HAGEN'S RESERVE, CABERNET SAUVIGNON

NAPA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA 2016

What happens when you combine one of Napa Valley's most historic vineyards, the skills of 100-point winemaker Mia Klein, the drive and passion of the Palmaz Family, a state-of- the-art 18-story underground cave system that produces a 100% “gravity flow” wine, and estate mountain fruit? A masterpiece: Hagen's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

One of the most prestigious winemakers in all of the Valley, Mia Klein boasts a number of 100-point wines under her belt, and a resume that includes a slew of blue-chip showstoppers, including Dalle Valle, Spottswoode, Araujo, Chappellet, and Palmaz Vineyards. And here we find her joining forces with Palmaz winemaker Tina Mitchell, who previously worked alongside the world-renowned Andre Tchelistcheff)/in a career that spans four decades.

If the star power is undeniable, so is the white-glove treatment that Palmaz brings to all of its portfolio.

At Palmaz, tradition and innovation have long been bedfellows. In 1996, the Palmaz family purchased the estate—believed to be the first to open in the town of Napa, in 1881— and built a one-of-a-kind winery into an 18-story cavern at the base of Napa's Mount George. In recent years, the family, intent on finding ways to improve, created a system that monitors real-time active fermentation of their 24 distinct vineyard blocks.
 
That’s not the only innovation the Palmaz family has gotten behind. Though many collectors may be familiar with the term "gravity fed" ( the phrase is part of the lexicon of many of Napa's classic cellar selections, such as Opus One and Quintessa, as well as of iconic Bordeaux such as Cheval Blanc and Cos D'Estournel) gravity winemaking is still a relative unknown among the wine-drinking public. Simply put, this process uses the natural flow of gravity to move the wine along its numerous stages in the winemaking process, as opposed to using abrasive pumps, which unfortunately agitates the wine. But Hagen's Reserve goes a step beyond even this, extending the gravity method all the way through to bottling.

Aged for nearly two years in 100% French oak, the wine is a traditional blend of mostly Cabernet, with Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. On the palate, you’ll find notes of dark chocolate, raspberries, and leather, all knitting together seamlessly and carrying you to a long, glorious finish.

This is a profound wine of the highest distinction, and a shining example of the old and the new coming together to make something rare. 

It is also one of the best wines of the entire vintage, and, compared to other icons of its class, a world-class value.

You can drink it now, or cellar it for another 15 years. But whatever you do, you need to act fast: we only have 200 six-packs of the 2016 available!