Today’s selection is the brilliant Vellum Wine Craft 2013 ‘Black’ Proprietary Red Wine. This 95 point masterpiece is yours at an impossible to resist 53% off.

Aromas are deep and very full, with blackberry jam, cherry preserve, red currant, pomegranate, spice box, hard leather, cherry tobacco and subtle cracked pepper.

Flavors lead with cherry tobacco, toasty oak, leather and spice box. Cherry, plum, blackberry, black currant, cocoa powder, slate mineral and subtle cracked pepper round out the elegant flavors.

The Suisun Valley AVA is a designated American Viticultural Area in the California Coast Ranges. This AVA is bordered on the east side by the Blue Ridge of the Vaca Mountains, and on the west side by the Howell Mountains, which are also called the St. George Range.

The valley is located almost entirely in Solano County with a northern limit near the county line of Napa County, and a southern limit at Suisun Bay in the estuary where the Sacramento River enters San Francisco Bay.

Elevations on the valley floor range from 100 to 200 feet above sea level, rising steeply to 1,122 feet at Okell Hill on the north side, and to 2,162 feet on the west side at Twin Sisters, a twin summit that is the high point of the fabled Howell Mountains.

This region grows mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, French Colombard, Chardonnay, Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Valdiguie, Syrah, Zinfandel, and Petite Verdot.

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Here’s what the wine press has to say:

95 points - Catherine Fallis, Master Sommelier - “From vineyards just east of Napa Valley in Solano County, this Petit Verdot/Cabernet Sauvignon blend is ripe, luscious, spicy and inviting.

It is light on its feet at only 13% abv, but, as one would expect from the boisterous Petit Verdot, it is brimming with cherry, plum, cassis, and blackberry notes and has bold tannins giving a gripping sensation. Cedar and cinnamon showcase the French oak aging and bring the wine into a nice equilibrium.

It is ready to drink now, with rich, well-marbled meats or cheeses, and, as it is unfined and unfiltered, there will be large chunky sediment. Separate the wine from the sediment simply by pouring the wine through a tea strainer into a pitcher, carafe or decanter.”

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95 pts - Christopher Sawyer, “Sommelier to the Stars” - “Like a great painting, a world-class wine is not only based on capturing the attention of a soon-to-be-taster but also about texture. In the case of red wines, it’s about how the flavors are balanced with the nuances of oak, acidity, tannins, and ultimately how the end of each sip makes you want to investigate the subject in more detail.

The Vellum “Black” Proprietary Red Wine is based around these strokes of genius. For starters, the brand is inspired by an ancient form of canvas known for its incredible ability to age. Secondly, the logo symbol on the bottle is the lunellum, a crescent blade used to create vellum’s smooth surface.

Inside the bottle, this new release is comprised of 85% Petit Verdot and 15% of the popular Clone 337 of Cabernet Sauvignon. With a dark inky hue, the wine starts off with lofty aromas of blue fruits, dark berries, ripe fig, cinnamon, and spicy notes.

In the glass, the flavors are deep, rich and complex with generous helpings of blueberry pie, fresh boysenberry, black raspberry, dark chocolate nibs, and a burst of vibrant acidity leading to a lingering finish.

With so many layers packed inside the bottle, it’s a great wine to age in the cellar, decant, or let open up in the glass before serving. But once it’s ready to go, the flavor profile is great to pair with blue cheeses, wild mushroom risotto, short ribs, slow cooked lamb with black olives, and juicy steaks fresh off the grill.”