SUPERIOR WINE/ULTRA QPR ALERT:

Each Saturday, we strive to bring you an Ultra-Premium wine – at a fantastic price. If we do say so, ourselves, we absolutely nailed it with today’s wine! We got our hands on every last bottle of this wine, from Opus One alum, Daniel Manies, but act fast – it’ll sell out!

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Mission Codename: Daniel’s Opus

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Send Agent Red to Vin de Manies, to investigate reports that Opus One alum, Daniel Manies, had crafted an ultra-premium Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. If the wine is superb, grab up all available cases for our Cabernet-faithful Operatives.

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Chateau Manzanita Winery

Wine Subject: 2006 Vin De Manies Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve – Napa Valley

Winemaker: Daniel Manies

Backgrounder: Today’s incredible Cabernet Saivignon comes to us from winemaker, Daniel Manies, whose work at the fabled Opus One helped to secure that coveted brand as the global powerhouse that it is.

The Napa Valley is revered worldwide as the ultimate area in which to produce fine Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2006 vintage has produced some remarkable examples and we were lucky to get our spy-hands on today’s fine offering from our new friends at Chateau Manzanita. Today’s wine is a remarkable wine at a remarkable price. We suggest that you stock up during this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Dark and foreboding, with hues of opaque black cherry juice. The wine has a deep and inky heart and at the edge of the glass, an fine ring of pure ruby catches the light. Swirl the wine, and it continues to spin for some time. After it settles, tall columns of wine-stained tears move very slowly down the glass, grouping themselves into tight clusters.

Smell – Dark and powerful, with layers of dark fruit, spice, oak and earthen character. The wine leads with black cherry, cedar, overripe blackberry and dark bakers chocolate. As the wine breathes, it really opens up, revealing additional aromas of cigar box, espresso bean, cassis, warm brown spice, dried fall leaves and black pepper.

Feel – Firm but plush, the wine shows power and balance on the palate. Soft and elegant at the mid palate, the wine quickly coats the entire mouth, introducing a crush velvet dryness that spreads outward to the lips and cheeks.

Taste – Bold and dark, with powerful black cherry, dark chocolate, cigar box, overripe blackberry, black plum, braised fig (with a slight singe), dark spice, black pepper, oak and dark tobacco leaf.

Finish – Ultra long, lead by black cherry, tobacco and earthy chocolate, and fading to spice, oak, black pepper and flinty minerals.

Conclusion – This is a bold, deeply layered and delicious wine that expresses a great balance between power and elegance. This is a difficult feat for a wine, especially for a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon but winemaker, Daniel Manies, has brought to bear all of his experience at Opus One in creating today’s *2006 Vin De Manies Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve – Napa Valley”. This wine is a delicious wine with plenty of character, dark fruit, earth, spice and dark minerals. Pair with a thick, juicy steak or enjoy it all on its own. Built to age, this wine can be enjoyed now or laid down for the next decade or more. This wine, especially considering today’s price, gets our heartiest Wine Spies recommendation!