It’s that time of year again! No, not the annual Toyotathon. It’s a different December to Remember event around these parts.

WIA!

Wine. Intrigue. Awards. If you’re new around here, we’ll be revisiting some of our favorite, most re-requested offers of the year.

Kicking off with the big one. The WINE OF THE YEAR. And “one of the best QPRs at $49.” according to our very own Operative Anton.

From Ops in the field to Agents in HQ (this being Agent Crush’s first official Agent pick), few Cabs received more love than the Seiler. We’ve spotted it in many a Locker in the group, and if you’re hankering for more, we got you covered.

This 96+ point (plus a 95) Reserve bottling was an EASY pick for our Wine of the Year. It captures everything - fantastic vintage, huge scores, top tier winemaking, and titanic discount.

Seiler Estate is a rare gem in the world of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Still family owned and operated, small batch and highly sought after.

Proprietor, Lewis David Seiler bought a small vineyard on Glass Mountain in St. Helena surrounded by neighbors Amulet Estate, Merus, Failla, and Hundred Acre, supplying some of Napa’s best with fruit while continuing to focus on his art career. A very successful art career, mind you. As a sculptor, photographer, and environmental benefactor, his work has been highlighted at the Museum of Modern Art, Tiffany, Cartier, and the Vorpal Gallery.

Moving into the medium of wine, he works with 4th Generation Napa winemaker Mario Sculatti. He’s a Denis Malbec protégé who loves making those big ol’ modern styled wines that hold nothing back. Factor in a star viticulturalist, Francisco Alfaro, who has an illustrious past growing grapes for the likes of Harlan Estate, Araujo, Ovid, Arrow & Branch, and Drinkward Peschon, and you have all the right pieces for a spectacular example from this outstanding vintage.

Compared to the ‘19 we offered this has slightly brighter feel, but still retains that deep, ultra-concentrated and juicy red and black fruit core with a polish to it that would make Mr. Miyagi blush with pride. Cherrywood smoke and freshly tanned leather round out the aromas while the fine-grained tannins and brilliant acidity create a perfectly balanced body. Think a symphony of fruit playing alongside dancing spice and herb. Another total masterpiece. Easily this one will age for over a decade and gain more elegance over time but it’s oh so tempting right now.

If you want to watch a great in-depth review of this very wine, by the man himself who rated it 96 points for International Wine Report check out MW Bob Paulinski’s video here.

And if you side with the commenter who said, “that price point is tough!” we feel you.

That’s why getting it for over 70% off makes a more tender proposition. For an ultra-premium Napa Cab like this you’d have to spend $100-200 any other day of the week.

With only around 15 barrels bottled each vintage, we’re lucky to have ANY more to spare. Like the Orange County Weiner Dog Race, things are moving fast and running low already, no doubt.

96 Points – International Wine Report “The 2021 Seiler Estate Napa Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is excellent. It begins with inviting aromas of blackberries and dark plums which are laced with dark chocolate, spices and subtle toasted oak, creating an inviting and complex aromatic profile. On the palate, it offers a lovely plush texture supported by well-integrated tannins, with wonderful ripe fruit flavors complemented by notes of cocoa and a hint of spicy oak. The finish is long and lingering, folding in more layers of dark fruit and chocolate flavors with a touch of dried savory herb nuances. While this is excellent now, it should go on to evolve nicely over the next two decades.”

95 Points – The Tasting Panel “Deep color, well extracted, highly expressive aromas of blackberry, cassis, olive tapenade, and dark chocolate. Pronounced smoky oak that is seamlessly integrated into the full-bodied wine, yet very well balanced with an extended finish showing soft, ripe tannins. Well made from start to finish, the wine developed beautifully with about one hour of aeration. Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grown on the slopes of Glass Mountain, a volcanic summit below Howell Mountain. Aged in French oak, 60% new barrels.”