Lot 632 | 2025 Napa Valley Semillon 6-pack
***BOTTLING MID-SEPTEMBER, SHIPPING SHORTLY AFTER*** You may have noticed a pattern with us by now: when we welcome an inaugural wine to the program, we go big. Our readers have high expectations, after all. So it’s only natural that our first ever single-varietal Semillon is no exception – one of the rarest white finds in the history of this Lot series, it’s a beauty that’s as stunning as it is scarce. Most of you have almost certainly had Sémillon, though perhaps not in such pure form. It’s an essential backbone to many great Bordeaux blancs, while in Sauternes, the grape is specially exposed to Noble Rot to produce some of the most collectible wines in the world. Outside France, meaningful plantings can be found in Australia and South America. But in Napa it barely registers, and what little exists is typically used to add richness and structure to Sauvignon Blanc and Meritage whites, leaving a preposterously small amount for single-varietal bottlings. It doesn’t help this golden grape’s cause that it thrives in precisely the soils and climate that Cabernet does. Unless the wine industry flips on its head, nobody in Napa is ripping out rows of Cab to plant Sémillon. Needle, meet haystack. Lot 632 is an absolute gem of a 100% Sémillon, produced from historic vineyards near the heart of the valley floor that have been organically farmed for decades. Possessing a combination of Sauv Blanc’s freshness and Chardonnay’s texture, it’s undoubtedly one of the top-percentile expressions in all of Napa. A gorgeous white wine sold for about $50 under the source program, these turbulent times yielded an opportunity that we hardly ever see. Who knows when we’ll find another sleeper hit of this kind after the market waves have settled down a bit? It took over 600 Lots before bagging this one. Carpe diem – we’ve acquired it at barely $16/bottle for our readers, which is a over 65% OFF! Our price: $99/6-pack, $16+/bottle! Positioned close enough to San Pablo Bay for the evening fog and marine air to lock acid into the fruit, and far enough to gather the heat and sunshine that carry Sémillon to full ripeness, these vines produce balanced and remarkably concentrated berries. Our source hand-picks early to lock in maximum freshness, then ferments and ages entirely in small stainless steel tanks, with lees stirring skipped altogether for a pure expression of the vineyard's world-class terroir. Rising from the glass with a delineated nose of peach and Meyer lemon, the aromatics continue to open with air, delivering chamomile, almond slivers, and hints of apricot. On the palate, an expertly weighted wine awaits; Sémillon’s natural richness is handled with restraint here, allowing deft acidity to slice through its mouth-coating nature – a supremely elevated expression that showcases classic varietal flavors of apricot, lemon zest, wet river stones, and an undeniable minerality. The umami-rich finish is persistent and uplifted, settling into a very clean exit that demands another sip. This is Sémillon refined. 13.2% alc