2018 Luna Vineyards Adagio Red Blend Napa Valley 750 ml

Luna’s luscious, new Adagio blend was never supposed to be available to the general public. Tasting room visitors would get a shot at it, a few cases would be handed out to in-the-know sommeliers, but otherwise this was destined to become one of Napa’s best-kept secrets.

Nothing about last year went quite according to plan, however, which is how we landed this stellar deal. It’s the first time member-favorite Luna Vineyards is returning to Wine Access in years, and this red is destined to disappear quickly. 

“It reads on the palate with Pauillac-like precision, but the mouthfeel is pure Napa richness—it’s a Silverado Trail heavy-hitter, up there with Quintessa and Phelps,” said our friend Steve while we tasted it, as our eyes widened at the explosive power flooding our mouths.

“This is Luna’s crown jewel blend—their best Cabernet, Merlot, and Malbec, plus a dollop of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Speak now or forever hold your peace, because I can guarantee you’ll never see this level of availability or price again.”

That (short) conversation, and our decade-long relationship with Luna, turned what should have been a luxury-level, $85 bottle into an unthinkable bargain. Our members have been gobbling up Cabernets from Luna’s star winemaker Shawna Miller since the early aughts, but never before have we landed a deal of this magnitude.

At just $48 per bottle, it’s a heist-level steal for a release that Jeb Dunnuck crowned a Napa standout, calling it “beautifully textured” with “ripe silky tannins, a fleshy, opulent mouthfeel, and a great finish.”

Winemaker Shawna Miller’s tutelage in the cellars of Beaulieu Vineyards and Rombauer, and under all-time greats Philippe Melka and Julien Fayard, is abundantly evident here in the wine's sculpted concentration. She pulls a blanket of sun-kissed mulberry, roasted coffee, crème de cassis, and clove over a muscular, multi-dimensional palate with loads of plush, dark fruit.

The pedigree you’re getting for the price puts this in a category most bargain hunters don’t even dream about. Ever since Luna Vineyards opened their doors with a young John Kongsgaard as their winemaker, they’ve produced some of the greatest wines in Napa. Kongsgaard developed Luna’s style into the envy of their neighbors, with bold bottlings that flaunt big fruit and rich textures, enlivened by enough freshness to keep it all fun.

Shawna has taken that philosophy to the next level with bottlings like this one that enliven the palate with deliciousness. Enjoy the open season on this hidden treasure while it lasts.