Lot 02 is one of the most pedigreed early CAM X offerings — a single-vineyard Oakville Cabernet from a $160+/bottle estate program made by a legendary consulting winemaker with 80-85% new French oak. Claude’s source guess is B Cellars, Giannone Vineyard, Kirk Venge winemaker.
Lot Overview
- Region: Oakville, Napa Valley (north border of Oakville, near Silverado Trail)
- Vintage: 2022
- Varietal: 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Malbec
- Oak Aging: ~85% new French oak, 28 months
- Alcohol: 14.5%
- Cases Available: ~300
- Cam Price: ~$20.75/bottle ($249/case)
- Retail Estimate: $165/bottle
- Claude’s Source Guess: B Cellars
- Wine Berserkers Guess: B Cellars Giannone
- Drink Window: 2025–2036 (peak 2027–2033)
Cameron’s Release Notes
Introducing Lot 2 – a powerhouse Oakville Cabernet
This comes straight from a $160+/bottle estate program, crafted by a legendary consulting winemaker, aged in ~85% new French oak, and sourced from the north end of Oakville near the Silverado Trail — a ZIP code that needs no introduction if you’re into Napa Cabs.
It’s rich, dense, structured, and silky. Blueberry pie, cassis, black earth, toasty oak… it’s got it all.
Cameron only made a couple hundred cases of this beauty and it’s already making waves. So if you’re thinking of grabbing a few (or backing up the truck), now’s the time.
Folks, this is an absolutely fantastic Oakville Cabernet!
Tasting Notes
Straight out of a $160+ per bottle, single-vineyard, estate program on the north border of Oakville just off the Silverado Trail, this sumptuous wine has all the bells and whistles including a legendary consulting winemaker and 80-85% new French oak! Pretty sure we purchased the entire 2022 vintage; however, we only produced a couple hundred cases so I highly recommend you giddyup to one of our retail partners and grab yours today!
Classic Oakville nose of blueberry pie and graham cracker crust complexed with boysenberry and sage/tobacco notes underpinned with fresh-turned black earth all haloed by toasty notes of caramel/creme brulee from the beautifully integrated oak. Pretty cassis and white flower notes emerge with air. Rich and succulent on entry, showcasing wonderfully ripe red and blue fruits, graphite, soft chewy tannins and beautifully integrated toasty oak. Simultaneously ripe, dark, bright, spicy and rich, the wine has a juicy, open-knit yet deep structure that makes it a hedonistic pleasure now while having the fortitude to age gracefully for another decade or more. Dyn-o-mite!
✅ Bottle Shock Status
2022 vintage, bottled June 2024, released summer 2024. Past bottle shock and drinking well now.
Claude’s Source Guess: B Cellars — Giannone Vineyard, Oakville (Kirk Venge, winemaker)
The Giannone Vineyard sits on Skellinger Lane in north Oakville, just off the Silverado Trail — matching Cam’s geographic description precisely. B Cellars has sourced from this small, family-owned plot for multiple vintages, producing a single-vineyard Cabernet aged in 100% new French oak. Their winemaker Kirk Venge qualifies as “legendary” in the Napa consulting world — the Venge family name carries serious weight in the valley going back decades.
The 12% Malbec is higher than what B Cellars typically shows on their Giannone label, but Cam is assembling the final CAM X blend himself and routinely adds lots from outside the source winery to build the final composition. A Malbec lot from another program could easily account for that component without undermining the Giannone as the backbone.
Production size, price tier ($160–165), oak program, and geographic fit all align well. The WB community independently arrived at B Cellars Giannone as their guess, which reinforces the case.
✅ Confidence: Medium-High — geography, winemaker pedigree, vineyard size, and price tier are all strong fits. The 12% Malbec is the one open variable.
Drink Window
Early: Now — 2022 with 28 months aging and 85% new French oak is accessible but benefits from decanting.
Peak: 2027–2033. Classic Oakville structure gives this a solid 5–8 year arc from release.
Hold: 2036.
My Call: ✅ Drink window: 2025–2036 (peak 2027–2033)