The bulk of Patria’s micro-production “Oakville Ranch” Cabernet has always been blocked off for their rapidly ballooning waiting list and a small number of standout restaurants, but because of our success with Patria’s 2016 last year, a 10-case allocation of their widely acclaimed 2017 vintage was exclusively carved out for us. A luxury Cabernet from one of Napa’s iconic vineyards can be one of those rare experiences that turns a casual buyer into a downright fanatic—we believe Patria is fully capable of achieving that.
Theirs is a paragon of perfectly-crafted Napa Cabernet that delivers luscious, dark fruits and succulent baking spices all while maintaining high levels of freshness and generosity. In other words, it’s a stunning representation of the region-defining “Oakville Ranch” vineyard. Other than the uncountable number of top-flight names that source grapes from this prized site, allow me to list some of the cult producers that are stationed nearby: Screaming Eagle, Rudd, Dalla Valle, Maybach...need I go on? So, here we are again, with a limited, once-per-year opportunity to indulge in a luxurious, cult Napa Cabernet that is rarely made available to the general public. A wine that is garnering the best of praise and drinks better than many of those who are priced 3-4 times higher. It probably goes without saying, but our tiny allocation won’t last long.
Napa’s newest winemaking sensation, Anthony (Tony) Biagi, is a fifth-generation Californian that has spent decades crafting wines for a handful of luxury labels. Throughout this time, he’s had his hands in myriad Napa Valley sites, but his eye has been steadily trained on one particular vineyard since the beginning: Oakville Ranch. This sprawling site sits high up—around 1400 feet—in Napa Valley’s sub-AVA of Oakville and its soils are rich in ancient volcanic soils. It’s also farmed by one of California’s organic and biodynamic pioneers, Phil Coturri, which makes it a major source for several high-end Napa labels.
For years, Tony inquired about leasing this prime real estate and it finally became reality in 2013. So, after he was granted a contract, he turned to wine broker extraordinaire, Kimberly Jones, and asked if she would partner with him. Thus, Patria was born. After harvest in 2017, Tony took his prized crop and went to work in the winery. After a lengthy fermentation, the resulting wine aged in mostly new French barrels for 19 months. The final composition was 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Petit Verdot, and 4% Cabernet Franc. Patria is bottled hedonism that reveals copiously layered, mouth-coating fruit, savor, and spice. It’s a Cabernet that will delight the most battle-hardened red drinkers and although it is clearly a ‘New World’ wine, there is impeccable balance to be found here.
Patria’s 2017 pours an opaque black-purple moving out to a brilliant bank of magenta on the rim. As you swirl, the wine flaunts massive concentration and viscous, slow-moving tears before releasing powerful, high-toned aromatics. Luxurious waves of black cherry liqueur, cassis, Chambord, Damson plum, and ripe huckleberry blast out in luxurious waves before a cascade of raw cacao, cloves, pulverized volcanic stone, cedar shavings, tobacco leaf, and touches of leather meld into the mix. On the palate, it’s an unabashedly full-bodied Napa Cabernet Sauvignon with suave, ultra-polished tannins and ripe fruits that are begging for a decanter. But even in all its luxuriousness, elegance and harmony are always present. There’s a reason this is confined to waitlists and micro-allocations: Patria simply deserves the hype! If consuming now, do so in Bordeaux stems (around 60 degrees—this is key!) after a minimum one-hour decant. Keep in mind, however, that this is top-flight Oakville Ranch Cabernet made by a 21st-century wine master, so it will keep evolving beautifully over the next decade with ease. Cheers!
