If I had just two sentences to frame today’s perfectly cellared, 27-year-old rarity, it’d be the following: Poço do Lobo’s 1994 Cabernet is a remarkable piece of Portuguese history that deserves a lead role in everyone’s collection. And for just $49, it can be everyone. Although we offer a substantial amount of premium wine, it’s always worth reiterating that $49 is still a substantial chunk of change for grapes in a bottle! That’s why we’re always harping about price to quality, and the subjectivity of it, too! However, I don’t think a soul in the world could argue against the sheer value of today’s legendary offer—in fact, there should be a “1” in front of the price!

For one, elegant, properly mature Cabernet Sauvignon is among the finest wine experiences imaginable. Secondly, this jewel of a red spent 26 years untouched in the dark, historic caves of Caves São João. So, what you’re getting in this sub-$50 stunner is a resolutely classic style of Cabernet that takes me back to the iconic Bordeaux bottlings of the ‘70s and ‘80s: crushed earth, currant, dried plum, wet gravel, leather, savory herbs—it’s all there in magnificent detail. And even though this beauty is approaching three decades of age, there’s plenty of life left, but you should absolutely pull the cork on one today! It’s in perfect form, in a narrow drinking window that highlights both earth and fruit, all while hinting at exquisite tertiary aromas that will dominate the wine in the many years to come. Deals like this rarely come around, don’t drag your feet!

Caves São João was originally founded as a traditional Port wine house in 1920, but when geographical boundaries were formed that defined where Port could be made, their production shifted to the polar opposite: sparkling wine. Over the years, they became a flagship producer for Portuguese sparkling and the revenue this generated allowed them to branch out into still wines of various styles. As Caves São João built their brand, they started acquiring other small, tradition-minded estates—like today’s Quinta do Poço do Lobo. Over time, they amassed a whopping collection (hundreds of thousands of bottles) and stowed them away in their cavernous cellar. When Portuguese reds fell out of popularity toward the end of the century, Caves São João kept on cellaring, and, lo and behold, there is once again a growing movement for elegant, traditionally-crafted wines. As a result, they opened their cellar doors in 2013 to offer the world these back-vintage gems—they are the only Portuguese winery commercially selling library release wines of this age. 

Today’s 100% Cabernet Sauvignon was originally sourced from vines planted in the famed Bairrada DOC, an appellation in northern Portugal that reaches toward the Atlantic coast. Soil here is largely clay-limestone and, with the proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, there is a significant maritime influence here. Grapes in the fall of ‘94 were harvested and fermented on their skins in open-top bins for several weeks before aging 24 months in concrete vessels. It was lightly filtered before bottling and then was sent to rest in their cellars in 1996, where it remained untouched for over a quarter-century. 

Bottle variation is inevitable when it comes to older wines, but your chances of snagging a beautiful, sound bottle skyrocket when said bottle has good provenance. As you now know, today’s 199 was stored to perfection—in it’s cool, dark, original environment for essentially its entire life. The moment we gently extracted the cork on this (a specialized ah-so is preferred but not necessary), we allowed it 10 minutes to take a few gulps of air. Once it splashed into our Bordeaux stems, we gave it a few more minutes and a couple of delicate swirls. After that, savory aromas wafted out the glass: dried wild plum, red currant, dried black cherry, iron, vintage leather, crushed stone, dusty herbs, tarragon, bell pepper, dried rose petal, aniseed, damp earth, and a hint of game. All of these nuanced, subtle flavors transfer over to palate which is medium-bodied and elegant from start to finish—it is 13% ABV, after all! I suggest enjoying within the first three hours of opening and stashing away a generous handful of unopened bottles for consumption over the next 3-5 years. Cheers!