Lot 29 came to Cam as 100% Oakville Cabernet Franc from an eastside volcanic bench estate, which he finished with 10% Lot 15 Oakville Cabernet held back for exactly this purpose plus three barrels of Oakville Petit Verdot from a rockstar winemaker. Claude’s source guess is Vine Cliff Winery. See also: Lot 15.
Lot Overview
- Region: 100% Oakville District, eastside volcanic bench (Vine Cliff estate)
- Vintage: 2023
- Varietal: 86% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon (Lot 15/Ghost Block), 4% Petit Verdot
- Oak Aging: ~45% new French oak
- Alcohol: 14.5%
- Cases Available: ~700 (Cam selling a portion)
- Cam Price: ~$11.50/bottle ($139/case)
- Retail Estimate: $100+/bottle
- Claude’s Source Guess: Vine Cliff Winery — Oakville Estate Cabernet Franc
- Wine Berserkers Guess: Vine Cliff
- Drink Window: 2026–2038 (peak 2028–2035)
Cameron’s Release Notes
Dear Friends,
Here’s how the conversation went:
“Katie – how the hell am I going to sell 700 cases of Cabernet Franc?”
“Well, the producer is motivated to sell it, it’s Oakville Cabernet Franc, people are hot for Cabernet Franc, and it’s awesome!”
“Yes, but, it’s 700 cases!”
“Yes, but, it’s awesome!”
And here I am again, just like the Gewurtz, offering you basically my cost to move out a chunk of this for good ‘ol Chateau le Cachefleaux :-).
The good news is Katie is spot on, Lot 29 2023 Oakville District Cabernet Franc is fantastic wine with a $100+/bottle pedigree and I am confident you guys are going to love this….it’s an incredible offer to boot so clink a link and check it out today!
Tasting Notes
STUNNING!
That was the first word that came to mind when I tasted Lot 29 Oakville Cabernet Franc off the bottling line last week.
Hailing from a $100+/bottle, estate-grown program grown based in the eastside volcanics of the upper Oakville Bench, this is a spectacular-yet-beautifully balanced effort and another incredible value!
Folks, this is world-class, no-expense-spared winemaking and it is not only stunning, but also an incredible deal at $139/case DELIVERED!
I love these end of the summer deals!
This is clearly first-run wine, but it came to us as 100% Cabernet Franc/100% Oakville so I presume this is their main component, not their finished blend. We polished this off with 10% of the Lot 15 Oakville Cabernet we held back and one of three barrels of dynamite Oakville Petite Verdot we picked up from one of Napa’s all-time rockstar winemakers. All of these components originate from $100+ programs grown in the same eastside Oakville alluvial soils and together produce a simply mind-blowing, terroir-driven Cabernet Franc!
Deep garnet, with an opaque core. Spicy cherry (think Red Hots) and cassis mingle with graphite, blueberry pie, cedar and dark chocolate bass notes. Fleshy, vibrant and energetic on the palate with gobs of structure welded to a core of beautifully integrated blue and black fruits riding red-rock flecked, minerally tannins. The midpalate is vibrant and juicy with a long, energetic finish that pulsates with pretty cherry kirsch and black currant. Superbly balanced, this wine is voluptuous yet fleshy and mouthwatering, seamless across the palate with a velvety finesse caressing the robust structure that is the hallmark of 2023 vintage! Absolutely scintillating!
⏳ Bottle Shock Status: Bottled August 28th. Allow 60–90 days minimum.
Claude’s Source Guess: Vine Cliff Winery — Oakville Estate Cabernet Franc
Vine Cliff is an Oakville estate situated on the eastern bench near the Vaca Range foothills, farming in the volcanic soils that distinguish the east side of the AVA from the alluvial loams of the west side. Their estate includes Cabernet Franc as a dedicated varietal program, and the winery produces small quantities of $100+ estate wines from these blocks. The “upper Oakville Bench” descriptor fits Vine Cliff’s terraced hillside location above the valley floor precisely.
A CellarTracker community member specifically noted “Vine Cliff” in their tasting note for this lot, providing direct community corroboration. Cam’s narrative of receiving 100% Cab Franc as a main blending component — presumably the base for Vine Cliff’s Cab Franc program before their final blend additions — is consistent with a boutique estate operation where surplus barrel lots become available to négociants.
✅ Confidence: High — CellarTracker community identification, eastside Oakville volcanic bench location, estate Cab Franc program at $100+, and small production all align.
Drink Window
Early: 2026 — 45% new oak and just-bottled needs integration time.
Peak: 2028–2035. Oakville Cab Franc at this quality tier peaks 5–10 years from vintage.
Hold: 2038. The structure and 14.5% alc give this solid aging potential.
My Call: ⏳ Drink window: 2026–2038 (peak 2028–2035)