2018 Wonderland Project No. 9 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 750 ml

Wonderland’s No. 9 Cabernet is a story about access, on so many levels. From the winery’s access to a top vineyard on Atlas Peak, to our scoop on their tiny-production Cabernet—normally only sold to world-class restaurants—this is a bottle that’s all about who knows who. And lucky for you, we know all the right people.

Historically, the easiest ways to enjoy the debut vintage of The Wonderland Project’s No. 9 Napa Cabernet would be to buy a bottle for $55 straight from the winery, or to dine at the French Laundry, where you’d pay $105, plus $350 per person for food. But once we heard that wine star Matt Ahern had released this long-awaited bottle, we talked our way into a significant chunk of his bold Atlas Peak stunner for over 36% off what you’d pay at the winery—just $35 per bottle.

Atlas Peak is known for robust, powerful Cabernet, even by Napa standards, and No. 9 lives up to that promise. The wine shows an impenetrably dark purple hue that hints at what’s to come, and the nose delivers with aromas of sun-kissed blackcurrant, hints of cedar, and a powerful wave of blackberry jam. On the palate, it boasts a tremendous amount of depth and complexity. Hints of wild bay laurel, graphite, and violets frame a deeply fruited powerhouse that’s all about wallops of cassis and dark plums. The wine takes another step after an hour of air, softening around the edges and delivering more complexity—a sign that it’ll improve with some time in the cellar, if you can keep your hands off it now.

This is the sort of bottling we’d expect from Matt Ahern, a longtime acquaintance and one of the best-connected guys in the Los Angeles sommelier scene. That’s why, when he left his day job as a broker of exotic and rare wines to start The Wonderland Project, we knew it would be a label to keep an eye on—and we’re glad we did.

This is only the first vintage of his No. 9 Napa Cabernet, and there’s a reason that the French Laundry was first to pick it up—it’s a stunning value at its list price, let alone at our discount. Matt sources the fruit from a high-altitude, secret-to-the-rest-of-the-world vineyard in the famed Atlas Peak district of Napa, using connections that he built over his years as a go-to-guy for allocated and rare wines. 

The site has been organically farmed since 2004, and the wine shows off the concentration and power you’d expect of a vineyard at 1,600 feet of elevation, where the fog burns off easily and the grapes are forced to grow thick skins that translate to extra power in the finished wine. A bit of well-judged new oak helps with a silky mouthfeel, and adds a hint of spice before the wine is bottle unfined and unfiltered for maximal flavor and impact.

The result is a bottling that easily over-delivers—no one would bat an eye if this bottling sold for $100 retail, so drinkers at the French Laundry must feel like they’re getting a steal at just $105. We bought as much of his production as Matt would sell to us at this price, because when you have access, you have to take advantage of it.