry, brown sugar, hot cinnamon, leather - and is smooth and fleshy on the palate with dark chocolate, cherry, fine french oak tannins and lightly toasted oak on the finish. Fantastic length and complexity.

CHECK-IN TASTING 6/29 - Cellar until Fall 2022

CHECK-IN TASTINGÂ 1/14/2022 - Day 1: Bourbon notes with humidor, leather. Super savory, extracted with oak toast and tannin. Day 2: Wow, bourbon soaked cherry, cedar, humidor, fine layer of tannins throughout the palate, firm and focused extraction, barrel spice and toast lingers on the finish

225 cases produced.
Bottled August 21st, 2020

***

Lot 28 | 2018 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

N.28 is the second of three hillside vineyard release all from the same producer. The common thread here is hillside vineyards at elevation in the Vaca Mountain range. Each wine is elegantly structured and beautifully delineated with a strong sense of place. Clearly these are expertly made with a deft hand. My favorite part is the gorgeously perfumed aromatics. 60-70% new French oak, 14.8% alc. Bottled July 21st.

Originally priced between $100/ and $150/bottle, now $35/bottle equivalent.

N.28 Napa Cabernet is sourced from a hillside vineyard just north of Pritchard Hill above Lake Hennessy. Expressive layers bright and vibrant on the palate violets, anise, bing cherry, plum, kiss of brett, leather upholstery and fine french oak finished tannin. Darker fruit and bit more muscle on the palate than N.27, this wine finishes long and rich.

300 cases available
Bottled August 21st, 2020

***

Lot 29 | 2018 Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon

N.29 is the third of three hillside vineyard release all from the same producer. The common thread here is hillside vineyards at elevation in the Vaca Mountain range. Each wine is elegantly structured and beautifully delineated with a strong sense of place. Clearly these are expertly made with a deft hand. My favorite part is the gorgeously perfumed aromatics. 60-70% new French oak, 15.1% alc. Bottled July 21st.

Originally priced between $100/ and $150/bottle, now $29/bottle.

Sourced from yet another hillside vineyard in, you guessed it, Coombsville. Blackberry and cassis, red rock minerality, acacia flower and earth - lip-smacking yet plump fruit is beautifully integrated with the fine french oak flourish. With plenty of air, a blueberry and beefy iron component (a hallmark of Coombsville Cabernet in my estimation) joins the fray and echoes through the lengthy finish.

40 cases available (why so small? The total production was only 215 cases and the other inventory was sold in a 3-case collection available to the most active list members).

Bottled August 21st, 2020

***

Lot 30 | 2018 Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon

97-POINTS and WINE OF THE YEAR
2021 SOMMELIER CHALLENGE INTERNATIONAL

Atlas Peak's fruit and tannin structure are hard to miss in this wine. There is an elegant rusticity to the best wines that hail from there, and this can be counted among them. Fresh blackberry and crushed rock minerality come in wave across the supple texture, and a dusty character puts a little edge on the flavors that linger well into the distance. Something smothered in a brown mushroom sauce will be a great pairing. A Platinum Award winner at the 2021 Sommelier Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition.
97-POINTS Oct 5, 2021

2018 OG de Negoce N. 30 Cabernet Sauvignon (Atlas Peak): Big-time yummy, and showing equally big-time amounts of craftsmanship. A-
1 Wine Dude - Joe Roberts 11/8/21

Old world meets new in this harmonious and deftly balanced high-elevation, hillside Cabernet. Densely colored with aromas of blackcurrant, plum and blackberry mingling with shiitake mushroom, graphite and white flowers and just a kiss of brown sugar oak. Well proportioned, elegant and refined throughout with a creamy texture and silky sweet tannins, this incredibly well-crafted Cabernet will have broad appeal. Drink now or hold for another decade or two.

Check-in tasting 6.23.21 - This is seriously classy juice. Nice, seasoned oak mocha and woody resin notes out of the bottle fruit and tertiary aromas start to punch through with air...tobacco, leather, black cherry, black current and toffee. Finally coming around and integrating the oak. Decant for a couple hours or 24-hour decant.

Wine Details
50% new French Oak
14.7% alc.
Bottled August 10th, 2020

***

Lot 31 | 2018 Dry Creek Zinfandel

Sourced from from an iconic and pioneering winery in the region, N.31 is classic Dry Creek Zinfandel in every sense of the word. Planted over a hundred years ago, this estate vineyard now features 40-to 80-year-old head-pruned, hillside Zinfandel vines and a few acres of 100+-year-old Petite Sirah that make their way into the blend.

This Zinfandel could easily command a $35-$40 price tag but the debt-free estate, along with the producers belief that good wine belongs on the table, have kept the prices reasonably in the $25 range. At $15/bottle its a pretty damn good deal too.

Fairly dark in the glass suggesting a bit more structure than your average Zinfandel. The nose is bright with ripe raspberry, blackberry and warm baking spice aromas haloed with black pepper, vanilla and toasty, chocolatey oak notes from 30% new American oak barrels. Blueberry and cocoa come up with air. Plump and jammy fruit warm coat the palate but the underlying structure keeps this wine well-balanced. Its actually quite elegant for all its richness while keeping true to its producer's belief that wine should be a part of the table (I'm quite loving it with my grilled pesto salmon right now). Berry and toasty oak finish are well-delineated in long and spicy finish. Enjoy now or cellar for another 3-6 years.

Check-in tasting 6.23.21 - Fairly approachable but still resolving big tannins and considerable acidity. Enjoy now with robust game meats and beef as well as rich, fatty dishes where the current structure can shine

90% Zinfandel and 10% Petite Sirah
30% new American oak
14.8% alc.
Bottled 7/28

***

Lot 32 | 2018 Dry Creek Cabernet Sauvignon

91 POINTS, GOLD MEDAL!
2021 CRITICS CHALLENGE WINE COMPETITION

Tight-knit and peppery with lots of pairing possibilities, and age-worthy to boot. A Gold Award winner at the 2021 Critics Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition.
91-POINTS July 6, 2021

Back we go to the Dry Creek but this time to a west side benchland vineyard about as far west as you can go before hitting mountainous terrain. It's an awesome site, well-drained with a microclimate a touch cooler than the rest of Dry Creek Valley largely due to afternoon down-slope winds coming off the mountains and, to some degree, proximity to the ocean. The blend below is what we purchased from the producer and, given the reason for the sale was we have more than we need, I assume their bottling blend.

I attended a zoom conference with various wine writers last week. This is the first published review for this wine. From wine blogger and reviewer, Jeff Kralik AKA the Drunken Cyclist, and published on CellarTracker.

8/14/2020 - The Drunken Cyclist Likes this wine: 91 Points
Cameron Hughes claimed that this was a $40-50 wine from perhaps my favorite Sonoma County appellation. Who am I to disagree? Dark in the glass with a fruity compote of blackberry, cassis and black pepper in the glass. The palate is fruity and inviting with plenty of acid to balance out the fruit, that black pepper, and a touch of mild tobacco. Yum. The tannins are there, but soft, suggesting a short-term cellaring here (3-5 years, max). Another winner from the wine-whisperer. Dark in the glass with an electric plum rim. Crazy, almost volcanic-like aromas of graphite, cassis, and red clay slathered with dried herbs, savory crushed plum and blackberry jam. With air, the addition of white florals and a wonderful red fruit and loam character take the complexity next level. Ripe and chewy on the palate with robust yet soft tannins that integrate nicely with a black fruit and dark chocolate oak finish.

Check-in tasting 6.23.21 -The aromatics are fairly robust but the palate is beautifully resolved and seamless. Still, this wine has gobs of structure and fairly tightly wound. Decant for a couple hours and, like N.31, enjoy with rich foods.

Wine Details
84% Cabernet, 9% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec, 3% Petite Verdot
40% new French oak
14.7% alc.
Bottled July 29th, 2020

***

Lot 33 | 2018 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

This is one of several wines I've purchased from sommeliers-turned-winemakers. I love the sensibility of this Cabernet: its all about beautiful aromas and juicy fruit with the fantastic acidity that makes for great food pairing. Very much a vin de terroir.

Refreshingly low in alcohol at 13.6%, this Cabernet will surprise you with ripe and lovely aromas of powdered lilac, black cherry, crushed red rock and black earth. Its juicy on the palate with pretty fruits well-delineated along a beam of chalky, cherry-slathered acidity that leads refreshingly clean and pure finish with a real crystalline quality. Rich in fruit and soft in barrel, this delightful, food-friendly Cabernet Sauvignon offers elegant fruit and nuanced complexity. Frontlines at $50/bottle, pretty good deal at $18/bottle.

Check-in tasting 6.23.21 - Drinking beautifully now with pure fruit and nicely integrated wood. Excellent length but a good decant is certainly in order.

13.6% alc.
350 cases available
35% new French oak, low toast
Bottled August 10th

***

Lot 34 | 2018 Bennett Valley, Sonoma County Merlot

From a steep, hillside vineyard on the slopes of volcanic Sonoma Mountain (Sonoma Mountain AVA overlaps Bennett Valley and this vineyard straddles the two), this Right-Bank style Merlot is rich and powerful with intense fruit and fantastic structure. This is the best Merlot I have had in years and one of the better examples in the state. Damn...makes me want to run out to Bennett Valley and plant a vineyard of tightly-spaced Merlot (Syrah too - seeing some nice ones from here as well).

Dark and concentrated in the glass with ripe black raspberry, cassis and bergamot aromas haloed with bay leaf and dark chocolate. Smooth on entry with raspberry puree and plum beautifully uplifted with perfectly integrated oak. There is terrific concentration and structure on the palate with the acidity providing nice tension. Great Merlot!

Check-in tasting 6.23.21 - Same producer as N.33. This is from their estate vineyard in Bennett Valley, the home of Matanzas Creek Merlot. If you liked that wine back when Dave Ramey was at the helm, you'll love this. It is the outlier in terms of alc (14.8%), and bit brawnier and richer than the other selections; however, its delivers fantastic mouthfeel along with an elegant structure such that you would never guess the alc.

30% new French oak
14.8% alc.
400 cases produced
Bottled August 10th, 2020

***

Lot 35 | 2019 Russian River Sauvignon Blanc

This is a fantastically quaffable Sauvignon Blanc. A combination of stainless steel and barrel-fermentation, its absolutely redolent with quince, guava, key lime and a kiss on banana oil all haloed with powdered blossoms dripping with honey and toasty oak. Soft, generous and juicy on entry with ample support from chalk acidity. Finishes with a flourish of stone fruit, apple skin and pretty minerality. Deeeeelicious. Retails for $35/bottle, yours for $12/bottle.

50% stainless steel, 50% barrel-fermented
14.3% Alc.
350 cases available
Bottled August 10, 2020

***

Lot 36 | 2018 Sonoma Altitude Chardonnay

Back up the Mayacamas we go. Retailing for over $50 a bottle and sporting several low-to-mid-90's scores from the critics critics, this high-altitude-grown Chardonnay is a spectacular example of beautiful fruit lovingly draped over mountain structure. There are very limited quantities so act fast.

Rich and complex on the nose with ripe florals, spicy apple custard and honeyed citrus sitting atop a distinctive Bartlett pear note. Nicely rounded and mouth-filling on the palate with what appears to be a signature oiliness similar to the Viognier (if which, there are 19 cases left as of this writing), but with ample tension that perfectly integrates the rich fruit viscosity and vibrant acidity. Booyah.

approx. 20% new French oak
14.1% alc.
Bottled August 17th, 2020

***

Lot 37 | 2018 Sonoma County Altitude Viognier

This incredible high-elevation, hillside vineyard is located on the spine of the Mayacamas Mountains at well over 2,000 feet and just outside the Spring Mountain District. The original bottling has multiple 90+ critics scores and a $45 price point.

N.37 2018 Sonoma County Viognier was barrel-fermented in neutral oak with periodic battonage to add depth, dimension and weight to the crystalline mineral character. Its extremely aromatic with honeyed nectarine, peach and allspice aromas wrapped in notes of lovely white flower and sweet blossom. On the palate, the rich, almost oily, character of the wine imparts a perception of sweetness and an awesome length to the finish but the acidity is always there and the wine finishes with lip-smacking minerality slathered in stone and citrus fruit notes (again, bone-dry, no residual sugar).

This is a stellar example of the varietal and an incredible offer at $14. I know a case of Viognier might be hard to swallow but, once you taste this, you won't have any problems doing so :-)

Check-in tasting 6.23.21 - This beauty has taken some time to come out and play due both to its 2200-foot elevation high in the Mayacamas Mountains and the low O2-transfer closure we deployed. But its here now and showing beautifully. Viscous aromas of ginger, peach, and white flower swim in saline viscous and chewy on the palate as well with schist/chalky acidity carrying ripe peach and nectarine with ginger spice. Plenty of fruit weight here and excellent structure with spicy mineral finish. Will age nicely over the next 10+ years.

14.5% alc
Barrel-fermented neutral French oak
500 cases available.
bottled on August 17th, 2020

***

Lot 38 | 2018 Sonoma Altitude Syrah

The last of our Altitude series of Sonoma County wines sourced from a high-altitude vineyard on the Mayacamas Mountain, just a stones throw from the Spring Mountain District, OG N.38 2018 Sonoma Altitude Syrah is a fantastic Cote Rotie-styled effort combining a meaty savoriness with spicy herbal notes and black and blue fruits. There's plenty of mountaintop backbone to meld the richness and power.

White pepper and mulberry pie are haloed with blueberry, tarry earth and lilac. The wine is powerfully built with a firm structure that readily supports the various layers of rich fruit and gamy earth. Seamless across the palate finishing with tons of pepper and black fruit in a silky tannin flourish. Delicious now but will age another 8-12 years easy.

100% neutral barrel
400 cases up for grabs
14% alc.
Bottled November 19th, 2020.

***

Lot 39 | 2018 Calistoga Cabernet Sauvignon

This storied Calistoga estate in the shadow of Mount St. Helena effectively put California winemaking on the map. Well-respected for their efforts to create wines of balance and restraint, the house style focuses on mating beautiful, dry-farmed fruit with very fine grain french oak that elevates and frames the fruit without overpowering it. We purchased the main component from their $60+/bottle program and then added about 10% from various small, very high-end barrel lots we hold onto for blending purposes. The resulting blend maintains the pretty fruit character while elevating the complexity.

Wonderfully uplifted and pure nose of pretty raspberry and black cherry is framed by an amalgam of red clay and dark earth kissed with cocoa dust and pink blossom. Smooth and glycerine-like on entry with juicy, nervy, energetic fruit that continues to build on the palate in a seemingly never-ending finish of red fruit and mineral. Deeeelicious.

30% new French Oak
13.7% alc.
200 cases available.
Bottled October 5th, 2020

***

Lot 40 | 2018 Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

93 POINTS, GOLD MEDAL!
2021 CRITICS CHALLENGE WINE COMPETITION

Don't go near this for at least five years, when it's likely to add a point or two to its resume. A Gold Award winner at the 2021 Critics Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition.
93-POINTS Jul 6, 2021

Dark in the glass, this gorgeous Cabernet offers up a beautiful halo of ripe acacia blossom, pretty cassis and cocoa-powdered blackberries lifted on a red-fruit scented minerality - you can taste the volcanic soils of Diamond Mountain. With just a bit of air it turns cologne-like, a beguiling and complex array of fruit, earth and oak. Its chiseled and precise on the palate with a panoply of red and black fruits riding a beam of dusty, bramble-coated minerality on a wave of chewy tannins. Gout de terroir Spectacular!

Check-in tasting 6.23.21 - Like 50 and 82, this wine is just pure oak at this point and a total waste of time to open. I wouldn't touch these for another year or so.

92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot
50% new French Oak
14.9% alc.
Bottled July 21st, 2020

***

Lot 41 | 2018 St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon

PLATINUM - 94-POINTS!
CRITICS CHALLENGE WINE COMPETITION

This delivers the appellation profile over a supple structure with elegance and length. There is a reason that St. Helena is the crown jewel of the Napa Valley, and this bottling is just another example. Blackberry, cassis, faint dried herbs, subtle spice -- it's all here, and will be for a good long while. A Platinum Award winner at the 2021 Critics Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition.
94-POINTS Jul 6, 2021

Scoring 94-95 points from The Wine Advocate the last four vintages, this lush, hedonistic St. Helena Cabernet is a classic Parker, petal-to-the-metal, blockbuster-styled wine. Barrel-fermented in 100% new French oak, its packed with exuberant and gorgeously pure fruit. Sensuous as hell, with a magnificent, palate-coating, tooth-staining structure, it drinks very well now but has all the stuffing to go another 15-20 years in your cellar (but, like I said, you needn't wait, its drink really well now).

Dense purple in the glass, it exudes creme de cassis and boysenberry jam underscored with fruit cake, pencil lead, and smoky cinnamon spice from all the new French oak. Smooth and creamy on the palate with loads of black fruit preserves, dark chocolate-covered cherries and plush tannins that caress the palate in a long, sensuous finish. Fantastic!

Check-in tasting 6.23.21 - Heady and hedonistic, this wine will roll your eyes back in your head. Date cake and black fruit are slathered in oak at this point and weighing down the rest of the aromatic profile focused, extracted and seamless not to mention spectacularly structured but trapped in 100% new French oak for now, give this another 4-6 months for bottle bouquet development. Use 24-hour decant.

Wine Details
100% barrel-fermented in 100% new French Oak
97% Cabernet, 2% Petite Verdot, 1% Merlot
16% alc.
Bottled August 10th, 2020

***

Lot 42 | 2018 St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon

SHIPS OCTOBER 12TH

I think this may be my favorite Cabernet release to date (certainly top 3). What I love is the combination of power and elegance, the silky tannins and lush oak that perfectly frames the powerful hillside fruit. Hedonistic stuff for sure, but the meticulousness, the jewelry-making going on here, really shows through.

This is the wineries bottling blend retailing at $125/bottle and typically only available through mailing list/allocation.
Only 300 cases produced and its magnificent.
Producer at the eastern edge of St Helena appellation on a 10-acre hillside vineyard just over the Silverado Trail.
Accessible now but will age for decades.
Grab it up, this is the kind of Cabernet that put Napa Valley on the map.

Succulent florals, black cherry and black berry burst from the glass, uplifted over dark earth and subtle oak. Broad and expansive on the palate with fine tannins supporting a rich amalgam of dark stone fruits in a long, lingering finish. Ripe, yet lively and energetic throughout, this a powerful wine beautifully balanced.

75% Cabernet, 12% Petite Verdot, 10% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc.
Guessing 65% to 75% new French oak
15.1% alc
300 cases available
Bottled August 20th, 2020

***

Lot 43 | 2018 Napa (Oakville/St. Helena) Cabernet Sauvignon

This is an absurd deal. With a history of consistent 90-92 pt scores from the Wine Spectator, Robert Parker, James Suckling as well as Decanter magazine, this delicious 2018 Cabernet is 69% Oakville Cabernet from the producers estate vineyard and 31% St. Helena Cabernet. Sourced from an Oakville estate winery with an original list price of well over $65/bottle, its a screaming deal at $25!

Dark/opaque in the glass with barely perceptible crimson on the rim. Black cherry, black currant, cigar box and fresh turned earth are framed against baking spice, dark chocolate and toasty oak. Generous yet seamless on the palate with layers of ripe plum and cherry framed against the ample grip of toasty, big-grained Oakville tannins. Tons of length in the finish with plenty of mouthwatering tension. This is an incredible Napa Valley Cabernet for $25/bottle!

Check-in tasting 6.23.21 - Mostly Oakville Cabernet. Lovely cassis aromas mix with old school brett/leather (this is the good brettanomyces, not the band-aid smell, but for the sensitive you'll want to avoid). Plentiful acidity needs time to calm down so, for now, enjoy with richer dishes. However, this wine is headed in a very good direction and patience is required.

Check-in Tasting 1/14/2022 - Oh my! This wine has arrived - beautifully complexed aromas with layers of cherry and cassis mingle with brown sugar, vanilla, anise, and savory notes of soy, dark earth. Bright and vibrant on the front of the palate and the spice and earth evolves and complexes throughout the palate.

45% new French oak
69% Oakville (estate fruit), 31% St. Helena
14.7% alc.
Bottled August 12th, 2020

***

Lot 44 | 2018 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon

92 POINTS, GOLD MEDAL!
2021 CRITICS CHALLENGE WINE COMPETITION

WINEREVIEWONLINE.COM
The appellation speaks clearly here, with a dusty aroma and texture surrounding subtle black fruit. A Gold Award winner at the 2021 Critics Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition.
92 Rich Cook July 6, 2021

This a stunning wine, classic Rutherford from tip-to-tail. The source winery has a variety of sub-appellated Napa Cabernet's ranging from $90-120/bottle and I think its fair to assume this would have slotted in that price range. Seems a hell of a deal at $32/bottle.

Dark with a kiss of cherry red, dense but not opaque. Leaping from the glass with dusty mint and crushed red rock mingling with blackberry and cassis, each precise and delineated. The pristine aromatics are striking. With air, toasty oak wraps around a deep core of dark fruits. Well-balanced on entry with perfectly-ripe and racy red and black fruits amply supported with juicy yet crystalline minerality. This wine is beautifully attenuated and super-precise, dancing on your palate with nuance and complexity. I have purchased several wines from this producer and every wine has tremendous precision and grace. My hats off to their winemaker.

100% Cabernet
approx 60% new French oak
14.3% alc.
Bottled August 7th, 2020

***

Lot 45 | 2018 St. Helena Merlot

92 POINTS, GOLD MEDAL!
2021 CRITICS CHALLENGE WINE COMPETITION

There's a brightness to the fruit here that's hard to maintain. Red, black and blue berries are layered and elegant. A Gold Award winner at the 2021 Critics Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition.
92-POINTS Jul 6, 2021

Sourced from the same producer as Lot N.07 Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir, N.45 2018 St. Helena Merlot is a lush, delicious wine with a solid structure that delivers an umami experience like no other varietal. With 22-months in fine French oak, little expense was spared in its production.

Lush plum, blackberry and pretty cherry are bracketed by sexy, toasty oak, acacia florals, cedar and cocoa powder notes. As promised, its lush on the palate but very well supported with pretty cherry, boysenberry and chocolate toffee oak notes in a long, clean finish. Yes, its rich and ripe but also very well-balanced - clearly a deft hand at the wheel here.

50-60% new French oak (estimated) for 22 months
98% Merlot, 2% Rutherford Cabernet
16% alc - yes, its a big boy but there is no heat whatsoever on this wine.
Bottled August 7th, 2020

***

Lot 46 | 2018 Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon

94-POINTS, PLATINUM MEDAL
2021 SOMMELIERS CHALLENGE WINE COMPETITION

Sourced from a Howell Mountain producer famous for their dedication to only producing Cabernet from high-elevation, hillside sites, this Atlas Peak Cabernet is number three of the four we acquired. I suspect they were loathe to part with these as they were offered a good month after the others and, well, they are fabulous (and yes, I paid a bit more for these). Intended to be the inaugural launch of a new appellation Cabernet to add to their $90+/bottle hillside Cabernet collection, they have since decided now is not the time to launch an addition to their lineup.

Dark and inky in the glass (actual wine in the picture), you can smell the mineral and structure here. Chaparral, fresh-turned earth and black fruits are haloed by toasty, cedary oak and crushed red rock notes. Remarkably supple and refined on entry with palate-coating, grainy yet fine tannins slathered in red rock and cassis in a long (though admittedly shy due to bottle shock at this point) finish. This is a magnificent Cabernet, chock full of power and structure yet ultra-refined and well-mannered at the same time. A true talent is at the helm here. At $35/bottle, this is an incredible opportunity to own world-class hillside Cabernet.

75% new French oak
400 cases available
14.9% alc.
Bottled August 12th, 2020

***

Lot 47 | 2019 Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon

94-POINTS, GOLD MEDAL!
2021 CRITICS CHALLENGE WINE COMPETITION

A full-throttle expression of Atlas Peak, with the backbone to rest well in your cellar. A Gold Award winner at the 2021 Critics Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition.
94-POINTS Jul 6, 2021

Sourced from a Howell Mountain producer famous for their dedication to only producing Cabernet from high-elevation, hillside sites, this Atlas Peak Cabernet is fourth and final Atlas Peak Cabernet we acquired.

Again, dark in the glass but much prettier at this point than the previous AP Cab with sweet, succulent florals that initially hide the beast beneath. Soon the florals just disappear (typical of bottle-shocked wine) and you are left with a concave nose of brooding dark fruit and earth that, at this point, are fairly impenetrable. After a few minutes of air, faint wisps of black cherry, earth and rock join the re-emerging florals but its only fleeting. Clearly there is more here than meets the eye. Smooth and juicy on entry with a wonderful impression of sucosite; however, the midpalate bound up with a big woolly ball of tannin. We get going again after about 5 seconds when the tannins unfurl in a wave of pretty red fruit and rock. The ever-shifting nature of this wine is typical of a recently bottled hillside Cabernet. I am 100% confident this will be drinking with much higher coherence when it reaches your doorstep this Fall. You have my word this will be spectacular when it comes around - its an incredible value at $35/bottle

75% new French oak
300 cases available
14.6% alc.
Bottled August 12th, 2020

***

Lot 48 | 2018 Russian River Pinot Noir

From one of California's pioneering Pinot Noir producers comes this gorgeous Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. Stylistically, its right up the middle seeing a relatively conservative 25% new French oak and pitch-perfect ripeness. The 2016 and 2017 versions were given 93 and 92 points respectively by the Wine Enthusiast. This 2018 is their bottling blend as well.

Dark garnet in the glass with sensuous and lively aromas of black cherry, black tea, rhubarb and Christmas cake spice. The energetic nose is mirrored on the palate with a velvety attack of ripe cherry, baking spice, and cola unfurling over firm yet supportive tannins and finishing with a flourish of red fruit-coated mineral, rose petal and bergamot tea spice. This beautiful Pinot offers length and power and fruit-forward complexity in a wine that will have broad appeal to Pinot Noir lovers. A true classic and another ludicrous deal.

Below is a review from wine blogger The Drunken Cyclist:

12/7/2020 - The Drunken Cyclist Likes this wine: 93-Points
As I wrote about on my blog a couple of months ago, it seems as though Cameron Hughes has once again found a fantastic formula: he buys already made wine in bulk and with little further manipulation, bottles it under his de Negoce label...A brilliant translucent ruby in the glass with dark cherry fruit, considerable spice (including clove), and a minty/eucalyptus aspect on the nose. The palate is fruity, rich, fairly big, but also nuanced--this is much more of a sipping Pinot than it is a food wine but damn, is it tasty. Three months or so ago, I was a skeptic before I tried the wines, but I have to say I am a total convert at this point. Delicious. thedrunkencyclist.com
Wine Details
25% new French Oak
Clones: a blend of 838, 115, 667, 777 and Pommard
14.3% alc.
Bottled August 22nd, 2020

***

Lot 49 | 2018 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

92-POINTS, GOLD MEDAL!
2021 CRITICS CHALLENGE WINE COMPETITION

I like the lean into the red fruit side of Alexander Valley fruit here, accentuated by a dash of vanilla and well-balanced oak spice. A Gold Award winner at the 2021 Critics Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition.
92-POINTS July 6, 2021

OG N.49 2018 Alexander Valley Cabernet comes to us from an organically-farmed estate vineyard and winery on a steep alluvial fan in the southeast corner of Alexander Valley. Stylistically, I would classify this as fairly right-up-the-middle but with a bias towards elegance and purity of fruit over ripeness and extract. Its exquisitely-balanced and well-structured throughout with sappy, energetic fruit that resounds throughout the lithe finish. Beautiful stuff for sure and, of course given that it sell for well-over $50/bottle at the winery, a stunning value at $19/bottle. The 2017 bottling received 90pts from prominent critical journal and I think the 2018 is a better wine.

Tasting notes from final blend sample: Deep ruby in the glass, she opens up with rich panoply of dark fruits, sage florals and exotic spice. Plum, blueberry and blackberry are well-defined and pure with graphite, sage, black pepper and powdered purple flowers adding complexity. The fruit is energetic and fresh with well integrated tannins caressing the palate in a long, pristine finish featuring a lovely amalgam of blackberry and pepper spice. Delicious!

Check-in tasting 6.23.21 - This wine is drinking BEAUTIFULLY right now and should be your go to. Sexy aromatics translate on the palate. Plenty of structure left here but the fruit rides over the tannins with good energy.

80% Cabernet, 14% Merlot, 4% Sauvignon Blanc, 1% Malbec, 1% Cab Franc. (producers blend)
100% Tight-grained French oak: just a kiss of new wood to preserve the pretty fruit and spice
14.5% alc.
Bottled August 25th, 2020

***

Lot 50 | 2018 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon

Its become a tradition of mine to celebrate significant numbers with significant wines. And, while we've far surpassed 50 releases already, OG N.50 represents a milestone for De Négoce sourcing. I decided early on, after watching this wine evolve in the bottle over an entire week, that this 2018 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon would make a fantastic N.50 release. Our team traveled to Walla Walla last month and assembled the final blend in conjunction with the winery while using all estate components.

Produced by an estate vineyard and winery, this producer effectively put Washington state on the map. Their $120 to $160+ Cabernet Sauvignon's score in the mid-to-high-90's pretty much year-in, year-out. This Cabernet is nothing short of spectacular and will age 20-30 years when properly cellared. Dark and inky in the glass. The dense, brooding nose features savory, graphitic blackberry and black cherry fruit mingling with sage and sandalwood spice. With air, blackcurrant, leather and cedar join the mix. Massive and broad yet smooth and polished across the palate with expansive, powdery tannins supporting an amalgam of black and red fruits framed by tobacco and dark chocolate. Incredible acidity supports the longevity of this dynamite Cabernet.

Check-in tasting 6.23.21 - No TOUCHY! This wine is an impenetrable wall of tannin even with a couple days of micro-ox. There is an epic wine here, however, that will age another 20-25 years so be patient.

45% new French Oak
94% Cabernet, 2% Petite Verdot, 2% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc
15% alc.
Bottled September 4th, 2020

***

Lot 51 | 2018 Sonoma Mountain Cabernet Franc

Funny story. My winemaker called me in a panic after this wine arrived at our facility and the labs came back with a 12.6% alcohol reading. A small 500 gallon lot, he surmised they must have pushed the wine through the loading hose with water and someone forgot to turn it off. I checked the sales contract and, sure enough, 12.6% was what they had listed. And, of course, the wine was lovely - beautifully perfumed with crunchy acidity. This is definite wine geek juice.

Dark garnet in the glass, crushed red rock, and sour cherry mingle with damp earth and loamy black cherry - the terroir of Sonoma Mountain is in this glass. Super fresh on the nose yet soft and juicy on entry, the wine is beautifully balanced against pretty acidity and powerful yet elegant mountain tannin's. The fruit is pristine, layered and complex in a surprisingly long, lingering finish. Uber pure, I think this wine will change some minds about what can be produced in California. It will age beautifully as well. I can't wait to see this in 5-10 years.

Check-in tasting 6.12.21 - lovely leather and cherry...less than 20 cases left. Will age beautifully.

100% Cabernet Franc
100% Neutral (used) French oak barrels
12.6% alc.
20 cases remaining as of 6.11.21
Bottled August 26th, 2020

***

Lot 52 | 2018 Chalk Hill Cabernet Franc

Winner: Best Cabernet Franc
96-points, Platinum Medal
2021 Sommelier Challenge Wine Competition

Cabernet Franc fans rejoice! This wine is such an overt steal, you won't believe it. It's got the cherry, it's got the complementary green (balanced perfectly) and it's got the acidity and grip to push all the flavor out into the distance. It is perfectly extracted, and has a long life ahead. You won't regret buying a case of this. A Platinum Award winner at the 2021 Sommelier Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition.
96-POINTS Sep 21, 2021

N.52 2018 Chalk Hill Cabernet Franc is from same producer as N.51 2018 Sonoma Mountain Cabernet Franc. Whereas the Sonoma Mountain wine site is at an elevation of approximately 700 feet, this Chalk Hill site is at approximately about 400 feet and the difference shows here shows in subtle ways with a little bit more fruit, slightly less acidity and just a kiss of unctuousness on the palate. Both weigh-in around 12.5% alc. however and are beautifully fresh and lively throughout.

Coffee beans, dark earth, rose petal and pretty cherry fruit are bright and fresh on the nose - I would not hesitate to add pleasantly piquant to that description as well. Soft and juicy on entry with crunchy acidity framed against ample tannins, it finishes with a beam of pure cherry minerality haloed by lovely rose petal florals. Absolutely delicious and eye opening to what can be produced on the north coast.

Check-in tasting 6.12.21 - It never ceases to amaze me that this elegant, beautiful wine was produced from Chalk Hill fruit. The ripeness at 12.5% alc. is surprising. Fantastic stuff and will age beautifully as well drink beautifully on a warm summers day.

100% Cabernet Franc
22 months in 100% neutral French oak
12.5% alc
Bottled August 26th, 2020

***

Lot 53 | 2018 Sonoma Mountain Merlot

From the same producer as N.51 and N.52 Cab Franc's, N.53 2018 Sonoma Mountain Merlot reflects the same ethos of low-alc elegance. Weighing in at 13.5%, this Merlot combines a terrifically fleshy structure and ripe fruit with freshness and grace. Retailing for over $55/bottle, its a steal at $19/bottle - this is a unique and compelling wine that will age nicely over the next 5-10 years.

Deep garnet with a medium ruby rim. Succulent and juicy yet elegant on the nose with loamy coffee bean/olive and raspberry preserves at first but quickly a crushed red rock, black cherry and dark plum emerge. Fantastic freshness. Soft on entry with a pristine mid-palate featuring juicy cherry and strawberry set against ripe, mineral-laden tannins. Long, pure finish of just fruit, there's little to no new oak influence.

Check-in tasting 6.12.21 - There are less than 40 cases of this left. Gorgeous, ethereal, elegant yet fully ripe and pretty as all get out. Little richer at 13.5% alc but seamless across the board. Along with the aforementioned Cabernet Francs, these unique offerings are an eye opener.

22 months in 100% neutral French oak
13.5% alc.
Bottled August 26th, 2020

***

Lot 54 | 2018 Sonoma Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2016 version of this wine scored 93 points from Vinous and the 2017 scored 94. 2018 is, at a minimum, on par with the 2017.

Deep ruby in the glass with a pale purple rim. Dark and brooding nose of graphite, lavender, and dark fruit at first but with air the red rock minerality and pretty cherry fruit emerge, hinting at things to come. This beauty is supple and racy on entry with the fruit swaddled in hillside baby-fat. With maceration one can get the black cherry and black tea so clearly some decanting is in order here. Plenty of length and the precision. Bottled on 8/26/20, decant for several hours now and drink this beautiful Cabernet over the next 10-15 years.

22 months in 100% neutral French oak.
13.5% alc.
Bottled August 26th, 2020

***

Lot 55 | 2019 Paso Robles Rose

Pale salmon in the glass and super pretty with a beautiful nose of strawberry and peach fruit beautifully uplifted by a fresh saline/sea breeze aromas. Its mouthwateringly delicious with precision-chiseled fruit, crushed rock and diamond-crusted mineral dancing over your palate offering tremendous length and vibrancy. Yum yum yum!

Wine Details
76% Grenache, 19% Mourvedre, 5% Counoise
13.2% alc.
Bottled October 15th, 2020

***

Lot 56 | 2019 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir

92 POINTS, GOLD MEDAL!
2021 CRITICS CHALLENGE WINE COMPETITION

Classic Anderson Valley cherry aromas translate well to flavors with bracing acidity, providing a finish push. A Gold Award winner at the 2021 Critics Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition.
92-POINTS

Sourced from one of the small, boutique Sonoma producer's that put cool-climate, racy, nervy Pinot Noir on the map with critics over the last 15 years. This is beautifully put together and will age well over the next decade. Was $60+, now $19/bottle.

Pale-to-medium-ruby in the glass with cola spice, rainier cherry and wild strawberry fruit framed by dark earth and truffle/mushroom notes. Supple on entry turning firm on the mid-palate with cool-climate minerality melding with partial stem-inclusion tannin's providing a solid backbone with plenty of length and structure. Fleshy and juicy throughout with cherry fruit and cola spice riding lip-smacking acidity into a nice, long finish. The mid-palate is just beginning to unfurl and with five weeks in the bottle now its actually showing quite well. Should be fantastic by the time it ships to you.

Check-in tasting 6.12.21 - Nicely stretched out in the bottle now...the bottle bouquet is soaring now, adding dimension and weight with air. 13.5% alc. No reason not to decant.

25% new French oak, low toast, tight grain
100% Pinot Noir
13.3% alc.
Bottled September 15th, 2020

***

Lot 57 | 2018 St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon

2018 OG de Negoce N. 57 Cabernet Sauvignon (St. Helena): MASSIVE, oaky and smoky. And a good version of all three. $40 A-
Joe Roberts - 1 Wine Dude

Do you folks remember N.41 St. Helena Cabernet release?

Our next release, N.57 is effectively the same wine (sorry, ignore the Franc on the bottle image). The producer decided to free up another couple thousand gallons and we bottled it on October 2nd (vs. August 10th for N.41).

I actually just tasted both wines and, funny thing, N.57 is actually showing better than N.41. This wild oscillation is typical of bottle shock (which particularly affects big Napa Valley Cabernet's) and you can expect it to wax and wane for another couple of months. The only difference between the two wines is the final blend...97% St. Helena Cabernet plus 3% Spring Mountain Merlot we blended in for structure and to carry all the ripe fruit (for similar reasons N.41 saw 2% PV and 1% Merlot in the final blend).

Scoring 94-95 points from The Wine Advocate the last four vintages, this lush, hedonistic St. Helena Cabernet is a classic Parker, petal-to-the-metal, blockbuster-styled wine. Barrel-fermented in 100% new French oak, its packed with exuberant and gorgeously pure fruit. Sensuous as hell, with a magnificent, palate-coating, tooth-staining structure, it drinks very well now but has all the stuffing to go another 15-20 years in your cellar. Once this wine is through bottle shock (probably 6 months from bottling date), it's open-knit structure will drink nicely. Of course, additional complexity will come with more time in bottle.

Dense purple in the glass, it exudes framboise, chocolate, brown sugar and boysenberry jam haloed with cedar and graphite underscored with fruit cake and Christmas spice. Incredibly lush, succulent and creamy on the palate with loads of black fruit preserves, dark chocolate-covered cherries and plush tannins that caress the palate in a long, sensuous finish. Fantastic!

100% barrel-fermented in 100% new French Oak
97% Cabernet, 3% Merlot (Spring Mountain)
16.2% alc.
700 cases available
Bottled October 2nd, 2020

***

Lot 58 | 2018 McDowell Valley, Mendocino County Petite Sirah

91 POINTS, GOLD MEDAL!
AWARDED BEST PETITE SIRAH
2021 CRITICS CHALLENGE WINE COMPETITION

An approachable Petite with the stuffing to age as well - solid varietal character! A Gold Award winner at the 2021 Critics Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition.
91-POINTS July 6, 2021

OG N.58 Petite Sirah hails from the McDowell Valley, a relatively cool, 1000-foot elevation site in Mendocino, and is sourced from 40+ year old heritage, head-pruned Petite Sirah vines. I have to admit that I am only tangentially aware of Mendocino's McDowell Valley but I found this wine to be not just compelling and unique, but downright delicious. Its dark but hardly inky, beautifully perfumed and lithe on the palate - a terrific combo of peppery, robust Petite Sirah structure and ripe blackberry jam and raspberry fruit. Gorgeous!

Dark in the glass but not inky. The nose is fresh and vibrant with peppery, meaty blackberry jam accented with rhubarb notes and haloed with powdery, perfumed rose petal and graham cracker spice. Supple on entry with ripe raspberry and white pepper/thyme top notes. Bright but extracted throughout with glycerin-coated tannins that meld beautifully with the brambly fruit and integrated oak in a long, elegant finish. This is truly classy Petite Sirah made in a style that will have broad appeal an potentially change the way you think about PS.

Check-in tasting 6.12.21 - OG N.58 Petite Sirah hails from the McDowell Valley, a relatively cool, 1000-foot elevation site in Mendocino, and is sourced from 40+ year old heritage, head-pruned Petite Sirah vines. I found this wine to be not just compelling and unique, but downright delicious. Its dark but hardly inky, beautifully perfumed and lithe on the palate - a terrific combo of peppery, robust Petite Sirah structure and ripe blackberry jam and raspberry fruit. Gorgeous!

100% Petite Sirah
20% new French oak
15% alc.
Bottled September 15th, 2020

***

Lot 59 | 2018 Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon

N.59 Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from a vineyard high on Mt. Veeder, over 2,000 feet above sea level. The winemaker is a high-end Napa valley consulting winemaker in the Phillipe Melka mold and the wine sells for between $200 and $225/bottle. It is opening up nicely now and an incredible offer at $35/bottle. I recommend a 24-hour decant for this wine...decant for 2-3 hours and then put it back into the bottle overnight. Of course, the best is ahead of it and this wine will age 20 years easily.

Original tank sample notes: Dark and inky in the glass. The aromas are densely packed and brooding at this stage, pulling you down into the glass and showing lovely and pure cassis and crushed red rock aromas as well as perfect oak integration. But clearly this still just a baby. The palate is surprising voluptuous on entry but also powerful with a big ball of chewy tannins meeting you at mid-stride. Swaddled in baby fat she is, but this will be stunning wine in a few years. Its all there.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon, 100% Mt. Veeder
80% new French oak
16% alc.
20 cases left as of June 9th, 2021
Bottled October 7th, 2020

***

Lot 60 | 2018 Yountville District Cabernet Sauvignon

91-POINTS, GOLD MEDAL!
2021 CRITICS CHALLENGE WINE COMPETITION

This wine is going places. Once it calms down, the red fruit will be something to behold! A Gold Award winner at the 2021 Critics Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition.
91-POINTS July 6, 2021

N.60 is a 2018 Yountville District Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the legendary Sleeping Lady Vineyards. The winemaker is a high-end Napa valley consulting winemaker in the Phillipe Melka mold and the wine sells for over $150/bottle. It is opening up nicely now and an incredible offer at $35/bottle. I recommend a 24-hour decant for this wine...decant for 2-3 hours and then put it back into the bottle overnight. Of course, the best is ahead of it and this wine will age 20-years easily.

Original tasting notes from tank sample: Dark in the glass, it leaves a brilliant, electric purple stain as you swirl. The oak is much more prominent on the nose here showing lots of mocha but acacia flower, lavender, dark black cherry and graphite are peeking around the corner. With air, lush plum and cassis join the chorus. Rich and explosive on the palate with energetic fruit and silky tannins fanning out across your palate. Booyah.

Check-in tasting 6.23.21 - What a fantastic partner wine to the Mount Veeder Cabernet. Whereas the Mt. Veeder shows the ethereal character of mountain fruit, N.60 shows the alluvial power of the western benches of Napa Valley. Deep, dark, sensuous and muscular, the aromas are gorgeous but they lead to an absolute black hole on the palate. However, that black hole goes supernova with sappy extract, tannins and oak mid palate and through the finish. The fruit impression is there but still swaddled in baby fat. A 24-hour decant and nice big steak could be a good path forward right bow but clearly the best is yet to come.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon, 100% Sleeping Lady Vineyard, Yountville
100% new French oak
14.9% alc.
17 cases remaining as of June 11th, 2021
Bottled October 7th, 2020

***

Lot 61 | 2018 Dry Creek Zinfandel

This wonderful Zinfandel comes to us from one of Dry Creeks pioneers. The wines are deftly crafted with what I would call a pretty richness or boutique style that values balance, harmony, and complexity. Thankfully there are critics who appreciate what could be called a this feminine style. The 2017 version of this wine was scored 91pts. by another prominent publication who, in my opinion, is quite judicious with their scores. 2018 is certainly an as good, if not a better, vintage. Priced at the winery for $35/bottle, yours today for $16/bottle when purchased by the case.

OG N.61 Dry Creek Zinfandel comes from 40+ year-old vines. Gorgeously perfumed with powdery purple blossom and lavender notes mingling with raspberry top notes and blackberry pie bass with hints of black pepper. Pretty cherry and smoky, meaty notes emerge with air and make it all the more sumptuous. Supple on entry, its exceptionally well-balanced with chewy acidity and perfectly attenuated grip, finishing pure and velvety with cherry and raspberry notes framed by vanilla oak. Goddamn this is beautiful stuff. I would call this a Pinot-lovers Zinfandel without hesitation but it has all the structure and stuffing for broad appeal and nice ageing potential to boot.

Wine Details
18 months in 35% new oak, mix of French and American cooperage, tight grain, low toast.
98% Zinfandel, 2% Petite Sirah
Drink now through 2030
14.5% alc
Bottled October 5th, 2020
300 cases available

***

Lot 62 | 2019 Russian River Valley Chardonnay

92 POINTS, GOLD MEDAL!
2021 CRITICS CHALLENGE WINE COMPETITION

WINEREVIEWONLINE.COM
Classy Russian River fruit is allowed to speak thanks to minimal oak. Pear, apple and soft spice finish in lively fashion. A Gold Award winner at the 2021 Critics Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition.
92 Rich Cook Jul 6, 2021

With 93- and 94-point scores from the Enthusiast for the last three vintages running and a $40-50 price tag, OG N.62 2019 Russian River Chardonnay is an exceptional deal at $16/bottle. Its the same wine the producer bottles and is largely sourced from their estate vineyard. 100% barrel-fermented with 100% indigenous yeast before aging for 14-months in low-toast French oak (20% new), this Chardonnay is right up the middle stylistically, beautifully balanced, succulent and complex.

Orange blossoms, golden delicious apple, honey-poached pear and creme brulee are gorgeously rendered on this sun-kissed wine. It fills the mouth with citrus and stone fruit (nectarine!) and finishes with a satiny textured and long, honeyed finish. Partial malolactic fermentation offers just the right amount of butter while maintaining excellent acidity and tension. Beautiful stuff!

Check-in tasting 6.12.21 - This wine comes in at 14.3% alc but its as gorgeous a chardonnay as you'll ever see at this price point. Piercing aromatics, succulent, sexy mid-palate, resounding finish. Awesome. Chardonnay fans of all stripes will appreciate this wine.

20% new French oak, low-toast, 100% barrel-fermented, 100% indigenous yeast
100% Chardonnay - mostly estate fruit
14.5% alc.
300 cases available
Bottled October 8, 2020

***

Lot 63 | 2018 Oak Knoll Reisling

92-POINTS, GOLD MEDAL!
2021 CRITICS CHALLENGE WINE COMPETITION

Tart citrus plays well against stony minerality on a creamy midpalate through a bracing finish. A Gold Award winner at the 2021 Critics Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition.
92-POINTS Jul 6, 2021

I thought I had been transported to Australia's Clare Valley when I first encountered this Riesling. The aromatics are worth the price of entry for sure and the palate delivers as well with wonderful fruit/acid tension and long, crystalline finish. Bone dry, this wonderful Riesling is one of Napa Valley's finest with the '17 and '18 vintages scoring multiple low-to mid-90's scores from major journals. Winery priced at $25+, yours today for $14/bottle.

Succulent florals surround crisp ruby grapefruit and fresh green apple with linalool and wisps of diesel adding complexity. The palate is bright and vibrant with a panoply of orchard fruit riding a bright, mouthwatering beam of acidity in an invigorating finish.

Check-in tasting 6.12.21 - Pure wonderful. Succulent florals surround crisp ruby grapefruit and fresh green apple with linalool and wisps of diesel adding complexity. The palate is bright and vibrant with a panoply of orchard fruit riding a bright, mouthwatering beam of acidity in an invigorating finish.

PLEASE NOTE: Image is of flint (or clear), Bordeaux-style glass. We actually bottled into an amber, hock-style bottle.

100% Riesling
All stainless, no oak
12% alc.
Bottled October 8th, 2020

***

Lot 64 | 2018 Calistoga Hillside Cabernet

You know those incredible terraced-hillside vineyards you see as you drive north through Napa Valley? Ever wondered what a Cabernet from one of those vineyards would taste like?

Well, now is your chance.

Opaque, deep ruby in the glass. Sexy white flower and herb top note with blackberry jam and cassis aromas pushing through the savory animal and iron. Remarkably supple and smooth on entry with rich fruit, licorice and iron-specked mineral playing out over robust but perfectly integrated, even sweet, tannins. One fine magic carpet ride this wine.

Check-in tasting 6.23.21 - Bottled 11/10/2020, this wine is just starting to wake up with hillside, ethereal aromas and the brighter Calistoga fruit profile laid over substantial tannins. Let it sit through to the Fall at a minimum, the best is down the road.

96% Cabernet, 4% Petite Verdot
60% new French oak
15% alc.
500 cases available
Bottled November 10, 2020

***

Lot 65 | 2018 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

92 POINTS, GOLD MEDAL!
2021 CRITICS CHALLENGE WINE COMPETITION

Tightly wound, but showing great promise for unwinding elegantly. A Gold Award winner at the 2021 Critics Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition.
92-POINTS

From a spectacular estate in the rolling hills of Yamhill/Carlton AVA of Willamette Valley comes this modern-styled Pinot Noir. With 50% new French oak, this is not what Burgundy fanatics would call terroir-driven. However, its a very successful execution of what I would call a broadly-appealing Pinot Noir, plush and fruit-driven yet made with tremendous finesse while still retaining good energy. This is the exact same blend the winery bottles which retails for well over $40/bottle. The 2016 and 2017 vintages have scored between 90- and 92-points from The Wine Spectator and Robert Parker .

Fleshy, ripe wild strawberry, black cherry and black raspberry notes are seamlessly welded on top of a dark earth and toasty, perfectly integrated oak. Silky and smooth on entry turning succulent and juicy across the palate with effortless richness and energy leading to a pure, resinous finish echoing with red and black fruits. Fleshy and pure with ripe fruit and polished tannins, this Pinot Noir is made in a modern-style, perfectly executed.

July 2nd UPDATE - OG N.65 “ dark and dense out of the bottle but opens up with a few minutes of air to reveal layers of black cherry, cinnamon, earth and sincere French oak really nice wood, fine grained, Allier forest, air-dried, seasoned and toasted long and med great barrels here. The wine is powerfully built and just unwinding. 24-hour decant is recommended for near-term drinking this wine will age magnificently.

Wine Details
100% Pinot Noir, 100% estate fruit
50% new French oak
14.2% alcohol
Bottled September 16th, 2020

***

Lot 66 | 2018 Napa Valley (mostly Stags Leap) Cabernet Sauvignon

I sourced this Napa Valley Cabernet from a Stags Leap winery and, after one whiff, thought they were just trying to protect the appellation by selling it as Napa Valley. It smelled exactly like Stags Leap Cabernet - inky in the glass with aromas of graphitic black cherry and plum backed by blackberry jam and fantastic tannins. I asked the winemaker if they were holding out on me and was promptly sent a very specific appellation breakout:
73.58% Stags Leap
22.44% Yountville
3.98% Carneros

A very small appellation, Stags Leap District Cabernet has become increasingly difficult to source over the last decade. In retrospect, I guess its probably best the wine didn't qualify for Stags Leap appellation as it likely would have doubled the price. As it is, you get the best of both worlds, spectacular, all-estate-fruit Cabernet that looks and smells like Stags Leap at the ridiculously low price of $29/bottle. This is the same wine they bottle as a Napa Valley Cabernet and sell for $70+/bottle.

Inky black in the glass with just a kiss of garnet around the rim. The nose draws you down into the glass with deep, rich plum, black cherry and blackberry jam aromas. At the same time, red rock, graphite and juicy white florals are uplifted, the overall effect is a voluminous and complex nose. Supple on entry and beautifully balanced with black fruits melded perfectly with classic Stags Leap acidity and tension.

UPDATED JUNE 27, 2021

I found this wine a bit more aromatically complex a couple of months ago. Its swinging back and forth a bit still but I think finally settling in as it opened with air. Rain on asphalt, blackberry syrup and leather aromas peek through day two shows more ethereal and otherworldly but it is still tightly wound as well as working through oak integration. Fantastic structure however, give this a 24 hour decant in the meantime but best to wait until the fall.

65+% new French and Hungarian oak
78% Cabernet, 13% Merlot, 6% Petite Verdot, 2% Malbec, 1% Cabernet Franc
14.6% alc.
Bottled September 30th, 2020
800 cases available

***

Lot 67 | 2018 Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon

What is the most overlooked terroir in California? It is a question I am asked often. The answer is always the same: The Santa Cruz Mountains. These rugged hillsides just south of San Francisco are home to some of the world's greatest vineyards and wines. Fabulous, age-worthy Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs and Cabernet Sauvignon-based reds all flourish on these dramatic mountain sites.

Santa Cruz Mountains: California's Best Kept Secret
By Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 2013

Well, not much has changed since Mr. Galloni wrote that in 2013. Hell, I can only name a few SCM wineries and I'm in the biz. Thats changed a tiny bit as I've spent some time up here recently on a few projects both related to the meat (Holy Grail Steak Co.) and wine businesses. Having visited a few tasting rooms, I confess I am surprised by the beautiful energy these wines posses. I think its fair to say that, if it weren't for the suburban sprawl of Silicon Valley, the Santa Cruz Mountains regions would be more widely recognized for the world-class growing region that it is. I highly recommend you visit the area for that reason alone but, given the recent fires plaguing this region, I am sure the wineries would appreciate your support as well (of course, as would all North Coast wineries right now).

Today's release is classic example of mountain-grown Cabernet. Sourced from 50+ year-old-vines grown in the Los Altos Hill area, its a medium+ weight Cabernet but loaded with energetic fruit and ample concentration. Winery retail around $40/bottle. Yours today's for $18 per bottle. Trust me, you won't find this caliber of artisanal Cabernet anywhere near this price.

Deep ruby with a medium purple hue around the rim. Nervy black cherry and red currant fruit are halo'd by a lovely perfume of dried rose petals, sage and loam. Firm, on entry with juicy, lively acidity carrying a mix of plums and red fruits melded with perfectly integrated tannins in a long, elegant finish.

UPDATED TASTING NOTES 6.29.21
Tight and awkward right out of the bottle with redwood duff and bay leaf over subdued fruit. A couple minutes of air loosens things up a bit as tobacco and cedar come through with light cassis and blackcurrant fruit. Solidly loamy underpinning. Opens up on day two with some pretty, cherry-driven elegance and emerging complexity. 24-hour decant now or wait until the Fall.

UPDATED TASTING NOTES 10.4.21
Finally cracking open! Decant now and enjoy.

Aged 22 months in mix of French and Hungarian oak, 20% new, low- to medium- toast to elevate the fruit.
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Bottled October 1st, 2020
Drink 2021 through 2031
13.8% alc.
250 cases available.

***

Lot 68 | 2018 Sonoma County Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

92 POINTS, GOLD MEDAL!
2021 CRITICS CHALLENGE WINE COMPETITION

Toasty, chocolatey and structured, this wine is worthy of some unwinding time. A Gold Award winner at the 2021 Critics Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition.
92-POINTS July 6, 2021

The last offering from this stunning, high-elevation, Spring Mountain estate, N.68 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is a classic example of the mountain breed. Dense and savory with elegantly delineated fruit, it reflects the extreme growing conditions of high-altitude vineyards. Here ultraviolet exposure combines with lean soils to produce wines (and especially Cabernet's) with bold structures and intense flavors.

Of course, N.68 Cabernet is a terrific example, an achetype for the category. After purchasing the first three wines, our team was given carte blanche access and assembled the blend from components we were provided. Since the blend is our own, its hard to directly compare prices but, I think its fair to say, you would pay anywhere from $75-$95/bottle for the components here so lets call it $80 juice for $28. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and, if you are looking for overtly rich and early expressive, this isn't your Cabernet. Deep, dark and delicious it is (and relatively approachable for a mountain Cab); nevertheless, the best of this wine is a couple years out.

Dark and brooding in the glass it starts very earthy and graphitic with lots of deep plum, chaparral, herb and licorice notes flashing with black cherry, sage and leather. Powdery purple florals, crushed volcanic rock and dark earth are constant once it opens up. Smooth and surprisingly lush and full on the palate, its focused and concentrated with chewy tannin and bright, lingering black cherry on the finish. This will be dynamite once it coalesces.

UPDATED JUNE 27, 2021

Just cracking open but still tightly wrapped in high-altitude, mountain tannins. Soy, toffee, warm wax oak aromas dominate the dark cherry fruit brooding, earthy mountain cab with graphite, chaparral herbs/anise/sage, dried black cherry, leather - smooth and lush full palate, focused and concentrated with chewy tannin and bright lingering black cherry on the finish. Day Two: Mountain chaparral begins to escape the abyss as the aromatic complexity emerges. Good fruit impression on the palate but it is tightly wound with bourbon oak and tannins. Look to the Fall.

Wine Details
77% Sonoma County, 23% Napa County
79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 7% Petite Verdot
45% new French oak
14.6% alc.
Bottled September 28th

***

Lot 69 | 2018 Napa Valley Mountain Merlot

From the same producer as N.36, 37 and 38, N.69 2018 Napa Valley Merlot is a spectacular wine from a spectacular mountaintop vineyard on the crest of the Mayacamas range and Spring Mountain. Located at over 2,000 feet, the combination of altitude and volcanic soils makes for small berries and tight clusters which equals dark, ageable wines with lots of intensity and structure -a Cabernet-lover's Merlot. With at $80+ price point and plenty of low-to mid-90's scores from the major critics, this highly revered wine is an incredible offer at $18/bottle. My understanding is this is the entire 2018 production of this particular high-end cuvee.

Dark in the glass with a dusky red rim. Deep, smoky plum, mocha, and blackberry draw you down into the glass until the sensuous red currant, powdered rose petal and graphite lift the nose adding raspberry and earth as it opens up. Just bottled on October 1, its deeply shocked at this point but there is lot here to shoot at here with every swirl of the glass revealing what are ultimately fleeting glimpses of whats to come. On entry the wine is all translucence and glycerin, the fruit shocky and swaddled in baby fat with just a pretty beam of raspberry and cherry fruit echoing against big chewy tannins to show for itself. Disappointing? Hell, no. Just shocky which is to be expected at this point. The structure and complexity are all there and the palate is rich and smooth if reticent - one thing I can promise you, this wine will coalesce into a beautiful, powerful Mountain Merlot.

UPDATED TASTING NOTES 6.29.21
Still evolving but opening up nicely with brown sugar and plum, tobacco and charred French oak aromas. Rich and open knit on the palate, ripe with plum and tart cherry but still tight through the finish with potent mineral-laced tannins. Day two: sage and chaparral join the chorus and the fruit register deepens as the palate cracks open. Quite enjoyable and certainly worthy of a 24-hour decant to enjoy now. Of course, this wine has a tremendous future ahead of it as well. Spectacularly priced...

90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet
88% Napa Valley, 12% Sonoma County
Guessing 40-50% new French oak
Bottled October 1, 2020
60 cases available
14.8% alc.

***

Lot 70A | 2019 Chehelem Mountain Pinot Noir Blend A

2019 de Negoce No. 70 “ A “ Tank Sample Pinot Noir Red, Chehalem Mountains, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Light to medium garnet in color, this tank sample smells of candied raspberries. In the mouth, bright raspberry pastille fruit is juicy and offers a hint of herbs. Excellent acidity. Very tasty. Score: around 9.
67% Pommard
33% Clone 115
5% new French Oak, 10% second fill, 85% neutral French oak
13.6% alc *** Lot 70B | 2019 Chehelem Mountain Pinot Noir Blend B

2019 de Negoce No. 70 “ B “ Tank Sample Pinot Noir Red, Chehalem Mountains, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Light to medium garnet in the glass, this tank sample smells of raspberry and redcurrant. In the mouth juicy redcurrant and prickly pear jam flavors are bright and juicy. Fantastic acidity. Score: around 9.
100% Dijon Clones Mix (113, 114, 115, 667, 777)
5% new French Oak, 15% second fill, 80% neutral French oak
13.4%

***

Lot 70C | 2019 Chehelem Mountain Pinot Noir Blend C

2019 de Negoce No. 70 “ C “ Tank Sample Pinot Noir Red, Chehalem Mountains, Willamette Valley, Oregon

Light to medium garnet in color, this tank sample smells of raspberry and herbs. In the mouth, raspberry and sour cherry flavors have fleecier more muscular tannins than this wine's peers. Nice acidity and length. Score: between 8.5 and 9.

37% Pommard
21% 777
19% 113
7% Wadenswil
7% 114
5% 667
4% 115
15% second fill French oak
85% neutral French oak
13.3% alc.

***

Lot 70D | 2019 Chehelem Mountain Pinot Noir Blend D

2019 de Negoce No. 70 “ D “ Tank Sample Pinot Noir Red, Chehalem Mountains, Willamette Valley, Oregon

Light to medium garnet in color, this tank sample smells of juicy sour cherry and raspberry fruit. Wonderfully bright, mouthwatering acidity lingers long with citrus peel and a touch of watermelon. Pretty killer stuff I'd drink a bottle of in a heartbeat. Score: between 9 and 9.5.
41% Pommard
26% 777
17% 114
10% 667
3% Wadenswil
2% 115
1% 113
20% second fill French oak
80% neutral French oak
13.3% alc. *** Lot 71 | 2018 Calistoga Hillside Cabernet Sauvignon

Sourced from a Howell Mountain producer famous for their dedication to only producing Cabernet from hillside sites, this Calistoga Cabernet is the fifth we acquired from this winery. I suspect they were loathe to part with this as they were offered a couple of months after the others. Intended to be the inaugural launch of a new appellation Cabernet to add to their $90+/bottle hillside Cabernet collection, they have since decided now is not the time to launch an addition to their broad lineup.

I tend to think of Calistoga Cabernet's as a bit lighter in color, more transparent with riper red fruit profiles. However, as you get into the alluvial fans on either side of the valley, the wines get deeper, darker and more intense. Today's release comes from an alluvial fan situated in the hills to the east of the Silverado trail. Opaque and inky in demeanor with palate-coating musculature, this is archetypal hillside/alluvial-derived Cabernet Sauvignon. Usually, when we get a 100% Cabernet in the barn, we like to do a little tweaking around the edges; however, this wine didn't need it; nay, it resisted it.

Inky and opaque in the glass and pungent with smoky blackberry, plum, creme de cassis, vanilla and sweet florals in what is ultimately a monolithic and brooding nose. This is going to need some time in the bottle for sure but all the stuffing is there. Smooth on entry with excellent balance, the palate is big and broad with an underlying intensity showcasing juicy blackberry and chewy tannins resonating through a long finish. This is just a baby, the patient will be rewarded here.

UPDATED TASTING NOTES 6.29.21
I was excited to get this into the bottle. Deep, dark and mysterious but gorgeously complex with foothills spice, toffee and chocolate lifted on toasty French oak. The fruit is submerged, however. Day Two: black and red fruit, mineral, rock, and succulent florals emerge still, this wine is tight, the fruit fairly monolithic and the structure intense. Its just not worth it to sacrifice one of these knowing whats to come. No touchy for now but I would definitely grab any of the 55 remaining cases as I doubt this will hit the Bottle Shop.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon
75% new French oak
15.7% alc.
225 cases available.
Bottled October 7th, 2020

***

Lot 72 | 2018 Russian River Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

This is a gorgeous and expressive Cabernet Sauvignon. A rare varietal in the Russian River Valley, this Cabernet benefits from the same goldridge and altamont soils that make the Russian River Valley such an incredible growing region for Pinot Noir. In fact, you can argue this has to be some of the best soil in the Russian River if it can succeed with Cabernet in such a cool region. Its fully ripe at 14.6% with one of the most expressive and lively noses you'll find on the north coast. With 93+- to 97-point scores from major reviewers, you could put this in Napa Valley and triple its $65 tag (winery price).

At $28/bottle, its an incredible opportunity to own one of the prettiest Cabernet's in the state and one that will age phenomenally over the next 10-15 years. If you like energy in your Cabernet, don't miss this one - I'm not.

Deep and inky in the glass with an ultraviolet purple rim that stains the glass with iridescence. Explodes from the glass with soaring cassis and black cherry notes wrapped in sweet florals, crushed volcanic rock and red clay. With air, blueberry jam and fresh tobacco leaf join the fray. Immaculately balanced, its dances across the palate with black currant and dark chocolate haloed by tobacco notes. Fantastic!

UPDATED TASTING NOTES 6.29.21
Color is pure WOW. The aromas are beguiling with beautiful black cherry dusted with cedar, molasses, purple fruit, tobacco leaf, sauteed peppers, savory earth and soy sauce. Focused with vibrant acidity and sexy fruit beautifully framed. Fine grained tannins that coat the finish. Just starting to open up however, this is going to be fantastic.

98.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1.5% Merlot
50% new French oak (Taransaud) but perfectly integrated
14.5% alcohol, 3.64 pH
Bottled October 1st, 2020
125 cases available

***

Lot 73 | 2019 Russian River Chardonnay

From the same producer as N.72 Russian River Cabernet, this Chardonnay hails from the same Goldridge and Altamont soils the Russian River is famous for. Pure and lush with gorgeous aromatics, it has just a 20% kiss of new French oak to elevate the fruit - a perfect Chardonnay for those of you looking for a little less oak in your wine but still want a complex and succulent Chardonnay experience.

The 2018 version of this wine was recently scored 92 points by Antonio Galloni in Vinous and priced well above $40/bottle. Every bit as good as the N.63 offered a few weeks ago, N.73 Russian River Chardonnay is first-class, first-run wine made by true experts in the field and a stellar value at $16/bottle.

Pale yellow in the glass, it features a nuanced yet zesty nose of pretty white flowers, lemon/lime, green apple and a kiss of lanolin and fresh butter. Vibrant and fresh on entry but deeply succulent and soft across the midpalate, delivering loads of citrus, mineral, and blossom that echo throughout the long, pure finish. This is a pristine, crystalline and gorgeous Chardonnay, deftly made and elegantly rendered - a wonderful accompaniment to food.

July 2nd UPDATE - OG N.73 “ super pretty and expressive right now pure orchard fruit flavors are beautifully supported by schisty acidity great lift aromatically and on the palate as well. This drinks great now and will continue to improve over the next 5-7 years.

Wine Details
100% Chardonnay (all Heritage Clones)
20% new French oak (Francois Freres, Seguin Moreau)
14.4% alc., pH 3.32
Bottled October 30, 2020

***

Lot 74 | 2018 Walla Walla Syrah

After the bulk market flipped on its head in the week after the fires first hit the north coast, I decided it was time to make a visit to Washington and Oregon. I think you'll be glad we did as we secured so much fantastic juice its mind boggling...over 40 wines representing some of the most incredible values you'll get your hands on this year.

The source winery for today's offering helped put Walla Walla and Rocks District on the map when their Syrah was awarded a mid-90's score as well as the Wine Spectators Top 100 Wines of the Year in the early 2000's. We were lucky enough to source quite a few wines from this producer but this Syrah is tremendous. Rich, meaty and redolent with spicy, dark fruit, its an archetype for the region. With a high $30's price point, its an incredible deal at $16/bottle.

Saturated black in the glass, but tremendously expressive and succulent with savory, meaty blackberry pie bass notes and a lovely, pure blueberry, black pepper, and lilac halo beautifully integrated with barrel spice and toast. Supple, smooth and rich on entry with blueberry and blackberry fruit amply supported on peppery tannins in a looong, perfectly balanced finish offering layers of fruit that will take you back to your childhood. Succulent and juicy, this lush, hedonistic Syrah is absolutely delicious.

100% Syrah
35% new French and American oak
15.2% alc,.
Bottled September 14th, 2020 and showing well already.
400 cases available

***

Lot 75 | 2018 Walla Walla Syrah

The source winery for today's offering helped put Walla Walla and Rocks District on the map when their Syrah was awarded a mid-90's score as well as the Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of the Year in the early 2000's. We were lucky enough to source quite a few wines from this producer but their Syrah's stand apart.

Similar to N.74 2018 Syrah (from the same producer and the same vineyard that delivered the Top 100 accolade), this offering is rich, meaty and redolent with spicy, dark fruit - archetypal for the region. With a high $30's price point, its an incredible deal at $16/bottle. Bottled in mid-September, its drinking beautifully now.

Deep plum, almost inky. The bouquet is meaty, peppery and spicy with baked bread and blackberry pie topped off with herb de provence and powdery florals. Balanced entry with savory notes mixed with succulent blackberry kirsch, baked bread and allspice in a long, sustained finish. Delicious.

100% Syrah, 100% Walla Walla, 100% Estate
35% new French oak
15.8% alc
Bottled September 14th, 2020

***

Lot 76 | 2018 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

92-POINTS, GOLD MEDAL
2021 SOMMELIERS CHALLENGE WINE COMPETITION

Purchased prior to the fires and kept in barrel until last December, N.76 2018 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is from one of Calistoga's premier producer's. Their estate vineyard occupies the alluvial washes draining down from Mt. St. Helena and the Palisades. And, while I often find Calistoga Cabernet's to be a bit too open knit and light in color due to the northern Napa Valley heat, here the gravelly drainage's keep yields naturally low for proper ripening and color density. Also helping balance things out is hillside fruit from St. Helena which makes up about about 40% of the wineries final blend.

The final product is an archetypal Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with broad appeal, a perennial 91-92 pt Cabernet that's as comfortable on Tuesday night as it is on Saturday night. It sells out of the winery tasting room for $65/bottle - a steal at $24/bottle.

Deep ruby in the glass - almost opaque. Opens with a jubilee of cherry, dark, dusty plum and mocha adding creme de cassis and raspberry notes with air. Allspice and pretty red rock minerality lift the nose. Terrific weigh on entry ripe with creme de cassis and vanilla-flecked cherry notes dominating the lush but well-balanced palate. The finish is long and clean with pure, pretty fruit throughout. Exquisitely balanced and built to drink well now and over the next decade.

UPDATED JUNE 27, 2021

60% Calistoga, 40% St. Helena. The warmer climes of Napa Valley make this a more fruit-forward and approachable style with less high-toast wood dominance. Singing cherry with vibrant backbone, succulent and seamless across the palate silky smooth and beautifully integrated with excellent complexity - total crowd-pleaser.

97% Cabernet, 3% Merlot
60% Calistoga, 40% St. Helena
30% new French oak
14.7% alc.
300 cases available
Bottled December 15th, 2020

***

Lot 77 | 2018 Willamette Valley (Yamhill-Carlton) Chardonnay

92-POINTS, GOLD MEDAL!
2021 CRITICS CHALLENGE WINE COMPETITION

My creamy and crisp alarm is going off - this delivers rich fruit without overt oak influence, and finishes bright and long. A Gold Award winner at the 2021 Critics Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition.
92-POINTS July 6, 2021

Oh my.

Burghounds...looking for a baby Montrachet? Look no further.

Of course, the most vinously interesting part of the Willamette Valley isn't the valley at all but the ancient, uplifted seabeds exposed by the Missoula Floods. On these rolling hills you will find the best of Willamette Valley Pinot and Chardonnay.

Today's release comes from a producer in Willamette Valley's renowned Yamhill-Carlton district. With consistent 91-92 pt. scores for the last two vintages running from Robert Parker, Antonio Galloni/Vinous.com and the Wine Spectator, this mid-$40's-retail Chardonnay is an incredible offer at $16/bottle. The same wine the winery bottles, its absolutely freaking gorgeous stuff. Whether your thing is Sauvignon Blanc or buttery Chardonnay, the beautiful texture and seamless perfection here will have broad appeal (just don't drink it ice cold - 55-60 degrees is perfect).

Honeysuckle and hazelnut are perfectly-pitched against lemon curd, spicy apple pie and honey-poached Bosch pear in a beautifully delineated and precise bouquet. Smooth and seamless on entry but vibrant with juicy citrus and orchard fruit perfectly rendered over lip-smacking mineral and wet river rock. Beautifully-textured, this wine glides across your palate dripping precisely-attenuated fruit into a river of lemonhead diamond-crusted acidity. Long and pure and chock-full of equal parts creamy, blossomy succulence and nervy tension, this classic Burgundian-style Chardonnay will absolutely knock your socks off.

Wine Details
100% barrel-fermented, 18% new French oak
100% Chardonnay
13.4% alc.
Bottled December 12th, 2020

***

Lot 78 | 2018 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Oh my, you guys are going to love this.

This is one of the best Cabernet's I've seen all year, replete with gorgeous, perfectly-integrated floral, fruit, and earth aromas atop phenomenal structure and super-sexy wood. Supremely-elegant and perfectly-proportioned, its pure and harmonious throughout. Yes, indeed lots of superlatives but you'll get when you taste it (though you shouldn't taste it too soon!).

The fruit is sourced from a legendary vineyard just 1000-feet outside the Howell Mountain AVA and is the producer's bottling blend which retails for $140/bottle. This is supple, elegant, meticulous wine/jewelry-making at its finest.

Opaque, dark ruby in the glass. Beautifully perfumed with succulent florals haloing cassis and blackberry-slathered volcanic rock. Graphite and leather play with mint and cedar in a super-uplifted and effusive nose. Perfectly-balanced on entry with a perfectly-delineated interplay of fruit, earth and oak on a super-silky structure. Pure and harmonious, this Cabernet is fantastic from tip-to-tail.

50% new French oak - tight grain, medium toast, very elegant treatment
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
97% Napa Valley, 3% Diamond Mountain Cabernet
15.1% alc
Bottled November 11th, 2020
175 cases available

***

Lot 79 | 2018 Rutherford Sauvignon Blanc

Barrel-fermented in 100% new French oak, this Rutherford single-vineyard Sauvignon Blanc is a stunning wine. Produced by one of Napa Valley's premier consulting winemakers, its gorgeously scented and electric on the palate offering layer upon layer of intense fruit and beautiful mineral. Normally $60+, its a steal at $20/bottle. We will bottle just a little over 100 cases of this and, I have to say, its not cheap. But, I promise you, if the style sounds intriguing to you, you'll find the wine is amazing. I have no problem saying this is one of the best SB's in Napa Valley if not California. Reminds me of the Robert Mondavi Oakville Reserve SB's I tasted in the early 90's as a sales rep using my 40% off intra-winery discount (which, sadly, no longer exists) but better.

Incredible nose of white flowers, orange marmalade, and smoky orchard fruit with a kiss of mint to top it off. Fleshy and viscous on entry but amply supported by vibrant acidity, this wine offers wave after wave of richness and depth. Glorious.

100% barrel fermented in 100% new French oak and aged for 18 months.
13.8% alc.
100 cases available

***

Lot 80 | 2018 Napa Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

92-POINTS, GOLD MEDAL!
2021 CRITICS CHALLENGE WINE COMPETITION

A generous style that's attractive now for its bold fruit and acidic finish pop. It'll age a while as well! A Gold Award winner at the 2021 Critics Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition.
92-POINTS Jul 6, 2021

Best OGDN Napa Cabernet deal?

One of are the last wines I purchased before the fires, this Napa Valley Reserve-designate Cabernet Sauvignon retails under its original producer's bottling for well over $80 per bottle. A mix of hillside fruit split evenly between Calistoga and Saint Helena, it offers ripe, lush fruit, plenty of structure and routinely scores 91- and 93-points from the Wine Spectator, Robert Parker and The Wine Enthusiast. I would anticipate that in a fantastic vintage like 2018, you are looking at the upper-end of that spectrum. It offers unparalleled richness and depth for $29/bottle - definitely a candidate for the Best OG Value so far. For a program renowned for value, I think that's saying quite a bit.

Ripe blackberry, vanilla, and crème de cassis are pure and cleanly delineated with white flower, and red rock mineral notes lifting the bouquet while dark chocolate, graphite and mocha add the bass notes. Ripe, lush, and smooth on entry with blackberry and plum anchoring the palate with pretty cherry and molten licorice top notes perfectly balanced against a robust, firm tannin structure complemented with toasty oak. The finish is lengthy and powerful but also very elegant which speaks to deft winemaking here (not to mention the judicious deployment of high-quality oak).

Check-in tasting 6.23.21 - big brother wine to N.76. Darker fruit, more graphitic character and toastier oak profile. While it is dense with fruit and oak, its lithe and sexy on the palate and coming together very nicely despite its youth. Vibrant and lively with savory depth, powdered violet, black cherry, toffee and tobacco, you can really see the layers here. Silky and sexy in the middle with a backbone of freshness and excellent length. Day Two: sexy, complex, dark and sensuous aromatics with a juicy freshness that runs throughout. More to come but this is nicely knit together at this point.

90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Malbec, 3% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc.
30% new French oak
14.8% alc.
200 cases available
Bottled December 15th, 2020

***

Lot 81 | 2018 Napa Valley (Atlas Bench) Cabernet Sauvignon

In the rolling hills just below the 780-foot demarcation line for Atlas Peak AVA, straddling Soda Canyon road and bounded by Atlas Peak road to the east, lies a colossal alluvial fan known as the Atlas Bench that stretches all the way down across the Silverado Trail and into the city of Napa. On the upper right-hand corner of the alluvial, about 700 feet off the valley floor, you will find the legendary Brokenrock vineyard.

Known for the massive pile of bowling ball-to-huge pumpkin-sized boulders ripped out when the vineyard was planted, Brokenrock's lean soils are renowned for producing Cabernet's with intense fruit and potent tannins. It is also is the vineyard source for a variety of ultra-premium Cabernet producers and consulting winemakers, one of whom produced today's Cabernet. We managed to get our hands on about 400 cases of Brokenrock Cabernet available today for $29/bottle, a considerable discount to the well-over $100/bottle price tag you'll pay at the producer's tasting room.

Dense and inky in the glass with a brooding nose of blackberry, blackcurrant, mocha and plum haloed by crushed red rock with kiss of lilac perfume. Supple on entry with ripe tannins spreading out over your palate in a wave of black fruit and rock that echo throughout the finish. With plenty of depth and structure, this wine will age nicely over the next 10-15 years.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon (98% producers blend with 2% addition from the sexy Cabernet that went into N.78 for added verve)
60% new French Oak
14,5% alc.
300 cases available
Bottled November 11th, 2020

***

Lot 82 | 2018 Walla Walla Meritage

93-POINTS!
2021 CRITICS CHALLENGE WINE COMPETITION

A powerful blend that's just beginning to show its charms. Decant well near term, or age long term. A Gold Award winner at the 2021 Critics Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition.
93-POINTS Jul 6, 2021

This is certainly one of my greatest scores and perhaps the greatest deal in the wine business today. From the sister winery to N.50 Walla Walla Cabernet, N.82 Walla Walla Meritage is a blend of Cabernet, Petite Verdot and Merlot. A deep, robust and powerful wine, it has consistent mid-90's scores from the Wine Spectator, Wine Advocate, Wine Enthusiast and Vinous alike. I recently tasted a tank sample with with Alder Yarrow of Vinography. He was particularly smitten with this wine and wrote the following review:

2018 de Negoce No. 82 “ Tank Sample Red Blend Red, Walla Walla, Washington
Inky garnet in the glass, this tank sample smells of cigar box, black cherry, and cassis. In the mouth, rich black cherry fruit is clasped in a muscular fist of tannins. Excellent acidity keeps it quite fresh and bright. Powerful and broad-shouldered. But not overly rich. An excellent wine that will turn a lot of heads. 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 23% Petit Verdot. 45% new oak. $95-per-bottle normally. Score: between 9 and 9.5.

Check-in tasting 7.6.2021 - Powerful and brooding aromatics at first but everything opens up nicely with a couple hours of air to reveal a wonderfully complex wine that will age beautifully. 93-points, Gold Medal at the Critics Challenge.

100% Estate
56% Cabernet, 23% Petite Verdot, 21% Merlot
45% new French oak
14.8% alc.
800 cases available
Bottles Nov. 20, 2020 - ships in December

***

Lot 83 | 2019 Columbia Valley White Blend (Semillon/Chenin)

OG N.83 2019 White Blend is comprised of 70% Walla Walla Semillon and 30% Old Vine Chenin Blanc from Horse Heaven Hills. It is one of seven wines we purchased from this Walla Walla producer comprising lots N.83 through N.89. ( I bought every wine they put in front of me). Produced in 100% stainless steel to maintain freshness and vibrancy, this terrific blend should have great appeal to Sauvignon Blanc and/or crisp white lover's. White blends retail for about $30/bottle out of the winery tasting room but you can purchase this wine for $96/case or just $8/bottle. Only 150 cases available.

Pale gold in the glass. The fresh, vibrant nose is redolent with honeysuckle and pear but nicely lifted with saline and mineral, wet stone, lemongrass and a kiss of tarragon. Round on entry but energetic and fleshy with chalky pear and apple leading into a lip-smacking finish of dried papaya and blossom. Bone dry and beautiful. Bottled 12/14/20

70% Walla Walla Semillon (100% Estate), 30% Horse Heaven Hills Chenin Blanc
100 Stainless Steel
14.1% alc.
150 cases available (note: image shows Bordeaux bottle but actual bottle is Burgundy)
Bottled December 12th, 2020

***

Lot 84 | 2019 Columbia Valley Semillon

91 POINTS, GOLD MEDAL!
2021 CRITICS CHALLENGE WINE COMPETITION

WINEREVIEWONLINE.COM
A fleshy texture carries flavors of nut, nectarine and lemon, finishing with a nice kiss of acidity. A Gold Award winner at the 2021 Critics Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition.
91 Rich Cook July 6, 2021

OG N.84 is a blend of 90% Semillon and 10% Sauvignon Blanc. This is an age-worthy and elegant white produced from all-estate fruit and barrel-fermented in neutral French oak. Selling for over $30/bottle out of the winery, it makes a unique and compelling offering for the equivalent of $9/bottle in this mixed case. This would be great with spicy Indian food.

Pale- to medium-yellow. The nose is tightly wound but loosens up in phases that reveal excellent complexity. Peach, pineapple and lanolin are haloed with honeysuckle blossom, sandalwood and a kiss of petrol. With air, starfruit and lemon oil emerge. Warm and viscous on entry, but your palate is swept clean by a knife blade of chalky, apple skin minerality revealing pretty peach and starfruit in a surprisingly long finish. There are gobs of stuffing to this wine and it should age nicely for another 5-8 years.

Check-in tasting 7.6.2021 - Flat-out gorgeous...wide-open bouquet with excellent viscosity on entry perfectly balanced with minerality and tremendous length. 15 cases left so grab it before it gone. 91-points, Gold Medal Critics Challenge Wine Competition

100% Semillon
100% barrel-fermented in neutral French oak
14% alc.
30 cases available
Bottled January 18th, 2021

***

Lot 85 | 2018 Walla Walla Cabernet Franc

AWARDED BEST CABERNET FRANC
2021 CRITICS CHALLENGE WINE COMPETITION
91-POINTS

One of the surprises of our recent Washington/Oregon road trip was the outstanding quality of eastern Washington's (and Walla Walla in particular) Cabernet Franc's. The wines have an ephemeral quality both aromatically and structurally, placing them somewhere between a powerful Burgundy and your typical Bordeaux. These are intriguing and compelling wines with broad appeal to those looking for a complex, medium/medium full-bodied red wine experience. Food-friendliness is high here as well, with ample fortitude, ripe fruit and corresponding acidity in perfect balance.

Today's offering hails from one of the upper echelon producers of this varietal in Walla Walla, where their Cabernet Franc sells for about $50/bottle out of the tasting room. Produced from a combination of estate fruit and grapes sourced from a legendary vineyard that must remain unnamed, this wine is derived from some of the best Cab Franc blocks in Walla Walla. Aged in a combination of approximately 40% new French and American oak chosen for expression and elegance, it has all the bells and whistles and little expense spared. One of the top Cabernet Francs in Walla Walla produced from the fantastic 2018 vintage, this wine that will age beautifully and blow your friend's mind for another decade. An exceptional deal at $18/bottle.

Deep ruby in color and very aromatically expressive...black cherry and dark clay aromas open into damson plum, rhubarb, blackcurrant, lavender and herb wrapped in warm, confectionery oak notes. Fleshy and pleasingly ripe on the palate with juicy plum and rhubarb perfectly integrated with ripe tannins...excellent sucrosité . This is an exceptional wine, balanced, expressive, and complex. If you value those qualities, this is one wine you don't want to miss.

Check-in Tastings - 6.7.2021 - Elegant and focused, original tasting notes are spot on with the addition of a sweet tobacco leaf note that I love. Really enjoyed this in a big Pinot Noir stem where the big bowl allows all the complexity to shine. Just awarded the Best Cabernet Franc at the Critics Challenge Wine Competition.

40% new French and American oak
75% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot, 5% Carmenere
14.1% alc.
250 cases available
Bottling December 12, 2020

***

Lot 86 | 2018 Walla Walla Valley Merlot

WINNER: BEST MERLOT
95-POINTS, PLATINUM MEDAL
2021 Sommelier Challenge Wine Competition

Full throttle black cherry aromas are joined by gentle vanilla and oak spice aromas, and the palate adds notes of pepper to the proceedings. All the elements ride a supple grip through a long, lively finish. And the price? Ridiculous! A Platinum Award winner at the 2021 Sommelier Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition.
95-POINTS Sep 28, 2021

OG N.86 Walla Walla Merlot hails from the same producer as all other offerings N.83 through N.89. These are largely estate wines and N.86 is entirely estate-derived as well, not to mention being the best wine of the bunch. Yep, my favorite.

I'm telling you, there is something about Washington State Merlot, and Walla Walla in particular. This is gorgeously crafted wine, elegant and seamless with ample heft, loads of complexity and perfectly-deployed wood. I could go on and on. In short, its a winner and I am confident it will have broad appeal for Cab-lovers, Pinot-lovers, and even Merlot-lovers (are there any of you left?).

Its an absolutely stupid deal at $18/bottle (vs. winery tasting room $50+/bottle). Looking for a daily cellar defender? You can't do any better than this.

Deep ruby in the glass, Cabernet-like. The bouquet is super-pretty with ethereal, powdery florals lightly-coating confectionary cherry truffle and raspberry puree underpinned with oak-elevated blackberry compote. Spicy too. Supple and seamless on entry (so smooooth!) yet robust with ripe red and black fruits nicely integrated with seasoned french oak and gorgeous acidity. Gobs of stuffing crest to reveal dark fruit and mineral-coated tannins unfurling a blast of raspberry/rhubarb, roasted poblano chile and a kiss of chocolate. Damn, that's good...beautifully-crafted and very expressive...nice to see oak so deftly deployed here, the light hand speaking to the quality of the fruit.

Check-in Tastings - 7.7.2021 - Wow gorgeous with pretty amalgam of cherry, dark earth, graphitic blossoms and seasoned oak. Still just a baby so give this a big decant or 24-hour decant prior to drinking. This is a stunning wine from a fantastic vintage and, quite frankly, why Merlot was and is such a big deal in Washington State. Grab this by the case and drink now and over the next decade or more.

77% Merlot, 18% Cabernet, 5% Syrah
100% estate, 100% Walla Walla Valley
17% new French oak
14.6% alc.
Bottled January 28th, 2021

***

Lot 87 | 2018 Horse Heaven Hills Petite Verdot

This is a small little winemaker project lot sourced from the same winery in Walla Walla as the N.89 Cabernet I just released.

From a single vineyard in Horse Heaven Hills (McKinley Springs Vineyard), this Petite Verdot was raised in 28% new French oak and was intended to be the the inaugural release of this tasting room only selection. Other Bordelais varieties from this particular vineyard and produced by this winery sell for $50/bottle out of the tasting room so that seems a fair price comparison (I should add virtually every wine is tasting room only for this producer). Only 275 cases available and priced at a ridiculous $18/bottle.

Deep ruby, just a shade darker than the Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon. True to the Horse Heaven Hills appellation, its opens with red fruits and gains weight, accessing the darker fruit as it opens up. Cherry and raspberry add a layer of plum and graphite with pretty powdered flower aromas coming to the fore. Wonderfully supple and smooth on entry with ripe, juicy, energetic fruit well integrated with almost unnoticeable tannins. Plush? Yes. Nevertheless, the structure is there and carries a long, resounding finish with good length. A unique offering with excellent complexity (winemakers hallmark in my opinion - always striving for balance and complexity), this is also a great everyday drinker and cellar defender and will be very approachable once its through bottle shock. Bottled 12/15, this wine should be drinking nicely for March.

Check-in Tastings - 7.7.2021...and now for something completely different! Usually a very dark and intense wine, this PV is a beautifully elegant take on the varietal. It reminds me of the N.58 McDowell Valley Petite Sirah for its elegance and restraint. Graphite and warm river rock open to plum and cherry notes and plenty of savory depth. Outstanding aromatic complexity is mirrored on the palate with deep plum, mineral, cherry, sweet tobacco and milk chocolate. Fantastic.

83% Petite Verdot, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon - 100% Horse Heaven Hills McKinley Vineyard
28% new French oak
14.9% alc.
Bottled December 15, 2020 (arriving this week, should ship out week of Jan. 25th)
275 cases available

***

Lot 88 | 2018 Columbia Valley Syrah

90-POINTS, GOLD MEDAL!
2021 CRITICS CHALLENGE WINE COMPETITION

A very expressive nose leads to a palate with good translation of the black and blue berry fruit, with an accent of fall spice. A Gold Award winner at the 2021 Critics Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition.
90-POINTS July 6, 2021

This blue-fruited beauty is produced from the originating wineries Walla Walla estate fruit and purchased fruit from top sites in Horse Heaven Hills, the former providing richness and fruit, the later providing structure and elegance. Deftly-crafted with 20-months in barrel, the resulting Syrah combines all these qualities in a harmonious wine with complex aromatics and rich fruit in perfect balance. Selling for over $40 out of the tasting room, at $14/bottle this bottle will simultaneously warm your soul while bringing tremendous joy to a variety of robust wintry dishes like hearty beef stew or lamb kabobs.

Dark in the glass with a kiss of deep plum around the rim. Ripe, meaty blueberry, boisenberry, and graham cracker/brown sugar barrel toast notes are lifted by black pepper and iodine notes. Warm and juicy on entry with waves of robust blue fruit and piquant earthiness creating a lip-smacking complexity and a long, lingering finish. Robust and hearty yet balanced, lithe, and nuanced, it delivers the quintessential Washington State Syrah experience.

this is a supremely elegant and exquisite wine with emerging complexity and sophistication. It is still fairly tightly wound but there is exceptional balance and plenty of layers to the finish here. The Syrah connoisseur will not want to miss this one. 90-points and Gold Medal at the Critics Challenge but I am convinced another couple of months in the bottle and this is a 92-point wine.

95% Syrah, 4.5% Cabernet, .5% Viognier
32% new French and American oak
14.7% alc.
350 cases available
Bottling December 15th and shipping January/February 2021

***

Lot 89 | 2018 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon

PLATINUM - 94-POINTS
2021 CRITICS CHALLENGE WINE COMPETITION

Can almost hear this wine say Hi! I'm from Walla Walla - thanks for stopping in! That's thanks to its structure and mix of multi-colored berries offset by brilliant acidity. The finish is extremely long with attractive sweet oak tones keeping the fruit pulsing. Eighteen dollars? Where's my phone? A Platinum Award winner at the 2021 Critics Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition.
94-POINTS Jul 6, 2021

This is a stunning value, an estate-produced, no-expense-spared, top-of-the-line Walla Walla Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon that retails out of the tasting room for over $60/bottle. Its classically styled with pitch-perfect extraction and balance, deftly made by an excellent winemaker in a state-of-the-art facility. At $20/bottle, its an incredible offer.

Deep ruby in the glass. Beautifully aromatic already with meaty black cherry, dusty plum, dark earth, spice and leather leather notes. Entry is broad and supple leading to a mouthful of ripe cherry and plum notes warmly layered on juicy, mouthwatering tannins. The finish is long and smooth, redolent with fruit but never overbearing - fantastic mouthfeel. Like I said, this is deftly crafted stuff with excellent complexity. A total steal at $20/bottle!

BANG! From the best blocks of the wineries Estate vineyard comes this amazing Reserve-level Cabernet. 94-points and Platinum at the Critics Challenge. Perfumed and gorgeous, this wine exemplifies the pitch-perfect balance and tremendous depth achieved at this property.

84% Cabernet, 11% Malbec, 5% Syrah, 100% Estate
34% new French oak
Bottling January 28th, 2021
14.7% alc.
500 cases available

***

Lot 90 | 2018 Walla Walla Old Vine Merlot

93-POINTS, GOLD MEDAL
2021 SOMMELIERS CHALLENGE WINE COMPETITION

While Cabernet is King in Napa Valley, I think its safe to say the Syrah reigns in Walla Walla. I would argue, however, that the oft-overlooked Queen of both regions is Merlot.

Walla Walla is an ideal terroir for Merlot with its lean soils, high-desert winds and diurnal swing producing small berries with tougher skins (think structure), balanced acidity and more intense fruit. These are powerful wines no doubt, with all the structure and stuffing of Cabernet made all the more compelling with Merlot's trademark supple mouthfeel and hedonistic complexity.

Today's offer comes to us from one of Washington State's pioneers and Walla Walla's foundational vineyards. Planted in the early 80's, these 30+ year-old-vines produce a fantastic wine that would easily command twice the price in Napa Valley. With previous vintages receiving low-to-mid-90's scores from Vinous and Jeb Dunnock (though I must say panned by the Wine Spectator - what gives?) and a circa $50 price tag, its an exceptional value at $19/bottle.

Opaque in the glass and brooding at first with dusty black cherry fruit poking through the darkness. However, it quickly opens up to reveal pretty violet florals combined with black cherry, blackberry, and mineral with a kiss of toasty oak and baking spice/licorice. Lush on entry but amply structured with concentrated black fruit fanning out across the palate, this wine finishes long and smooth. Powerfully built but supremely harmonious, this wine will age nicely over the next decade but drink well in its youth.

50% new French oak
88% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 2% Grenache
14.7% alc.
Bottled December 9th, 2020

***

Lot 91 | 2018 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon

Washington State continues to over-deliver!

Today's release comes to us from one of the states pioneers with fruit sourced from one of Washington's earliest planted vineyards. With 92-94 points scores for the 2016 and 2017 bottlings from The Wine Advocate (Dunnock) and Vinous (Tanzer) and a well over $50 price point, this 2018 Walla Walla Cabernet is a ludicrous deal at $19/bottle.

Densely packed and muscular but crafted with precision and grace, this classically-styled beauty could use another year in the bottle. Consume over the next 10-15 years.

Opaque and inky with just a peek of crimson around the rim. Black cherry, blackberry and leather brood amidst season french oak, graphite, licorice and dark chocolate. There's a viscous quality to the nose that is nicely accentuated by pretty white florals, menthol and damp earth but there is no escaping the densely-packed, brooding nature of the wine. Dense and firm on entry yet elegant and focused with the fruit nicely balanced against robust yet fine grain tannins. Tightly wound and chock full of stuffing, this wine will need some time in the bottle before blossoming. But this is precision winemaking, blossom it will.

82% Cabernet, 5% Petite Verdot, 5% Syrah, 4% Carmenere, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot
50% new French oak, medium toast
14.8% alc.
Bottled December 9th, 2020

***

Lot 92 | 2018 Red Mountain Red Blend/Meritage

Hailing from Red Mountain's legendary Ciel du Cheval vineyard and produced by one of Washington's pioneers, OG N.92 2018 Red Mountain Red Blend is a spectacular bordelaise-style blend of Merlot, Petite Verdot, Cabernet and Cabernet Franc. On offer today is the the producer's blend (not Ciel du Cheval) with consistent low 90's scores for the past two vintages from Antonio Galloni and The Wine Spectator. With a mid-$50 price point at the winery, this dark, intense, meaty and muscular red is another exceptional value at $20/bottle.

Opaque and brooding in the glass yet very effusive and redolent with aromas of white flower, iron, plum, and meaty blueberry and blackberry with red rock and black pepper laced throughout. Supple on entry with plum and blackberry spreading out over robust, graphite-and red rock-laden tannins in a long, layered finish. Muscular and savory, this spectacular red blend is perfectly emblematic of Red Mountain AVA.

50% new French oak
35% Merlot, 27% Petite Verdot, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc
14.7% alc.
Bottled December 9th, 2020

***

Lot 93 | 2018 Mendocino SVD Zinfandel

90-POINTS, GOLD MEDAL!
2021 CRITICS CHALLENGE WINE COMPETITION

There's a rustic edge here that Zin fans will appreciate - brambly fruit, a big grip and bright pepper carry the day. A Gold Award winner at the 2021 Critics Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition.
90-POINTS July 6, 2021

$40/bottle Old Vine Mendocino County Zinfandel? That's a tough sell. How about $18/bottle?

This organic, head-trained, dry-farmed hillside Zinfandel hails from the little known but highly regarded 70-year-old Venturi Vineyard in the Calpella Valley of Mendocino County. Here alluvial fans mix with ancient riverbeds creating deep, well-drained soils virtually devoid of organic matter - perfect for dry-farming head-trained, old-vine Zinfandel.

The wine itself was produced by a boutique Dry Creek winery and the love, the care, the attention to detail are obvious. Beautiful, complex aromas and classic, supple Zinfandel fruit are built on a rock solid structure. Never over the top, this pitch-perfect wine hits on all cylinders, delivering a complex and classic Zinfandel that will absolutely change your mind about (if not introduce you to) Mendocino Zin.

Medium to deep ruby. Ripe raspberry and crisp cherry are haloed by a soaring walnut husk note in a warm, resinous bouquet. The raspberry and cherry fruit are plush and broad on entry, nicely balanced against a firm tannin framework and perky minerality. Pretty tobacco leaf notes elevate the palate and extend through the long, lingering finish. This is a fabulous Zinfandel, chock full of complexity and personality. It'll age nicely as well over the next 5-7 years.

70-year-old, head-pruned vines produce this absolute classic of a Zinfandel. Gorgeous now with a pretty bouquet, a lipsmacking mid-palate, and tons of structure and stuffing that will ensure even greater complexity over coming years.

90-points/Gold Medal at Critics Challenge.

100% Zinfandel
35% new American oak
14.9% alc.
400 cases available
Bottled January 21, 2021

***

Lot 94 | 2018 Dry Creek Merlot

This fantastic Merlot comes to us from the same Dry Creek boutique producer as N.93 Zinfandel; however, today's offering is derived from their estate vineyard. Spicy, plummy and plush, it has robust structure and terrific complexity. Past vintages are selling for $50/bottle at the winery but today you may lay your claim to a case of this yummy Merlot for just $18. Redonkulous.

Medium/deep ruby. Awesome on the nose - effusive with spicy plum and bing cherry mixed with blackberry plus a cool little dark chocolate/poblano chile sweet funk. Its incredibly inviting. The wine is plush on entry but firms up with robust, well-integrated tannins that present waves of cherry and vanilla with hints of blackberry. The finish is long and fresh and always in balance. Overall, this Merlot has great complexity and tons of varietal character - the winemaker respect for the varietal is clear. Cab lover's (hell, any red wine lover) will get a kick out of this perfectly knit together yet muscular Merlot.

fruit and oak are still marrying in this brooding monster of a Merlot. Its totally approachable and quite quaffable actually with rich fruit and chewy tannins. The best is yet to come however (should be rockin' late Fall), but this is still an amazing offer at $18/bottle! If you like big, rich, dense and chewy Merlot's, this is your wine. Highly recommended!

100% Dry Creek - 95% Merlot, 5% Cabernet
35% new French oak
15.1% alc.
350 cases available.
Bottled January 20, 2021

***

Lot 95 | 2018 Alexander Valley Merlot

N.95 Alexander Valley Merlot comes to us from the same producer as N.94 Dry Creek Merlot. Normally, these two wines are blended together into a top-end Sonoma County bottling at $50/bottle but we just liked 'em better as individual wines. N.95 is the brighter, more ethereal offering of the two, beautifully complex and powerfully elegant with seamless integration and plenty of backbone.

This is an incredible deal at $20/bottle!

Deep garnet in the glass. The bouquet is spicy with clove, singing cherry, and brown sugar notes wrapped in tobacco leaf. Rich up front on the palate with cherry and graham cracker haloed with herb de Provence and dried chile with a little Red Hot spice adding serious complexity. Vibrant acid and tension on mid palate are resinous with well-delineated red fruits singing throughout the lengthy finish. The suppleness that originally attracted me to this wine is a bit subdued from bottling, but I am confident that it will come around.

100% Merlot, we blended in 10% of the Dry Creek Merlot from same producer
40% new French oak
15.1% alc.
200 cases available
Bottled January 20th, 2021

***

Lot 96 | 2018 Dry Creek Cabernet Sauvignon

Woop woop. Back we go to Dry Creek for the third installment from this boutique producer. Up next is their fantastic 2018 Dry Creek Cabernet Sauvignon - I'd rate this a notch up from N.32 Dry Creek Cabernet Sauvignon and probably the best Cabernet I have ever sourced from this region.

Its a single vineyard designate (naming the vineyard would give it away) located on a low-yielding, hillside site planted 35-years ago in the southern end of Dry Creek Valley. There are more titillating details I'd love to share with you about rootstock, etc. but, alas, I must demur to protect the innocent.

This dynamite Cabernet has all the bells and whistles, produced, again, with great attention to detail and the care that you get from small, boutique producers. Selling for $55 at the winery, today's this fantastic Cabernet can be yours for just $19/bottle.

Dark in the glass but a shade away from opaque. The nose is complex and multifaceted - classic Dry Creek, chock full of graphite, blackberry jam and plummy bourbon oak notes up front with lilac florals and a black cherry-infused red rock minerality emerging with air. Supple on entry with a robust tannin framework carrying waves of black and red fruits interlaced with earthy, graphitic notes in a long, supple finish. Ample musculature perfectly balanced.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon
35% new American oak, 15% new French oak
14.9% alc.
400 cases available
Bottled January 21, 2021

***

Lot 97 | 2019 Walla Walla Viognier

As a professed CA Viognier-hater, I have lately been encouraged by efforts to tame the cloying, overripe apricot characteristics that can dominate this varietal. Well, I have found Viognier heaven up in Washington State and this Walla Walla example, the source wineries signature white, is a pitch-perfect effort that will make you never want to touch another Washington Chardonnay.

Priced at $24/bottle and as food-friendly as all-get-out (not to mention uber-poolside-friendly), its a fantastically utilitarian purchase at $12/bottle. (this is the stainless-steel-fermented sister wine to N.98 barrel-fermented Viognier from same producer).

The nose is multi-faceted and complex with jasmine perfume and pretty orchard fruit notes lifted on spicy, honeyed mineral aromas. In contrast to the brisk bouquet, the palate is a complete head-fake; expecting bright acidity one instead finds the classic, chewy viscousness of Viognier. Smooth as a babies butt, the mid-palate serves up creamy saline on entry then turns fleshy with honeyed peach and pear fruit riding a chalky beam of minerality into the citrus-kissed sunset. Bone-dry and beautiful. Serve at cellar temp (55 degrees) with spicy Asian fare for pairing perfection.

100% Viognier
100% stainless steel
14.5% alc.
Bottled December 18th, 2020

***

Lot 98 | 2019 Walla Walla Viognier

Jumping ahead here a bit on our designer so using another image to represent.

I've often complained about the oily, overwrought Viognier's that plagued California in the 1990's and early 2000's, heavy on overripe apricot but with little delicacy, structure or reward. Since then things have gotten considerably better in California but it seems to me that Washington State is ready to give us a run for our money (the French, broadly speaking, still produce the best Viognier of course but that's a story for another time).

Today's release comes to us from one of Walla Walla's most reputable Viognier producers and this is the first of two Viognier's I purchased from them. Already in shiners, this selection is the more elegant and bright of the two (Sauvignon Blanc lovers take note) and is drinking beautifully already. Should make a lovely aperitif or as an accompaniment to lighter seafood fare. This wine normally retails in the mid-20's and has reliable 90-91 pt. Spectator scores in solid vintages like 2019 (some reds got hit by the September frosts). Another damn fine value at $14/bottle.

Pale yellow in the glass with bright citrus aromas and a kiss of apricot surrounded spicy floral top notes and honeycomb bass notes that round out an uplifted and fresh bouquet. Honeydew and pear are viscous on the palate but dance through the wine on beam of lightly-honeyed minerality. The finish is long and pristine with citrus, apricot and honeycomb notes resonating throughout. Fresh, brisk, and lovely, this is a light and pretty take on Viognier.

100% barrel fermented in neutral french oak
100% Viognier
14.1% alc.
250 cases available
Bottled December 18, 2020

***

Lot 99 | 2018 The Rocks District/Walla Walla Syrah

OG N.99 Rocks District/Walla Walla Syrah is the Reserve Syrah offering from the same winery as N.74 Walla Walla Syrah. The source vineyard is an estate property in The Rocks District of Milton Freewater. As the vineyard lies on the Oregon side of the Rocks appellation and we bottled the wine in Washington, we were unable to use The Rocks District of Milton Freewater on the label. I have no idea why this is, but it is. Rest assured, however, this Syrah is a single-vineyard-designate from the Rocks AVA (the label will say Walla Walla).

But enough bureaucratic hogwash, lets talk about the wine. This is fantastic juice, rich and ripe with an unctuous mouthfeel but supported by a brawny, chiseled structure that provides for depth and dimension. Retailing for over $50/bottle out of the winery tasting room, it's an exceptional deal at $12/bottle, $144/case. Only 150 cases are up for grabs.

Deep ruby to medium purple in the glass. Meaty aromas of blueberry, blackberry and smoky rock are topped with a kiss of acacia flower and underpinned with more smoky earth notes. The wine is broad and smooth on entry with an unctuous viscosity well supported by fine tannins. Blueberry and smoky chocolate ride to glory on a long, lip-smacking, umami-driven finish. The yum factor here is huge and its just about impossible to just have one glass.

oh baby, this is ready to rock and roll. Meaty, luscious, sexy and silky, it'll absolutely blow you mind with an hour or two of air.

100% Syrah, 100% estate vineyard in The Rocks District of Milton Freewater
50% new French and American oak
15.1% alc.
Bottled December 18th, 2020
150 cases available

***

Lot 100 | 2019 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon

The Cabernet's of the Rutherford Bench have long been amongst my favorites for their chiseled frames, ethereal elegance, and gorgeous fruit achieving a near-perfect balance of structure, texture and weight.

OG N.100 comes to us from one of the true icon's of the Rutherford. The estate is located at the southern end of the appellation, yet in the heart of the Oakville and Rutherford Bench complex of alluvial fans that drain out of the Maycamas Mountains. Here twenty-foot-deep, well-drained, gravelly as well as volcanic soils produce small clusters of intense fruit long considered the Grand Cru of Napa Valley. Prices at the winery start at well over $100/bottle but today's offering of OG N.100 2019 Rutherford Cabernet is yours for only $29/bottle.

As it is a 2019 Cabernet (purchased last summer just before the fires hit), I've arranged with the producer to keep the wine in barrel until early May 2021 when it goes into the bottle (and will ship to you shortly thereafter, weather permitting). The wine is currently composed of 100% Cabernet but we have purchased small lots of other blending components from the same producer (also in barrel) and we will assemble the final blend next year.

Dark ruby in the glass, a shade off of opaque. The nose is archetypal Rutherford, gorgeously ethereal and energetic with raspberry and cherry fruit dancing with damson plum and the quintessential Rutherford Dust. Decadent dark fruits swim below while a kiss of maple syrup sweetens the purple lilac top notes. Elegantly structured and beautifully balanced on the palate with the supple red fruits melded nicely onto minerally tannins that unwind to show the darker fruit notes underneath. The wine has fantastic weight to it and unfurls beautifully on your palate despite its youth. Should age beautifully for another 10-15-years.

100% Estate Cabernet
40% new French oak
15.2% alc.
Bottled May 18th, 2021
Vineyard in the Russian River Valley and produced by one of the indisputable pioneer's of California Pinot Noir. Just $16/bottle, $192/case...get it while you can folks.

Garnet in the glass and effusive with ripe strawberry, cranberry and rhubarb notes haloed with black tea-infused florals and just a bit of pepper. Supple on entry with sappy red fruit caressing the midpalate while chalky, crunchy acidity adds structure carrying the pretty red fruit and tea notes to a long, lovely, resounding finish. Ripe yet pretty, medium-weight and very approachable with just a kiss of new French oak, this is a terrific Pinot Noir that will drink well in the near-term and age nicely over the next 7-10 years. Delicious.

100% Dijon Clone Pinot Noir
approx 15% new French oak
14.4% alc.
300 cases produced
Bottled May 11th, 2021