It’s your lucky day! You don’t need the Irish on your side today - just your trusty Agents of Wine. And we’re definitely putting some green back in your wallet today.

Let’s review the dramatis persona of this EPIC little discovery we’re about to embark on…

For starters, just over three barrels were made. And the 0.7-acre vineyard? Flanked on all sides by Oakville titans like Rudd, Dalla Valle, Phelp’s Backus Vineyard, Garguilo.

The wine is sold exclusively to their mailing list - most days. Oh, and one local restaurant you may know: The French Laundry!

Did we mention 94 points? With “a lavish texture and lush, ripe, chocolate flavors that are hard to resist”.

The aforementioned Tench, Backus, and Dalla Valle all sell for $200 or (much) more. Sylvie at $165 clocks in less already. But let’s go ahead and tuck a Benjamin and then some back in your pocket!

The heavy glass, thick papyrus-like label, and hand-numbered bottles hint at what you should expect here. And the comparisons with those pricey neighbors isn’t made lightly. This is PURE luxury. Oozing with black fruit, spice, and dark chocolate notes gripped by firm tannins, this beauty is well worth the full SRP!

Sylvie Estate may not be a household name. But that’s just because there isn’t enough of it to go around. It is an ultra-rare Cabernet Sauvignon from some of the best land in Oakville. But their vineyard is less than one acre in size!

“With less than 100 cases produced each vintage, I suspect direct from the winery will be the only option to acquire it.” explains the Wine Advocate. “The property is in a very special part of Napa Valley – slightly elevated and on the eastern side Oakville. Like many of their neighbors, the soils are iron rich and orange/red in color with plenty of rocks. This is a premium vineyard neighborhood; nearby wineries or vineyard neighbors include Dalla Valle, Rudd Estate, Joseph Phelps’ Backus Vineyard and Gargiulo Vineyards.” the Napa Valley Wine Project elaborates.

It is the epitome of top-tier passion-project micro-production estate wine. The Lopez family first planted their vineyard in 1989, inspired by their famous neighbors. For years they supplied premium Cabernet Sauvignon grapes to iconic wineries such as Caymus, Lewis, and Cardinale. But since 2010 they have kept everything for themselves.

Naming the label Sylvie, they brought on a dream team to oversee the production. Founding winemaker Kurt Niznik is not a flashy guy, but his resumé is – after working with consultant Philippe Melka at Caldwell Vineyards to produce wine for nineteen clients, he went on to make wine for the Mondavi Family, helping them build Continuum and transition from purchased to estate fruit.

To oversee growing at the Lopez Family Vineyard, he brought on Kendall Smith, who was then vineyard manager for one of Napa’s first cult classics, Grace Family Vineyards.

As of 2020, Niznik handed over winemaking duties to Sally Johnson Blum. Named as one of the Top 10 World’s Most Badass Winemakers, her long stint at Pride Mountain Vineyards earned her not one, but two perfect 100-point scores from Robert Parker himself, multiple Wine Spectator Top 100’s, and many more accolades!

The terroir and expertise come together in the bottle. This Cabernet drips with black cherry, blueberry, and blackberry fruit, with complex elements of wild herbs, cracked pepper, dark chocolate, toast, and earth. It’s muscular but elegant, like a dancer, with a firm tannic grip and savory finish. Newly released, it’s 94-point score is just an opening salvo of its true potential. Drink it now or hold for up to a decade with confidence.

There are a lot of wineries in Napa Valley. But the number that produce less than 100 cases a year is miniscule. We can only think of a couple, and their prices are stratospheric. Fueled by passion and the love of their terroir, you just don’t find wines like Sylvie…

If you nabbed some of the 2018 Sylvie Estate from our SELL-OUT offer last fall, you’re probably already checking out. Because single-vineyard, small-production, organically farmed Oakville Cabernet at this price!? With so little made, and a fraction of that in our possession this will almost surely sell out in hours…

94 Points – James Suckling “This full-bodied wine offers a lavish texture and lush, ripe, chocolate flavors that are hard to resist. It goes deep in dried plums, dark cherries, baked blueberries and cocoa on broad, velvety tannins that firm up on the finish. Best from 2028.”