If high-scoring, rip-roaring, ultra-polished, Napa Cabernet from the epic 2012 vintage speaks to your soul, we have an absolute dime today. Described as “spectacular and glorious” in the 97-point review, and “straight up freak out awesome” by us - in part because we knocked $55 off the price!!

Revival is a tiny project by Napa natives Sean & Lindsay Garvey. Sean is the Vineyard Manager at Flora Springs, and Lindsay grew up at her family’s Buehler Vineyards. Before we dive in, we have to hit on the winemaking techniques led by Enrico Bertoz, who worked at Sine Qua Non and Joseph Phelps before settling in as assistant winemaker at Flora Springs.

Wine nerds too will love this. Here’s how it goes down.

The magic starts with fruit from two rows in the Kairos Vineyard just south of Stags Leap District on a western-facing hillside. After hand-sorting everything they pack a 100% new French Oak barrel with whole berries intact, leaving just enough room for the fermentation to occur, pump overs, punch downs, and all inside the barrel! They then deconstruct the barrel, press the wine, and reconstruct it, to let it age for “revival” in two more years.

Revival says their approach is “not for the faint of heart”. No kidding! This insanely meticulous, unique artisanal approach yields a masterclass in texture with silky soft, long tannins, exceptional richness, and superb balance.

Before we dive into the glass, here is one of the gorgeous videos on their website that says it all…

The aromatics alone will bring you to your knees with the abundant cherry pie, sweet clove, leather and graphite notes. It approaches the style you’d find in high end cult wines like Realm or Carter but dials it back a notch of two, fitting closer to a Larkmead or classic Insignia. Red and black fruit mixes up front, with raspberry, black cherry, wild Maine blueberries and blackberry jam dominating. And then we hit all kinds of secondary notes of gravel, cocoa powder, licorice and spice as it carries into a slobberingly long finish.

Hardcore collectors, and anyone who wants to experience a truly prodigious Napa Cabernet that drastically overperforms for the price - do not miss this one!!

Can’t click for you though…

97 Points - Steve Heimoff

“Flavor is easy to achieve in Napa Valley Cabernet. Just let the grapes hang long enough, and you’ve got an explosion of black currants, cassis, blackberry jam, dark chocolate, black licorice. The trick is to achieve balance. This wine has, expertly. It’s 100% Cab, grown south of Stags Leap… The wine shows beautifully balanced acidity, and the sturdy, firm tannins of Cabernet, but those tannins are melted and ripe and sweet and utterly delicious. The wine was aged in 100% new French oak, which would swamp many Cabernets, but not this one. It’s big enough to stand up to that wood, which brings added layers of richness: vanilla bean, buttered cinnamon toast, sweet wood smoke. With alcohol of 14.8%, it’s certainly made in a riper style, yet there’s a touch of green olive that brings a salty, umami savoriness. The finish is very long, rich in exotic spices and a reprise of blackberries, but dry and elegant. What a great wine. Glorious and sophisticated. I can’t think of any reason not to drink it now, it’s so good, but it should have a grand future over the next six years.”