🏷️ Lot Overview
Region: Pritchard Hill (Napa Valley – high-elevation estate)
Vintage: 2024
Blend: 87% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Malbec
ChatGPT Original Source Guess: [redacted]
Wine Berserkers Guess: [redacted]
Alcohol: 14.5%
Oak Aging: ~70% new French oak
Cam Price: $16.50 ($199/case)
Retail Estimate: $250+
Drink Window: 2027–2037+
🍷 Cameron’s Release Notes
This is eight-barrels of fantastic wine hailing from the same producer as Lot 47 Cabernet Sauvignon (sold out) and Lot 46 Napa Valley Merlot (40 cases remaining), all sourced from a notable high-elevation, estate program up in the area known as Pritchard Hill.
This is a first run, ultra-premium blending component from a well-over $250/bottle program; however, I cannot say for sure whether it was inventory reduction or it just didn’t fit into the blend. We blended in 5% Merlot from Lot 46, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon from Lot 47 (again, same producer) and then added 5% of a gorgeous Malbec we just sourced from an amazing producer in St. Helena. The resulting blend is a fantastic, amazingly complex and ethereal wine and an absolute steal at $199/case DELIVERED!
As I mentioned previously, our plan is to keep the wine in barrel through January and bottle in February… the 24’s are ripe and relatively open knit and we do not feel the wine needs to stay in barrel any longer!
Only 200 cases available!
Tasting Notes
Deep garnet in the glass, verging on opaque, with an electric purple edge. The bouquet opens up very high-toned and ethereal with a combination of garrigue, anise, and purple flowers underpinned with blackberry, black cherry and cacao nibs. As the nose opens with air, notes of raspberry and chocolate complex the bouquet along with a lovely cedar, cinnamon spice and leather halo.
Supple on entry with a juicy, velvety-yet-palate staining structure perfectly integrated with red and black fruit. Exquisitely balanced with an ethereal complexity, the wine finishes long and persistent with vibrant fruit and nicely integrated oak in perfect balance. Mouthwateringly gorgeous and exquisite in every way!
87% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon (all from same estate) plus 5% St. Helena Malbec
~70% new French oak
14.5% alc.
~200 cases bottling in February
🧠 ChatGPT says:
🔍 Source Guess: [redacted per Cam’s request]
🎯 Rationale
(internal reasoning omitted for publication per Cam’s request)
⏳ Drink Window
Best From: 2027–2037
Peak: 2029–2034
Why: 2024 is a ripe, open-knit vintage, but this wine — being 70% new oak + Pritchard Hill tannin + significant Cab Franc backbone — benefits from 2–3 years of settling.
Hold Potential: Up to 12–15 years due to structure + acidity + mountain pedigree.