🏷️ Lot Overview
Region: Coombsville
Vintage: 2023
Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
ChatGPT Original Source Guess: Covert Estate
Wine Berserkers Guess: Paul Hobbs Coombsville Cabernet (and blended in SVD -Single Vineyard Designate)
Alcohol: 15.0%
Oak Aging: 50–60% New French Oak
Cam Price: $16.58 ($199/case)
Retail Estimate: $100–$300
Drink Window: 2025–2040
🍷 Cameron’s Release Notes
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Lot 7 is the kind of Cabernet that makes you do a double take—Estate Coombsville fruit, consulting winemaker, deep pedigree—and somehow… it’s yours for $199 a case.
This 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon brings together two powerhouse sources from one of Coombsville’s top producers: their $100+ appellation-tier Cab, and a small lot of estate vineyard designate wine that usually fetches over $300/bottle. They offered us both. We blended them. The result? A dark, structured, absolutely dialed-in Cabernet that captures the best of the 2023 vintage.
Inky and bold in the glass, with aromas of blackberry, plum, cocoa, graphite, and violets. The palate brings creme de cassis, crushed rock, and blackcurrant on a plush, structured frame. Deep, ripe, and harmonious with a long finish and aging potential to spare.
Drink now or cellar for 15+ years. Either way, you win.
Tasting Notes
Dark and virtually opaque in the glass, the bouquet is meaty and dense with ripe crushed blackberry, damson plum, graphite, and cocoa with a kiss of tobacco leaf and a halo of purple flowers. Ripe and delicious on entry, it reveals a luscious core of creme de cassis and blackcurrant flavors accentuated by purple flowers and sage notes. The robust yet plush tannin structure is energized by crushed volcanic rock minerality. Exceptionally pure and surprisingly drinkable now, this sexy badass of a Cabernet will age gracefully for another decade or two.
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
100% Coombsville
50–60% new French oak
15.0% alc.
~230 cases produced
Bottling scheduled early July 2025
🧠ChatGPT says:
🔍 Source Guess: Covert Estate (most likely)
Rationale:
- Estate Location & Pedigree
Covert Estate is a small, high-end Coombsville producer with estate vineyards and consulting winemaker Julien Fayard. They fit the profile of a producer blending fruit from their $100+ appellation wine and $300+ reserve-tier wine. - Wine Pricing Alignment
- Covert’s Coombsville Cab is typically priced in the $100–$140 range.
- Their reserve offerings and collaborations (like Covert “Grand Coeur”) regularly hit $250–$300+ per bottle.
- Production Scale & Consulting Winemaker
The “small lot + flagship tier” model and reference to a consulting winemaker both point to Covert’s operations, known for blending elegance and power in very limited runs. - Tone & NDA Constraints
Cameron’s wording—emphasizing a tight NDA, pedigree, and blending from two top-tier programs—mirrors the kind of deal he’s hinted at previously with Covert Estate lots. - Alternative Considerations
- Paul Hobbs: A potential candidate based on reputation and pricing, but less likely due to their higher production scale and preference for vineyard-specific branding.
- Favia or Faust: Both have the pedigree and Coombsville roots, but their branding and tiered structure are a less precise match than Covert.
Conclusion:
Given the structure, pricing, and description, Covert Estate is the most plausible source for Lot 7.
⏳ Drink Window
Early Enjoyment: Post-bottle shock (late 2025) into 2026. While structured, Lot 7’s plush tannins and ripe fruit will make it approachable within the first year in bottle.
Peak Drinking: 2027–2035. This is when cassis, blackberry, graphite, and volcanic rock notes integrate with oak spice, creating a seamless balance of richness and finesse.
Hold Potential: Up to 2040 with careful storage. Expect tertiary evolution (cedar, tobacco leaf, leather, savory spice) after ~2035.
⏳ Drink window: 2025–2040 (peak 2027–2035)
🧑‍🤝‍🧑🍷 Wine Berserkers Guess: Paul Hobbs Coombsville Cabernet (and blended in SVD -Single Vineyard Designate)