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Tether, Napa Valley Cabernet Blend

California, United States 2014 (750mL)
$45.00
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Tether, Napa Valley Cabernet Blend

Realm, Scarecrow, Kongsgaard, Maybach, Ovid. What do these three- and four-digit luxury names have in common? They’re all represented by Kimberly Jones, a wine broker who runs off the mantra “Be bold. Take Risks. Always Stay Connected.” As a trusted client to many elite superstar labels, Kimberly has gained access to some of the best sites and brightest talents in California. And it’s not by accident either: The birth of her private label, Tether, was only possible through years of building blue-chip connections and the high-dollar fruit she sources for today’s wine is a direct result of these relationships.
So, although she must remain tight-lipped about specifics of her fruit sources, it’s rumored that coveted fruit from some of the aforementioned cult names could be making their way into her opulent and extremely affordable Napa red. We don’t know for certain, but that’s how it tastes! Even better, Kimberly partnered up with winemaker extraordinaire Anna Monticelli (Bryant Family, Seavey) for the 2014 vintage, resulting in an extraordinary blend of the Valley’s best. Without a hesitation or stutter, I can confidently say this has been one of my all-time favorite sub-$50 modern Napa reds and it has only reached greater levels after an additional two years in bottle. It has opulence, density, and layers of flavor to fool anyone into thinking it's 2-3x the price—blind taste it with your friends and they’ll all agree!
Kimberly’s first vintage, in 2013, was made by esteemed winemaker Benoit Touquette, and their small 168-case bottling sold out instantly. For the 2014 vintage, Kimberly brought on her talented friend Anna Monticelli, to craft a relatively larger bottling with just over 1000 cases. After earning her degree at UC Davis and studying across Europe, Anna worked her first harvest at Bordeaux’s famous Château Cheval Blanc. She has served as assistant winemaker for Seavey Vineyard as well as Bryant Family Vineyard and is currently the winemaker for Piña in the Napa Valley. She has brought her sharpened skill to Kimberly’s passion project and together they have created something magical that is still well under the radar.
 
This balanced composition of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc, 14% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec takes the majesty of Left Bank Bordeaux and transforms it into a delicious wine with an unmistakable Napa Valley footprint. Although the sources are top secret for this red blend, we can tell you that 58% of the fruit hails from Napa Valley, 26% from St. Helena, and 16% from Howell Mountain. The grapes are all from sustainably farmed vineyards and the soils are predominantly volcanic and loam, which lends a hint of soft minerality to the wine. The pristine fruit is aged in 80% new French oak, 12% of that is barrel-fermented, and the result is an enchanting expression of modern Napa red with freshness and verve.
 
Sit down and prepare yourself: Tether’s 2014 Red Blend is bottled luxury that reveals alternating waves of intensity and elegance that should only be experienced after an hour decant. In the glass, it displays a dark, opaque ruby core with bright magenta reflections on the rim. Intense aromatics of blackberry, blackcurrant liqueur, a touch of ripe boysenberry, and black cherry are underscored by exquisite secondary notes of cloves, leather, tobacco, cacao nibs, fresh violets, black licorice, brown sugar, volcanic rock, and exotic spices from beautifully integrated new French oak usage. Mouth-coating density, intense concentration, structured tannins, and plush fruit envelope the palate and slowly unfold to reveal a lush sensory journey akin to the top Cabernets in the Valley. As with any modern style, high-end Napa Cabernet, I recommend enjoying this wine while its vibrant, youthful fruit is still intact—over the next 3-5 years—although I anticipate it lasting well past a decade in the cool reaches of a proper cellar. This is a wine practiced in hedonism and seamless integration, so show it the weighty dish it deserves: a decadent, medium-rare filet mignon with black truffle butter. Cheers!
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Country
United States
Region
California
Sub-Region
United StatesNapa Valley
Soil
Various
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Cabernet Sauvignon 65%, Cabernet Franc 16%, Merlot 14%, Petit Verdot 3%, Malbec 2%
Alcohol
14.5
OAK
80% New French
TEMP.
65
Glassware
Bordeaux Stem
Drinking
Now-2025
Decanting
30 Minutes
Pairing
Filet Mignon w/ Black Truffle Butter

United States

Washington

Columbia Valley

Like many Washington wines, the “Columbia Valley” indication only tells part of the story: Columbia Valley covers a huge swath of Central
Washington, within which are a wide array of smaller AVAs (appellations).

Oregon

Willamette Valley

Oregon’s Willamette Valley has become an elite winegrowing zone in record time. Pioneering vintner David Lett, of The Eyrie Vineyard, planted the first Pinot Noir in the region in 1965, soon to be followed by a cadre of forward-thinking growers who (correctly) saw their wines as America’s answer to French
Burgundies. Today, the Willamette
Valley is indeed compared favorably to Burgundy, Pinot Noir’s spiritual home. And while Pinot Noir accounts for 64% of Oregon’s vineyard plantings, there are cool-climate whites that must not be missed.

California

Santa Barbara

Among the unique features of Santa Barbara County appellations like Ballard Canyon (a sub-zone of the Santa Ynez Valley AVA), is that it has a cool, Pacific-influenced climate juxtaposed with the intense luminosity of a southerly
latitude (the 34th parallel). Ballard Canyon has a more north-south orientation compared to most Santa Barbara AVAs, with soils of sandy
clay/loam and limestone.

California

Paso Robles

Situated at an elevation of 1,600 feet, it is rooted in soils of sandy loam and falls within the Highlands District of the Paso Robles AVA.

New York

North Fork

Wine growers and producers on Long Island’s North Fork have traditionally compared their terroir to that of Bordeaux and have focused on French varieties such as Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

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