Napa Cabernet Exclusive

One of the most common questions clients ask us is, “What’s new and exciting from Napa?” It’s a great question, which we’re always happy and ready to answer concisely (or at length, if you’re not into the whole brevity thing). But a tougher question we also receive is, “What’s been overlooked from Napa?” This is a much more thought-provoking and fun query for us, opening the doors of discovery not just for clients, but sometimes for us too! Part of the reason we might have overlooked something is simply because it’s been just as elusive for us as for customers. But today, we’re able to answer this head-scratcher with full-throated enthusiasm. 

So, how did we overlook today’s featured wine? For starters, it was—and still is—mailing list only. Second, it debuted during a serious boom in Napa brands, lost to us in the flood of new labels that were popping up seemingly every week. Truth be told, we’re especially sad to have missed this one at the start, since it’s a style of wine that speaks directly to our palates. It’s not some juiced up, overripe fruit bomb; this is a sophisticated wine, handmade from 3 tiny acres of grapes. Its neighbors include cult producers like Scarecrow and Staglin, as well as historic properties like Rubicon/Inglenook, Bella Oaks, and a key component of Phelps Insignia. The winemaker is none other than Aaron Pott, who has been with the brand since its inception in 2005. Put all that together, and you’ve got a foolproof recipe for a truly outstanding Cabernet. 

Now, when we tell you that this producer is Greer, it might conjure up memories of someone, somewhere in your wine life, saying that you really want to be on that mailing list. We know we heard it. when the 2007 debuted, you might have even bought it, perhaps even for a few subsequent vintages too. But we’re willing to guess you never quite got around to trying the wine. Well, we can’t blame you if you didn’t, because we can only count on one hand the number of times that we’ve drank Greer. So when it crossed our path again, the memories of missed opportunities haunted us, and we jumped at the opportunity to offer it. 

Mea culpa aside, we’ve got not one but two vintages available today, and both quite substantial. The 2018—which Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate flipped out for, awarding it 98 points—is a stunning wine that captures the classic “Rutherford dust,” bringing incredible elegance, refinement, complexity, and a clear portrait of the vintage and terroir. The 2019—which both The Wine Advocate and Vinous awarded 97 points—also showcases the vintage clearly, being a bit more exuberant and bursting from the glass with a rich and expressive nose of dark fruits, savory herbs & spices, ferrous earth, and floral notes. It will reward cellaring tremendously, and will no doubt be fun to drink alongside the 2018 in a little friendly competition. But whether you grab some 2018, 2019, or both today, you really can’t go wrong with this offer.