Nils Venge might be the proclaimed “King of Cabernet” but is he also the Czar of Zin?

When we conquered the ZAP tasting in San Francisco just a few weeks ago, the room was brimming with Zin celebrities like Ravenswood founder Joel Peterson pouring his Once and Future, and Shanua Rosenblum who just got appointed as winemaker to Ridge to carry her family legacy. But the who’s who of Zin would have been incomplete without Nils Venge, and his fans lined up for a taste of Cougar’s Leap.

One thing’s for sure, he’s been a dominant FORCE in the wine industry for FOUR decades now.

This is the man who singlehandedly helped propel Charles Krug, Sterling Vineyards, Groth, Villa Mt. Eden, and his very own Saddleback Cellars into the forefront of California’s wine scene.

Oh, and he belongs in the Smithsonian for crafting Groth’s ‘85 Reserve 100-point Cabernet - the first-ever perfect-scoring CA wine. Not too shabby.

But you don’t need to drop hundreds of dollars to get a taste of his talent. Today, if you can spare a crisp 20, you’ll own one of the best value Zins we’ve come across.

Cougar’s Leap is Nils’ personal project, and Black Rock Ranch is his sanctuary in Lake County, just a few miles north of his Oakville home base in the heart of Napa Valley. There he focuses on Petite Sirah and Zinfandel under the warm sun, in deep black obsidian-enriched soil. And yes, cougars do roam wild there.

The wild, dark terrain directly translates into the wine. It’s inky, MEATY, teeth-staining stuff, for sure. So dark the streetlights come on when you pop one of these open. Layered and full-bodied, with rum-raisin cake, blackberry, fig preserve, and crushed terracotta all up in your grill. Undertones abound as nuances of chocolate and mocha complicate matters on the tarry, grippy rich palate. If full-bodied, spicy, juicy, savory Zin excites you, this is the one to have. A true BBQ wine no doubt.

Unfathomable one might think, however, our exclusive partnership with the winery brings over 55% in savings off retail, along with one of the darkest, brawniest, and mightiest Zins you will ever have.

All that Zin for 20 bucks?!