Oakville Cabernet, from a single-vineyard surrounded by Mondavi’s To-Kalon, Opus One, Far Niente, Nickel & Nickel, and Silver Oak no less - at this price?? In the land of cult wines like Screaming Eagle, Harlan, Dalla Valle and many other upper echelon producers, a $35 price tag on 93-pointer Cab is laughable. Or is it?

With his “Lawless” Cabernet, Nick set out to prove you can break the rules and bring a fairly priced Cab to the masses from this coveted AVA. Now, you might be thinking; “did Nick steal the grapes?” or “am I complicit in some hidden crime if I buy this” or “will the Feds come knocking on my door?” The answers are, maybe, no, and we sure hope not! Steal it quietly, nonetheless.

Nick Goldschidt has certainly made a name for himself by flexing his winemaking skills and crafting some totally off the meter QPR wines in recent years. He’s made 100+ wines scoring 90+ points and 20 of those have been included in Wine Spectator’s Top 100. After serving as Simi’s winemaker he took over at William Hill, Clos du Bois, Gary Farrell and Mumm Napa. Finally he set out to do his own thing.

Pour a glass of this and instantly you know you’re dealing with some powerful stuff as it fills the entire room with sweet fruit and vanilla. Give it a swirly swirl and prepare for the loads of unhinged fruit about to come barreling down on you like a pack of wild dogs. Juicy black cherries, raspberry and dark chocolate vibes mixed with sweet vanilla and a plush, rich texture. Seriously intense and structured stuff, for sure!

This price, for Cab at this level? Don’t ask how he does it and how we GOT him to bring it down even further to about what a couple of good steaks cost these days. Just get some of this before it falls into the wrong criminal hands.

PS: Nick will be joining us for a Live Zoom Tasting on June 26th, Friday at 4PM PST. Grab a bottle and join us!

93 Points - Wine & Spirits

“Top Cabernets of the Year - Plump and playful, this wine’s scents of cherry blossoms and flavors of sweet black cherries fill it with brightness. Nick Goldschmidt makes this from a dry-farmed vineyard on the Oakville Crossroad. The fruit is ripe yet still holds some herbal character, its notes of resinous hash adding dimension. Generously rich, even as it’s also tart and savory, this is easy to enjoy right now.”