Primetime Oakville Cab right across the Silverado Trail from Screaming Eagle, at a discount like this??

Almost as believable as your long-lost Nigerian uncle who wants to wire 2 million dollars to your bank account.

Except, there actually sits a bottle of this single-vineyard stunner right here, on my desk. And a pile of cases stacked in our warehouse. Good wine too, not some plonky-plonk wannabe Napa Cab. Just waiting to land on the doorstep of some very lucky Operatives.

And yes, the retail price was north of $200 once upon a time. So, after a big lunch, and a few beers at Lagunitas (across the street from our new office – yeah, it’s a problem) we came back and thought we thought, “let’s drop this for $65.” Over 70% off sounds good, right?” Well, yea, totally.

2012 is the year that kicked off a string of absolutely fantastic vintages in Napa. And Oakville, well that’s where some of the very best Napa Cabs are born. This particular example is sourced entirely from one block in the small Weitz Vineyard, at 1,000 feet elevation on the hillside, with neighbors including, but not limited to Dalla Valle and Peter Michael. You know who else gets fruit from this vineyard? Only Maybach, Carter, and Turnbull. Nuff said.

This has the goods - inside and out, with the wax-dipped seal and that gloriously big ‘money’ bottle. But who cares about all that, really? As Metallica says, “Nothing Else Matters” but the juice inside, with its deep red cherries, warm cassis, a dusting of cocoa powder, and some sandalwood. With nearly a decade of age, it’s softened into an incredibly plush, seamless mouthfeel. Not a hard edge in sight. Still firing on all cylinders with fresh, ripe fruit, yet not in an over-extracted fruit bomb sense. Just classy, impeccably made juice. What juicy, high-end, dry-aged cut of steak could not benefit from a wine like this?

Fun tidbit: You can buy 1 bottle of the 2012 Eagle or 77 bottles of this with the same budget.

What else can we say? You’ll love it. End of story.