No other Napa Valley winemaker of blue-chip classics has ever adorned a label dedicated to them again, as Ed Sbragia did at Beringer with his “Limited Release” line from 1994 through 2010. After a third of a century overseeing Beringer with one masterpiece after another, when he decided to move on, Decanter had honored his legacy with these words of praise; “Sbragia, who has been at Beringer 32 years and is considered a giant of the Napa wine industry, will continue on as Winemaker Emeritus, but he will be devoting most of his attention to his family winery located in Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley.”

To quote Ed Sbragia; “It’s no secret that we love mountain Cabernet Sauvignon and year after year the fruit from Mt. Veeder’s Godspeed Vineyard justifies my passion. There’s an intensity and concentration to the grapes that practically jumps out of the crusher, and with careful handling, this intensity translates to a wine of enormous depth and richness.”

Purple to crimson at the focal point, the rim opens up to a garnet glimmer. Smoky minerals peek through massive cassis, cherry, and chocolate tones. Mountain tannins join dark fruits on the palate, all deftly managed to a silky submission. The long finish is persistent and layered with textural richness and sweet oak spice accents. This big yet graceful Cabernet is ideal with a bone-in leg of lamb, roasted to perfection with garlic and herbs.

The Godspeed Vineyard is the project of Larry Stricker and family, boutique winegrowers in the much-lauded Mount Veeder Appellation high atop Napa Valley. Most of their fruit is sold to other wineries that make wines from this gorgeous fruit. The picturesque vineyard sits at 1,500 feet elevation as an exemplary terroir for growing classic Napa mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. Planted in 1987, it’s comprised of steep hillsides with volcanic soils. The vines snake across the hillside slopes producing small clusters of deeply concentrated grapes.

Sbragia’s leap of faith leaving Beringer proved that a master will always be a master at their craft. Today’s wine is a testament to taking some of the best mountain Cabernet in Napa Valley and turning it into a winning red. This flagship bottling with its highest ever 95-point rating from Robert Parker normally retails for $95 per bottle, but as an Operative insider, you have the day’s access to the secret “giveaway” deal at nearly half off of that. You’d be hard-pressed to find a Cabernet this monumental under $50 out there again, so act fast as it ought to sell out swiftly.

Here’s what the wine press has to say:

95 Points – Robert Parker - “Long-time master winemaker at Beringer, Ed Sbragia, is on his own and continues to turn out a bevy of high-quality wines, and for the most part at realistic prices. He is working from his family vineyards, largely in Dry Creek, although for his Cabernet Sauvignons he has access to a fabulous iconic vineyard in Monte Rosso as well as sites on Howell Mountain and Mount Veeder. As for the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Godspeed, this wine is still in barrel. This demonstrates why, as good as 2013 is, this is an exceptional, singular, and possibly once-in-a-lifetime vintage for Bordeaux varietals in Napa. An inkier, bluish/purple color with a stunning sense of blueberries, white flowers and forest floor are followed by an opulent, full-bodied wine with terrific integration of acidity, tannin and alcohol. It tops the charts at 15.3% alcohol, deeper and richer, with a good 25 years of upside. Drink 2020-2045”