WIA is upon us! Hard to believe another year is almost in the books, but here we are. WIA, for those new around here is our Wine Intrigue Awards! We revisit some of the most popular offers from the past year one more time…

And where else to start but with our #1 Wine of the Year!

This wine deserves the accolade for multiple reasons: Cabernet our most popular varietal, proudly grown in Sonoma County’s top Cab appellation right here in our backyard, a stupendous price point, backed by big points, no wonder this is our 5th day with it, GROWING in sales every time, and the mere fact that we found most of what was made in this vintage homes, YOUR HOMES.

“Nothing short of absolutely divine. The QPR is through the roof and this is really special.”
“One of the best Sonoma Cabs I’ve had.”
“A fantastic surprise… one of our favorite Cabs ever.”

Not our words. We gleaned those from some of the social chatter out there.

But we WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree with the overall sentiment. This is some pure kickass juice.

For anyone who hasn’t yet tried this wine, we beg, URGE, DEMAND you get some. If we could pull some Ouija board trick and compel your mouse to the checkout, we would. And you’d thank us.

Every time we were able to convince the winery to allow us to raid this library vintage it sold more, and more. As Operatives popped their corks and got swept off their feet, they came back asking for more.

So, we listened, but fair warning, we may not see it again after today…

You’ll understand after a few sips of this beauty. We call this CORE MEMORY wine.

Amazing to have this at all - let alone at a discount.

Sei Querce means ‘six oaks’, referring to the tall trees scattered across the 60 acres of vineyards in the Mayacamas. They’re obsessed with land stewardship here, farming organically and using restorative practices to reverse prior generations of damage. For years they sold fruit to premier wineries in Napa and Sonoma, until they started keeping the very best lots to make small amounts of their own.

“Our fruit speaks for itself” they explain, adding that “you will find it in bottles from Aperture, Silver Oak, Lambert Bridge, Jordan, Fisher, Coppola and Duckhorn often at triple-digit prices.”

The balance of power and elegance is staggering. There really is a “brilliant balance of phenological ripeness, texture, sugar, acid and flavor” as described on their website. The mouthfeel - river rock smooth. Soft, expansive, in a word, sensuous. In the glass, it’s percolating with gorgeous deep red fruits, vanilla, and raspberry crème, morello cherries, red plums, and boysenberry. A hint of green pepper and razor-thin leather, marzipan, and sweet baking spices mingle around the edge. Prominent tannins are of the remarkably silky, “melted” kind, and the finish just doesn’t quit.

Oh, and guess who made the most expensive bottle ever auctioned? Yup, you guessed it! New York Post reported: “the world most expensive bottle of wine sold on November 6, 2021, for a whopping $1 million at a charity auction in New Orleans; ‘It is such an honor to have set the world record for most expensive single bottle of wine ever sold and raise $1 million for a cause that is so close to my heart,’ the winemaker said. ‘I’m still pinching myself.’”

So are we… our #1 WINE OF THE YEAR by a wide margin!

96 Points – Somm Journal

“Simply luxurious, with the perfume and texture of dried violets and plum—that Alexander Valley coat of silkiness achieved only by the best of the best in this AVA. Vivid acidity and mild tannins, with an emphasis on structure and pure pleasure.”