CLASSIFIED STORE TAKEOVER!! 🕵️‍♂️ FIRST TIME EVER!! FIVE JAW-DROPPING WINES.

Operatives, TRUST YOUR FAITHFUL AGENTS OF WINE. My hands are sweaty as I type this. The risk of ANY exposure of the producer puts our livelihood at stake. Because this is, without a doubt, the best Classified we’ve had. Wait… classified(s) - plural.

Ever.

It’s not up for debate. Is one the best? You can take Larry Bird, the Michael Jordan, and Tom Brady as your GOAT? But they’re all legendary.

A producer any collector knows, yearns for, and fawns over when spotted. Scores that refuse to quit. And the kicker: we have *FIVE of these bad boys lined up today.** Every one an absolute stunner, the kind of CULTY wine usually only available through retail auction houses.

Our business is built on precious and delicate relationships. This is not one we can even whisper a hint via DM or text message or smoke signal…

Speculation abounds in the Operative Hangout looking for clues. Be warned, however: this time, we’ll be trolling the Operative Hangout and, in a rare move, removing any blatant giveaways. Mark Stephens’ phone number will be put on “do not disturb” and ignored for the next 24 hours. It’s that serious.

We know… it takes some of the fun out of it. BUT Trust Us, 🤐 none of that will matter when you open your lockers.

Capiche? Ok, now that we got that out of the way, let’s get into it.

Scores? 🎯 Everything this winery does gets HUGE scores… HINT…97 and 96er’s

And our cryptic collaboration of critics reviews….”Killer aromatics of blackcurrants, blueberries..”, ”full-bodied…finishing long and satisfyingly opulent”, ”offers beautifully textured…black cherries, chocolaty herbs, tobacco, and gravelly earth”, ”great finish, ”something special”, ”..this is elegant, lovely stuff.”, ”elegant, refined and wonderfully pure.” and ”aromatic, expansive finish.”

And the 2023 Napa vintage? Critics, winemakers and growers called it A once in a lifetime vintage. Brilliant. Aromatic and Fully ripe. James Suckling titled his report Napa’s Gorgeous Red Tide: 2023 Vintage Is a Legend in the Making.

The intel we can leak: the letters A and E show up in the name. Hangman peeps?!??.. go nuts. 🧩

Also…think Right Bank Bordeaux blends…more merlot…

Here’s what we can say. This producer’s fingerprints are all over some of Napa’s most fought over single vineyard sites, and the winemaker leaned on a mentor for blending, one who shaped some of Napa’s most legendary Cabs and Red blends across a five decade, four continent career. (Many 100 pointers)

This wine was one of the first wines the winery produced. Fruit for this wine comes from outstanding vineyards in Napa such as Blair in Calistoga and cooler sites like Orchard and one other.

Deals like today take delicate negotiation. Months went into hammering out the details, our agents tapping their feet the whole time, eyeing the sample bottle and forced to pass it by again and again. OP’s you have no idea how hard that is!! But it paid off…and as a reminder…MUMMS the word!

On the nose, rose petal and dark cocoa lead, with cherry, ripe plum and a dusting of raspberry underneath. Give it air and lavender and cedar start to show through, with a savory herbal edge and a whisper of star anise on the close. Silky, plush tannins hold it all together without ever feeling heavy. Elegant, expressive, and already singing.

🚨 More to come. The full takeover is live in store. Operatives who stop here will regret it.