2019 Dry Creek Vineyards - Sailors Cuvee Red Dry Creek Valley MAGNUM (1.5L)

Dry Creek Vineyard was founded in 1972 by David S. Stare, an MIT-trained civil engineer who traded his career for a dream of winemaking after falling for the Dry Creek Valley on a weekend scouting trip. He built the valley's first new winery since Prohibition on a former prune orchard, and went on to plant the region's first Sauvignon Blanc and produce Sonoma County's first Fumé Blanc. The winery remains family-owned today under Stare's daughter, Kim Stare Wallace, and its playful sailboat labels, including the Sailors' Cuvée, pay tribute to the family's lifelong love of sailing.

Sailors' Cuvée is a Bordeaux-style blend built primarily around Cabernet Sauvignon, rounded out with Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc sourced from hillside estate vineyards with gravelly loam soils. Yields are kept intentionally low to concentrate flavor, and the wine spends well over a year aging in a mix of French and Hungarian oak, a portion of it new, to build structure without overwhelming the fruit. The blend proportions shift slightly each vintage depending on how each variety performs.

The wine is rich and aromatic, opening with black currant and raspberry alongside notes of coriander and mocha. On the palate, boysenberry and black cherry give way to marzipan, sweet tobacco, and dried herbs, all held together by firm tannins and bright acidity. Its structure and depth make it a fitting match for grilled leg of lamb, braised short ribs, or a wedge of aged cheddar.