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Patria, “Oakville Ranch” Cabernet Sauvignon

California / Napa Valley, United States 2016 (750mL)
$95.00
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Earth
Body
Tannin
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Alcohol
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Patria, “Oakville Ranch” Cabernet Sauvignon

Since its inception, the only viable way to secure a few bottles of Patria’s heavily allocated wine was either through their mailing list or at a top restaurant. Well, this year brought a rare, one-time exception: An extraordinarily small amount was left untouched, so when I reached out looking for something special, the timing was perfect!
This is a paragon of perfectly-crafted valley-floor Napa Cabernet—wonderfully luscious with dark fruits and succulent baking spices, while maintaining high levels of freshness and generosity in its youth. A quick internet search will reveal Patria’s jaw-droppingly high praises by every source, but I don’t feel the need to advertise scores here—the wine’s breathtaking quality speaks for itself. Truly, I would rather drink this than most other “Cult Cabs that are 3-4 times the price. Just like many 2015 Bordeaux taste so surprisingly well right out of the gate, Patria’s single-vineyard (Oakville Ranch) Cabernet Sauvignon is in such an enjoyable place right now and will only stay there over the next decade. Furthermore, Patria’s fastidious winemaker, Tony Biagi, is one of Napa Valley’s 21st century superstars and he can’t stop gushing about the 2016 vintage: “Think of an imaginary blend of the power of 2013 and opulence of the 2015. In my time in Napa only one other vintage can compete and that is 2007.” Now’s your chance—perhaps the only one—to indulge in a luxurious Napa beauty that is rarely made available to the general public. Six per person. Don’t miss out! 
Napa’s newest winemaking sensation, Anthony (Tony) Biagi, is a 5th 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 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 had been inquiring 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 2016, Tony took his crop and went to work: When the wine finally went into barrel, the final composition was 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Petit Verdot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. After 19 months in 90% new French oak, it was bottled unfiltered. 

Put simply, 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 and experienced red drinkers and although it is clearly a ‘New World’ wine, there is impeccable balance that tames the higher alcohol and extensive new French oak. It pours a brooding dark purple—nearly black—and sports thick tears that ooze down the glass. This is full-bodied Napa wine that reverberates with ripe Cabernet fruit, ultra-smooth tannins, and an impeccably refreshing finish. It blasts off notes of créme de cassis, blueberry compote, black raspberry liqueur, black plums, crushed rocks, ash, cigar box, cacao, cedar shavings, fresh herbs, and voluptuous layers of baking spice. You won’t find harsh tannins or biting acidity here—only luxurious fruit, integrated earth, and one stunningly savory finish with perfect balance. It’s a joy to consume now in Bordeaux stems, but it will keep showing its natural beauty for another decade. Don’t be shy talking this bottle up to your friends before opening—it can easily handle all the hype. And when you do finally pull the cork, make sure there is a medium rare filet beside it, but don’t stop there: wrap it in bacon and let a dollop of truffle butter serve at its headgear. Cheers!
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Country
United States
Region
California / Napa Valley
Sub-Region
United StatesOakville
Soil
Volcanic
Farming
Organic
Blend
Cabernet Sauvignon 88%, Petit Verdot 7%, Cabernet Franc 5%
Alcohol
14.8
OAK
90% New French
TEMP.
65
Glassware
Bordeaux Stem
Drinking
Now-2028
Decanting
30 Minutes
Pairing
Bacon-Wrapped Filet Mignon w/ 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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