Let’s get DAOU, let’s get DAOU to business…

To #4. Y’all ready? Good. Cause we’re getting a tad drowsy here with all the heavy hitters back-to-back.

From the Russel Bevan school of 100-point winemaking, Morgado Cellars is known for its “pleasure bent” style and this certainly drives that home. A gutsy Cab, STACKED and PACKED with a towering structure. And the usual soaring scores - 97 POINTS from Dunnuck and more…

But the best part? We brought the price down to earth, from $175 to $99 (and even further down if you signed up for that text only secret code!)

While some winemakers shy away from extraction, oak, and otherwise dial it back, others dial it UP and push the limits.

Overlooking Pritchard Hill and Lake Hennessey, Sage Ridge is no ordinary vineyard. Along with Morgado, Russell Bevan (Bevan, PerUs), Helen Keplinger (Carte Blanche, Kerr), Jason Moore (Modus Operandi) and Justin Harmon (Argot) are on the shortlist of celebrity winemakers with access to it.

Granted, it was none other than Robert Parker who discovered Morgado Cellars, when he wrote *“Kimberly works with Russell Bevan and is a volunteer firefighter as well, but she has a super talent for winemaking, seems totally driven to produce something world-class, and appears to be succeeding in no uncertain terms. Unfortunately, production of all her wines is relatively small… Nevertheless, I loved these wines. Kimberly has obviously picked up a few lessons from her mentor, Russell Bevan, as these are all full-throttle, complex, savory, mouth-filling, delicious wines

Words like MASSIVELY concentrated, rich, opulent, and expansive come close to describing this stuff but it’s truly difficult to fathom or describe. The sheer depth of fruit is like a cosmic vortex that sucks you in and never lets go. Delicious blackberry and sandalwood, graphite, a mélange of baking spice and a drop of vanilla bean ride along on superfine tannins into long, long finish. Ripe but not overly so. This will evolve over a decade, easily. Good luck waiting that long.

Just 5 barrels made - most were gobbled up by the mailing list when we grabbed this small allocation.

97 Points – Jeb Dunnuck

“Even better than the Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Sage Ridge Vineyard is loaded with ripe black fruits as well as wild mountain scrub brush and tobacco-like nuances. It’s full-bodied, with terrific tannins and beautiful overall balance. Another singular wine in the lineup, it can be enjoyed any time over the coming 20 years. Drink 2021-2041.”

95+ Points – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

“Composed of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Sage Ridge vineyard, the deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Sage Ridge needs a little swirling to unlock the most gorgeous scents of warm plums, baked black cherries and crème de cassis with hints of chocolate mint, violets and crushed rocks. Full-bodied, rich and opulent in the mouth, it has a solid foundation of beautifully ripe, fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and fragrant. Aged for 22 month in 100% new French oak barrels, it has an alcohol of 15.8%. 125 cases were made. Drink 2024-2044.”