Lot Overview
- Region: Napa Valley — Oak Knoll District (west side, base of Mount Veeder)
- Vintage: 2024
- Varietal: 98% Cabernet Franc, 1% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot
- Oak Aging: ~55% new French oak
- Alcohol: 14.9%
- TA / pH: 5.34 g/L TA, 3.75 pH
- Cases Available: ~155
- Cam Price: ~$14/bottle ($169/case)
- Retail Estimate: $100+/bottle
- Claude’s Source Guess: Materra / Cunat Family Vineyards — flagship Cab Franc, winemaker Chelsea Barrett
- Wine Berserkers Guess:
- Drink Window: 2026–2035 (peak 2028–2033)
Cameron’s Release Notes
Another spectacular Napa Valley Cabernet Franc!
Sourced from a $100+/bottle Oak Knoll estate program, the production of this incredibly well-built Cabernet Franc is overseen by the daughter of two of Napa Valley’s pioneering and, by all means, legendary winemakers. She clearly knows what she’s doing and Lot 78 is a purpose-built, flagship “homage” bottling and no-expense-spared production that sees 50% to 60% new French oak of the finest cooperage. The only reason we are getting our hands on it is because the winery, like so many others, is simply right-sizing their inventory.
Lot 78 2024 Napa Valley Cabernet Franc is grown on an estate vineyard in Oak Knoll but, separate from the main estate on the east side, is in the much preferred gravelly west side alluvials at the base of Mount Veeder. Chalk full of ripe power but also produced with tremendous precision, this is a potent-yet-beautifully-balanced and complex Cab Franc! It’s an absolute steal at $169/case!
Tasting Notes
Beautifully extracted, inky and semi-opaque in the glass but not quite squid ink. The bouquet is resplendent with beautiful, piercingly fresh raspberry puree lovingly enveloped in the signature meaty, chocolatey notes of the 2024 vintage. Seasoned oak underpins the bouquet with powdery pink florals and bay leaf complexed with earthy notes of pencil lead and umami. Substantial and boisterous on entry with fleshy, ripe, juicy structure that is just raucous with ripe blue and red fruits enveloped in fine-grained, ripe, chocolatey tannins and long, complex and fragrant finish.
⏳ Bottle Shock Status
2024 vintage, recently bottled. Allow 30–60 days. Approachable on arrival given the generous 2024 structure but will reward patience.
Claude’s Source Guess: Materra / Cunat Family Vineyards — Chelsea Barrett, winemaker
The identity clue here is one of Cam’s most revealing: a winemaker who is the daughter of two of Napa’s legendary winemakers, running an Oak Knoll estate program. That description points unmistakably to Chelsea Barrett — daughter of Heidi Peterson Barrett (Screaming Eagle, La Sirena, Fantesca) and Bo Barrett (Chateau Montelena), and granddaughter of Dick Peterson. As a winemaking dynasty, the Barrett family has no peer in Napa Valley. Chelsea joined Materra / Cunat Family Vineyards as winemaker in 2018–2019 and has elevated the program considerably since.
Materra’s estate is centered on the Oak Knoll District, and the Cunat family has expanded their holdings to include multiple Oak Knoll parcels. Cam specifically distinguishes the west-side parcel at the base of Mount Veeder from the main estate on the east side — consistent with Materra’s expanded acreage in different Oak Knoll micro-zones. The gravelly west side alluvials at Mount Veeder’s base produce a cooler, more structured character than the flatter east-side valley floor soils, which explains the precision and power combination Cam describes.
The “homage” bottling description and “no-expense-spared” language suggests this is a newer, higher-tier Cab Franc produced by Chelsea as a personal statement wine — above their existing Midnight and Right Bank blends, which sell in the $40–75 range. At $100+ this would be Materra’s most ambitious red program to date, which fits Cam’s framing of inventory right-sizing at a winery building its premium tier.
One additional note: the WB thread on Lot 78 shows Cam edited his release email after posting, changing “daughter” to “child” — a classic Cam redaction when a clue gets too close to identifying the producer. That change itself is a near-confirmation of the guess.
✅ Confidence: High — the winemaker pedigree clue is exceptionally specific and the Oak Knoll estate geography matches Materra precisely. The “homage” language and $100+ tier are consistent with Chelsea Barrett launching a flagship Cab Franc program.
Drink Window
Early: 2026 — Cab Franc from this site is more accessible young than a mountain Cab Sauvignon.
Peak: 2028–2033. The west-side Mount Veeder alluvials and 55% new oak give this structure to develop over 4–8 years.
Hold: 2035. The moderate TA (5.34 g/L) is lower than some of the blockbuster reds in this series, suggesting a mid-term rather than marathon cellar candidate.
My Call: ⏳ Drink window: 2026–2035 (peak 2028–2033)