2019 Yesterday Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Napa Valley 750 ml

The text arrived at 2 AM from our old friend Marcus, who'd spent two decades managing harvests across Napa's most prestigious estates: "Need to talk. Now."

Twenty minutes later, we were parked behind a warehouse off Highway 29, watching steam rise from our coffees as Marcus nervously glanced around the empty parking lot.

"Remember that ridiculous '19 Cab that our Collector Friend poured us at last year’s harvest party—from the winery that puts money on everything they touch?" Marcus's hands were shaking slightly as he sipped his coffee. 

"They actually produced three more barrels they're keeping off the market. 90% Cabernet from top blocks, already bottled in shiners.” He was steadying himself: “The owners think artificial scarcity will drive up prices for their flagship wine…They just haven’t been able to figure out how to get this out without driving their mailing list crazy.”

We felt our pulses quicken. This particular estate is a darling of critics and collectors alike and the 2019 growing season had been perfect—warm days, cool nights, and a long, even ripening period that produced wines of exceptional depth and complexity. Now, after a few years in bottle, it had to be absolutely singing.

Marcus leaned in close, his voice barely above a whisper. "I just heard from a friend who works in the office that they have until the end of the month to finally get them off the books at whatever price they have to—the owner’s looking for a write-down on his taxes, I guess”

“Anyway,” he continued, “as long as y’all sign an NDA, they’re willing to move these for a fraction of the release price. I got you right of refusal, but we need to move fast."