Today’s lovely Bello Family 2015 Megahertz Cabernet Sauvignon was made by Ross Wallace, who perfected his craft at Hunnicutt and Bryant Family Vineyards, Laird Family Estate, Nickel and Nickel Vineyards, Grgich Hills Estate, Groth Vineyards and Craggy Range Winery in New Zealand.

Ross makes great wines.

The nose is sweet, fresh and vibrant, with aromas of Bing cherry juice, cranberry, red currant, spiced cherry candy, mixed spice, raspberry and red plum.

Lively and bright on the palate, with flavors of Bing cherry, Alpine strawberry, blueberry juice, smoky cherry, dried herbs, dark chocolate and coffee bean.

Grab enough of this budget-friendly wine to keep on hand through the rest of the year. At this price, you can afford to stock up.

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Just for fun, what follows is a reprint of our Mission Report from 2009, when we first encountered Bello Family Vineyards -

Mission Report – Agent Red reporting:

Agent White is fond of telling me that success breed more success. Now that The Wine Spies is nearly 20 months old, I hold this aphorism as axiomatic.

Recently, I found myself reflecting on our organization, and on all of the hard work and tribulations we have experienced. The work has been hard, but so very rewarding. This line of thinking led me to ponder the nature of success. It also led me to thinking about success in winemaking.

How much of success is luck? Or good karma? Does success really require complete sacrifice, or does it come to those who find real balance in life? In winemaking, is is creating the perfect wine, or selling out each vintage? How is success measured in life and in winemaking?

Contemplating the phrase, Success breeds more success, I found myself speaking it out loud. A quiet buzz-Beep told my that my Spy Phone had picked up my words, and had scanned our W.I.N.E. (Wine Internet Nexus Engine) databases and had returned a result.

I lifted the phone from my desk. The screen read:

Subject: Bello Family Vineyards, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon. Target Value: High. Directive: Proceed to procure immediately

A quick scan of our records on Bello revealed that the family had risen to great success in commercial construction, before entering into the wine trade. Additional data suggested that Bello Cabernet Sauvignon was of superb quality.

I decided right then to hop into the car and head over to Bello.

The estate property and the winery are gorgeous. On arrival, I had the distinct feeling that I was in the French countryside. Moreover, I felt like I was in a James Bond film – in the French countryside. The estate would be a perfect place to shoot a great Bond flick.

If the property was beautiful, the wines were more so. No wonder, either, for Bello has assembled a world-class team to craft its wines. I was stunned to learn that Bello partnered with David Abreu to manage its vineyards. Wine Spectator Magazine called David Abreu, “Napa Valley’s most sought-after vineyard consultant”. He’s managed vineyards for some the Valley’s most prestigious wineries, including Araujo, Bryant, Grace, Viader and Harlan Estate.