Three gems to choose from today... 

“Just about as close to perfection as a wine can get… It’s going to be a legendary Napa Valley Cabernet and will have 3 decades or more of longevity.” – Jeb Dunnuck

Cardinale Estate Red 2016

Sale $255 (beats US best price on winesearcher by $40 a bottle!)

99 pts Jeb Dunnuck / 97 pts Wine Advocate

“Just about as close to perfection as a wine can get, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon from winemaker Chris Carpenter comes mostly from mountain vineyards and is 89% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Merlot. This full-bodied, rounded, thrillingly textured beauty boasts a saturated purple color as well as a huge nose of crème de cassis, new saddle leather, barbecue smoke, and scorched earth. It has perfect integration of its fruit, tannins, acidity, and oak, carries remarkable power and intensity, yet still glides over the palate with no heaviness or sensation of weight. It’s going to be a legendary Napa Valley Cabernet and will have 3 decades or more of longevity.“ - JD

“The deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Proprietary Red Wine is blended of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Merlot. It opens with compelling chocolate box and licorice scents over a core of black and red currants, warm plums and baking spices with hints of cedar chest and pencil lead. The palate is full-bodied with layers of cassis and kirsch flavors framed by firm, grainy tannins and fabulous freshness, finishing long and spicy. 4,772 cases produced.” – WA

Salvestrin Three D Dr Crane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, St Helena 2015

Sale $127.99 

96+ pts Wine Advocate

Rich Salvestrin is a Napa living legend. His family have owned part of the prestigious Dr. Crane vineyard since prohibition, and finally the critics are starting to pay attention to his estate wines. Production is tiny, just 285 cases of this wine. I have just under 3 cases.

“Rich Salvestrin’s grandparents fled Italy and the ravages of World War I to arrive in St. Helena in the 1920s. In 1932 they purchased a part of the ranch started by George Belden Crane in 1858. The property has had a continuously operating vineyard ever since, and is considered one of Napa’s most historic vineyard sites. At its peak, the 300-acre estate had about 100 acres of vines, and today there are still 50 acres spread among four owners, including Andy Beckstoffer.” – James Molesworth, Wine Spectator

A similarly rated Dr. Crane vineyard 2015 Cabernet from the likes of Hobbs, Myriad, or Alpha Omega will set you back a cool $200-$300+ a bottle. This is an incredible buy.

Winery note: Our Three D is a unique selection of our finest Cabernet barrels of the vintage. Meticulously layered, aromas of plum, brambly fruit, fresh tobacco leaf, and a hint of clove are featured. The palate boasts fine grained, chalky tannins that surround a silky voluptuous middle. Seamless and mouth-coating, wild raspberry and black olive reveal themselves on the back end of the lingering finish. Completely unadulterated, this Cabernet was bottled unfined and unfiltered.  

“Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon 3D Dr. Crane opens with licorice, violets and tilled soil over nuances of mossy bark, cassis, and warm plums. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has firm, grainy tannins and is elegant and polished, finishing long and layered.” – WA

Ulysses Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2016  (label for illustration)

Sale $148.99 - beats US best price on winesearcher.com

98+ pts Vinous Media / 99 pts James Suckling / 95+ pts Wine Advocate

Ulysses is the new Napa project from Christian Moueix, the founder and owner of Napa blue-chip Dominus! Ulysses comes from the 30 acre Oakville vineyard he bought in 2008.  The property was originally part of the Charles Hopper Ranch in the 1800's, it sits on the northern edge of Beckstoffer's Missouri Hopper Vineyard (a very nice neighbor). The Dominus Estate is a mile to the south and Dominus’ winemaker Todd Mostero is also making this wine. This 2014 is just the 3rd bottling of the sharply rising Napa star. 

“Aromas of sweet berries, fresh herbs, currant bush and licorice. Terracotta. Full body, layered and soft, velvety and focused tannins. Breathtaking texture. The focus ad polished is phenomenal. Harmonious. Enticing. Fascinating and thoughtful. A blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and petit verdot. Drink or hold.” - JS

“The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is fabulous. Bright, powerful and pulsing with energy, the 2016 possesses stunning textural depth allied to a real sense of drive. Black cherry, tobacco, menthol, sage and licorice give this Cabernet from southern Oakville much of its distinctive personality. In this tasting, the 2016 Ulysses simply towers with pedigree and character. I loved it. Although the track record is short, the 2016 is the finest wine Christian Moueix and Tod Mostero have made at Ulysses.” – VM

"Very deep purple-black in color, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon leaps from the glass with exuberant notes of cassis, black cherries and blackberries with touches of bay leaves, lavender, rose hip tea and pencil shavings plus a waft of spice box developing with time. The palate is medium to full-bodied with a well-sustained mid-palate of youthful black fruit, a rock-solid structure of firm, grainy tannins and fantastic freshness lifting the perfumed fruit to a long, lively finish." WA

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