The Band of Vintners is comprised of Mark Porembski, Stephane Vivier, Dan Petroski, Cameron Hobel, Barrett Anderson, Brennan Anderson, and Jason Heller, who’ve crafted a wine that combines serious source material and equally serious talent. A blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, this succulent red was aged for 18 months in once-used French oak, allowing a sense of place and varietal expression to show through. According to “the Band,” the outcome, “is a wine we believe makes a strong case for one of the best quality to price ratios in the Napa Valley, and something we’re proud to share with our friends, family, and neighbors.” When you taste this wine, you will wish you had more. It will inevitably become a bottle you will pull out for guests again and again at an affordable price point.

 

The 2014 Consortium Cabernet exhibits a dark crimson core with purple and garnet reflections on the rim. Classic Napa Cabernet aromas of blackcurrant, blackberry liqueur, fresh boysenberry, and black cherry are infused with notes of wet violets, coffee, fresh leather, tobacco, and the ideal touch of high-quality vanilla bean and baking spices. The oak aromas impart just the right nuances and are perfectly integrated and balanced without being overbearing (as many Napa examples often are). On the palate, the wine is medium-plus in body, well-balanced, and exceptionally fresh and alive. Its soft, silky texture, and integrated, polished tannins are wrapped around layered flavors of soft black fruit, leather, tobacco, cedar, cocoa, and subtle exotic spices. It is already stunning in its youth, but will be hitting a sweet spot as the weather cools in the next few months. It’s peak should come in the next 5-7 years, although it could even surpass a decade in the cellar if kept well. For a recipe worthy of Napa doing what it does best, try Thomas Keller’s recipe for Lamb Shanks à la Matignon.