Lot Overview
- Region: Pritchard Hill, Napa Valley (high-elevation estate) + 5% St. Helena Malbec
- Vintage: 2024
- Varietal: 87% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon (same estate), 5% St. Helena Malbec
- Oak Aging: ~70% new French oak
- Alcohol: 14.5%
- Cases Available: ~200
- Cam Price: ~$16.50/bottle ($199/case)
- Retail Estimate: $250+/bottle equivalent
- Claude’s Source Guess: [redacted per Cam’s request]
- Wine Berserkers Guess: [redacted per Cam’s request]
- Drink Window: 2027–2042 (peak 2030–2038)
Cameron’s Release Notes
Eight barrels of fantastic wine hailing from the same producer as Lot 47 Cabernet Sauvignon and Lot 46 Napa Valley Merlot, 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 — 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 (same producer) and then added 5% of a gorgeous Malbec from an amazing producer in St. Helena.
Tasting Notes
Deep garnet in the glass, verging on opaque, with an electric purple edge. The bouquet opens 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, 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 ethereal complexity — mouthwateringly gorgeous in every way.
⏳ Bottle Shock Status: Bottling February 2026. Allow spring/summer 2026 minimum.
Claude’s Source Guess: [redacted per Cam’s request]
[redacted] Winery is one of Pritchard Hill’s most celebrated high-elevation estates, farming all five Bordeaux varieties on their 14-acre vineyard at 1,800-2,200 feet on the western face of Pritchard Hill. Their flagship “[redacted]” retails at $325 and their “[redacted]” at $175, both firmly above the “$250+” threshold Cam describes. Winemaker [redacted] makes extraordinarily precise, aromatic wines where Cabernet Franc plays a prominent role — their estate planting includes significant Cab Franc blocks, explaining why eight barrels of standalone Cab Franc would be available as a blending component.
The “didn’t fit into the blend” narrative is entirely consistent with [redacted]’s meticulous annual barrel selection — [redacted] regularly makes vintage-specific blend decisions that leave premium varietal lots outside the flagship program. The “high-toned, ethereal, garrigue, anise, purple flowers” tasting note language is signature Pritchard Hill Cab Franc vocabulary and matches [redacted]’s documented aromatic profile.
The Lots 45/46/47 cluster (Cab Franc/Merlot/Cab Sauv all from same Pritchard Hill estate at $250+) maps directly to a producer farming all three varieties at the luxury tier — which at Pritchard Hill points most strongly to [redacted], Colgin, or Continuum. [redacted] is the strongest fit given their estate Cab Franc prominence and [redacted]’s known barrel selection philosophy.
✅ Confidence: Medium-High — Pritchard Hill estate confirmed, $250+ price tier confirmed, full Bordeaux varietal program confirmed, “ethereal/garrigue/purple flowers” vocabulary consistent with [redacted]’s style. Colgin and Continuum are viable alternatives.
Drink Window
Early: Spring 2027 — bottling February 2026, needs 12+ months integration.
Peak: 2030–2038. Pritchard Hill Cab Franc at this quality tier peaks 6–12 years from vintage.
Hold: 2042. The elevation and structure support two decades.
My Call: ⏳ Drink window: Spring 2027–2042 (peak 2030–2038)