Looking forward to feedback on this one. I think there are a ton of great options lately around this price point so figuring out which ones are worth it and which aren’t will be fun and helpful.
Check out the Pott Napa Valley- at around $60 its a fantastic wine. I’ve already gone through three of them in a couple weeks…
Popped one tonight. It was extremely primary when I opened it 3 hrs before dinner. Settled somewhat in the meantime, but still a boisterous wine without being too tannic for me at least. Have half a bottle left for tomorrow. Glad I bought it, and will likely regret only buying three when this becomes more civilized.
Significant improvement since last night. There is minerality and solid tannic structure. I’d think this would drink well in 5-10 years.
Thanks for the very informative check-in, Peter!
I opened one of these soon after arrival from its cross country travel and was quite pleased. I post this note as Massimo just announced the release of his 2016 Farella Vineyard Cab. Prompted me to add this note on the DI CO:
2016 Di Costanzo Cabernet Sauvignon DI CO - USA, California, Napa Valley (11/6/2018)
Pop and pour and enjoyed with food and then on its own.
Dark, vibrant purple color.
Nose offers black cherries and a nice floral (violets) note.
Nice dusty notes mixed with dark fruit, nice acidity and levels of nuance.
Packed with flavor, and with acidity and tannins, this will likely age well and improve with some time in the bottle.
Very good now as a young and slightly boisterous youthful wine and quite enjoyable.
A note on the 2016 Farella release - weren’t these under 100 bucks last vintage?
Yes. The 2015 and 2014 Vintage was $95.
.
They saw Roy’s video.
I was surprised by the (large) price increase. Very good wines and even better people but the 2014 & 2015 remain widely available at $95 and I just scooped up 2013 from Benchmark for $89. Doesn’t seem like the market is indicating that a $20 price increase was justified.
I tasted the 2016 Farella with Erin and Massimo back in late DEC, and this wine is worth the $115 entry fee.
I opened another bottle about two weeks ago, and it was singing after 2.5 hours in the decanter.
These are special wines for sure, and I love that even with the price increase, that you can get this level of quality at a sub $125 price point.
In for a six pack, a no brainer for me at least.
It’s difficult to find Farella under $150 now a days.
In for six. I’m of the impression that a) the 2016 is worth it and b) you aren’t going to be seeing the 2013 at $90 for much longer. People are catching on.
Bump as starting/contributing to threads on incoming mailers/offers is apparently a time honored WB tradition.
I enjoyed the 2016 Di Co and thought it was a good value for the quality and source of the wine. Now here comes the 2017 version.
From the mailer:
It is with great excitement that we share the release of our 2017 DI CO with you today. As with all of the wines that we make, we want to show our beloved Napa Valley in its best light. Our goal is to make a Cabernet Sauvignon that is a collectible wine with a serious profile, but one that people didn’t have to hesitate to open or buy. It remains a thrill to be able to produce this single-vineyard, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon in a style that truly over-delivers.
DI CO Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2017 - $55 per bottle
Single, hillside vineyard | 100% Cabernet Sauvignon | 470 cases produced
The Site:
In the south west corner of the Napa Valley, the Mt. Veeder appellation tumbles down into the Oak Knoll AVA. At that dynamic intersection, we source fruit from a single, temperate vineyard, which was planted over 30 years ago. To find hillside Cabernet Sauvignon vines of this health and age in Napa Valley is rare. The site is rimmed with coyote brush, a dominant evergreen shrub with a richly fragrant, distinctly California aroma, reminding us of dusty trails and chaparral, resin and honey and sweet herbs. Tangled blackberry bushes were heavy with crop when we walked the site the other day, happily growing not far from the grapevines. Hanging overhead were juicy, purple plums. In the near distance you can see where the Mt. Veeder appellation begins, densely teeming with redwood trees. The soils underfoot are sedimentary in nature, mostly weathered sandstone and shale, and ideal for drainage. Well-situated in the lower part of the Napa Valley, this site is bathed in warming, early-day sunlight, and cools in the shadow of Mt. Veeder and the breezes from the San Pablo Bay: it is paradise for Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Wine:
We hand harvested the grapes for this wine in early September 2017. Throughout the growing season, we personally hand tied shoots, we employed no herbicides, and we manually dropped clusters to nurture each and every vine to produce the finest fruit possible. In 2017, we incorporated a new block of Cabernet Sauvignon into the blend, and this parcel gives the 2017 DI CO an additional dimensionality and complexity.
Deep blackberry fruit, cocoa, soft mint leaves and a dusty chaparral finish make this a complete and satisfying Cabernet Sauvignon. Collectors who cellar for 6-8 years will enjoy the transformation this wine will show. Decanting for an hour or two today will yield instant pleasure.
With gratitude,
Erin + Massimo Di Costanzo
Just realized most of this thread was for the 2016 initial release. I really enjoyed that wine and have 3 or 4 left to see how they develop. I’ll be buying the 2017. Big fan of Massimo and his style. Still owe Mike Smith a thank you for introducing him to me.
cheers
I bought last year, but will likely pass this year. The style was a little too full bodied for my taste.
Opened the 16 yesterday with friends and it was very good but drained too quickly as I think it would have improved with some time in the decanter. I’ll be tasting the 17 in 3 weeks though I’ve already made my purchase.
I had the '17 Di Co last night with some friends - some of them wine folks, some not. Big hit. For the rest of them, it was great from the pnp, but to my taste it took about 3 hours to come together. But when it did, my main thought wasn’t so much about the taste profile as it was “How the hell is this $55?” As much as I liked the '16, this one has an extra gear, a longer finish, a hint of sage and chapparal that I don’t recall before. I have gone through my tasting notes and I can’t think of another Cal cab at that current price point that tastes this complex and serious. Ridge Estate is the closest contender, but this is (gasp) better, I think. One day when I’m feeling fancy I’m going to open a Di Co alongside its big brother and see what the difference is, as they seem remarkably close in execution. Maybe it’s going to relate to how they age? If you’re afraid of 2017 Napa cabs, here’s a pretty good data point to take in.
This board is a bad influence. Emailed Erin, and it’s not sold out.
Are these available to purchase still? Seems right up my alley and a great QPR, would love to get my hands on some!