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2023 Arkenstone, Estate Red, Howell Mountain 6x75cl
*Blend: 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec
*Vintage production: 750 cases
*Arkenstone Estate Winery and winemaker Sam Kaplan are a match made in heaven, turning... heads with their thrilling Cabernet Sauvignon-driven Howell Mountain Estate wines since 2006.
Arkenstone Estate is perched high on the west-facing slopes of Howell Mountain. It’s a breathtaking property that has been farmed organically since day one, and you’ll find Sam in the vineyard tending to vines as often as in the cellar. It takes this unerring level of commitment to build such a high reputation, and produced wines of this quality.
£1,350 / Case£225 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £1,644.41 / Case, £274.07 / BottleAvailability: Future Arrival
2018 Sine Qua Non, Eleven Confessions Collectors Case, Sta. Rita Hills 6x75cl
Contains: 3x75cl Eleven Confessions Syrah & Eleven Confessions Grenache
£2,200 / Case£366.67 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £2,666.42 / Case, £444.40 / BottleAvailability: Future Arrival
2023 Fait Main, Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 6x75cl
*Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
*Vintage production: 350 cases
*The Fait-Main Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 is a modern-day icon, and for our tastes is one of the best... Cabernets to date from this remarkable site in western St. Helena.
Located at the foot of Spring Mountain in St. Helena, the Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard marks the first site ever produced by Fait-Main. The foreign outcrop of stony, tough soil in the middle of a typically soft and rich valley floor, presents more like Bordeaux than St. Helena. For French-born winemaker Benoit Touquette, it was this connection to home that inspired him to create his own label. “I never felt compelled to make my own wine until I visited Las Piedras Vineyard. It felt like coming home.”
Tracing its roots back to the original Mexican land grants, Las Piedras vineyard is thought to be the first planted in what is now the St. Helena AVA. Farm workers aptly named the vineyard Las Piedras, which translates to the stones in Spanish. The richly layered palate that each vintage has expressed thus far, shows the site’s compelling interplay of fruit and structure, bound together with graceful minerality.
It boasts the same rocky terroir as its famous neighbour, Dr. Crane, but is emerging to produce even more concentrated and mineral-driven Cabs. There are a small handful of winemakers who are granted access to this hallowed terroir and Benoit is right at the forefront.
BENOIT ON THE NEW BOTTLES (from 2023):
“Every bottle tells a story. In 2010, my friend Mario Sculatti gifted me an antique bottle recovered from a shipwreck — a very old glass bottle, weathered and pitted with time and the sea, told a silent story of heritage and craftsmanship.
As soon as I picked it up, I realized this was a piece of history: an enduring memento from an ill-fated 19th century voyage, from Pauillac in Bordeaux. I was struck by its extraordinary elegance and charisma, and the artistry of its hand-blown mastery. I took the bottle home, and had it examined, using MRI technology, in a hospital, to map its graceful curves and contours, and discovering that it contained just 700mL, rather than our standard 750mL. In 2013, I decided to try to replicate its striking shape in a handblown bottle for Fait-Main, using the unique skills of a Bay Area glassblower—honoring the craftsmanship of the past with that of today—but I was unsuccessful due to variations in the bottle’s neck and body shape.
That single moment sparked an obsession. In early 2021, I set out to create a bottle that honored both tradition and innovation—a vessel as distinctive as the wine it would hold. The process was anything but simple. Perfecting the weight, proportions, and structure demanded precision, patience, and countless
revisions. But after years of refinement, I arrived at something truly extraordinary: a custom-molded bottle that embodies the essence of Fait-Main.
This is more than just a container; it’s a tribute to craftsmanship, legacy, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. A story etched in glass, carrying forward the spirit of tradition—just like that shipwrecked relic that first sparked my imagination.”
BENOIT ON THE NEW LABELS (from 2023):
"With this exceptional vintage, we are thrilled to unveil our latest collaboration with the renowned painter, Hunt Slonem. His extraordinary artistry has inspired a series of beautiful bespoke labels for our newest Fait-Main releases. These captivating, specially commissioned designs will grace our single-vineyard wines this year, reflecting our deep commitment to craftsmanship and authenticity. My vision for custom-crafted Fait-Main wine bottles wouldn’t be complete without them, and we can not wait for you to experience our interpretation of handmade excellence.
Slonem is an American artist renowned for his colorful depictions of butterflies, birds, and – most famously – bunnies. His work is featured in the permanent collections of museums around the world, from the Miró Museum in Barcelona to the Moscow Museum of Modern Art, to the Guggenheim, Whitney and Metropolitan Museums in New York.
Slonem’s bunny paintings have captured my imagination since the moment I first discovered them. With vibrant colors and endearing expressions, they radiate joy and playfulness in a way I find irresistible. The rabbit’s symbolism as an image of creativity, fertility and abundance seems to me to be a perfect match for wine, itself a symbol of celebrations, togetherness, and the delicious pleasure of good living. Slonem’s signature repetition of shapes also reminds me of the diligence and discipline required in winemaking, where we engage our skill and craftsmanship year after year to achieve a transcendent result.
I commissioned this bespoke Slonem label for Fait-Main’s new single-vineyard wines to reflect both the quality and craftsmanship of what’s in the bottle, and the sense of creative fun and festivity I want to share with my wines. I hope this special edition label brings you as much joy as it does to me."
£1,250 / Case£208.33 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £1,524.41 / Case, £254.07 / BottleAvailability: Future Arrival
2022 Fingers Crossed, Life and Death Syrah, Santa Maria Valley 6x75cl
*Blend: 100% Syrah
*Vintage production: 575 cases
*Northwest of Los Angeles, the likes of Sine Qua Non, Alban, Saxum, Andremily have been knocking it out the park for years with their gorgeous,... sumptuous Rhône-varietal blends which we absolutely love. To be mentioned in the same breath as these legendary producers requires a certain je ne said quoi...
In 2017, Fingers Crossed Wine joined this super group as a ‘must have’ for the cellar and it’s no surprise when you realise the genius behind this label comes from husband and wife team Nikolas (son of Sine Qua Non owner, Manfred Krankl) and Julia Krankl.
The critics agree, marking this unstoppable rise to the top with some fantastic scores (see below).
Renowned for their more elegant expressions, Nikolas and Julia's two reds and ground-breaking white wine are new reference points for the West Coast and shoe-ins for experiencing California at its most exciting.
£895 / Case£149.17 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £1,099.78 / Case, £183.30 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 1-2 days
2023 Bevan Cellars, Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 6x75cl
*Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
*Vintage production: 287 cases
*If Napa had a Burgundian 'Grand Cru' vineyard classification, Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard can lay the strongest claim to be the... best-of-the-best. Only 11 elite wineries are granted access to this most hallowed ground, accruing more than 40 x 100-point scores between them.
One winemaker has harnessed this incredible terroir better than anyone: Russell Bevan, with his Bevan Cellars Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. In just five vintages from 2018-2023 (no 2020 was made), he has chalked up an astonishing 8 x 100-point scores from the major critics.
£1,850 / Case£308.33 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £2,244.41 / Case, £374.07 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 1-2 days
2018 Spottswoode, Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena 1x75cl
*Blend: 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot
*Vintage production: 4,278 cases
*Established in 1882, Spottswoode Estate is distinguished by the pre-Prohibition Victorian... home depicted on our wine label. Spottswoode was christened by Mrs. Albert Spotts in 1910 and later acquired by Mary and Jack Novak in 1972. Mary released Spottswoode’s first Cabernet Sauvignon in 1982, exactly one hundred years after the estate’s founding.
Situated on the western edge of St. Helena in Napa Valley, the Spottswoode Estate terroir is ideal for winegrowing. The alluvial clay loam from the Sulphur Creek fan provides superb drainage while cool maritime breezes passing between Spring Mountain and the Mayacamas range allow the fruit to ripen evenly.
At Spottswoode, grape growing and winemaking are intimately linked. In addition to the health and resilience that organics and biodynamics have brought to the vineyard, the individual attention given to each block contributes to the consistent quality and unique characteristics of the wines.
£160 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £195.79 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 1-2 days
2023 Lail Vineyards, J Daniel Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 6x75cl
*Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
*Vintage production: 1,363 cases
*Rated as one of the very best of the vintage, this latest release from Napa Royalty, Robin Lail, is one of the essential buys from... Napa this year.
Winemakers Philippe Melka and Maayan Koschitzky continue to raise the bar every vintage with this stunning Cabernet, while maintaining the very essence and style that makes it such an icon of Napa.
The fruit is sourced from four exceptional vineyards across the Valley, to create this ultimate expression: Heimark Vineyard, in the hills above Calistoga; Vine Hill Ranch in the southwest of Oakville; the Steltzner Vineyard in Stags Leap District; Mole Hill Vineyard, surrounding Robin’s home on Howell Mountain. Read more about what each remarkable site brings to the final blend below.
Availability of this new release is extremely limited, so don't hesitate to secure your piece of Lail's long and prestigious history.
£1,575 / Case£262.50 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £1,914.91 / Case, £319.15 / BottleAvailability: Future Arrival2021 Bevan Cellars, Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 1x75cl
*Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
*Vintage production: 75 cases
*Russell Bevan has produced three vintages to date from the Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard (2018, 2019 & 2021), each one scoring 100... points (5x100 total across the major critics), securing its place as a modern legend.
The 2021 is by far the rarest of them all, and stands and one of the ultimate collectibles, and a drop-dead gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon to savour over the next 30-40 years.
Napa pioneer Dr. George Belden Crane originally planted Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard in 1858, and during the 1920's the Chinatown of the City of St. Helena was located on the site.
Surrounded on one side by a quarry, the soil is famed for its intensely rocky profile which drives the signature minerality of the wines. It was acquired by Beckstoffer Vineyards in 1997, who replanted the vineyard’s gravelly loam soils in 1998 to a strict clonal selection of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.
It has since emerged as Napa's most revered 'Grand Cru' site, with only 15 wineries granted access to this elite vineyard.
Wines from this hallowed ground have collectively amassed a staggering 35x100 point scores since 2012, cementing its place as one of the greatest vineyards in the world.
£315 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £382.30 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 1-2 days
2021 Maybach, Materium, Oakville 1×37.5cl
*Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
*Vintage production: 490 cases
*2021 represents the sixteenth vintage of Maybach's iconic, flagship cuvée: Materium. It's produced from a single block within the... hillside Leopoldina Vineyard (formerly Weitz Vineyard), adjacent to Dalla Valle and overlooking Screaming Eagle and Tench Vineyard from an elevation of 260m.
Sitting atop the Oakville bench, this site features a Western exposure and is dominated by red volcanic soils. The well-drained soils are composed of clay and permeable volcanic rock, adding minerality, texture and structure to the wines. A site generous in sun exposure, grapes grown here reach their full physiological ripeness. The high iron content and well drained rock soil and slope attitude aspect of the vines combine to result in stunning fruit ripeness coupled with amazing acid retention.
The resulting wine is a deeply concentrated, elegantly textured Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that sits among the region's greatest cuvées.
£115 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £140.03 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 1-2 days
2015 Bevan Cellars, Sugarloaf Mountain Proprietary Red, Napa Valley 6x75cl
*Blend: 50% Cabernet Franc, 50% Merlot,
*Vintage production: n/a
*The Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard Proprietary Red is a divine blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot from a heralded site on the cooler,... far southeast hillsides of Napa Valley. With beautifully expressive aromatics of mulberry, damson, black tea, and dark chocolate, leading to a palate of stunning richness, gorgeous tannins, and the purest of mineral finishes, this is one Napa's most distinctive and celebrated wines!
£1,200 / Case£200 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £1,464.62 / Case, £244.10 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 1-2 days
2015 Screaming Eagle, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 3x75cl
*Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
*Vintage production: 500 cases
£8,500 / Case£2,833.33 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £10,212.20 / Case, £3,404.07 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 1-2 days
2015 Bevan Cellars, Tench Vineyard EE Red Wine, Oakville 12x75cl
*Blend: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot
*Vintage production: 668 cases
*The Tench Vineyard surrounds the winery in eastern Oakville at a sweet spot where the valley floor... and foothills of the Vaca Mountains collide to form some of the most complex, prized soils in Napa. Sharing a fence line with Screaming Eagle, and counting the like of Dalla Valle Vineyards and BOND’s St. Eden Vineyard as neighbours, Tench has produced an unstoppable string of high scoring wines at the hands of Russell.
For the Tench Vineyard EE Red Wine, the Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend comes from a block which brings more blue and black fruits. The addition of Cabernet Franc adds intensity and structure, and the concentration achieved is phenomenal.
£3,600 / Case£300 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £4,371.12 / Case, £364.26 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 1-2 days2015 Bevan Cellars, Sugarloaf Mountain Proprietary Red, Napa Valley 12x75cl
*Blend: 50% Cabernet Franc, 50% Merlot,
*Vintage production: n/a
*The Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard Proprietary Red is a divine blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot from a heralded site on the cooler,... far southeast hillsides of Napa Valley. With beautifully expressive aromatics of mulberry, damson, black tea, and dark chocolate, leading to a palate of stunning richness, gorgeous tannins, and the purest of mineral finishes, this is one Napa's most distinctive and celebrated wines!
£2,400 / Case£200 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £2,929.25 / Case, £244.10 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 1-2 days
2020 Next of Kyn, No14 Assortment Case, California 4x75cl
*OWC contains: 3x75cl No.14 and 1x75cl Touriga Nacional Numero Seis
*Blend: (No.14) 41% Grenache, 27% Petite Sirah, 25% Syrah, 5.5% Mourvèdre, 1.5% Petit Manseng
Blend: (Numero Seis) 84% Touriga... Nacional with 7.4% Syrah, 6.8% Petite Sirah, 1.8% Petit Manseng
Vintage production: 538 cases
*Manfred's Next of Kyn label is based solely around the Estate Cumulus Vineyard surrounding his home in Ventura County. It made its debut in 2007, quickly becoming one of the World's most collectable Rhône-varietal blends.
In 2015, Manfred took things to the next level when he added the Touriga Nacional to the line-up, making one of the most incredible single-vineyard duo's in California. Perhaps most famous in its native Portugal, the Touriga Nacional varietal thrives in Ventura County and this is the West Coast's greatest example.
£1,500 / Case£375 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £1,816.51 / Case, £454.13 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 1-2 days
2021 Carter, Beckstoffer Las Piedras Cabernet Sauvignon LA BAM, Saint Helena 6x75cl
*Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
*Vintage production: 154 cases
*Along the banks of Sulphur Springs Creek in St Helena lies the Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard - a 22 acre site renowned for its... naturally low yields and well-draining gravelly loam soil. These slightly less stressed vines are closer to the riverbed and sit on slightly more rocky and well-draining soil, highlighting the vineyard’s unique topography and minerality.
Like a smack in the face, 'La BAM', boasts a full rich bold palate of ripe blue fruits infused with minerals, coffee and tobacco undertones. When matched with sweet firm tannins from the best French barrels, this wine ends with a velvety finish that only gets better with age.
£1,575 / Case£262.50 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £1,915.13 / Case, £319.19 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 1-2 days
2020 Andremily, Grenache & EABA Magnum Assortment Case, California 2x150cl
*Contains 1x150cl magnum each of EABA 2020 (99 JD) and Grenache 2021 (100 JD)
*Details for Andremily EABA... 2021:
https://fourcorners.wine/product/2020-andremily-eaba-santa-barbara-county-12x75cl-hub-SE10325741-12-IB-11992004/
*Details for Andremily Grenache 2020:
*Blend: 78% Grenache, 12% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah
*Vintage production: 400 cases
*The Andremily Grenache 2020 is Jim’s third vintage of this insanely good wine, and he’s achieved perfection with a 100 point score from Jeb Dunnuck. Jim combined fruit from his new Slide Hill Estate Vineyard in Edna Valley with three bonafide ‘Grand Crus’: Alta Mesa, almost 1,000 metres above sea level on the Santa Barbara Highlands, Larner in Ballard Canyon just 6 miles from the coast, and G2 in Paso Robles which is one of the most in-demand sites in California among the elite winemakers. It’s a perfect recipe: “Absolutely brilliant, and unquestionably up with the finest examples of this variety out there.”
£500 / Case£250 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £616.97 / Case, £308.48 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 1-2 days
2019 L’Aventure, Estate Cuvee, Paso Robles 6x75cl
*Blend: 50% Syrah, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Petit Verdot
£425 / Case£70.83 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £532.32 / Case, £88.72 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 1-2 days
2019 FUTO, Oakville Estate Red Wine 1x75cl
*Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
*Vintage production: 485 cases
*The Oakville Estate Vineyard lies in western Oakville, overlooked on three sides by Harlan Estate, BOND Winery, and Promontory Winery.... The 2019 is unique as the first vintage to be 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and, in out opinion, would outperform its neighbours and peers to the east including Screaming Eagle. Pure Cabernet cannot be any better than this, reaffirmed by James Suckling who scored it 100pts.
£427 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £516.38 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 1-2 days
2019 L’Aventure, Côte à Côte, Paso Robles 1x75cl
*Blend: 34% Grenache, 34% Syrah, 32% Mourvedre
£90 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £111.58 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 1-2 days