“Quality and lower yields complement the style of these wines.” – Decanter

Yes, please, make THIS my HOUSE style!

All we need to say is a library Cab that drinks like a dream with 2/3 OFF and 94 points.

But there’s so much more to the story. Little did we know, while going nuts over how and why this Cab made many others 2-8 times its price blush at our panel, that we had something REAL special before us.

The magic connection that explains all is Mount Eden. Per the House Family story, “In the first 12 years, Jeffery Patterson at Mount Eden Vineyards made the wine from our grapes. At first, he bought the grapes, then we traded grapes for wine, then we paid him to make our wine, and finally, he trained us on how to make his great wine.”

Ahem. $25. Come again? That’s NUTZ. Like bonkers. Like, help me take this straitjacket off so that I can enjoy this wine before y’all finish it kinda crazy good of a deal. Like the 2013 Kathryn Kennedy we blew through twice but much, much more affordable. Not complaining! In a world where insanity prevails, this is the new normal, I guess…

Wait, that’s no coincidence either? The House Family explains, “Just above Katherine Kennedy, below Mount Eden and Ridge Monte Bello vineyards, we are located in a portion of the Santa Cruz Mountain Appellation known as the ‘Chaine d’Or’, or chain of gold, for its rich history of producing premium wines. Our steep mountainside vineyard can be seen from many locations throughout Silicon Valley.”

SCM, Ops, the appellation that keeps giving. It’s Agent Noir’s favorite in all of California. Obviously, with how it connects the great wines of a bygone era in Napa Valley with the absolute best Bordeaux can do. To clarify, if you like modern, oaky, ripe fruit bombs, this is NOT your jam. Into grace? Welcome home!

Ethereal, lifted aromas of cassis, redcurrant, licorice, forest floor, mint, and dried herbs. It’s intensely flavored and energetic on the palate, with sweet plums, currants, tobacco, earth, and spices lingering through a persistent finish. Tannins are elegant, dusty, and fine-grained. There’s nothing at all over the top about this midweight, focused, juicy Cabernet with fascinating complexity added by Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. This will drink superbly for at least another couple of decades, juicy and lively today, with the core to blossom into further greatness with patience. Did somebody say $25?!

Seriously, Cab lovers, do not let this go by without a Locker or two filled to the brim.

94 Points – Decanter “Classically Bordeaux in style, with 78% Cabernet and 12% Merlot, 8% Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. This wine retained its elegance, though in those conditions, the House Family style is characterised by lower alcohol levels with an emphasis on freshness and savoury character. Juicy black brambles and mountain garrigue, with bay leaf and taut, sapid, bright black fruits. Dazzling complexity with ample minerality. Taut, bright, and saline. A lot of shading is used in canopy management to keep these wines fresh and bright. Drink 2025-2035.”