Lot 23 2023 Knight's Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml

92-POINTS James Suckling: Aromas of black currants, blackberries, dark plums, graphite and dried herbs. The palate is full-bodied with a smooth mouthfeel, firm yet refined tannins and balanced acidity, giving an earthy, fruit-driven finish. Well put together. Drink or hold.

$100 bottle of Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon for just $19 per BOTTLE?

No brainer!

Well, I should say it WAS a $100 per bottle for the last 4-5 years, but I see it now in the market (and even the winery website) for less...anywhere from $70-$99. Sign of the times.

...still, it seems like a no-brainer.

Like Calistoga, the normally quite warm Knight's Valley absolutely slayed it in 2023. The long-cool growing season (along with significant vineyard elevation) allowed for tremendous hang-time and flavor development, which, in the hands of this winery, renowned for producing wines of structure, complexity and finesse, resulted in a fantastic Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Similar vintages of this wine, like the 2021 (which is what's in the market), have fantastic  scores in the 93+ realm from major critics (Wine Advocate, LPB, Suckling, Dunnuck) and the 2023 is an even better wine. How do I know? The winemaker told me it was the best vintage they had even seen up there and that we were indeed quite lucky to be able to purchase this gem. If it wasn't for the state of the market, no one would be parting with incredible quality like this.

Get it while the gettin's good.

I should note here we received one lot of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and finalized the blend ourselves. It didn't take much but, with the base lot quality and all the dynamite blenders available on the market, it was a simple, easy task.

Deep ruby in the glass, Lot 23 2023 Knight's Valley Cabernet Sauvignon features a boisterous bouquet of ripe plum and blackberry with candied violet florals haloing a beautiful mainline of blueberry pie with a graham cracker crust underpinned with graphite, espresso and cedar notes. Fleshy, supple, and approachable on the palate, medium-full-bodied with rich, ripe red and purple fruit perfectly arrayed over graphite-laced, volcanic tannins with notes of pencil lead and gobs of toasted vanilla to round out the elegant finish. Sumptuous but with concentration and power, this wine will drink beautifully in it's youth and age nicely over the next 10-15 years. Precision winemaking and blending (on our part, if I do say so myself) at its best!

94% Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon blended with 3% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petite Verdot from Oakville and St. Helena appellations.
~40% new French oak
14.3% alc.
~400 cases bottling August 18th