***BOTTLING EARLY NOVEMBER, SHIPPING SHORTLY AFTER***
The entire year has been building to this.
It’s time to release the heavy hitters, the uber-elite, the best of the best. It’s time to begin our annual Big Fall Series!
This continues to be an astounding moment in the market. Wineries keep re-adjusting to the “new normal,” and we’ve been curating an incredible haul of apex wines from a jaw-dropping list of famed producers – our crew of old wine buyers haven’t been presented with conditions like this since the 2000s. From VIP ultra-exclusives previously thought untouchable to flagship releases showcased throughout the entire fine dining world, even the titans of the valley are taking a hard look at how to reallocate the wine sitting in their caves. Seizing the moment, we have secured an epic lineup of trophy offerings this year.
Let’s open with a bang from the most prestigious AVA in the country, shall we?
Lot 646 is a ‘Private Reserve’ type stunner from one of the most important names in the entire industry. A blockbuster red produced from world-class terroir with all the precision viticulture and state-of-the-art winemaking you’d expect from folks that are extremely well capitalized, this is an archetypal wine you would pour for anyone to say, “Napa Valley tastes like this.” While vineyard land in these parts is going for an eye-popping price well over half a million dollars an acre to tempt tired owners looking for an exit, the true big shots aren’t phased – they’re happy to cut a quiet deal with us now and wait for the pendulum to swing back around. To keep our source happy, we’ll only disclose that the original price is comfortably in the triple digits. More importantly for you all, a smoke show Oakville Cabernet is now available for under $25/bottle, which is frankly improbable for a wine of this level.
Our price: $299/case DELIVERED, $24+/bottle to your door!
Having been at this game for about half a century, our source has built the kind of portfolio that would be envy of any producer, and with that kind of experience comes unimpeachable quality controls. In 2024, warmer growing conditions yielded powerfully ripe fruit, and the winemakers have clearly fine-tuned their vinification with utmost precision to ensure the wine retained freshness to complement that natural power. Aging in 100% French oak barrels (~60% new) has wrapped that balance with a remarkably poised structure.
Dark fruit, mushrooms, savory dried herbs, and cassis leap from the glass and are closely pursued by secondary notes of chocolate and cedar. On entry, black cherry and blackberry mingle with bay leaf, tobacco, and crushed granite, making for an impressively structured wine that’s framed by balanced acidity and supple, velvety tannins. The finish is long with uplifted spice, revealing additional dark cherry and blackberry before settling into nearly endless waves of vanilla. Simply gorgeous.
