For years, we've been spellbound by Steve Ventrello’s mastery of elegant, impossibly complex Cabernet Sauvignon, and have kept our ears firmly glued to the ground listening for whispers of his next micro-scale, extra-long-aged release. That extreme commitment has resulted in us offering and selling out of his 2006, 2007, and 2010—but for all the success and excitement each of those perfect bottlings brought, it appears we’ve overlooked the genuine article all along. Today’s Tempranillo from Napa Valley’s legendary, top-dollar Stagecoach Vineyard—a high-elevation site of global renown—is Ventrello’s ultimate passion project, as he traversed literal continents to make this rarefied gem a reality. 
Not only is Tempranillo a legitimate scarcity with just ~2.5 planted acres in Stagecoach, but the original vine cuttings here also come from the well-documented “Master of Tempranillo”: Alejandro Fernández in Ribera del Duero. In 1998, Steve snipped these cuttings himself (with the approval of Alejandro), stuffed them in an unlabeled package, air-mailed them to California, and began propagating them in a tiny parcel of the “Stagecoach Vineyard” high up on Atlas Peak. Since that time, the vines have matured to make wines of sublime power and extraordinary typicity, and what little he produces is the purest, most honest take of domestic Tempranillo that I’ve had in my long career. It’s also a bonafide homage and a formidable competitor to the all-time great bottlings of Ribera and Rioja. Only 11 barrels were originally produced and a few dozen cases remain. Enjoy this seven-year-old rarity!