The long-awaited 2019 Wine Intrigue Awards are here!

Drumroll, dear Operatives, by popular choice, Here’s the Top Red Wine of 2019!

Being in Sonoma County and as huge advocates of this prized and special place all wine grapes adore, the red of the year epitomizes what our home is best at. We also hold Cabernet Franc dear here, as Cabernet Sauvignon’s parent, it’s much rarer, especially when it dominates a blend this extraordinary… Let’s keep it simple. As father and daughter, they together make consistent 100-point winners for Vérité, on her own, under her dad’s tutelage she makes Cenyth.

You can get a CASE of her wine today for LESS THAN what you would pay for a BOTTLE of Vérité’s similarly proportioned Le Désir. Pierre Seillan has made Vérité since 1998. His daughter Hélène Seillan recently joined him at Vérité as the next generation to continue the legacy. She has Bordeaux in her DNA and Sonoma runs in her blood. Cenyth is her personal passion project, a unique collaboration between her and best friend Julia Jackson, heiress to the Jackson Family Wines empire.

Imagine all the shades of deeper red and purple in unison, crimson to scarlet, carmine to magenta, all are in the glass performing a pirouette. Blue violets, black currants, plum, and lead all give the Franc dominance in this blend away, as spices and gaminess emerge from the complexing components. Silky smooth with floral freshness and classicism, elegant with a sneaky intensity that carries through. Even more deliciousness unfolds with a sweet and savory agenda that echoes the fruits effortlessly. Feminine in build yet with masculinity to age, this stunner needs an equally sublime filet mignon salad with crisp veggies, balsamic figs, nuts, and edible flowers, definitely edible flowers.

This 94-pointer is the highest rated Cenyth yet, and as a Wine Spies Operative, you have unique access to pile up on this investment-grade red for a mere $29.99 after an unheard of 50% off break for a wine of this caliber. Without further ado, this article sums up: “The Frenchman’s Daughter Hélène Seillan Brings a Unique Perspective to New Blends” – Robb Report

Here’s what the wine press has to say:

94 Points – Wine Advocate - “The 2016 Cenyth Red Wine Blend is blended of 50% Cabernet Franc, 33% Merlot and 17% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-purple colored, it opens with expressive baking spices, fragrant earth and vibrant red and black currant scents with touches of underbrush, pencil shavings and tar with a waft of charcuterie. Medium to full-bodied, it has a firm frame of grainy tannins and wonderful freshness framing the densely packed red and black fruit layers, finishing long. Drink 2020-2037.”

93 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous - “Hélène Seillan’s Cenyth wines continue to impress… 2016 is a fabulous vintage in Sonoma, with ideal conditions for making wines endowed with energy, freshness and delineation that provide a striking foil to California’s natural radiance. Simply put, 2016 is one of the most consistently brilliant and alluring young vintages I have ever tasted in Sonoma. Cenyth is one of the hidden jewels in Jackson Family Wines’ vast portfolio. The Cabernet Franc-based Red Wine in particular continues to be distinctive under the stewardship of Helene Seillan who seems to be going for a slightly fresher style than at Vérité, where she works alongside her father. Part of that is attributable to a shorter barrel aging regime, an emphasis on Cabernet Franc and younger vine age, but I think it also reflects a more contemporary approach as well… The 2016 is laced with the essence of blackberry jam, chocolate, mocha, new leather and licorice. Bold and ample on the palate, with quite a bit of structure, it’s decidedly ripe and also virile in style. The 2016 is shaping up to be the best wine from Cenyth yet. Drink 2021-2031.”