Seems most likely to be Franc Dusak Pagani Ranch Zin, because of inclusion of both primitive and Alicante Bouchet, as well as aging in both French and American oak…
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I saw that in CT as well, but it looks like that wine is exclusive to Naked Wines and I don’t know much about them. I associate that brand with bulk wine somehow, but maybe I’m wrong.
2023 Anonymous Wine Collective Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
I am guessing Paul Hobbs 
Perfect Match on the following:
“OG winemaker who helped put Napa Cab on the map”
“worked in First Growth Chateaux in Bordeaux”
“four decades of experience in Napa Valley”
“Cabs routinely sell for $80-$90+” Paul Hobbs is usually 100+
Nathan Coombs Estate Vineyard also matches the following:
“sourced from a single vineyard high in the Vaca Mountains”
“rocky, volcanic soils”
Wine styles matches Paul Hobbs’s classic style
So my guess is this is the Paul Hobbs Nathan Coombs Estate Vineyard’s second label.
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Is Paul Hobbs still gorgeous?
I went the chatgpt route and it was very confident that it was something from Melka.
Melka came to Napa in the 90s, not the 70s as mentioned in the tasting notes.
My chatgpt guessed Ric Forman.
I brought these answers to KL staff, the smiles on their faces tells me that our guess are all wrong…
So: It’s not a easy guess, the wine maker is not that famous&obvious, also the hints in the tasting notes are filters that has to be met…
Love this game, anyone familiar with Napa OGs?
Paul Hobbs Cabs do not routinely sell for $80-$90
K&L is pouring 7 Anonymous wines today at the tasting bar in all of their CA stores. $15. I’m about 90% sure I’ll go to the Redwood City shop. I’m more curious than anything.
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I did attend. Out of the 7 wines, only the 2023 Santa Cruz Mtns Pinot Noir ($25) held my interest. It was the one wine that I kept wanting to take another sip of. Good acidity, a nice earthy note, good length on the finish. A fine example of SCM Pinot. I’ve got quite a bit of SCM Pinot in my cellar so I wasn’t tempted to purchase any.
The sparkler wasn’t bad (2020 Manchester Ridge Vineyard Blanc de Blancs, Mendocino $30), but I can get real Champagne for another $5-10 dollars (K&L direct imports, for example).
2023 SCM Chardonnay ($25) and 2024 Anderson Valley Pinot ($30) were soft and simple. No vibrancy. They’d both work well as party/wedding wines for non-wine geeks.
2023 Pagani Ranch Zin ($20) showed quite a bit of heat. A pass for me.
2023 Yountville Cabernet Sauvignon ($40) had good structure, not too much new oak, but it would’ve been a big hit with more fruit to balance out the other elements. That may come in time, but I won’t be the guy to find out unless someone else opens a bottle (correct, I didn’t purchase any).
2023 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon “Hillside Block 92” ($50). This was modern style Napa Cab which I don’t much care for. For those who do, this might scratch the itch without opening that bottle of $200-500+ Cab.
It was certainly worth $15 to see what all the fuss is about. Overall, nothing was awful so personal taste comes into play (duh).
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The “Discovery Series” Pomerol is very acceptable at its price.
{edited to change “Pauillac” to “Pomerol”}
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2019 K&L Discovery Series Bordeaux, Pomerol - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol (10/25/2025)
– popped and poured –
– tasted a couple pours non-blind over approx. 1 hr. –
– 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc –
Oaky Nose, with red-fruited aromas. No pencil shavings; not funky; a bit high-toned. Easy drinking: it’s young, but it doesn’t come across as overtly alcoholic or tannic. Cork was branded “Ferrand,” so that’s a pretty strong clue as to what’s in the bottle here. Pretty good QPR @ $25, but I’m not a rebuyer, only because I don’t need more of those wines in our cellar right now. But it’s a solid selection for anyone looking to build a cellar on a budget – this certainly seems like a wine that would improve in the cellar over the course of 10 years or so.
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The 2021 Barolo Mosconi appears to be from Rocca Giovanni, tracing from the ICQRF. I picked up one bottle to round out an order, though probably won’t touch until it’s 8+ years of age.
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2 more releases from AWC. Any guesses on who the mystery producer is?
2018 Anonymous Wine Collective “Extended Tirage” Sonoma Coast Brut Sparkling Wine
A simply spectacular sparkling wine from one of the country’s most renowned producers. This extended-tirage Brut spent an astounding seven years aging on the lees before being riddled and hand-disgorged, then finished with a modest 4 g/L dosage. The fruit comes from a handful of iconic Sonoma Coast vineyard sites that we’re unable to name due to strict non-disclosure agreements. Crafted by a winemaker with decades of experience, this wine bears the imprint of one of the most legendary and critically acclaimed names in the business.
2021 Anonymous Wine Collective Sonoma Coast Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine
A very special Blanc de Blancs bottling, with fewer than 100 cases produced. Drawn from a few world-renowned Sonoma Coast vineyards, the base wine was aged in seasoned French oak casks, then spent four years en tirage in bottle. Recently hand-disgorged and finished with a modest 4 g/L dosage, this is a sparkling wine of tremendous class and pedigree. The acclaimed winemaker behind it brings decades of experience and top-tier praise from every major wine publication. Once again, the Anonymous Wine Collective delivers a truly exceptional bottle for an almost unbelievable price.
Wow! Pretty aggressive pricing for a Mystery sparkler from Sonoma. I love K&L, but this is a big ask of their customers.
I could only think of Iron Horse or Brick & Mortar for their bubble program. But for $35 it’s a good buy regardless. Will pick up a bottle each when I’m back stateside.
There was an Anonymous tasting last weekend, tasted side by side. The standout for me was the Sauvignon Blanc which was $25, poured alongside a $25 Frog’s Leap and blew it away. I guessed Groth but was told no. I bought 2 bottles.
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I really can’t think of any good examples that satisfy all the constraints:
- Sonoma Coast appellation
- Multiple vineyard sites (not SVD)
- $90-100 price point
- Has a vintage BdB
Without doing a lot of research, these do sound a lot like early releases of Iron Horse wines. The 2018 matches what most Iron Horse LD wines are like just released 1-2 years earlier than normal. The 2021 sounds like the Iron Horse Reflection BdB released a little bit early. I’m not saying these are the correct answers, but they do map well.
I think those are all Green Valley of RRV, not Sonoma Coast
