JD-97
2016 Downstream Box Set (3x75cl + 1x150cl), Paso Robles 5x75cl
Blend: 76% Zinfandel, 8% Syrah, 6% Mataró, 6% Petite Sirah, 4% Tempranillo
Production: 230 cases
Founded in 2016, Downstream Wines is the collective brainchild of Saxum Vineyards owner and... winemaker Justin Smith, the late-great oenologist Philippe Cambie, and their mutual friend, the visionary Sasha Verhage. Together, they crafted a wine that will be remembered forever as watershed moment in Paso Robles, and California as a whole.
When it comes to pushing the boundaries of greatness, their jaw-dropping Downstream is a magical wine. In the running as the greatest expression of Zinfandel ever produced, it's a peerless example of Cambie's unrivalled blending skills and Smith's rockstar winemaking. It also carries a real poignance as to honour the legacy of Cambie, following his passing in 2021, production was ended.
Cambie's work in Châteauneuf-du-Pape is legendary, none more so than his multiple 100-point scores at Clos St. Jean. He had long desired to work with Justin in Paso Robles, focusing on 'heritage' Zinfandel. They chose the old vines of the Dusi Vineyard, planted in 1945, complimenting them with a carefully selected blend of varietals from sites including Saxum's own James Berry Vineyard.
The result is a taste and style that can only come from California: rich, intense, hedonistic, with an underlying elegance and energy. It's indicative of the forward thinking and ground breaking approach that's at its strongest in Paso Robles.
Downstream is already a highly desirable and ultra-rare gem, and will be a treasured prize among collectors of California's finest wines who are lucky enough to find some.
£1,200 / Case£240 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £1,460.64 / Case, £292.13 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2018 Law, Beguiling, Paso Robles 12x75cl
Blend: 85% Grenache, 15% Syrah
Vintage production: 1,103 cases
Beguiling is Law's is a celebration of Grenache, always dominated by 80+% of this varietal which is in the midst of an astonishing... revolution in Paso Robles. The vines are on a complex blend of Calodo, Los Osos, Nacamiento and Linne soils that run through the Estate Vineyard, between 490m and 590m above sea level. The fruit is hravested by hand and undergoes native fermentation in open top concrete fermenters. It is aged for 19 months in French oak (30% new) before14 months in bottle prior to release.
£755 / Case£62.92 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £954.82 / Case, £79.57 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2016 Sine Qua Non, Deux Grenouilles White, California 1x75cl
Blend: 36% Roussanne, 29% Chardonnay, 23% Viognier, 9% Petite Manseng, and 3% Muscat.
Vintage production: n/a
Entirely from estate fruit with the exception of Chardonnay from Bien Nacido Vineyard.... Aged in 26% concrete eggs, 26% used barrels and 48% new oak.
The name Deux Grenouilles is French for 'Two Frogs'. The photo on the front label includes a Citroën 2CV. 2CV stood for 'deux chevaux' or 'deux chevaux-vapeur', which translates from French to English as two steam horses or two tax horsepower, a reference to the low cost of registering the car, and more generally the low cost of buying and maintaining the car. It has many parallels to the Volkswagen Beetle. This was the car Manfred wanted when he turned 18 years old.
£220 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £267.97 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2020 Aperture, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley 12x75cl
Blend: 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec, 1% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot
Vintage production: 2,033 cases
Few wines can boast such a balance of complexity and depth with a style that... is guaranteed to put a huge smile on the faces of everyone who drinks them. You can lay back and enjoy the experience just as much as you can admire the craftsmanship that went into making them.
Fruit for the Cabernet comes from the Del Rio, Oliver Ranch, SJ Ranch, and 1912 Estate Vineyards. They are celebrated in their own rights with Aperture's single-vineyard programme, but come together irresistibly in the Cabernet Sauvignon 2020.
£750 / Case£62.50 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £944.93 / Case, £78.74 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2020 Aperture, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley 1x75cl
Blend: 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec, 1% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot
Vintage production: 2,033 cases
Few wines can boast such a balance of complexity and depth with a style that... is guaranteed to put a huge smile on the faces of everyone who drinks them. You can lay back and enjoy the experience just as much as you can admire the craftsmanship that went into making them.
Fruit for the Cabernet comes from the Del Rio, Oliver Ranch, SJ Ranch, and 1912 Estate Vineyards. They are celebrated in their own rights with Aperture's single-vineyard programme, but come together irresistibly in the Cabernet Sauvignon 2020.
£64 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £80.54 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2019 Argot, Indigo Syrah, Sonoma Mountain 12x75cl
Blend: 100% Syrah
Vintage production: 120 cases
Indigo is a selection from Justin's favourite Syrah terroir, with an emphasis on the Alban 1 clone, given an extended elevage in new, French oak... barriques for maximum impact and richness.
The vineyard is situated at 335m of elevation on a north-facing, gently-rolling hillside on the foothills of Sonoma Mountain. It is composed of a geological upheaval of ashy, moondust-like soils, littered with ancient seabed.
Sonoma Mountain’s ridgetops — demarcating the cool Sonoma Coast AVA, from the more moderate Sonoma Valley AVA — delivers an utterly unique expression of Syrah, distinct from that grown elsewhere in Sonoma County.
The 2019 spent 22 months French oak hogshead barrels (90% new).
£855 / Case£71.25 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £1,073.38 / Case, £89.45 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2019 Argot, Indigo Syrah, Sonoma Mountain 1x75cl
Blend: 100% Syrah
Vintage production: 120 cases
Indigo is a selection from Justin's favourite Syrah terroir, with an emphasis on the Alban 1 clone, given an extended elevage in new, French oak... barriques for maximum impact and richness.
The vineyard is situated at 335m of elevation on a north-facing, gently-rolling hillside on the foothills of Sonoma Mountain. It is composed of a geological upheaval of ashy, moondust-like soils, littered with ancient seabed.
Sonoma Mountain’s ridgetops — demarcating the cool Sonoma Coast AVA, from the more moderate Sonoma Valley AVA — delivers an utterly unique expression of Syrah, distinct from that grown elsewhere in Sonoma County.
The 2019 spent 22 months French oak hogshead barrels (90% new).
£73 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £91.55 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2018 Aperture, SJ Ranch Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley 12x75cl
Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage production: 700 cases
This small-production offering showcases generous aromas of raspberry jam, dark plum, rose petals, sagebrush, and cigar box. The 2018 SJ... Ranch demonstrates bold, rich fruit highlighted with delicate floral qualities. The fruit hails exclusively from SJ Ranch Vineyard, a 7.9-acre parcel at the top of Chalk Hill, directly adjacent to the legendary Verité vineyards on Thomas Road.
£1,520 / Case£126.67 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £1,869.22 / Case, £155.77 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2018 Aperture, SJ Ranch Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley 1x75cl
Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage production: 700 cases
This small-production offering showcases generous aromas of raspberry jam, dark plum, rose petals, sagebrush, and cigar box. The 2018 SJ... Ranch demonstrates bold, rich fruit highlighted with delicate floral qualities. The fruit hails exclusively from SJ Ranch Vineyard, a 7.9-acre parcel at the top of Chalk Hill, directly adjacent to the legendary Verité vineyards on Thomas Road.
£127 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £156.17 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2017 Epoch Estate, Block B, Paso Robles 1x75cl
Blend: 100% Syrah
Vintage production: 312 cases
Block B is a limited production of the most intense fruit from this single parcel of east-facing vines in Paderewski Vineyard. It's always a brooding,... rich, mineral-driven wine with bags of savoury notes - everything that makes Paderewski so special. The Syrah for the Authenticity 2017 comes from a single hillside block that brings more spice and opulence, coupled with a dollop of Mourvèdre and aromatic Viognier.
£79 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £98.72 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2017 Epoch Estate, Block B, Paso Robles 6x75cl
Blend: 100% Syrah
Vintage production: 312 cases
Block B is a limited production of the most intense fruit from this single parcel of east-facing vines in Paderewski Vineyard. It's always a brooding,... rich, mineral-driven wine with bags of savoury notes - everything that makes Paderewski so special. The Syrah for the Authenticity 2017 comes from a single hillside block that brings more spice and opulence, coupled with a dollop of Mourvèdre and aromatic Viognier.
£470 / Case£78.33 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £587.54 / Case, £97.92 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2018 Lerner Project, Napa Valley Project 18 Cabernet Sauvignon 1x150cl
Blend: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc
Vintage production: 690 cases
The Project 18 is a unique blend of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Tench Vineyard in Oakville, right next to... Screaming Eagle, with Cabernet Franc and Merlot from the cool-climate Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard. Many of winemaker Russell Bevan's previous wines from Sugarloaf have been likened in style to Château Cheval Blanc, so this is truly a mouth-watering prospect!
£165 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £205.69 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2017 Harlan Estate, Proprietary Red, Napa Valley 3x75cl
£3,050 / Case£1,016.67 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £3,669.61 / Case, £1,223.20 / BottleAvailability: Future Arrival ⋅ Please contact us to know more
2019 Booker, Fracture Syrah, Paso Robles 6x75cl
Blend: 100% Syrah
Vintage production: TBC
Often described as a Booker flagship, Fracture is one of the world’s great Syrahs. Only the softest Syrah in barrel makes the cut for this dense and... powerful wine. The namesake pays homage to the calcareous soil in the Booker Vineyard, which limestone causes to ‘fracture’. The 2019 was aged for 18months in 70% new and 30% neutral French oak.
£480 / Case£80 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £598.46 / Case, £99.74 / BottleAvailability: Future Arrival ⋅ Please contact us to know more
2019 Andremily, EABA, Santa Barbara County 12x75cl
Blend: 61% Syrah, 24% Mourvèdre, 13% Grenache
Vintage production: 795 cases
The EABA (or “End All and Be All”) is Jim’s all-in Rhône Blend comprised of the very best barrels in the cellar,... from his vineyards in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties. The first vintage was in 2017, and it’s consistently hit the big numbers with the critics.
£1,380 / Case£115 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £1,703.09 / Case, £141.92 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2016 Sine Qua Non, Deux Grenouilles White, California 1x75cl
Blend: 36% Roussanne, 29% Chardonnay, 23% Viognier, 9% Petite Manseng, and 3% Muscat.
Vintage production: n/a
Entirely from estate fruit with the exception of Chardonnay from Bien Nacido Vineyard.... Aged in 26% concrete eggs, 26% used barrels and 48% new oak.
The name Deux Grenouilles is French for 'Two Frogs'. The photo on the front label includes a Citroën 2CV. 2CV stood for 'deux chevaux' or 'deux chevaux-vapeur', which translates from French to English as two steam horses or two tax horsepower, a reference to the low cost of registering the car, and more generally the low cost of buying and maintaining the car. It has many parallels to the Volkswagen Beetle. This was the car Manfred wanted when he turned 18 years old.
£223 / BottleDuty Status: Duty PaidAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2019 Bevan Cellars, Sugarloaf Mountain Proprietary Red, Napa Valley 6x75cl
Blend: Merlot, Cabernet Franc
Vintage production: 765 cases
£1,050 / Case£175 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £1,283.98 / Case, £214.00 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2017 Dalla Valle, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 1x75cl
Blend: 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Cabernet Franc
Vintage production: c.1,000 cases
£185 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £225.20 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2019 Peter Michael, Belle Côte Chardonnay, Knights Valley 1x150cl
£275 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £336.41 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2019 Blankiet Estate, Paradise Hills Vineyard Rive Droite, Napa Valley 3x75cl
Blend: 98% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc
Vintage production: 286 cases
Blankiet Estate is nestled above Yountville on the western foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains. The Paradise Hills... Vineyard is carved on steep hillsides just above the famed Dominus Estate Napanook parcel that was originally planted in 1838 by Yountville’s founder, George C. Yount.
With an ideal eastern exposure, the land is bathed with morning sun and benefits from natural shade in the hot afternoons, and cool breezes from the San Pablo Bay flow constantly across the land. It's located on three volcanic knolls where soil profiles vary from deeply fractured rocks and volcanic ash, to thick clay deposits, meaning each parcel is distinguished by a unique subsoil and microclimate.
At just 6.5 hectares in size it's a remarkably small site, yet the incredible complexity of the terroir allows for three distinct wines, each of a singular style. This is an Estate at the top of its game. Combined with the very talented winemaker Graeme MacDonald and owner Claude Blankiet's attention to detail, is truly worthy of an exploration.
£625 / Case£208.33 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £761.38 / Case, £253.79 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2019 Blankiet Estate, Paradise Hills Vineyard Rive Droite, Napa Valley 1x75cl
Blend: 98% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc
Vintage production: 286 cases
Blankiet Estate is nestled above Yountville on the western foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains. The Paradise Hills... Vineyard is carved on steep hillsides just above the famed Dominus Estate Napanook parcel that was originally planted in 1838 by Yountville’s founder, George C. Yount.
With an ideal eastern exposure, the land is bathed with morning sun and benefits from natural shade in the hot afternoons, and cool breezes from the San Pablo Bay flow constantly across the land. It's located on three volcanic knolls where soil profiles vary from deeply fractured rocks and volcanic ash, to thick clay deposits, meaning each parcel is distinguished by a unique subsoil and microclimate.
At just 6.5 hectares in size it's a remarkably small site, yet the incredible complexity of the terroir allows for three distinct wines, each of a singular style. This is an Estate at the top of its game. Combined with the very talented winemaker Graeme MacDonald and owner Claude Blankiet's attention to detail, is truly worthy of an exploration.
£209 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £254.59 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2016 Bevan Cellars, Tench Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville 6x75cl
Blend: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot
Vintage production: 450 cases
£1,080 / Case£180 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £1,315.22 / Case, £219.20 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2017 PharaohMoans, Westside Syrah, Paso Robles 1x75cl
Blend: 100% Syrah
Vintage production: 400 cases
£61 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £77.27 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2017 PharaohMoans, Westside Syrah, Paso Robles 6x75cl
Blend: 100% Syrah
Vintage production: 400 cases
£360 / Case£60 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £456.41 / Case, £76.07 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days