Lot Overview
- Region: Pritchard Hill, Napa Valley (1,500 feet elevation, estate) + Oakville/Coombsville additions
- Vintage: 2024
- Varietal: 88% base (80% Cab/16.5% Merlot/3.5% CF from Pritchard Hill estate), 5% Oakville Cab, 5% Oakville PV, 2% Coombsville Malbec
- Oak Aging: ~60% new French oak
- Alcohol: 14.4%, pH 3.65, TA 5.2 g/L
- Cases Available: ~130
- Cam Price: ~$20/bottle ($239/case estimated)
- Retail Estimate: $200–300+/bottle (two program tiers)
- Claude’s Source Guess: [redacted per Cam’s request]
- Wine Berserkers Guess: [redacted per Cam’s request]
- Drink Window: 2029–2050+ (peak 2034–2045)
Cameron’s Release Notes
Lot 47 comes to us from a notable estate program on Pritchard Hill. We received two lots: one comprised of two barrels of a BDX blend (50% Cabernet, 41% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc) from their $300+ higher-end BDX blend program, and a second lot of three barrels of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from their ~$200/bottle Cabernet Sauvignon program. They were better blended together. We added an additional 5% Cabernet, 5% PV and 2% MB to the final blend — all told about 130 cases. To protect the innocent as well as my ability to continue to source these gems, please refrain from naming the producer or putting the blend online.
Tasting Notes
Deep purple around the edges with an opaque core verging on squid ink. Sexy and vibrant — crazy uplifted crème de cassis and blackberry pie notes are piercing and uplifted with beautiful purple flowers, leather and sage. Day 2 the bouquet continues to open, complexing with blueberry and chocolate along with graphite and cedar underpinned with iron and rock. Sublime. On entry, perfectly ripe fruit is interlaced with a massive-yet-elegant, minerally mountain tannin structure with layers of redcurrant and raspberry that unfurl darker fruited cassis and boysenberry notes in a chocolatey finish with leather and iron retronasal. Velvety and ripe yet remarkably elegant and complex — made with Swiss-watch precision. This wine will age effortlessly for decades.
⏳ Bottle Shock Status: Bottling February 2026. Do not open for minimum 4–5 years.
Claude’s Source Guess: [redacted per Cam’s request]
The two-program structure is the decisive clue — a $200 Cabernet Sauvignon program and a $300+ Bordeaux blend program from the same Pritchard Hill estate at 1,500 feet. [redacted]’s portfolio maps directly: their “[redacted]” is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blend at ~$175-200, and their flagship “[redacted]” is a Bordeaux blend at ~$325. The lot descriptions match — the 3-barrel 100% Cab Sauv lot aligns with [redacted]’s more Cab-forward profile, and the 2-barrel 50% Cab/41% Merlot/9% CF BDX blend aligns with the flagship [redacted]’s composition.
David Arthur Vineyards is the strongest alternative — their “Elevation 1147” Cabernet Sauvignon (~$200) and “Meritaggio” Bordeaux blend (~$250-275) represent a similar two-tier structure from Pritchard Hill, though their Meritaggio price falls slightly short of the “$300+” descriptor. Colgin (IX Estate ~$350, Cariad ~$250) is another possibility with two distinct programs.
The 1,500-foot elevation, “Swiss-watch precision” winemaking language, and the “ethereal/purple flowers/iron and rock” aromatic profile all align with [redacted]’s well-documented style under winemaker [redacted].
✅ Confidence: Medium-High — two-tier Pritchard Hill program confirmed, price points fit [redacted]’s structure, elevation and aromatic profile consistent. David Arthur remains a strong alternative.
Drink Window
Early: 2029 — Cam warns this will take time. 14.4% alc and mountain tannin need minimum 3-4 years post-bottling.
Peak: 2034–2045. Pritchard Hill Cab at this tier consistently peaks 10–20 years from vintage.
Hold: 2050+. Cam says “age effortlessly for decades” and the structure fully supports that.
My Call: ⏳ Drink window: 2029–2050+ (peak 2034–2045)