$70/bottle under the original label
We know we’re only about a month in, but we’re certain we’ve got the best deal on a single-vineyard estate Cabernet Franc you’ll find all year. Over 65% OFF an immaculate expression of the varietal, and that’s before factoring in shipping if you purchased it from the source winery.
Lot 439 comes to us from a Napa Valley estate’s single-vineyard program that regularly garners scores in the mid-to-high 90s. As you’d expect, getting this wine through the source will cost you a pretty penny; $70/bottle, $840/case direct.
Our price: $24/bottle.
How’d we land this deal? The winery’s off-site custom crush facility was saddled with unpaid bills and needed to recoup costs. As to why, we’re not exactly sure. What we do know is that we’ve done business with these folks before and when it needed to be sold, we got the call.
We’re thrilled with what’s in the bottle. 100% single-vineyard estate-grown fruit put through a no-expense sparred barrel regimen of 100% French oak, with 40% new wood. For balance, the wine was finished with a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon from the same estate site.
Immediate with red currants, Bing cherries, and roasted red peppers, the nose is very Old World-leaning - a beautiful testament to the classic stylings of this grape. The entry however is an exposé of Napa's finest; great concentration and exceptional structure deliver further currants and dusty cherries alongside red bramble coulis framed by perfectly integrated, grippy tannins with deftly balanced acidity. The finish is dry, with great resonance and an uplifted red fruit umami that carries into waves of delicate vanilla blossom and spiced cherries.
14.5% ABV
