Lot 5 is one of the tightest NDAs in the CAM X catalog — a Knights Valley and Oakville Bordeaux blend from a legendary winery that Cam describes as neither flagship nor second wine. Claude’s source guess is Peter Michael Winery, L’Esprit des Pavots.
Lot Overview
- Region: 89% Knights Valley (Sonoma County), 11% Oakville (Napa Valley)
- Vintage: 2023
- Varietal: 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot
- Oak Aging: Not disclosed (NDA)
- Alcohol: 15.5%
- Cases Available: 225
- Cam Price: ~$16.50/bottle ($199/case)
- Retail Estimate: $85–100/bottle equivalent
- Claude’s Source Guess: Peter Michael Winery — L’Esprit des Pavots
- Wine Berserkers Guess: Peter Michaels
- Drink Window: 2026–2040 (peak 2029–2037)
Cameron’s Release Notes
Can’t Say Much About Lot 5… Except You’ll Want a Case
Dear Friends,
We’ll keep this one short… mostly because we have to.
Pretty tight NDA here, folks.
No names. No vineyards. No backstory. What we can share is this:
The blend is 89% Knights Valley / 11% Oakville
51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petite Verdot
225 cases available
Bottling late July
$199 for the case. Try finding that anywhere else.
Is it a flagship? No.
A second wine? Also no.
A ridiculously good value? Absolutely.
We’re bottling this exactly as we received it. No tweaks. No adjustments. Just a killer wine with the kind of pedigree that normally doesn’t get within a mile of this list.
A richly structured, lush, and hedonistic Cabernet-based blend with 15+ years of potential—and enough plushness to drink like a dream right now. Swiss-watch precision meets full-bodied seduction.
Inky and dark, with a seductive nose of plum reduction, graphite, cigar leaf, and cocoa powder. As it opens, it deepens into crème de mûre, powdered violets, red rock, and wild garrigue. On the palate, it’s plush, seamless, and bold—purple and black fruit, chocolate, and toasty French oak riding a chewy, structured tannin wave. Integrated, concentrated, and long as hell on the finish.
Tasting Notes
Pretty tight NDA here folks so not much I can share other than the appellations involved (Knight’s Valley and Oakville) and the final BDX blend…no discussion of price points, locations, or vineyards. I do think it is fair to note that this is not a flagship wine, but I believe it would be unfair to call it a “second wine”. What I CAN tell you is that it is fantastic wine, and we are bottling the blend as it was received.
Lot 5 comes to us from a legendary winery. Produced in a lush, open-knit yet beautifully structured and utterly seamless style, this 2023 Knights Valley Meritage or Proprietary Red, if you prefer, captures the ’23 vintage in all its glory.
With tremendous upfront appeal (read: this will drink well now) and the capability to go another 15+ years, Lot 5 is not just a sensational wine, but an amazing value! Trust me on this folks, if you like a succulent, ripe, hedonistic style produced with Swiss watchmaking precision, this is for you. Indeed, it is ABSOLUTELY TIME TO BACK UP THE TRUCK!
Dark and inky in the glass, Lot 5 features a hedonistic bouquet of plum reduction, graphite, cigar leaf and cocoa powder. The complexion of the bouquet darkens as it complexes, adding crème de mûre, red rock, powdered violets with hints of garrigue. Uber-plush on the palate, cascading a magic carpet ride of purple and black fruit, chocolate, and toasty French oak all riding a deliciously chewy tannin structure. Succulent as all get-out yet perfectly integrated and harmonious, all the elements are seamlessly balanced with lush, concentrated fruit supported by fresh acidity in a long, glorious and epic finish that never seems to end. Exquisite in every way, this Cab-based Bordeaux blend will absolutely knock your socks off!
⏳ Bottle Shock Status
Bottled late July. Allow 60–90 days minimum — 15.5% alc and a serious tannic structure need integration time.
Claude’s Source Guess: Peter Michael Winery — L’Esprit des Pavots
The combination of Knights Valley and Oakville fruit is the decisive clue, and only one legendary California winery routinely blends these two specific appellations: Peter Michael Winery. Their estate spans Knights Valley (Les Pavots vineyard, planted 1990) and Oakville (Au Paradis vineyard), and since 2016 they have produced L’Esprit des Pavots — literally “The Spirit of the Poppies” — by blending lots from both estates.
Cam’s description of “not a flagship, not a second wine” is almost word-for-word how Peter Michael positions L’Esprit: explicitly “the little brother” of Les Pavots, more accessible and fruit-forward than the flagship but not a declassification. The blend profile — Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot — is identical to L’Esprit’s composition across every vintage. The 15.5% alcohol also tracks with Peter Michael’s house style in warm Knights Valley years.
Les Pavots retails at $175–200/bottle, Au Paradis at $200+, and L’Esprit at $85–100. Cam’s NDA preventing any discussion of “price points, locations, or vineyards” is entirely consistent with Peter Michael’s known approach to protecting producer identity in their surplus arrangements.
✅ Confidence: High — the Knights Valley + Oakville combination is unique to Peter Michael among legendary California producers, and L’Esprit des Pavots matches the “not flagship, not second wine” description precisely. This is one of the stronger identifications in the CAM X catalog.
Drink Window
Early: 2026 — needs time for the 15.5% alc and tannic structure to integrate post-bottling.
Peak: 2029–2037. L’Esprit des Pavots consistently shows best 6–12 years from vintage.
Hold: 2040. The Knights Valley volcanic soils and Oakville structure give this exceptional longevity.
My Call: ⏳ Drink window: 2026–2040 (peak 2029–2037)