Mission Codename Lunacy
Good golly!
THE Luna Vineyards, straight out of the tenderloin of Napa Valley. Super delicious, preposterously priced at NEARLY 50% OFF, and primed to rock your Cab-loving mind. Assuming you love lush, structured, and powerful Cabernets that is…
Luna is a fixture in the Napa wine scene, perched in the southern part of the Silverado Trail. Currently made by Shawna Miller, the legacy is deep here with roots in the mid-1990s. Among the founders was the President of Beringer Winery, and the winemaker who shaped Luna for good was the visionary John Kongsgaard (of Newton, and his own Kongsgaard label fame), along with his protégé Abe Schoener (of The Scholium Project). Talk about a Who’s Who past!
This strikes a nice balance between full throttle and old world. Fruit comes from the prime location for Cabernet, the Oakville AVA and you sure can tell. Young but quite irresistible, nay, make that downright sexy, thanks to abundant ripe berries. Lush, but not over the top, it shows plenty of that blue-chip Napa Cab restraint and style. Dark black cherry, plum, vanilla, and cocoa washes over your tongue in a smooth, plush texture. Crazy easy to drink right now, but you could lay it down for a few years no problem.
Straight-up classic Reserve Napa Cabernet, for $33!? There’s a good reason we jump on so many big gun Napa Cabs - they’re near impossible to not like.
Clear a few minutes from your schedule because it will sell out.
91 Points – Decanter “Vivid, with bright blackberry fruit and a lovely elegant savouriness from notes of meat, forest floor and black olive.”
90 Points – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate “Blended with 8% Petit Verdot, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Winemaker’s Reserve is deep garnet-purple colored and opens with black currant pastilles, baked black cherries and dried mulberries scents with touches of forest floor, tapenade and bouquet garni plus a waft of fungi. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has plenty of muscular fruit and a firm, grainy frame with a savory finish. Drink 2019-2030.”
Tasting Profile
Tasting Profile
Look | Dark as midnight almost through the rim, where a bright claret ring floats |
---|---|
Smell | Abundant ripe berries, dark black cherry, plum, vanilla, exotic spices, and cocoa |
Taste | Young but quite irresistible, nay, make that downright sexy, lush, but not over the top |
Finish | Strikes a nice balance between full throttle and old world, plenty of that blue-restraint and style |
Pairing | Crazy easy to drink, especially with a fresh & wild mushroom stew or Boeuf en Croute |
What the Winery Says
2017 'Winemaker's Reserve' Cabernet Sauvignon
- Winemaker
- Shawna Miller
- Varietals
- 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, 4% Petite Sirah
- Vintage
- 2017
- Appellation
- Oakville, Napa Valley
- Alcohol
- 14.7%
- Harvest date
- October 2017
- Total acidity
- 5.8 g/L
- pH
- 3.86
- Residual sugar
- 0.8 g/L
- Aging
- 20 months
- Barrels
- 70% new French oak