Welp, Nils Venge did it again. Man, it’s been a while since we had a Saddleback in the house. And we are PUMPED for this one. Tasted blind you’d easily mistake it for a top tier Cabernet. It brings ALLLL that smoke and then some.

The only thing that’s lightened up here? The price. Normally $56. Shave a Jackson off and you land at our certified, best in the country deal.

Before we dive in, let’s be clear. This is a FULL THROTTLE, Big Baller Swaller Merlot. Muscular and rich, lavish, and concentrated, this will SHOCK your dear Aunt Suzanne who lives on Barefoot. Not for the faint of heart, or anyone who wants a breezy light tipple, but totally for the Cabernet lovers out there.

Of course, we always expect good things from Nils Venge and Saddleback. The latter is a fixture in Oakville, around since the 1970s. Nils established the winery in the late 1970s, on 14 prime acres just behind Opus One. Crafting the first ever perfect scoring California wine - Groth’s 1985 Cabernet Sauvignon. He helped propel Charles Krug, Mount Eden, Sterling, Saddleback and Groth into the forefront of California’s wine scene. Maybe you had the Cougar’s Creek Zin and Saddleback Cabernet we sold in the past. Both serve as testament to his skills.

This is more of the same style. Aged in both French and American oak, so it has a definite toasty side to it. Expect a rollicking tour de force of crushed blackberry, plums, baking spices, prunes, and that toasty, coconut, and vanilla oak thang coursing through it. Quite the structure, too, with a sturdy but smooth tannic backbone holding it up. If extracted and extravagant is your thing, this is your jam.

What else can we say other than, get some while it’s here! Because it won’t last.

91 - James Suckling

“A juicy, fruity red with plum, berry and chocolate aromas and flavors. Medium to full body. Spicy. Walnut and mushroom undertones to the fruit. Nicely crafted. Drink or hold.”