Lot 68 is a Napa Valley Cabernet from the same legendary producer as Lot 38 Coombsville Chardonnay — confirmed by Cam’s own cross-reference — one of Napa’s most revered small-production estates. Claude’s source guess is Kongsgaard Wine, confirmed via Lot 38. See also: Lot 38.
Lot Overview
- Region: 80% Coombsville, 20% Howell Mountain, Napa Valley
- Vintage: 2023
- Blend: 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petite Verdot, 2% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc
- Alcohol: 15.3%
- Oak Aging: ~70% new French oak, 30 months in barrel
- TA / pH: 6 g/L TA, 3.75 pH, 0.9 g/L lactic, no malic
- Cases Available: ~150
- Cam Price: ~$17/bottle ($199/case — price not stated, estimating based on context)
- Retail Estimate: $200+/bottle
- Claude’s Source Guess: Kongsgaard Wine — Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
- Wine Berserkers Guess:
- Drink Window: 2028–2045 (peak 2030–2040)
Cameron’s Release Notes
Dear Friends,
I have a fantastic Cabernet Sauvignon offer for you today!
Lot 68 is a gorgeous, estate-grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from the same producer as Lot 38 Coombsville Chardonnay. The producer sells this wine for well over $100/bottle and it is a fantastic deal at $149/case DELIVERED.
At just $149/case DELIVERED, this is a mind-blowing deal for world-class Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon!
Tasting Notes
Lot 68 is a gorgeous, estate-grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from the same producer as Lot 38 Coombsville Chardonnay. The producer sells this wine for well over $100/bottle and it is a fantastic deal at $149/case DELIVERED.
Deep ruby/purple in the glass with an opaque core. The bouquet is immediately expressive and complex with ripe blackberry, cassis and plum notes beautifully complexed with graphite, cedar and tobacco. With air, the bouquet opens further with spicy oak and floral notes along with a lovely mineral halo. Rich and powerful on entry with a beautifully integrated structure of full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon with mouthwatering acidity carrying ripe blackberry and cassis fruit laced with graphite and cedar to a long, sustained finish. Beautifully balanced with tremendous elegance and complexity, this gorgeous Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a must-have for Cabernet lovers!
⏳ Bottle Shock Status
Already 30 months in barrel — likely bottled late 2025 or early 2026. Allow 60–90 days before opening. Best from late 2026.
Claude’s Source Guess: Kongsgaard Wine — Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
The “same producer as Lot 38” anchor is the key, and Lot 38 was a Coombsville Chardonnay priced “just shy of triple digits” from a “legendary estate.” That price point and descriptor point directly at Kongsgaard, whose Napa Valley Chardonnay incorporates Coombsville fruit from the Warren Winiarski-planted vineyard since 2020 and retails around $90–100. The estate is deeply tied to the volcanic eastern rim of Napa Valley — Stonecrest Drive/Coombsville territory — with their winery literally carved into volcanic rock at the Coombsville/Atlas Peak interface.
The Cabernet at $200+ is a clean match: Kongsgaard’s Cab retails at $240–$262, one of the most expensive non-cult Cabs in Napa Valley from a small family operation. Their winemaking style — 30 months in barrel, high new oak percentage, low-intervention cave winemaking — is a perfect fit for the 30-month élevage Cam describes, which is unusually long and signals a producer committed to that Burgundian-style extended aging approach Kongsgaard is known for.
The Howell Mountain component explains itself perfectly in context: Cam notes “the owner had friends on Howell Mountain with some extra tonnage in 2023” — exactly the informal, relationship-driven way a small family producer like Kongsgaard would source a one-off component. Their own Atlas Peak estate vineyard is high-elevation volcanic mountain fruit, so Howell Mountain fruit from a neighbor would be a natural stylistic fit.
The tasting profile — iron, volcanic rock, big-grained elegant tannins, white flowers, Coombsville earthiness — is textbook Kongsgaard, whose wines are known for precisely this combination of power, mineral tension, and aromatic complexity.
✅ Confidence: High on Kongsgaard. The price point anchors for both Lot 38 (Chardonnay ~$90-100) and Lot 68 (Cab $200+) converge on one producer in the Coombsville estate space, and the 30-month barrel aging and small family winery relationship story match Kongsgaard’s profile precisely.
Drink Window
Early Enjoyment: Late 2026 at the absolute earliest, and only with aggressive 2–3 hour decanting. At 30 months in barrel, 70% new oak, and 15.3% alcohol, this wine is going to be very closed on release.
Peak Drinking: 2030–2040. The “big-grained yet elegant” tannin structure Cam describes is the Coombsville signature — they take time to resolve but reward patience beautifully.
Hold Potential: 2045. Zero malic, moderate lactic, and high TA with an elevated pH of 3.75 suggest this wine is built for very long aging. Kongsgaard Cabs have historically needed 10–15 years to show their best.
My Call: ⏳ Drink window: 2026–2045 (peak 2030–2040)