Lot 457 | 2013 Napa Valley

93 pts, Steve Heimoff - Cameron Hughes 2013 Lot 457 Meritage (Napa Valley); $18, 14.9%. Great price for a blend this rich and satisfying. It’s a little generic, in the way of a good New World Bordeaux blend, but I can’t imagine that anyone would fault it for that. A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot, it’s fleshy, with broad black currant, bitter chocolate, plum and cherry fruit flavors. Shows its pedigree in the finesse of the tannins and crisp acidity. Very good now, and should hold for six years. A steal at less than twenty bucks.

Big, rich, and tremendously powerful, Lot 457 is colored like a cult Cabernet. Deep aromas of juicy blackberry, violet, and graphite enter the mix early right out of the bottle. The wine’s concave nose is matched by an equally powerful (and surprisingly elegant) palate, which comes through with rich flavors of plum and dark chocolate. Lot 457’s fine-grained tannins make for a long finish that also ensures a pretty good shelf life for this guy – it will continue to drink magnificently over the next few years and will easily age through this next decade.