Free Tasting! – Aperture Cellars – Wednesday October 30th - Chapel Hill – 4:30-6:30 PM – We’ve been looking forward to this one! Brand new to the market in North Carolina, Aperture Cellars has quickly become one of our favorite California wineries. We are so excited to have Aperture’s winemaker extraordinaire, Jesse Katz here for the tasting. Jesse has become one of the most sought after winemaking names in California, having produced the first 100 point Malbec from the US and worked at prestigious wineries such as Screaming Eagle, Petrus, Vina Cobos etc. These Bordeaux style wines have won our hearts (and palettes) and if you haven’t tried these wines yet, you gotta make it to the tasting! We look forward to seeing you there, but if you can’t make it, drop us a line and we’ll reserve the wine for you.
 
Aperture Cellars SJ Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 - Sale $159.99 *Pre-order* - 99 pts Jeb Dunnuck / 98 pts Wine Advocate - “Displaying an inky purple/black color, the nose is ripe and potent with aromas of blackcurrant, sappy pine, menthol, and lavender oil. Full-bodied, with a weightless feel, it’s the most refined of these wines, with fantastic freshness tying it together, as well as velvety tannins and a long, great finish. It has more tannin, but it’s going to be one of the longest-lived wines in the range. This is next level. Drink over the coming years.” JD
 
Aperture Cellars Oliver Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 – Sale $159.99 *Pre-order* - 97+ pts Wine Advocate / 97 pts Jeb Dunnuck – “The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Oliver Ranch was matured for 22 months in 80% new French oak. It takes some patience on the nose as it unfurls its aromas of blackcurrant, blueberry, cast iron, lilac, fennel and gingerbread spices. Its classy oak tones are nestled into a concentrated core of detailed fruit on the palate, and it has a weightless frame of velvety tannins. It’s noticeably energetic with bright acidity and has a very long, latent finish. In place of its typical density, this 2021 vintage of Oliver Ranch offers tremendous purity and elegance. 440 cases were made, and it will be long lived in the cellar.” WA
 
Aperture Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2021- Sale $74.99- 96 pts Wine Advocate / 95 pts Jeb Dunnuck- “Pouring a deep red/purple color, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon has the addition of 6% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot, 3% Malbec and a splash of Cabernet Franc, all raised in 55% new French oak for 18 months. It’s aromatic of brambly crunchy fruits, with notes of blackberries, resinous herbs, mossy forest earth, and mocha. Full-bodied and light on its feel, with lovely freshness, it offers refined tannins and a good deal of length, with an even spine of acidity to hold up its decadent nature. It is going to be an age-worthy wine to enjoy over the next 15 or so years.” JD
 
Aperture Cellars Bordeaux Red Blend 2021- Sale $59.99 - 95+ pts Wine Advocate / 93 pts Jeb Dunnuck- "The 2021 Bordeaux Red Blend is the first iteration to include a significant amount of fruit from Farrow Ranch, Aperture's latest vineyard acquisition. It's a blend of 44% Merlot, 27% Malbec, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot and 9% Cabernet Franc and was matured for 18 months in 50% new French oak. It has slowly unfurling scents of red and black currants, chocolate-covered cherries, integrated new oak spices, tobacco and tapenade. The palate is particularly elegant, balancing concentrated, nuanced flavors with a frame of velvety tannins and vibrant acidity that calls you back to the glass. 5,270 cases produced." WA
 
Aperture Cellars Sauvignon Blanc 2022- Sale $44.99- 95 pts Wine Advocate / 94 pts Jeb Dunnuck- “The 2022 Sauvignon Blanc is blended with 16% Sémillon and was matured mostly in French oak (33% new) plus a smaller portion of cement tank. It's the first vintage where so much Sémillon has been included—since acquiring Farrow Ranch in 2021, winemaker Jesse Katz has been able to add some of that site's fruit into his Aperture wines. It has alluring tones of white peach, kumquat, meringue and crème brûlée on the nose, plus wafts of floral perfume. The medium-bodied palate offers expansive flavors that segue from candied citrus to guava and vanilla pots de crème. It has a luxuriously satiny texture balanced by focused acidity and a very long, flavorful finish. 3,200 cases produced.” WA
 
Aperture Cellars Chenin Blanc 2022– Sale $29.99 – 93 pts Wine Advocate / 92 pts Jeb Dunnuck- A brilliant straw color with a green hue and bottled under screwcap, the 2022 Chenin Blanc is floral and fresh with notes of ripe peach, tropical flowers, and melon rind. Medium-bodied, with a soft mineral texture and delicate saline touch, it offers pithy citrus of tangerine, green almond, and fresh pear and a a clean finish. This is a lovely wine to drink over the next 4-5 years." JD