I’m a big Keenan fan and Vinous loved their ‘23 estate. Picked up some that were around $120 with the list discount as I recall. Also bought Beta, Tidings, and will probably buy some Dunn HM.
I’ve only tasted ‘23 Sonoma Pinots to date and they’ve been surprisingly exceptional. The extra gear of concentration and intensity is apparent at this stage. Rochioli’s Estate PN, Allen Vineyards Estate, and a few others. I definitely intend to buy a good amount and I haven’t bought CA Pinots in quantity in many years.
Great list and several I like on there as well. I’d add Clinet, Brane-Cantenac to the list Smith Haut-Lafitte as well. Heck you can get Pavie for roughly $300 if you want a top Right Bank comparison to a newly created label from Napa.
I do have some Clinet and visited the chateau 2 years ago, same with SHL but I am not a buyer in every vintage. I did get a magnum of Brane-Cantenac for 22 for my daughter’s birth year.
The Maya just dropped for 500 pp, offering in singles and 3-packs. How does this compare to Scarecrow, Colgin, Eisele or others at this price point? Same league?
It is completely different. I have a friend that has bought it for a long time and I’ve had it at least half a dozen times across various vintages. It has always been amazing, memorable and very singular. It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc in close to equal proportions. Probably more like more recent vintages of continuum than the Wines you mentioned, but much more special than that.
It has been years since I’ve had a Dalla Valle wine, and my palate was in a very different stage then, but I remember thinking the wines were excellent. How would you describe the style at Dalla Valle these days? On the elegant end of the spectrum for Napa or the other end (or somewhere in between)?
Their Cab is more or less my Platonic ideal of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. Others have tasted more widely than I have, but to my palate it is on the more elegant side of the style - smooth, with all the elements in good proportions. They aren’t milkshakes, and neither are they light mountain wines.
I personally like the CS more than I’ve liked Maya, but there’s no denying that Maya is a singular wine. It is definitely bigger than the CS alone.
Down to Beta (Jasud), Roy Piper, J.H. Wheeler. Just walked from Kinsman, Andremily (overloaded), and about 10+ other lists. With this said, caved yesterday on an order of Aerika (Wing Canyon) and also considering Sown this month. Only considered these two based on offer prices under $200 and pickup available..
With all this said, if ever made it to the MacDonald list would surely add!
In Napa, I’m down to Beta/Jasud, Mowe, Kinsman Eades, William & Mary, Togni depending on the vintage, and was in for 3 bottles from Aerika yesterday. That list feels too long to me, but not sure where to cut. Oh well, not the worst problem to have.
Last year I took a chance on MOWE after reading all the feedback on the boards and I’m really glad I did. It opened my eyes to the fact that there are some awesome and passionate people making great wines in Napa. I hope to buy those wines for years to come.
From there, I got introduced to a few others here on WB that seem to share similar passion. I bought a 3 pack of the Aerika Wing Canyon and I’m very intrigued by Sown Estate as well!
I also bought my first Beta wines and would love the chance to get to try some Jasud or get offered some in the future.
There are a lot of wines in Napa that seem impossibly allocated or come with an astronomical price tag. Macdonald, Screaming Eagle, Scarecrow etc. come to mind.
Getting in early on these new projects is really exciting to me. I’m definitely of the younger crowd here on WB and effectively missed the boat on some of these aforementioned wines but it feels like this is a chance to get some amazing wine made by some awesome people crafted with maximum passion!
Definitely thought long and hard on MOWE (still am!) but has taken me the last year to mentally accept eliminating the majority of an ever expanding list of annual offers. FOMO (2023 vintage, Aerika, Sown) is REAL in this hobby but have two large (red) storage units full along with a couple smaller (white) ones inside the house! Add oncoming retirement (some point this year) while slowing down consumption due to age and change is necessary. A lasting comfort is that both my daughters do enjoy wine and will take over the remaining inventory..
Im down to MacDonald, Mascot, Jasud and Kinsman/Hiero as definitely buy for now. Rivers Marie after many years of loading up and plenty in the cellar may go this year. I’ll have to see. Anything else will be discretionary from here on out and some of my must buys could get cut in the next few years.
Have also trimmed my annual purchases down pretty good. Not many wines are truly “allocated” anymore. So i will skip vintages here and there of most offerings and backfill as desired.
One to add under $100 is 2023 A.Aitch Cabernet Sauvignon. The is the first vintage from winemaker Ashley Hepworth after she left Joseph Phelps. It comes from a vineyard in the Rutherford Bench that she and our family worked with for years. For $85, it’s a great value!