Sebastiani Cabernet Sauvignon Cherryblock Sonoma Valley 2018

Cherryblock! Did you feel it? That disturbance in the force, rippling out good feels and pure intention into the Last Bottle universe? You will, young Padawan, you will.

OK – here’s the deal…Sebastiani – that venerable winery your parents probably drank out of a magnum at basement parties thirty years ago (Country Red, I believe, was my parents' fave, and yes, I took a few sips at dinner) has been absolutely ON FIRE the last several years after refocusing on their high-end wines, as you can see from the press the last few years (93 to 98+ from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate going back to 2010 on this FLAGSHIP wine!). We scored something FANTASTIC here – and now the chance is yours. 2018 is a vintage that needs no introduction – especially in Napa and Sonoma, and this beastly beauty of a cabernet sauvignon has a whopping 95 POINTS – for UNDER $50. I know, right? Madness!

Killer cabernet-single vineyard goodness, with a dash each of merlot and malbec, followed by 18 months in just over half new French oak barrels – and mostly vines over 60 YEARS OLD, to boot! The complexity, structure, and overall power and grace are simply STAGGERING – unnervingly easy to drink for such a young showstopper, rock-solid and elegant, with lush blackberries, plums, brandied cherries, then cedar and roasted herbs, some sweet baking spice and toasty vanilla notes…just EPIC. Nicely weighted too, it’s not thick and heavy, which adds the most extreme drinkability – and just IMMENSELY satisfying overall – with plenty of years (decades) open for further aging. Did I mention 95 POINTS and over 70% OFF? I did? OK...so what on earth are you still doing here?!?! 

Get ‘em while we got ‘em, Cab Lovers!

** I want to love the new Star Wars series…I really do! But alas, despite some cool moments visually, the heart of the story is just…meh. Guess I’ll just have to re-watch Empire again… **