WineAccess Thread - Wines, Tasting Notes, Deals, etc

Tyler_F · December 13, 2020, 7:50pm

Just used the 20% WS discount to stock up on some bubbles and daily drinkers.

YLee · December 16, 2020, 3:19pm

The Star Treatment NDA from WA might be Kistler?
Is Kistler a “triple digit” wine though?

ScottieB · December 17, 2020, 2:24am

Yes, it seems that Kistler is more like in the $65-80 range. Also, they are not typically in the high 90s in ratings…

James_D1 · December 17, 2020, 5:03pm

The Parker quote does imply Kistler, and Dwyer at Wellesley Wine Press suggests Kistler’s Occidental. Seems plausible. https://occidentalwines.com/

Arv_R · December 17, 2020, 5:22pm

I had 94 Grgich Cab a couple of years ago, it was good but had a touch of pyrazines

David_Buck · December 17, 2020, 11:19pm

Asked for a little more info on 2018 Radio Silence from customer service:

This particular wine was bottled in July, and we did provide a window for settling before bottling. I have a direct quote from our COO Andrew with regards to your question about the drinking window: I’d say these are ready to drink now, but I expect that they’d benefit tremendously from 2-3 years of cellaring, as the fruit and oak elements are showing well but some tertiary components will start to show themselves a few years from now which I believe will enhance them further.

Ben_M_a_n_d_l_e_r · December 18, 2020, 3:26am

Ceritas was what came to mind when I read that description.

David_Chow · December 18, 2020, 6:41pm

If anyone missed out on the 2018 Yesterday Napa Valley last time, it’s available again. I just grabbed some.

m_ristev · December 19, 2020, 6:06pm

finally, here is some serious white burg up for offer. they seem to be sourcing some better producers lately. for what seemed like forever the ‘best’ they were offering from the cote was louis latour

just in case you need a referral

Arv_R · December 19, 2020, 9:51pm

fwiw, I got my first shipment from them recently - mostly Jaboulet bottlings - and was impressed with the attention to detail, little cards, etc. The selection seems kind of thin at the moment, so I’m not sure how much I’ll be buying on a regular (vs opportunistic) basis, but like what I’m seeing.

Their Hold Til Ship seems to have worked better than WDC…where I’m still chasing a lost shipment.

RandyF · December 23, 2020, 2:31pm

Anyone have some insight into this new WA private label wine, Phoenix Cabernet 2017? (Where are the grapes from, has anyone tasted it?)

Randy

2017 The Phoenix Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 750 ml
Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 United States Napa Valley
Today’s offer is a wine siphoned off from a multi-million-dollar cellar, a Cabernet Sauvignon that has never been sold before or been made available to anyone else—an incredible chance at Napa’s best.

This is a wine siphoned off from a multi-million-dollar cellar, a Cabernet Sauvignon that has never been sold before or been made available to anyone else—an incredible opportunity to acquire Napa’s best.

We know the estate behind this release intimately: We’ve celebrated birthdays in the grand, raftered dining room, spent late nights in the fermentation rooms and cave, and sipped wines at the long oak table with visiting stars.

The resplendently rich 2017 The Phoenix Cabernet Sauvignon is the result of that deeply personal partnership, formed not just out of professional convenience, but deep friendship.

In order to protect its value, we have to refrain from naming the estate—one that many of you are already passionately dedicated to as fans. It’s a winery that Robert Parker has counted among his Napa Valley “superstars,” and that Food & Wine has profiled as “one of the valley’s most exquisite small gems.”

This hallowed house expends untold resources on honing single-vineyard releases to perfection. Collectors carve out precious space for these cuvées—which have nabbed numerous 98-100 point scores from Wine Advocate—on their cult Cabernet shelves, alongside bottles of Harlan, Colgin, Screaming Eagle, and Dalla Valle.

Those with a talent for blind tasting may even be able to pick up on a few signature tells, as this is a release absolutely typified by the estate’s touchstone style: creamy in texture, brooding, and explosively powerful. It pours deep purple, with notions of blackberry, cedar, dried herbs, and fresh tobacco drifting up from the glass as this Napa giant arises from slumber. Firm, granular tannins support a sturdy frame built on the Rutherford Bench and Howell Mountain, as black cherry, mocha, and allspice mingle harmoniously on the palate.

We know the vineyards that make this kind of quality possible like the back of our hand—their nuanced hillsides and sun-dappled valleys, which produce around just 600 cases of wine a year, a cut made from the best of the best. When the opportunity arose to help put a hand at the tiller and produce a bottle exclusively for Wine Access, we knew just the plots, even the individual rows, where we wanted to go.

One site, marked by gravelly loam soils, produces grapes that show classic notes of the prized Rutherford Bench region: hints of earthy spice worked in dense, dark, rich fruit. The second vineyard rests on a mountain slope, whose elevation and rugged, rocky soil provide the taut acidity and mineral-infused structure that mark this bottle as first class. The warmest of their three main vineyards turns up the volume, the source of their densest, most full-bodied Cabernet.

We put our favorite pieces together, along with small touches of Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Malbec to make The Phoenix even more polished and approachable in the short term. Born of friendship, it’s a wine to share with those you’re closest to—but a bottle will disappear faster than you might think.

Wine Access Tasting Notes
Deep purple, lightly staining the glass. Ripe but not overripe on the nose, notions of black currant, blackberry, cedar, dried herbs, tilled earth, violets, and fresh tobacco build as the wine opens in the glass. The freshness of aromas carries through to the palate, with firm, granular tannins the support its medium-full bodied frame. Black cherry, mocha, allspice, and a touch of coffee mingle harmoniously on the palate, lingering through the finish. Drink now - 2028.

Vivek_K · December 23, 2020, 2:54pm

Probably DANA Estate

Anyone have some insight into this new WA private label wine, Phoenix Cabernet 2017? (Where are the grapes from, has anyone tasted it?)

Randy

2017 The Phoenix Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 750 ml
Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 United States Napa Valley
Today’s offer is a wine siphoned off from a multi-million-dollar cellar, a Cabernet Sauvignon that has never been sold before or been made available to anyone else—an incredible chance at Napa’s best.

This is a wine siphoned off from a multi-million-dollar cellar, a Cabernet Sauvignon that has never been sold before or been made available to anyone else—an incredible opportunity to acquire Napa’s best.

We know the estate behind this release intimately: We’ve celebrated birthdays in the grand, raftered dining room, spent late nights in the fermentation rooms and cave, and sipped wines at the long oak table with visiting stars.

The resplendently rich 2017 The Phoenix Cabernet Sauvignon is the result of that deeply personal partnership, formed not just out of professional convenience, but deep friendship.

In order to protect its value, we have to refrain from naming the estate—one that many of you are already passionately dedicated to as fans. It’s a winery that Robert Parker has counted among his Napa Valley “superstars,” and that Food & Wine has profiled as “one of the valley’s most exquisite small gems.”

This hallowed house expends untold resources on honing single-vineyard releases to perfection. Collectors carve out precious space for these cuvées—which have nabbed numerous 98-100 point scores from Wine Advocate—on their cult Cabernet shelves, alongside bottles of Harlan, Colgin, Screaming Eagle, and Dalla Valle.

Those with a talent for blind tasting may even be able to pick up on a few signature tells, as this is a release absolutely typified by the estate’s touchstone style: creamy in texture, brooding, and explosively powerful. It pours deep purple, with notions of blackberry, cedar, dried herbs, and fresh tobacco drifting up from the glass as this Napa giant arises from slumber. Firm, granular tannins support a sturdy frame built on the Rutherford Bench and Howell Mountain, as black cherry, mocha, and allspice mingle harmoniously on the palate.

We know the vineyards that make this kind of quality possible like the back of our hand—their nuanced hillsides and sun-dappled valleys, which produce around just 600 cases of wine a year, a cut made from the best of the best. When the opportunity arose to help put a hand at the tiller and produce a bottle exclusively for Wine Access, we knew just the plots, even the individual rows, where we wanted to go.

One site, marked by gravelly loam soils, produces grapes that show classic notes of the prized Rutherford Bench region: hints of earthy spice worked in dense, dark, rich fruit. The second vineyard rests on a mountain slope, whose elevation and rugged, rocky soil provide the taut acidity and mineral-infused structure that mark this bottle as first class. The warmest of their three main vineyards turns up the volume, the source of their densest, most full-bodied Cabernet.

We put our favorite pieces together, along with small touches of Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Malbec to make The Phoenix even more polished and approachable in the short term. Born of friendship, it’s a wine to share with those you’re closest to—but a bottle will disappear faster than you might think.

Wine Access Tasting Notes
Deep purple, lightly staining the glass. Ripe but not overripe on the nose, notions of black currant, blackberry, cedar, dried herbs, tilled earth, violets, and fresh tobacco build as the wine opens in the glass. The freshness of aromas carries through to the palate, with firm, granular tannins the support its medium-full bodied frame. Black cherry, mocha, allspice, and a touch of coffee mingle harmoniously on the palate, lingering through the finish. Drink now - 2028.

FMansfield · December 23, 2020, 3:17pm

Probably DANA Estate

Anyone have some insight into this new WA private label wine, Phoenix Cabernet 2017? (Where are the grapes from, has anyone tasted it?)

Randy

2017 The Phoenix Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 750 ml
Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 United States Napa Valley
Today’s offer is a wine siphoned off from a multi-million-dollar cellar, a Cabernet Sauvignon that has never been sold before or been made available to anyone else—an incredible chance at Napa’s best.

This is a wine siphoned off from a multi-million-dollar cellar, a Cabernet Sauvignon that has never been sold before or been made available to anyone else—an incredible opportunity to acquire Napa’s best.

We know the estate behind this release intimately: We’ve celebrated birthdays in the grand, raftered dining room, spent late nights in the fermentation rooms and cave, and sipped wines at the long oak table with visiting stars.

The resplendently rich 2017 The Phoenix Cabernet Sauvignon is the result of that deeply personal partnership, formed not just out of professional convenience, but deep friendship.

In order to protect its value, we have to refrain from naming the estate—one that many of you are already passionately dedicated to as fans. It’s a winery that Robert Parker has counted among his Napa Valley “superstars,” and that Food & Wine has profiled as “one of the valley’s most exquisite small gems.”

This hallowed house expends untold resources on honing single-vineyard releases to perfection. Collectors carve out precious space for these cuvées—which have nabbed numerous 98-100 point scores from Wine Advocate—on their cult Cabernet shelves, alongside bottles of Harlan, Colgin, Screaming Eagle, and Dalla Valle.

Those with a talent for blind tasting may even be able to pick up on a few signature tells, as this is a release absolutely typified by the estate’s touchstone style: creamy in texture, brooding, and explosively powerful. It pours deep purple, with notions of blackberry, cedar, dried herbs, and fresh tobacco drifting up from the glass as this Napa giant arises from slumber. Firm, granular tannins support a sturdy frame built on the Rutherford Bench and Howell Mountain, as black cherry, mocha, and allspice mingle harmoniously on the palate.

We know the vineyards that make this kind of quality possible like the back of our hand—their nuanced hillsides and sun-dappled valleys, which produce around just 600 cases of wine a year, a cut made from the best of the best. When the opportunity arose to help put a hand at the tiller and produce a bottle exclusively for Wine Access, we knew just the plots, even the individual rows, where we wanted to go.

One site, marked by gravelly loam soils, produces grapes that show classic notes of the prized Rutherford Bench region: hints of earthy spice worked in dense, dark, rich fruit. The second vineyard rests on a mountain slope, whose elevation and rugged, rocky soil provide the taut acidity and mineral-infused structure that mark this bottle as first class. The warmest of their three main vineyards turns up the volume, the source of their densest, most full-bodied Cabernet.

We put our favorite pieces together, along with small touches of Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Malbec to make The Phoenix even more polished and approachable in the short term. Born of friendship, it’s a wine to share with those you’re closest to—but a bottle will disappear faster than you might think.

Wine Access Tasting Notes
Deep purple, lightly staining the glass. Ripe but not overripe on the nose, notions of black currant, blackberry, cedar, dried herbs, tilled earth, violets, and fresh tobacco build as the wine opens in the glass. The freshness of aromas carries through to the palate, with firm, granular tannins the support its medium-full bodied frame. Black cherry, mocha, allspice, and a touch of coffee mingle harmoniously on the palate, lingering through the finish. Drink now - 2028.

What makes you say DANA?

Vivek_K · December 23, 2020, 3:45pm

Probably DANA Estate

Anyone have some insight into this new WA private label wine, Phoenix Cabernet 2017? (Where are the grapes from, has anyone tasted it?)

Randy

2017 The Phoenix Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 750 ml
Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 United States Napa Valley
Today’s offer is a wine siphoned off from a multi-million-dollar cellar, a Cabernet Sauvignon that has never been sold before or been made available to anyone else—an incredible chance at Napa’s best.

This is a wine siphoned off from a multi-million-dollar cellar, a Cabernet Sauvignon that has never been sold before or been made available to anyone else—an incredible opportunity to acquire Napa’s best.

We know the estate behind this release intimately: We’ve celebrated birthdays in the grand, raftered dining room, spent late nights in the fermentation rooms and cave, and sipped wines at the long oak table with visiting stars.

The resplendently rich 2017 The Phoenix Cabernet Sauvignon is the result of that deeply personal partnership, formed not just out of professional convenience, but deep friendship.

In order to protect its value, we have to refrain from naming the estate—one that many of you are already passionately dedicated to as fans. It’s a winery that Robert Parker has counted among his Napa Valley “superstars,” and that Food & Wine has profiled as “one of the valley’s most exquisite small gems.”

This hallowed house expends untold resources on honing single-vineyard releases to perfection. Collectors carve out precious space for these cuvées—which have nabbed numerous 98-100 point scores from Wine Advocate—on their cult Cabernet shelves, alongside bottles of Harlan, Colgin, Screaming Eagle, and Dalla Valle.

Those with a talent for blind tasting may even be able to pick up on a few signature tells, as this is a release absolutely typified by the estate’s touchstone style: creamy in texture, brooding, and explosively powerful. It pours deep purple, with notions of blackberry, cedar, dried herbs, and fresh tobacco drifting up from the glass as this Napa giant arises from slumber. Firm, granular tannins support a sturdy frame built on the Rutherford Bench and Howell Mountain, as black cherry, mocha, and allspice mingle harmoniously on the palate.

We know the vineyards that make this kind of quality possible like the back of our hand—their nuanced hillsides and sun-dappled valleys, which produce around just 600 cases of wine a year, a cut made from the best of the best. When the opportunity arose to help put a hand at the tiller and produce a bottle exclusively for Wine Access, we knew just the plots, even the individual rows, where we wanted to go.

One site, marked by gravelly loam soils, produces grapes that show classic notes of the prized Rutherford Bench region: hints of earthy spice worked in dense, dark, rich fruit. The second vineyard rests on a mountain slope, whose elevation and rugged, rocky soil provide the taut acidity and mineral-infused structure that mark this bottle as first class. The warmest of their three main vineyards turns up the volume, the source of their densest, most full-bodied Cabernet.

We put our favorite pieces together, along with small touches of Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Malbec to make The Phoenix even more polished and approachable in the short term. Born of friendship, it’s a wine to share with those you’re closest to—but a bottle will disappear faster than you might think.

Wine Access Tasting Notes
Deep purple, lightly staining the glass. Ripe but not overripe on the nose, notions of black currant, blackberry, cedar, dried herbs, tilled earth, violets, and fresh tobacco build as the wine opens in the glass. The freshness of aromas carries through to the palate, with firm, granular tannins the support its medium-full bodied frame. Black cherry, mocha, allspice, and a touch of coffee mingle harmoniously on the palate, lingering through the finish. Drink now - 2028.

What makes you say DANA?

They have vineyards in both places and the f&w quote fits. https://www.danaestates.com/assets/upload/files/Press/2014-01-food-and-wine.pdf

YLee · December 23, 2020, 4:14pm

Didnt WA previously have a NDA wine from DANA?

Erich_Sachse · December 23, 2020, 7:53pm

Yeah, would be shocked if this is anything other than Dana —- the three vineyard sites, soil descriptions, production all match, and already have a relationship as they have offered Onda.

From Napa Wine Project:

Their property sits in the north east portion of the Rutherford appellation, just south of the St. Helena appellation and is located on the Rutherford Bench; soils that are not directly on the valley floor yet not a part of the Maycamas mountains either. This is a slightly elevated section of land on the western side of the Rutherford appellation that has formed during millions of years through erosion. As a result, these soils are composed of both gravel and loam and provide excellent drainage.

Their other three vineyards are hillside, located on the other side of the valley in the Vaca mountains. The Hershey Vineyard is located at about 1,800 feet on Howell Mountain and is planted to nearly 35 acres of vines. Winemaker Chris Cooney calls this their most complex vineyard site with its multiple exposures, numerous soil types and six varietals including Sauvignon Blanc. The Lotus Vineyard is around 1200 feet on the slopes just below the Howell Mountain appellation and lies directly above the Crystal Springs Vineyard (around 800 feet in elevation).

YLee · December 23, 2020, 8:02pm

" This is a wine siphoned off from a multi-million-dollar cellar, a Cabernet Sauvignon that has never been sold before or been made available to anyone else "

Sounds like a new bottling they were going to release or project?

If that’s the case it would be hard to really price this.

David_Crow · December 23, 2020, 8:13pm

It was speculated (and I think highly likely) that the 2018 Yesterday Howell Mountain was sourced from Dana’s Hershey vineyard on Howell Mountain. I agree this sounds like Dana Estate. Wine Access is also currently offering the Dana Vaso label (their 3rd tier wine) for $85.

David_Buck · December 23, 2020, 8:16pm

This must of been offered before??

reviews on it:

Erich_Sachse · December 23, 2020, 8:19pm

I went for a few — haven’t had a Dana recently, so worth a spin for me. Even if this is a third/fourth wine (behind estate/VASO/Onda), fair pricing.

Also have some nice deals on other Napa cabs with the 20% Wine Spectator link posted up thread:

2018 Bevan Ontogeny $95 - 20% = $76
2017 Pott Kaliholmanok $125 - 20% = $100