Mission Codename Slam dunk
Yao Ming?! Remember that guy? The seven-foot-tall NBA star who took the league by storm a while back. Like many professional basketball players, he caught the wine bug.
They say money can’t buy happiness, but it sure can buy some of the best grapes in Napa Valley. And fame will get you tapped into some top-notch winemaking. Just look at Drew Bledsoe, Greg Norman, Dwayne Wade, Jim Gordon. Proof you can draft top talent to make world-class wines.
With 93 from Wine Enthusiast and a pair of 92s, the proof is here.
But when it comes to selling them for $120-200+ a bottle?
That doesn’t always work out so well.
But drop the price by over $70, and this Oakville Cab suddenly seems more like a rookie contract price instead of a premium Napa superstar. But here at Wine Spies we’re dropping a triple double - Oakville Cab, near 60% off, with $70+ savings.
And these Yao Family wines are good. Like, really good. Pure Oakville fruit from sites that neighbor triple digits. No expense spared in the production. Bottles of this same wine have gone for hundreds of dollars - a LOT more in China. They make a number of bottlings from some of the best locations in Napa - and in this case, perhaps THE best. Oakville.
Get one, or two…heck go for three and we’ll drop the old NBA jam ”HE’S ON FIIIRE!!” here in the office.
93 Points – Wine Enthusiast
“Earthy and leathery in concentrated layers of dark cherry and currant, this robust, generous wine is soft and well-integrated in terms of both oak and tannin. The fruit is seasoned in tobacco, nutmeg and a touch of vanilla, adding to its overall richness and refined exuberance.”
92 Points – Wine Spectator
“Alluring, with a silky feel atypical for this AVA, while waves of mulled plum, boysenberry and açaí berry flow through. Light apple wood, sassafras and menthol notes peek in as well. 336 cases made. Drink now through 2030.”
92 Points – James Suckling
“This has earthy and savory aromas of graphite, dried oyster and soil, along with wild blackberries and tobacco. Quite a distinctive herbal character on the palate, too. It’s medium-bodied with a tight tannin structure. Refreshingly mineral with a lightly austere finish. Better from 2023.”
What the Winery Says
2017 'Yao Ming' Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon
- Winemaker
- Tom Hinde
- Varietal
- 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
- Vintage
- 2017
- Alcohol
- 14.5%
- Appellations
- Oakville, Napa Valley
- Aging
- 18 months
- Barrels
- 75% new French oak