Mission Codename Life is a Cabernet
Fact check: what happens to 95+ rated Napa Cabs that consistently keep getting higher scores every vintage? Answer: They achieve cult status, leading to mailing lists with waiting lists. Mathew Bruno is headed that way. Since their equally stunning 2013 was incredibly popular with our Operatives, they have graciously allowed us a small allocation of their library 2012! This wine is not just utterly delightful, it also has seen just the right amount of bottle age to drink at a sublime peak now. At a 40% discount, this is a no brainer. Collect it, covet it, savor it. The choice is yours.
Visually stunning, with the perfect shade of ruby crossing garnet as it fades gracefully on the edges. As the glass approaches, a chorus of dried herbs, juicy blackcurrants, and dark cherries spring forward, with touches of mineral and graphite. The palate is super complex in fruit, acidity, and tannin, with the whole being even more complete than the parts. Finishes smooth, ripe, rich and polished, with a supple array of juicy dark berries and oak spice lingering long. Either sip this showstopper on its own for deep contemplation, or go all out with your favorite grilled feast, surf n’ turf, or a blue cheese bacon wedge salad are all ideal pairings.
Allow us to reiterate. This elsewhere and elsehow $100+ modern day classic The Wine Spies are thrilled to bring to you for the day at about half that, is a perfectly cellared example of Rutherford Dust laced with a richness of Cabernet’s showiest personality that can only be achieved with flawless fruit grown in Napa Valley’s heartland. Do not hesitate to grab what you can before the day’s end when it will join the other greats of Cabernet history.
Napa Valley’s Rutherford AVA is without a doubt one of the foremost wine regions in the world. Wine grapes thrive here, due to the combination of geography, the Mediterranean climate and geology of the region, which is perfect for wine grape growing. The region was established as a wine-growing region with its first commercial vineyard, which was planted in the 1800s.
Here’s what the wine press has to say:
95 Points - The Tasting Panel / Anthony Dias Blue - “Smooth and juicy with dark color, deep plum, and blackberry fruit; rich, beautifully structured and complex with rich texture and lovely depth; long and balanced.”
Fortune Magazine, 10 Enchanting Red Wines for Valentines Day - “Now only in its fourth vintage, the Mathew Bruno 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is a dark-fruited juicy Cab with pretty chili, spice and nutmeg accents. Its tannins are fine and smooth, but its backbone is firm, there’s no extra flab on this guy.”
Restaurant Wine / Ronn Wiegand MW, MS - “Excellent, among the very best for its type, style & price. Full-bodied, complex in flavor and quite rich.”
What the Winery Says
2012 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
- Winemaker
- Stephens Moody
- Varietal
- 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
- Vintage
- 2012
- Appellation
- Napa, CA
- Abv
- 14.4%
- pH
- 3.4
- TA
- 6.9 g/L
- Production Quantity
- 744 cases