94-95pt Ultra-Premium Napa Cabernet Icons

WINE ALERT – Jewels in the best collections
VINO! – Spokane’s Wine Authority – Finding Wines Worth of Your Money
Date: June 8, 2012
If you’ve ever asked yourself why Napa Valley is such a big deal, here are two fine illustrations!   These bottlings hold solid status among the world’s wine elite because year-in, year-out they sustain a remarkably consistent record of superior quality, promising a much loftier drinking experience with 6-10 years of additional cellaring.  Quantities produced are only a miniscule proportion of each winery’s entire production, and the wines receive an immense level of attention to detail from vineyard to bottling. Only the best juice and the best barrels are used in their making, and in “off” years the wineries may not produce any at all! As a result they repeatedly receive top-ranking scores from major critics, ending up primarily on prestigious restaurants’ wine lists. The 95 point 2008 Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon ($135.00 / cc 114.75) knocked us over with its incredible purity, concentration, and surprisingly supple first impression, certain to have a long life ahead. Duckhorn’s 94 point “Cellar Selection” winning 2006 Howell Mountian Cabernet Sauvignon ($85.00 / cc 72.25) comes with an additional two years in bottle, already exhibiting an integration of its rich maturing flavors. Both will cellar well for 10 or more years as their tannins soften, colors shift, and aromas and flavors transform with new subtleties into a more complex expression of their initial character. These
are world-class selections and will be absolute jewels in any collection. We are lucky to have
tasted them both, and would be glad to do so again!

May we suggest:
A 2-pack with 1 of each – only $220.00 | cc 187.00
A 6-pack with 3 of each – only $627.00 | cc 561.00
Mixed case with 6 of each – only $1,188.00 | cc 1,122.00

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1. Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Napa Valley, CA     95 Points Wine Advocate & 93 Points Wine Spectator

One Bottle $135.00 | cc 114.75 (cc = 15% discount*)
5% Six Bottles $769.50| cc 688.50                                                 10% 12 Bottles $1458.00 | cc 1377.00

Vino! Notes:  Stunningly impressive, black in the glass, this beautiful Reserve Cabernet brings flourishes
of black cherry, blackberry, light peppery spice, Napa’s signature hint of smoky licorice, and it’s all wrapped in lush, dark purple fruits and a layer of talc-like, age-giving tannins. What a beauty!

Wine Advocate gave 95 Points:  “The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is a big wine loaded with black fruit, cedar, licorice, grilled herbs and tar. Layers of flavor build effortlessly to the muscular, virile finish. Despite its size, the 2008 Reserve maintains elements of classicism that serve to balance some of the wine’s more extroverted leanings. The wine impresses for its depth, expressive inner perfume and beautifully integrated tannins. It is a showstopper from Mondavi. The 2008 Reserve is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot.
Anticipated maturity: 2013-2028.”  – Antonio Galloni, Dec 2011

Wine Spectator gave 93 points: “Rich, supple and graceful, with firm tannins supporting ripe plum, currant, blackberry and spice. Full-bodied, but not heavy or dense. Pleasantly complex and engaging.   Drink now through 2022.” –JL 11/15/11

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2. Duckhorn Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Napa Valley, CA  94 Points Wine Enthusiast “Cellar Selection”

One Bottle $85.00 | cc 72.25 (cc = 15% discount*)
5% Six Bottles $484.50 | cc 433.50
10% 12 Bottles $918.00 | cc 867.00

Vino! Notes: Exhibiting loads of smoky black cherry, spice, and Amarone-like aromas, flavors explode with a bright feel conveying solid dark fruits along with a hint of pie-cherry tartness. Rich and ripe, textures bring a smooth, lush sensation with acids and tannins in precise balance.
Terry says “Yummmm-mmy!

Wine Enthusiast gave 94 points and “Cellar Selection”: “Here’s one for the cellar, no doubt about it. Shows classic, old-fashioned Howell tannins, the kind that grip early and lock the palate down throughout.  But you can’t help but be struck by the immensity of fruit.  Massive in sweet blackberries and black currants, liberally oaked, and with a core of minerals, it will develop over the next ten years, at the very least.” — S.H. (12/15/2011)

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TO ORDER
CALL: 509-838-1229
FAX: 509-838-1247