Christopher Tynan
Christopher Tynan began his journey with a harvest at Cain Vineyard & Winery in 2004. He was then given an opportunity to work the 2005 harvest with the legendary winemaking and viticulture team of Helen Turley and John Wetlaufer at Blankiet Estate in Yountville.
In 2006, Christopher became the assistant winemaker at the prestigious Colgin Cellars on Pritchard Hill. At Colgin, Christopher worked closely with owner Ann Colgin, Winemaker Allison Tauziet and Vineyard Manager David Abreu for the next five years. It was here where he learned and embodied the standard for excellence in all aspects of winemaking and viticulture. Wines made during Christopher’s tenure at Colgin were awarded seven 100-point scores from wine critic Robert Parker.
In 2012, Christopher was introduced to Cliff Lede by David Abreu and joined the Cliff Lede Vineyards team shortly thereafter. Christopher brings an unmatched passion and attention for detail to the Lede Family Wines team. His exacting philosophy of only employing low-yield vines from select sites and minimal intervention in the winery ensures that each bottle expresses the distinct nuances of each site, block and vintage.
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2023 Cliff Lede, Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 1x75cl
*Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
*Vintage production: 572 cases
*There are few names in the world of fine wine as revered, or as evocative, as Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard. Widely regarded as one... of the most prestigious vineyard sites in the world, it represents the pinnacle of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: a 'First Growth' of the New World.
This hallowed ground has yielded some of the most iconic wines in Napa’s history, entrusted only to a select handful of elite winemakers. Among them, Chris Tynan of Cliff Lede Vineyards stands out, consistently crafting wines of extraordinary depth, elegance, and critical acclaim.
In the cool darkness of night, grapes were hand-picked into small twenty-five-pound bins to minimise crushing. By early morning, the grapes were subjected to rigorous selection by our three-tiered sorting process, which includes an innovative optical sorter and a slow, individual berry hand sort. Whole berries were gently delivered by gravity to tank by a unique crane system, which kept the berries intact.
Cold soaks lasted from five to eight days, and fermentations were managed through a combination of pump-overs and délestage. Extended maceration of up to six weeks ensured exceptional extraction and fine-tuning of tannin profiles.
This wine underwent twenty-one months of élevage in French oak barrels, 81% of which were new.
£190 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £231.79 / BottleAvailability: Future Arrival2023 Cliff Lede, Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 12x75cl
*Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
*Vintage production: 572 cases
*There are few names in the world of fine wine as revered, or as evocative, as Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard. Widely regarded as one... of the most prestigious vineyard sites in the world, it represents the pinnacle of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: a 'First Growth' of the New World.
This hallowed ground has yielded some of the most iconic wines in Napa’s history, entrusted only to a select handful of elite winemakers. Among them, Chris Tynan of Cliff Lede Vineyards stands out, consistently crafting wines of extraordinary depth, elegance, and critical acclaim.
In the cool darkness of night, grapes were hand-picked into small twenty-five-pound bins to minimise crushing. By early morning, the grapes were subjected to rigorous selection by our three-tiered sorting process, which includes an innovative optical sorter and a slow, individual berry hand sort. Whole berries were gently delivered by gravity to tank by a unique crane system, which kept the berries intact.
Cold soaks lasted from five to eight days, and fermentations were managed through a combination of pump-overs and délestage. Extended maceration of up to six weeks ensured exceptional extraction and fine-tuning of tannin profiles.
This wine underwent twenty-one months of élevage in French oak barrels, 81% of which were new.
£2,250 / Case£187.50 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £2,745.50 / Case, £228.79 / BottleAvailability: Future Arrival
2023 Cliff Lede, Poetry Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District 6x75cl
*Blend: 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc
*Vintage production: 2,125 cases
*Cliff Lede's Poetry Vineyard sits in the foothills of the Vaca Mountains in Napa's... Stags Leap District AVA, and this iconic cuvée has been described by Robert Parker as "The quintessential Stags Leap Cabernet Sauvignon that is Napa Valley’s version of Château Margaux."
Having averaged a breath-taking 99 points with Dunnuck and The Wine Advocate since head winemaker Christopher Tynan joined in 2012, it more than deserves this comparison.
Poetry draws its uniqueness from shallow, volcanic soils atop fractured shale. Due to the stressful nature of the site, planted with high vine density and farmed to very low yields, the vines develop slowly and produce small flavourful berries. The vineyard is planted to legendary, proprietary heritage selections of Cabernet Sauvignon.
In the cool darkness of night, grapes were hand-picked into twenty-five-pound (11.3kg) bins to minimise crushing. By early morning, the grapes were subjected to rigorous selection through a three-tiered sorting process, including an innovative optical sorter and a slow, individual berry hand sort.
Whole berries were then gently delivered by gravity to tank using a unique crane system, helping to keep the berries intact. Cold soaks lasted from five to eight days, while fermentations were managed through a combination of pump-overs and délestage. Extended maceration of up to four weeks ensured exceptional extraction and allowed for fine-tuning of tannin profiles.
Following twenty-one months of élevage in French oak barrels, 83% of which were new, the final blend was selected from the finest lots of the Poetry Vineyard.
£1,680 / Case£280 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £2,038.46 / Case, £339.74 / BottleAvailability: Future Arrival
2023 Cliff Lede, Rhythm Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District 1x75cl
*Blend: 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, 1% Merlot
*Vintage production: 2,786 cases
*The Rhythm Vineyard is located on the subtle slopes of Cliff Lede's Stags Leap District Estate. Defined... by two large hills at its southern border, this vineyard surrounds the winery and reaches west toward the Napa River. The Rhythm Vineyard’s soil is composed of gravelly loam of varying depths and rock content. The incredibly diverse soil profile enables us to farm several small blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon and additional Bordeaux varieties with unique combinations of clonal selections and rootstocks.
A healthy and generous winter rainfall season returned to Napa in 2023. A frost-free and uniform bud break was followed by steady spring weather during flowering, allowing for an even and generous fruit set. Summer conditions were moderate, with foggy mornings and cool nights, ideal for slow and steady grape maturation.
The wines show exceptional balance with concentrated, ripe fruit complemented by bright acidity and supple, yet profound, structure. Optimal ripeness was achieved thanks to an early autumn of consistently warm days. The pristine ripening conditions allowed intense fruit flavour concentration.
In the cool darkness of night, grapes were hand-picked into small twenty-five pound bins to minimize crushing. By early morning, the grapes were subjected to rigorous selection by a three-tiered sorting process which includes a cutting-edge optical sorter, and a slow, individual berry hand sort. The fruit was gently gravity delivered to small tanks by a unique crane system which kept the berries intact. Cold soaks lasted from five to eight days, and fermentations were managed through a combination of pump overs and délestage.
Extended maceration of up to six weeks ensured exceptional extraction and fine-tuning of tannin profiles. This wine underwent twenty-one months of élevage in French oak barrels, 83% of which were new.
£96 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £118.94 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 1-2 days
2016 Cliff Lede, Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District 12x75cl
*Blend: 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc
*Vintage production: 6,720 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.
£780 / Case£65 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £985.54 / Case, £82.13 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 1-2 days
2022 Cliff Lede, Rhythm Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District 1x75cl
*Blend: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Petit Verdot, 2% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc
*Vintage production: 1,320 cases
*The Rhythm Vineyard is located on the subtle slopes of Cliff Lede's Stags Leap... District Estate. Defined by two large hills at its southern border, this vineyard surrounds the winery and reaches west toward the Napa River. The Rhythm Vineyard’s soil is composed of gravelly loam of varying depths and rock content. The incredibly diverse soil profile enables us to farm several small blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon and additional Bordeaux varieties with unique combinations of clonal selections and rootstocks.
Warm temperatures in February and March jumpstarted an early 2022 growing season. Early budbreak often comes with the vulnerability to frost, but luckily the vines suffered no damage during the cool spring nights. Early irrigations were necessary to set up healthy canopies and the vines set an average crop after an uneventful bloom period. The uniform and even clusters needed little thinning, and attention was paid to sculpting the shoots and laterals to ensure adequate shading and airflow throughout the fruiting positions.
Late August was hot, and September was forecasted to be even hotter, so the team began picking in rapid succession before the heat to preserve the fresh acidities and delicate aromatics already present in the grapes.
In the cool darkness of night, grapes were hand-picked into small twenty-five pound bins to minimize crushing. By early morning, the grapes were subjected to rigorous selection by a three-tiered sorting process which includes a cutting-edge optical sorter, and a slow, individual berry hand sort. The fruit was gently gravity delivered to small tanks by a unique crane system which kept the berries intact. Cold soaks lasted from five to eight days, and fermentations were managed through a combination of pump overs and délestage.
Extended maceration of up to six weeks ensured exceptional extraction and fine-tuning of tannin profiles. This wine underwent twenty-one months of élevage in French oak barrels, 86% of which were new.
£98 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £121.39 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 1-2 days 2023 Cliff Lede, Rhythm Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District 6x75cl
*Blend: 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, 1% Merlot
*Vintage production: 2,786 cases
*The Rhythm Vineyard is located on the subtle slopes of Cliff Lede's Stags Leap District Estate. Defined... by two large hills at its southern border, this vineyard surrounds the winery and reaches west toward the Napa River. The Rhythm Vineyard’s soil is composed of gravelly loam of varying depths and rock content. The incredibly diverse soil profile enables us to farm several small blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon and additional Bordeaux varieties with unique combinations of clonal selections and rootstocks.
A healthy and generous winter rainfall season returned to Napa in 2023. A frost-free and uniform bud break was followed by steady spring weather during flowering, allowing for an even and generous fruit set. Summer conditions were moderate, with foggy mornings and cool nights, ideal for slow and steady grape maturation.
The wines show exceptional balance with concentrated, ripe fruit complemented by bright acidity and supple, yet profound, structure. Optimal ripeness was achieved thanks to an early autumn of consistently warm days. The pristine ripening conditions allowed intense fruit flavour concentration.
In the cool darkness of night, grapes were hand-picked into small twenty-five pound bins to minimize crushing. By early morning, the grapes were subjected to rigorous selection by a three-tiered sorting process which includes a cutting-edge optical sorter, and a slow, individual berry hand sort. The fruit was gently gravity delivered to small tanks by a unique crane system which kept the berries intact. Cold soaks lasted from five to eight days, and fermentations were managed through a combination of pump overs and délestage.
Extended maceration of up to six weeks ensured exceptional extraction and fine-tuning of tannin profiles. This wine underwent twenty-one months of élevage in French oak barrels, 83% of which were new.
£565 / Case£94.17 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £700.46 / Case, £116.74 / BottleAvailability: Future Arrival 2022 Cliff Lede, Rhythm Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District 6x75cl
*Blend: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Petit Verdot, 2% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc
*Vintage production: 1,320 cases
*The Rhythm Vineyard is located on the subtle slopes of Cliff Lede's Stags Leap... District Estate. Defined by two large hills at its southern border, this vineyard surrounds the winery and reaches west toward the Napa River. The Rhythm Vineyard’s soil is composed of gravelly loam of varying depths and rock content. The incredibly diverse soil profile enables us to farm several small blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon and additional Bordeaux varieties with unique combinations of clonal selections and rootstocks.
Warm temperatures in February and March jumpstarted an early 2022 growing season. Early budbreak often comes with the vulnerability to frost, but luckily the vines suffered no damage during the cool spring nights. Early irrigations were necessary to set up healthy canopies and the vines set an average crop after an uneventful bloom period. The uniform and even clusters needed little thinning, and attention was paid to sculpting the shoots and laterals to ensure adequate shading and airflow throughout the fruiting positions.
Late August was hot, and September was forecasted to be even hotter, so the team began picking in rapid succession before the heat to preserve the fresh acidities and delicate aromatics already present in the grapes.
In the cool darkness of night, grapes were hand-picked into small twenty-five pound bins to minimize crushing. By early morning, the grapes were subjected to rigorous selection by a three-tiered sorting process which includes a cutting-edge optical sorter, and a slow, individual berry hand sort. The fruit was gently gravity delivered to small tanks by a unique crane system which kept the berries intact. Cold soaks lasted from five to eight days, and fermentations were managed through a combination of pump overs and délestage.
Extended maceration of up to six weeks ensured exceptional extraction and fine-tuning of tannin profiles. This wine underwent twenty-one months of élevage in French oak barrels, 86% of which were new.
£580 / Case£96.67 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £718.75 / Case, £119.79 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 1-2 days 2018 Cliff Lede, Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District 6x75cl
*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.
£390 / Case£65 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £492.77 / Case, £82.13 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 1-2 days
2018 Cliff Lede, Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 12x75cl
*Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
*Vintage production: 541 cases
£2,400 / Case£200 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £2,927.52 / Case, £243.96 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 1-2 days
2018 Cliff Lede, High Fidelity, Napa Valley 1x75cl
*Blend: 50% Cabernet Franc, 25% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot
*Vintage production: 1,142 cases
*The Cliff Lede High Fidelity is unlike any other wine produced at the Estate as the... focus in on Cabernet Franc. If you ask any of Napa's top winemakers which varietal they are most excited about, this is the one. Only fruit from a truly brilliant vineyard makes the cut, and for the High Fidelity, David Abreu reserved a parcel of Cab Franc from his 'First Growth' Madrona Ranch Vineyard in western St. Helena. When the same fruit goes into his renowned Abreu Vineyards Madrona Ranch Proprietary Red, you know it's of seriously high quality.
Winemaker Chris Tynan masterfully blends this Cabernet Franc with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and a splash of Petit Verdot from Cliff Lede's Twin Peaks Estate Vineyard in Stags Leap District, and his High Fidelity 2018 is absolutely singing from the word go. As Jeb Dunnuck says, "It's already hard to resist", yet it has everything in place to cellar gracefully for another 10-15 years.
£71 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £89.46 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 1-2 days 2018 Cliff Lede, High Fidelity, Napa Valley 12x75cl
*Blend: 50% Cabernet Franc, 25% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot
*Vintage production: 1,142 cases
*The Cliff Lede High Fidelity is unlike any other wine produced at the Estate as the... focus in on Cabernet Franc. If you ask any of Napa's top winemakers which varietal they are most excited about, this is the one. Only fruit from a truly brilliant vineyard makes the cut, and for the High Fidelity, David Abreu reserved a parcel of Cab Franc from his 'First Growth' Madrona Ranch Vineyard in western St. Helena. When the same fruit goes into his renowned Abreu Vineyards Madrona Ranch Proprietary Red, you know it's of seriously high quality.
Winemaker Chris Tynan masterfully blends this Cabernet Franc with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and a splash of Petit Verdot from Cliff Lede's Twin Peaks Estate Vineyard in Stags Leap District, and his High Fidelity 2018 is absolutely singing from the word go. As Jeb Dunnuck says, "It's already hard to resist", yet it has everything in place to cellar gracefully for another 10-15 years.
£840 / Case£70 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £1,059.12 / Case, £88.26 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 1-2 days
2015 Cliff Lede, Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District 1x75cl
*Blend: 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 7% Merlot, 7% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc
*Vintage production: 4,385 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: £84.53 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 1-2 days 2015 Cliff Lede, Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District 12x75cl
*Blend: 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 7% Merlot, 7% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc
*Vintage production: 4,385 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.
£780 / Case£65 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £985.54 / Case, £82.13 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 1-2 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: £84.53 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 1-2 days
2018 Cliff Lede, Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District 12x75cl
*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.
£780 / Case£65 / BottleDuty Status: In Bond ⋅ Price incl. of Duty & VAT: £985.54 / Case, £82.13 / BottleAvailability: Immediate ⋅ ETA to UK address: 1-2 days