Lot 606 | 2022 Napa Valley Red Blend 750ml
***BOTTLING EARLY JUNE, SHIPPING SHORTLY AFTER*** Here in North Coast wine country, vineyards are flowering and clusters of small green berries are beginning to emerge. As this year’s crop begins to take shape, an equally important story is unfolding behind the scenes away from the beautiful roadside views. With market conditions still soft and no rebound expected in the short term, winery owners are taking a hard look at their books. For some, older wines in barrel are starting to feel less like assets and more like cash tied up. It’s a disconnect that surprises many – most folks think of high-end wines as an appreciating asset (and that may be true once they're in private collections), but at wineries, it’s a different story – until they’re sold, those wines represent cash already spent, plus ongoing storage costs. With spring season cash flow tighter than it looks, this creates openings where juice of very high pedigree quietly becomes available to treasure hunters like us. Today’s release is a perfect example. A frontrunner for our #1 value acquisition of the year, it’s a brilliant Napa Valley Red Blend made in a “Parker-esque” style that we’ve landed at an absurd $19/bottle! Lot 606 is a signature bottling from a Napa producer that ticks all the boxes – it's anchored by a powerful Cabernet Sauvignon core with touches of Bordelaise varietals woven in for extra muscle, saw extended barrel aging in 100% French oak, and would leave even an experienced sommelier scratching their head if blind-guessing against a slew of triple-digit proprietary reds. Crafted with all the bells and whistles by a winemaker that timed the harvest perfectly, it was already a relative value in the Napa hierarchy at its original $80+/bottle tag, but we’ve nabbed it for our readers at 75% OFF. $19 for a Napa Valley Red of this caliber?! This is the kind of wine that most people would save for special occasions or celebrations...yet there you are, opening it on a Tuesday just because you feel like it. Our price: $24/bottle! Each varietal was handpicked at optimal ripeness – no small feat during the challenging 2022 harvest. Only the choicest grapes made the cut after double sorting, and daily punchdowns added concentration and structure before the juice embarked on an aging program in 100% French oak barrels. Artfully woven together after this initial élevage, our source’s winemaker then returned the final blend back into barrel for extended aging, where it has coalesced into a seamless, classically styled Napa red. A dense, rich bouquet unfolds out of the glass with notes of chocolate, deep plum sauce, cherry reduction, and graphite, all haloed by crushed violets. On entry, a balanced red awaits with dark fruits, new leather, and uplifted baking spices, framed by medium-plus acidity and plentiful small, silky tannins. The finish remains barrel-centric, with vanilla and spice dominating but echoed by dark chocolate, cassis, and crushed florals. Surprisingly youthful for a wine with this age, it’s a testament to deft craftsmanship in the cellar. 14.8% alc