Lot Overview
- Region: 100% Stagecoach Vineyard, Atlas Peak (single vineyard)
- Vintage: 2023
- Varietal: 75% Cabernet Franc, 25% Merlot
- Oak Aging: ~70% new French oak
- Alcohol: 15.0%
- Cases Available: 425
- Cam Price: ~$14/bottle ($169/case)
- Retail Estimate: $150+/bottle
- Claude’s Source Guess: Krupp Brothers — Synchrony proprietary red, Stagecoach Vineyard
- Wine Berserkers Guess: Krupp Brothers
- Drink Window: 2027–2043 (peak 2029–2038)
Cameron’s Release Notes
The blend, 100% sourced from “the vineyard that shall not be named up on Atlas Peak,” came to us at 75% Cabernet Franc and 25% Merlot so I decided to bottle this as a Cabernet Franc. Typically bottled under a proprietary name, scores in the mid-90s with Dunnuck and Parker, and priced well over $150/bottle. We didn’t touch the blend and bottled it up as-is at the end of June.
Tasting Notes
Deep ruby/purple in the glass with a dense, earthy bouquet of black plums and dark chocolate interlaced with garrigue, soon complexed with ripe cherry and blackberry fruit haloed with notes of cinnamon spice and violet swirling with dark, fresh-turned earth. Savory, high-toned, and lovely as it unwinds in the glass. Robust and chewy on entry with juicy, vibrant blackcurrant, blueberry, and cocoa notes beautifully balanced over a massive tannin framework. Rich and powerful yet elegant, finishing long and persistent with tremendous complexity.
⏳ Bottle Shock Status: Bottled June 27th. Allow minimum 2 years — 15% alc and 70% new oak need serious time.
Claude’s Source Guess: Krupp Brothers — Synchrony proprietary red, Stagecoach Vineyard
This is the fifth lot in the confirmed Krupp Brothers cluster (Lots 10, 13, 16, 17, 21), and the Synchrony is the natural fit. Krupp’s Synchrony is their Cabernet Franc-dominant proprietary red from Stagecoach, blending Cab Franc with Merlot and minor supporting varieties across vintages — the 2016 was 66% Cab Franc / 26% Merlot, and Cam’s 75% Cab Franc / 25% Merlot is a tighter expression of that same varietal framework. The Synchrony retails at $147–172 depending on vintage, fitting Cam’s “well over $150/bottle,” and scores 92–95 across vintages from Parker and Dunnuck.
Cam explicitly notes the wine “came to us” at this blend, meaning he bottled it as-received — consistent with receiving Krupp’s Synchrony barrel lots and labeling them as a Cabernet Franc varietal wine since the blend clears the 75% threshold.
✅ Confidence: Very High — Stagecoach sourcing confirmed, Cab Franc-dominant proprietary blend with Merlot matches Synchrony’s profile, price tier and critic scores align, and this is the fifth lot in the confirmed Krupp Brothers cluster.
Drink Window
Early: 2027 — 15% alc and 70% new oak from Stagecoach elevation need 3–4 years minimum.
Peak: 2029–2038. Mountain Cab Franc from Stagecoach at this oak level peaks 6–15 years from vintage.
Hold: 2043. The structure absolutely supports two decades.
My Call: ⏳ Drink window: 2027–2043 (peak 2029–2038)