Second Pour: Napa Cab steal for while your GIIIs mature…

A smokin’ steal at $28!? From $150 SRP with 93 Points?! Jaime Araujo. Napa royalty. Her wine. Your Locker. Trois Noix (pronounced “twah noo-ah,”) means “3 nuts” in French, as in we went NUTS over these, as you can tell… Good times!

The Wine Independent is right, “As her last name suggests, Jaime Araujo is no stranger to the world of cult Napa Cabernet… For anyone looking for a fresh, affordable Napa Valley experience, the gate is wide open at Trois Noix.”

Last name Araujo ringing a bell? Yeah, the famous Araujo. Bart and Daphne built one of Napa’s most storied cult Cab estates before François Pinault’s Château Latour group came calling with a very serious checkbook for Eisele Vineyard and the Araujos moved on to found another cult winery, Accendo Estate. Jaime grew up in that kinda world. She’s now Chair of the Napa Valley Vintners board and owner of Trois Noix.

We tasted this as a team. Nobody wanted to put the glass down, and what is such a damn shame, not much of this wine was left. We grabbed the last of it. Pull the cork and give it 20 minutes. Deeply inky in color, almost opaque, with aromas of blackberry and brooding dark plum on the nose, and a whisper of dried violet threading through. On the palate, firm, structured tannins and snappy, bright acidity holding everything together. Great steak wine! Long finish with blackberry and baking spices. TEXTBOOK!

The vineyard is Muir-Hanna, Oak Knoll District, farmed by the direct descendants of John Muir. The Sierra Club founder. The man who camped with Teddy Roosevelt. His family still works this land. Their Chardonnay block on this property supplied the Napa side of the fruit for Chateau Montelena’s 1973 vintage. The one who beat France at the Judgment of Paris. The Cab grows on that same ground. You may recall this highly sought after single vineyard from a recent Chateau Montelena or Blackbird label, too.

Not gonna lie, ‘22 was a difficult year with heat spikes. Some producers made nothing. Trois Noix pulled most of their fruit before the heat wave hit, plus the Oak Knoll District runs a good 10 degrees cooler than Calistoga, and thanks to Napa’s summer fog, this wine showcases its beautiful fruit and brightness.

The winemaker who made the 2022 was Mike Tracy. Cornell-trained. Nearly 20 years across California, New Zealand, and Argentina. Then Darioush came calling and made him VP of Winemaking in February this year. Their flagship Cab runs a waitlist for allocation. We weren’t surprised, given how tasty this wine is, that Darioush would want to add him to their team.

That’s a lot of Napa legacy for just $28, OVER 80% OFF? Lock it in.

93 Points – Wine Palate “The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Muir‑Hanna Vineyard, with 5% Cabernet Franc in the blend, is deep garnet‑purple in color. It rocks up with ready‑to‑go notes of plum pudding, Chinese five spice, and blueberry pie, followed by hints of potpourri, dusty soil, and unsmoked cigars. The full‑bodied palate is packed with stewed black‑fruit layers and exotic spices, framed by plush tannins and a lively backbone, finishing long and opulent. This was aged in French oak for 24 months (50% new). Drink 2026-2039.”