***BOTTLING LATE NOVEMBER, SHIPPING SHORTLY AFTER***
A crop like this deserves an encore.
As Cabernet lovers know, the rugged vineyards of Moon Mountain District are hallowed ground among California’s high-elevation sites. Up in the Mayacamas above the valley floor, its volcanic slopes have produced some of wine country’s most renowned wines for over a century.
Our annual Big Fall Series was already chock full of superstar wines as is, but knowing this list’s appetite for serious mountain Cabs, we couldn’t pass on the opportunity when it came our way – staring down a rapidly approaching 2025 harvest and needing to free up some space (not to mention lock in some cash flow), a gentleman offered up some barrel samples right before bottling and blew us away with the quality. Judged blind and purely on merit, the wine easily could have been Lot 599 or 600, but given our team’s penchant for keeping the fall Cab lineup Napa-driven since the “pre-DN” Lot program of the early 2010s, we slotted this one in as a bonus release from an epic vintage. From a sheer QPR perspective, this is one of the finest reds we’ve inked a deal for all year: only $19/bottle!
Lot 601 is a deeply concentrated, finely structured mountain bombshell from one of the region’s family-owned wineries. This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon hails from select blocks in their high-altitude estate vineyard, where rocky red volcanic soils produce wines with distinct minerality and a depth that’s dialed up to eleven in this phenomenal 2023 vintage. From a club reserve program that historically fetches $100+/bottle, our access (and a bit of lucky timing) has secured this beauty of the highest pedigree for our readers at over 80% OFF! A prized mountain gem for under $20 that’ll blow away others more than 4x the price? A worthy encore, indeed.
Our price: $229/case DELIVERED, $19+/bottle to your door!
2023’s consistently cool weather allowed the grapes to cruise deep into October with ample acidity, and a few extra weeks of hang time added layers of concentration to fruit already prized for its depth. Due to the remote location and steep slopes, the vines are tended entirely by hand. In the cellar, our source takes a traditional approach with this meticulously grown fruit to capture the purest expression of their world-class terroir. After just under two years in top-of-the-line French oak barrels, this classic expression of the Mayacamas has evolved into a wine of glorious refinement.
Blackberry bramble, boysenberry, and dark cherry pull you deep into the glass, accented by cocoa shavings, spice, and a subtle eucalyptus lift. The palate is focused, driven by dark fruit, earth, and crushed stone minerality while nuances of soft leather, oak, and chocolate add depth and texture. Dry, plentiful tannins and balanced acidity frame a wine that finishes long and resinous, lingering with dark fruit umami, spice, and gentle waves of vanilla.
