Mission Codename Down with CFV?
A Second Chance at one of Chalkās Hillās greats!!
The average price of a Napa Cabernet has skyrocketed over the years. Forbes has it pinned at over $107 per bottle which means our weeknight family meal at Five Guys plus a bottle of wine could hit $500. Yikes!
But our love for Cabernet runs deep, so if weāre trying to pinch some pennies where do we look?
Right here.
An honest, $75 Cabernet priced at a record-scratching $25!! Seriously - take a look around your favorite wine shop and see how many $25 Cabs from a top appellation you can find.
Weāll waitā¦ but what little we have of this will not last that long with almost 70% OFF!
Small, family-run wineries like this make for some of our most favorite offers. We ran the 2020 vintage from this family winery a few weeks ago and Operatives RAVED. Describing Connell Family Vineyards as āsmallā might be misleading. Micro is better suited considering they make just ONE wine - a Cabernet Sauvignon, in such finite amounts itās amazing that we have ANY.
Jim Connell came to California Wine Country from New Jersey and slowly but surely made a name for himself in the world of wine. His resume includes running some of our personal favorites of the wine scene: Domaine Chandon, Bonny Doon, Medlock Ames, and Quivira. All the while, he was building his own property and planting a vineyard in Chalk Hill.
After years of working for others, he cut loose and focused on his very own 1,500 vines. At 800 feet elevation, the vineyard is a bit cooler than its neighboring Alexander Valley or Calistoga appellations. This is why VĆ©ritĆ©, Medlock Ames, Stuhlmuller, and Lancaster Estate are all within a stoneās throw away. The grapes from this corner of Chalk Hill are known for their elegant and bold flavorsā¦ that his former employers would have died to be able to replicate.
With almost 10 years of age on this beauty, this drinks PRIME right now. It shows deep dark core of dried blackcurrant, blackberry and fruit outlined by savory herbs, crushed stone, violet and bittersweet cacao nibs. Toasty oak and vanilla rounds out the finish. This shows strong, right out the bottle, no decanting needed. A little swirl, a sip, and youāll be patting yourself on the back for a job well done securing some. You did secure some, didnāt you??
After all, finding a small production, passion-project Cabernet priced like this is a rare treat, even in our world of daily dealsā¦
What the Winery Says
2015 Chalk Hill Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
- Proprietor/winemaker
- Jim Connell
- Varietals
- 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 1% Merlot
- Vintage
- 2015
- Alcohol
- 14.3%
- Appellation
- Chalk Hill, Sonoma County
- Vineyard
- Connell Family Estate
- Soils
- Granite, with volcanic and clay
- Total acidity
- 5.89 g/L
- pH
- 3.71
- Aging
- 18 months
- Barrels
- 1-3-year-old French oak