2018
2018 Crown Point, Relevant Cabernet Sauvignon, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara 6x75cl
Blend: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot
Vintage production: n/a
Santa Barbara County is the new frontier for West Coast Cabernet Sauvignon, with the cooling influence of... the Pacific Ocean brining a level of elegance and refinement that make the wines stand out. By far, the leading winery is Crown Point Vineyards in Happy Canyon at the most easterly part of the region. Here, another young and uber-talented talented French winemaker, Simon Faury, has made his home under the Californian sunshine, and is taking this remarkable Estate into the big leagues of Cabernet producers.
Crown Point's calling card wine is their sublime Relevant Cabernet Sauvignon. It paints the complete picture of the Estate with around 80% Cabernet Sauvignon complimented by 10% Merlot, and a splash each of Petit Verdot and Malbec. The classic 'Bordeaux blend'.
£450 / Case£75 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £563.83 / Case, £93.97 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2018 Soliste, L’Esperance Pinot Noir, Sonoma County 12x75cl
Blend: 100% Pinot Noir
Vintage production: 143 cases
The fruit for L'Esperance come from Soliste's 'founding' Sonatera Vineyard. It is one of those unique vineyard sites that truly exemplifies the... Soliste philosophy and style. The hilltop site has three different exposures, north, south, and west. This geography funnels brisk marine winds over the vines reducing vigour, extending the ripening period of the grapes, and allowing distinctive aromatics to develop.
£770 / Case£64.17 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £962.45 / Case, £80.20 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2018 Soliste, Forêt Pinot Noir, Sonoma County 12x75cl
Blend: 100% Pinot Noir
Vintage Production: 117 cases
Forêt comes from a magnificent secluded vineyard near Occidental. The hillside vineyard has a northeastern exposure, a very steep slope, and is... in the middle of a spectacular redwood forest. Just 6 miles from the Pacific Ocean on the western coastal range, is perhaps the most visually stunning vineyard which Soliste uses – the depth of aromatics and spice in Forêt are a pure reflection of this truly unique vineyard’s site, slope, climate, and clone.
Don Plumley & Claude Koeberle: "Deep hues of dark plums, cassis, boysenberries with brilliant amethyst gemstone, showing specs of skin pulp and minerals, which denotes whole cluster press extraction. Forêt’s alluring nose is a complex bouquet of blackcurrants, graphite mineral, black pepper, plums, Bing cherries, interlaced redwood pine needles. As the wines open up, profound aromas of dark fruit compote, licorice, spiked with Alpine forest smells, burnt orange peel, elevate the wine to an Amaro like infusion. Decanting is a must for this wine to appreciate all of its subtilities. The front palate is exceptionally voluptuous and textural, with pure concentration of blackberries, dark cherries, boysenberries, and candied violets, all lifted by dried herbal and evergreen forest. The mid-palate possesses an immensely concentrated core of dark fruit compote, framed by the rich structuring tannins created by our commitment to the whole cluster press. As the wine opens up, the luscious, exotic dark fruit elixir is layered with pulpy tannins adding earthy tones, gaminess, exotic spices, mint, and black pepper, all in perfect harmony. The finish is impressive in its length, focus and complexity. The whole clusters are definitely present, chewy, grippy, pulling the richness of the fruit into an aristocratic elegance. Bright acidity of red tart cherries, cranberry, and violet, infused with wet stone minerals lift the mid-palate fruit density, elongating the wine into a perpetual finish."
£770 / Case£64.17 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £962.45 / Case, £80.20 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2018 Soliste, Renaissance Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 12x75cl
Blend: 100% Pinot Noir
Vintage production: 167 cases
Renaissance comes from one of those unique vineyard sites that truly exemplifies the Soliste philosophy and style. The hilltop vineyard has three... different exposures, facing north, south, and west. This geography funnels brisk marine winds over the vines reducing vigor, extending the ripening period of the grapes, and allowing distinctive aromatics to develop. Once you have tasted Renaissance Pinot Noir, you will always be able to identify its origins.
£770 / Case£64.17 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £962.45 / Case, £80.20 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2018 Downstream Box Set (3x75cl + 1x150cl), Paso Robles 5x75cl
Blend: 38% Zinfandel, 30% Mataro, 16% Grenache, 6% Counoise, 6% Graciano, 3% Syrah, 1% Petite Sirah
Vintage production: 600 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.
£1,150 / Case£230 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £1,399.86 / Case, £279.97 / 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
2018 The Mascot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 1x75cl
Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon-based
The Mascot offers a stunning expression of the Harlan Family's entire portfolio of world-class vineyards. The fruit is hand selected and vinified from the younger... vines at Harlan Estate, BOND and Promontory, making The Mascot a sensational glimpse into three of the most revered Estates in the World.
It began as a personal project by Will Harlan, who persuaded his family to allow him to select barrels of the 'Grand Cru' estates so he could create a wine to share at his own table. The Harlan winemaking team took some convincing at first, but eventually Cory Empting and his crew began to set aside certain barrels an annual basis to produce a special wine, according to Will’s selection.
This intimate bottling has a deliberate identity all of its own, its terroir lying not only in the origins of the fruit, which already has eyepopping pedigree, but also in the careful selection of barrels made by Will, Cory and the Mascot team.
Blended with the same level of precision as the 'Grand Vins', The Mascot is a classic Napa Valley Cabernet expression, giving huge pleasure on release, but built to last.
£134 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £164.00 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2018 Lail Vineyards, Blueprint Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 1x75cl
Blend: 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot
Vintage production: 3,215 cases
While Lail's J. Daniel Cuvée is one of Napa's elite Cabs, their most complete expression of the Valley is the... Blueprint Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a refined, inviting, and highly complex wine that will never fail to impress.
Like the J. Daniel, the fruit is sourced from a hand-picked selection of Vineyards, combining their favourite sites from Diamond Creek in the north to Coombsville in the south. It is a highly personal look at what 'Napa Cabernet' means to Robin and Philippe, and demonstrates why it is one of the most exciting regions in the world.
£66 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £83.04 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2018 Cliff Lede, Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District 1x75cl
Blend: 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc
Vintage production: 9,408 cases
Cliff Lede's iconic Cabernet is the essence of the Estate's Stags Leap... District terroir in a glass. The fruit is sourced from the hillside terraces of the 'Grand Cru' Poetry Vineyard, the Twin Peaks Vineyard estate surrounding the winery, and a few neighbouring vineyards in the Stags Leap District.
The wine is composed of small lots from the best blocks, representing a diverse range of carefully selected clones and rootstocks. From Poetry’s exposed, rocky terraces boasting volcanic origins, to the ancient riverbed alluvial soils of Twin Peaks, the breadth of contributing sites translates into a wine of impressive complexity and longevity.
£67 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £84.24 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2018 DuMOL, Jentoft Vineyard Ryan Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley 6x150cl
Blend: 100% Pinot Noir
Vintage Production: 660 cases of 75cl, 32 cases of 150cl, 24 bottles of 300cl
£880 / Case£146.67 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £1,094.45 / Case, £182.41 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2018 Next of Kyn, No12 Assortment Case, California 4x75cl
Contains: 3x75cl Next of Kyn No.12 & 1x75cl Numero Quatro Touriga Nacional
£1,700 / Case£425 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £2,056.61 / Case, £514.15 / 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
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
2018 Mauritson Wines, Loam Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County 1x75cl
Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Production: 170 cases
Mauritson's vision for LOAM is simple: to produce exceptional Cabernet Sauvignons in Sonoma County by cultivating exemplary vineyards defined by... their soil. All wines in the LOAM series are 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, 100% identical clone and rootstock - but embody the single variable of the soil in which they were grown.
LOAM Cabernet Sauvignon is Mauritson's proprietary blend of grapes sourced from vineyards planted in Positas, Suther, and Clough soils. It is composed of the best vineyards, grown in the best soil, from the best appellations. Perfectly structured, LOAM balances the brightness and focused tannins of hillside fruit with the dense, rich characteristics of fruit grown in the ancient riverbed and valley floor soils.
Four Corners Wine: "A real 'WOW' Cabernet! Rich and intense on the nose with bags of grilled herbs meat juices, an almost compote/red wine jus note, a touch of caramelised mushroom, and a core of pure blackcurrant. On the palate it's extremely refined, youthful, and pure, with a juicy core boasting great depth and texture. It's an intense Cabernet, hugely appealing and distinct in its character. Stunning now, easier 15+ years of cellaring potential too." (Dec. 2022)
£84 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £104.54 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2018 Mauritson Wines, Loam Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County 12x75cl
Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Production: 170 cases
Mauritson's vision for LOAM is simple: to produce exceptional Cabernet Sauvignons in Sonoma County by cultivating exemplary vineyards defined by... their soil. All wines in the LOAM series are 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, 100% identical clone and rootstock - but embody the single variable of the soil in which they were grown.
LOAM Cabernet Sauvignon is Mauritson's proprietary blend of grapes sourced from vineyards planted in Positas, Suther, and Clough soils. It is composed of the best vineyards, grown in the best soil, from the best appellations. Perfectly structured, LOAM balances the brightness and focused tannins of hillside fruit with the dense, rich characteristics of fruit grown in the ancient riverbed and valley floor soils.
Four Corners Wine: "A real 'WOW' Cabernet! Rich and intense on the nose with bags of grilled herbs meat juices, an almost compote/red wine jus note, a touch of caramelised mushroom, and a core of pure blackcurrant. On the palate it's extremely refined, youthful, and pure, with a juicy core boasting great depth and texture. It's an intense Cabernet, hugely appealing and distinct in its character. Stunning now, easier 15+ years of cellaring potential too." (Dec. 2022)
£995 / Case£82.92 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £1,238.93 / Case, £103.24 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2018 Scherrer, Scherrer Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley 1x75cl
Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Production: 150 cases
The Scherrer Estate Vineyard surrounding the family’s farm and house in Alexander Valley, at the base of the Vaca Mountains.
Four Corners... Wine: "The 2018 is a beautifully distinctive Cabernet Sauvignon. The aromatics are loaded with minerality and exotic sandalwood, super-high notes of dark chocolate and floral coffee beans, unusual yet utterly captivating and refined. The palate boasts an incredible structure, coiled and full of tension and energy. With air, layers of pure reds fruits emerge with an elemental-mineral undertone. Notes of toasted fennel seeds and cassis emerge on the long finish. This has masses of cellaring potential, and pushes the envelope for Sonoma Cabernets. In a word: stunning."
£61 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £76.40 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2018 Scherrer, Scherrer Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley 12x75cl
Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Production: 150 cases
The Scherrer Estate Vineyard surrounding the family’s farm and house in Alexander Valley, at the base of the Vaca Mountains.
Four Corners... Wine: "The 2018 is a beautifully distinctive Cabernet Sauvignon. The aromatics are loaded with minerality and exotic sandalwood, super-high notes of dark chocolate and floral coffee beans, unusual yet utterly captivating and refined. The palate boasts an incredible structure, coiled and full of tension and energy. With air, layers of pure reds fruits emerge with an elemental-mineral undertone. Notes of toasted fennel seeds and cassis emerge on the long finish. This has masses of cellaring potential, and pushes the envelope for Sonoma Cabernets. In a word: stunning."
£720 / Case£60 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £902.45 / Case, £75.20 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2018 Saxum, James Berry, Paso Robles 1x75cl
Blend: 64% Grenache, 16% Mataro, 14% Syrah, 6% Carignan
Vintage production: 1,418 cases
Surrounding the winery, the James Berry Vineyard is Saxum’s Jewel in The Crown and has been considered... hallowed ground by winemakers for nearly two decades.
The secret to epic wines produced here is the remarkable and unique terroir. It is located 10 miles from the Pacific Ocean with an average elevation of 365 metres, and consists of a series of steep slopes with shallow clay loam topsoil covering an ancient seabed, complete with fossilized shells and sharks teeth.
Saxum's James Berry Vineyard was Paso’s first 100-point (RP) wine in 2007, and is one of the most sought-after labels among California’s great Rhône blends.
£155 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £190.07 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2018 DAOU, Soul Lion Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles 3x75cl
Blend: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot
£310 / Case£103.33 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £383.30 / Case, £127.77 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2018 Barnett Vineyards, Merlot, Spring Mountain District 12x75cl
Blend: 88% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot
Vintage production: 57 barrels
£650 / Case£54.17 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £825.79 / Case, £68.82 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2018 Barnett Vineyards, Merlot, Spring Mountain District 1x75cl
Blend: 88% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot
Vintage production: 57 barrels
£55 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £69.82 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2018 Barnett, Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain District 1x75cl
Blend: 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 4% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc
Vintage production: 147 barrels
£62 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £78.14 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days
2018 Barnett, Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain District 12x75cl
Blend: 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 4% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc
Vintage production: 147 barrels
£740 / Case£61.67 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £932.93 / Case, £77.74 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 2-4 days