Happy Monday!! Remember penny candy??

Fun fact - Chutters in New Hampshire has the longest candy counter in the world. Visit with children at your own risk though! We learned the hard way…

We’re feeling like kids in a candy shop, running wild on a sugar high of Jolly Ranchers, Sugar Babies, Necco wafers, and Smarties. Only we’re all grown up and snatching up handfuls of this FIFTEEN DOLLAR, Ty-Caton-powered, blockbuster Sonoma red to splash in our glass. OFF THE METER value.

Fair warning - this sold out when we last offered the 2015. Today, an even better 2016 (killer vintage) returns.

So… Caton Meets Clarke? What does that even mean you say? Stories, we say, make the wine. Especially one that is WAY under the radar.

THAT PRICE?! Sorry, but a Ty Caton-powered red like this WILL NOT LAST. Grab some first then read on? Just sayin’.

Anyway, where were we? Oh yes, Caton, that is good ol’ Ty Caton who grows stunning Cabernet on Moon Mountain as you know happens to sell just a bit to a tight circle of friends, including Marilyn & Jim Hybiske of Broadway Vineyards. Their homegrown Sonoma Valley Merlot is married to a third of Ty’s Cabernet, with a drop of Syrah to add spice and depth.

Enter Clarke, Château Clarke that is, owned by Bordeaux’s Rothschild clan, where Broadway Vineyards’ winemaker Philippe Langner is considered family, and mastered the art of blending. Now at $35, one sip is all you need to become a believer. Hidden Sonoma gems give Napa quite the run for the money when you know where to look. But at $15 this is an ABSURD DEAL like a hypothetical cross between a Ty Caton and a Château X, that sells for, well, add a zero or two.

Deep claret in the glass, with traces of crimson and mahogany on the broad, limpid rim. The nose delivers aromas of blackberry, plum, red, and black cherry, with hints of licorice, vanilla, and sweet tobacco. Medium to full-bodied once sipped, with silky tannins shining through BIG flavors of dark blackberry pie, sappy plums, notes of espresso, and cigar box. Long and caressing, surprisingly solid, very pretty, structured, and mouth-puckering. Enjoy with roast poultry, game, long-simmered stews, or aged cheeses and charcuterie.

This level of quality leaves no doubt that Broadway will eventually become the talk of the town down the road when you can proudly say you drank your share at 15 bucks a pop.

Do we need to mention $15 again? OK, get some!