Lot 529
2023 Napa Valley Red Blend

$60/bottle under the original label

Lot 529 is a 90-point James Suckling scored (under our label) love letter to Bordeaux – like its Left Bank muse, the blend is anchored by robust Cabernet Sauvignon and enhanced by additional reds – Cab Franc and Petit Verdot in this particular case. Showcasing a New World nose with an Old World palate and finish, it was born out of a veteran winemaker’s desire to showcase the breadth of Napa’s terroir. Produced by a blue-chip multigenerational family estate, the Meritage designation has been declassified (and exact blend percentages withheld) so we could land you an unparalleled steal.

Pouring an elegantly ruby hue, the wine opens with an expressive nose of cherries, blue fruit, baking spice, graphite, white pepper, and a halo of white florals with earthen clay pot. The entry is terroir-focused, opening with crushed gravel, red fruit, and wet stone before giving way to barrel-kissed notes of vanilla, spice, and new leather. Medium+ acidity interplays seamlessly with grippy tannins. A long, dry finish begins with vanilla bean and earth, dancing over dark fruit tones that will continue to emerge with some bottle age. Drink now with a very healthy decant, but make sure to save a few – the best is yet to come.