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You guys keep asking for more MINER….and we are excited about this 2018 ORACLE! Yes, the ORACLE. One of our fastest sell outs in current Wine Spies history!!?! 🔥 You asked…and we are delivering a new Library vintage. PLUS…its the 2018 vintage…Wine Spectator called the 2018 vintage the “the new modern benchmark for California Cabernet, hands down.” We have Miner’s flagship wine from that vintage. At just $75…HALF OFF SRP of $150…Someone at accounting is getting a very uncomfortable phone call. (tee hee) Miner’s ORACLE is a fully loaded taste, structure and flavor prophecy.

James Suckling AND Wine Advocate both came back from this one talking about the finish. Suckling called it “structured”. Wine Advocate called it ”long and mouthwatering.” Two critics. Two tables. One conclusion. We tasted it too. Our conclusion? DELICIOUS,..and the fruit….???

James Suckling wrote ”Plenty of currant and blueberry character with chocolate, following through…”

Wine Advocate wrote ”..charming scents of cedar, cherries, cassis and red-skinned plums, plus attractive herbal nuances of sage and bay leaf..”

Now let’s talk fruit source. Because the 2018 Oracle isn’t a single-vineyard wine. It’s all of NAPA’S BEST SUB APPELLATIONS in one bottle. Stagecoach bringing the volcanic mountain muscle. Rutherford bringing the dust and the grip. Chiles Valley bringing eastern-hills minerality. Yountville and Oakville bringing the silk and the polish. Five of Napa’s most celebrated sub-appellations..artfully crafted together. And the blend in the art??

61% Cabernet Sauvignon. 22% Cabernet Franc. 13% Merlot. 2% Petit Verdot. 2% Malbec. That Cab Franc percentage is doing SERIOUS WORK that we absolutely loved when we tasted it! Twenty-two months in barrel. 60% new French oak.

Also, Michelle Shafrir (assistant winemaker then, started to influence the wines a bit more). Today, she is the Rockstar & 2nd head winemaker in Miner’s 25+ history AND our guest speaker today for MARATHON. She has a UC Berkeley Chemistry degree. Master’s from Tel Aviv University. An impressive resume of experience from Hall Wines, Arista, Martinelli, and Cuvaison before landing at Miner in 2017.

In our glasses. Garnet and alive. Still very much in its prime and not even close to done. The nose opens with warm, concentrated dark fruit and a surprising lift of crushed pomegranate that cuts right through. Dried herbs pulling at the edges, a flicker of graphite underneath it all. The palate hits with real weight and balanced structure. The 22% Cab Franc is the spine. UTTERLY DELICIOUS (we love Cab Franc)! Tannins still have some grip but 30 minutes in a decanter unlocks the whole thing. The finish is LONG, driving your palate to sip more.

Built for a proper ribeye, braised short ribs cooked long and slow, aged pecorino or a serious aged cheddar, or turn that cheddar into a proper burger or bean burger. Brioche bun…Aged cheddar…Caramelized onions all will pair so well with this wine. You know its a great wine, when it makes us think of food just sipping on it?

Decant and drink it now or stash it away for a decade or two in your cellar or both….DO BOTH 😁

SERIOUS GOAL WORTHY WINE (like that head goal from USA at the World Cup)…HALF OFF..LIBRARY VINTAGE…FLAGSHIP…the MIGHTY ORACLE - $150 SRP. $75 today. The Oracle has spoken.

92 Points – Wine Advocate “A blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc, 13% Merlot and 2% each Malbec and Petit Verdot, Miner Family’s 2018 The Oracle features charming scents of cedar, cherries, cassis and red-skinned plums, plus attractive herbal nuances of sage and bay leaf. Medium to full-bodied, it’s a bit taut and tannic, with a long, mouthwatering finish, but it doesn’t achieve elite-level richness and texture. Drink 2025-2035.”

92 Points – James Suckling “Plenty of currant and blueberry character with chocolate, following through to a medium body with medium chewy tannins and a structured finish. Needs time to soften. 61% cabernet sauvignon, 22% cabernet franc, 13% merlot, 2% malbec and 2% petit verdot. Try after 2022.”