Lot 13 2023 Napa Valley Meritage/Proprietary Red

The 2023 vintage was long and moderate with lots of hangtime resulting in Cabernet's, particularly in the cooler southern part of Napa Valley, being built like a Bullmastiff. Lot 13 2023 Napa Valley Meritage/Proprietary Red, on the other hand, is more like a chunky Black Lab with an otter tail, round-yet-powerfully structured and far more approachable...just bottled a few weeks ago, its already showing fantastically well and will be pure magic carpet ride come this Fall! Sourced from the same winery as Lot 10 2023 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Lot 13 features a blend of mostly BDX varietals with a splash of Syrah and Tempranillo. Half of the fruit comes from "vineyard that must not be named" that straddles Atlas Peak to Pritchard Hill with the the other half coming from another estate property down on the Atlas Bench. Quite frankly, this is a great, approachable option to have around while you wait for your 2023 Napa Cabernet's to unwind in the bottle. With about 75% new French oak and a well over $90+/bottle price tag, this is a dynamite deal at only $249/case. Opaque in the glass with a dark, meaty bouquet that is immediately expressive with black cherry and creme de mure framed with smoky brown sugar barrel-notes, cocoa nibs, anise, and leather. Huckleberry jam comes with air. Plush on entry with hedonistic purple and black fruit wrapped around a beautifully integrated, sexy, open-knit structure. Voluptuous and muscular on the palate, with gobs of ripe fruit beautifully framed by savory coffee and vanilla bean over velvety, mineral-laced tannins in a long, resounding finish that is, as I said, pure magic carpet ride. Barrel-chested, meaty, and well-proportioned, this wine reminds of Albert, my black lab, AKA Bertapotamus. 100% Napa Valley, approximately 50% higher elevation vineyard, 50% Atlas Bench (with a splash of Amador County) 45% Merlot, 30% Malbec, 20% Petite Verdot, 4% Syrah, 1% Tempranillo ~70% new French oak 15% alc. Bottled 6/27/25