Staggering Sonoma Mtn. value from 99pt vintage
- 94 pts The Tasting Panel Magazine94 pts TPM
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2018 Dolum Estates Proprietary Red Cask 11 Sonoma Mountain 750 ml
Retail: $82 | ||
| $20 | 76% off | per bottle |
- Curated by unrivaled experts
- Choose your delivery date
- Temperature controlled shipping options
- Get credited back if a wine fails to impress
Draining Tanks Before He Could Even Drain a Glass
“That’s all I can say without breaking the rules,” our contact at Dolum said.
When you’ve lucked into a prime vineyard source neighboring the legendary Laurel Glen ($100)—and the vineyard owner sells their own Cabernet Sauvignon for even more—you’ve got every motivation to play ball with the boss. Dolum lucked into the fruit back in October of 2018, when their winemaker Chad Alexander got an out-of-the-blue call from an old friend. Harvest was in full swing, and he didn’t have tank space for some PRIME hillside Cabernet and Merlot fruit grown near Glen Ellen.
Alexander knew the exact spot: a high-rent parcel of Sonoma Mountain, located above the fog line—a place known for cold nights and sunny days that heat up as quickly as a Wolf range. The next morning, he and his team were awash in pristine blue berries from what he believed might be the most flawless vintage Sonoma County has ever seen.
Closing in on his 38th harvest, Alexander started making wine before he was old enough to drink it. He first dragged hoses as a teenager at Hess collection in 1985, and worked there all through college. Eventually this Mount Veeder local worked his way up to become head winemaker at Robert Craig Winery, crafting many critically acclaimed Cabernets. Since 2006, he's been a consulting winemaker in high demand by names like V12, Reilly Family, and Rahn Estate.
Dolum’s got a knack for locking down great sources, and the intense floral perfumes and black cherry fruit you experience in this wine show why Sonoma Mountain is one of the best places in Sonoma County to grow Cabernet. Here’s to Chad, Dolum, their luck, and ours!