Mission Codename Aramond x Rupestris
OHHH YES!! We’re out here like Thanos collecting infinity stones.
One difference though.
Instead of powering up with colorful little rocks, we’re loading up all kinds of red and white gems. And instead of harvesting innocent souls, we’re spreading vinous karma across the land with THUNDEROUS deals you won’t find anywhere else.
Like this, for example.
A perennial high-scoring wine made by the venerable Jean Hoefliger! No scores - yet - but previous vintages always tipped the scales with heavyweight scores (95-96 points) and we expect the same from this!
Either way, the value is OFF THE METER and one sip will bring you to your knees. Endorsed by Vinous AXR is all about “a flamboyant style that offers quite a bit of immediacy and near-term appeal.”
It’s been a minute since we had any AXR. The first offer sold out in hours and they didn’t make wine in 2020. Today we’re back with the 2021 Red Blend - a Cab dominant wine (75%) made from primo fruit. Sourced from vineyards that make $200 plus wines, including Beckstoffer To Kalon, Sleeping Lady, and V Madrone. And we can’t stress this enough - it’s an absolute steal under $40.
AXR has been CRUSHING it since they took over the V Madrone winery and rebranded it a few years back. Winemaker Jean Hoefliger is simply one of the best to do it right now. The Swiss talent is renowned for turning out countless 95-100 points wines in Bordeaux at Château Lynch-Bages, Château Carbonnieux, and in California at Alpha Omega, Newton, and Hartford Court, among others. He’s also the genius behind the recently launched and very popular The Debate trio of wines. He came to AXR to flex the same style - dialing it up to 11, with flashy, flamboyant, totally irresistible wines.
In the glass, it’s all deep, dark magenta red, and packed with a complex sensory appeal from all sides. Loaded with a MOUTHFUL of ripe fruit - like you took one bit of blueberry pie, then one of cherry pie and chewed them together. There’s crème de cassis, red currant, and nilla wafers, too. Some mocha, pencil shavings, vanilla, and toasty Christmas spices creep in from the sides and it’s all soft and round from front to back. Simply STACKED from front to back, but it’s not quite over the top, overextracted, or a heavy slugger. It toes along the edge of that flat-out concentrated fruit bomb style while remaining classy as heck.
Or “perfectly balanced, as all things should be” in the words of Thanos…
If you buy one wine this year, make it this one. Assuming it’s not sold out yet… don’t wait!
What the Winery Says
2021 Napa Valley Cabernet Blend
- Winemaker
- Jean Hoefliger
- Varietals
- 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Malbec, 7% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot
- Vintage
- 2021
- Alcohol
- 14.7%
- Appellation
- Napa Valley
- Vineyards
- Oak Knoll, Yountville & Coombsville, Napa Valley
- Aging
- 12 months
- Barrels
- 40% new French oak