Lot 623
2024 Diamond Mountain Cabernet Franc 6-pack

***BOTTLING LATE AUGUST, SHIPPING SHORTLY AFTER***


Our first Cabernet Franc of the year has arrived, and it happens to be a Diamond Mountain jaw-dropper for over 75% OFF!

We could wax poetic about the exclusivity of Diamond Mountain wines of this caliber. We could spin a yarn about how the scarcity of Cab Franc makes it an even rarer find. But you know rare and exclusive is already our sweet spot, so instead, let’s go back to the day we first met this wine.

The winery had sent along a sample, kindly saving us the dizzying drive up Diamond Mountain Road. Our somm had just begun the day’s tastings. Shortly after, our phones wouldn’t stop buzzing – something about how lucky we were that the winery hadn’t just sent the typical sample bottle but a full 750ml, and something else about how that full-sized bottle would be going home with them that night so everyone needed to head to the tasting table pronto and get their evals in, and definitely something about not a single drop seeing the light of next morning. The point is, we taste a massive number of candidate wines (a literal mountain of glass leaves the office every week), and while that may sound like fun, it’s still work that we take very seriously. So whenever a wine gets one of us this giddy, we know something extra special is on our hands.

Lot 623 is a marvelous estate-grown wine crafted by a name that any serious Napa enthusiast is familiar with. The tradeoff for access to this posh realm is a stringent NDA, which has rendered most sourcing details a no-fly zone. No matter – the proof is in the pudding. Crafted in a style that would make “Parker palate”-aligned critics very pleased, the winemaker was clearly gunning for a high-90s score with a sumptuous showcase of the varietal’s natural softness layered over intricate structure only found in high-elevation grapes (a style pioneered in no small part by this winery). Truly a marriage of opulence and elegance that shouldn't be missed, we were able to close the deal at an extremely aggressive price and pass the savings onto our customers to the tune of $26 per bottle. It’s a borderline ridiculous number for this level of winemaking (priced $125+ under its original label, to boot) but these are the times we live in…

Our price: $159/6-pack, $26+/bottle!

Today’s acquisition received the royal treatment – it’s the only way this winery knows how to approach its precious harvest. After fermentation, extended aging in 100% French oak barrels magnified the depth and intensity of the Diamond Mountain terroir even further, and as expected for high-elevation grapes with thick skins and incredible tannins, it’s obviously built to age beautifully for the long term. Blockbuster stuff.

Opening with blue-to-black fruit dipped in plum sauce reduction, a tempting and perfumed nose develops with every passing moment, revealing exotic spices, crushed volcanic rock, fresh-turned earth, and lavender. On entry, a masterfully structured wine awaits with deft and immediate acidity, ushering in blueberries and fresh-sliced plum accented by rocky minerality, wet granite, and uplifted delicate spice. Plentiful, silky, mouth-filling tannins frame the entire experience – this will undoubtedly go the distance. The finish is dry, youthful, and toasty, delivering notes of baking spice, caramelized vanilla bean, crushed violets, and a lingering crushed-stone-meets-dark-fruit resonance of incredible length. Red meat, anyone?