Dear Friend,

Today's releases are very exciting and screaming deals, to boot. Both wines were sourced from excellent growers in the Napa Valley with maticulous vineyard practices and a long history of producing truly amazing wine.

First up is Lot 304 2009 Napa Valley Meritage, sourced from Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena and Atlas Peak. The blend is driven by Cab Franc, giving the wine a plush mouthfeel and texture, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot offer structure and definition to this pretty blend. The higher elevation vineyards create the backbone of this wine. I am always pleased when a good blend becomes better with time, as this has blossomed over the last months in bottle. This wine is an expression of what is best in Bordeaux blending and really showcases the craftmanship of our artisan winemakers.

Lot 304 exudes exotic aromas of spice and black tea with subtle fruit play on the nose. On the palate, a black fruit core is underpinned with soft, playful tannins and good acid. This wine shows a beautifully delicate structure within bold Napa fruit. Lot 304 will grow more succulent with each minute in the glass and will continue to improve for years in the bottle. The main component for this blend comes from a winery in Napa specializing in Cab Franc which produces really incredible juice with all the fixin's, pretty French oak, and ripe fruit. The remaining components are each sourced from different high-end producers and could easily stand on their own. 

Lot 316 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is the big brother to Lot 304. This wine was constructed from mountainous vineyards, flanking either side of the Napa Valley, in the Mayacamas to the west and the easterly Vaca Range. The Merlot and Cab Franc add texture and dimension to the blend. This wine has a ripe and uplifted nose which is underpinned by fleshy black fruit and serious mountain structure.

Lot 316 is a multi faceted collage of black and red fruit aromas with notes of rose petal, mocha and graphite. Fine grained tannins gently sweep to the far reaches of the palate. Lingering finish punctuated with lavish red fruit.The fact that great vineyards make great wines is really evident in this cabernet. Soaring aromatics, pure fruit and classic mountain character come together in a stunning package.