100-pt. Sloan Estate Cabernet 2021: “An Absolute LEGEND” (Dunnuck)

WHY BUY: Jeb Dunnuck just gushed over Sloan’s 2021 class, awarding the Estate Cabernet 100 points and anointing it an "absolute legend,” and declaring Asterisk to be "anything but" a second wine while extolling the 2021 vintage as "killer." This is the quintessence of cult Cabernet, folks — sourced from volcanic Rutherford hillside terroir, meticulously crafted in the field and cellar (h/t to the star-studded cast: winemaker Martha McClellan, vineyard manager David Abreu, and consultant Michel Rolland), and limited to such low-production numbers (only 600 cases are made annually of the Estate Cab) that collectors are forever on the hunt for bottles. Our allocation is, naturally, not large, so be sure to jump on these two today!

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING:  Jeb Dunnuck awarded the Estate Cabernet a perfect 100 points, calling it "rich and concentrated" with "a seamless mouthfeel, absolutely incredible tannin, ample mid-palate depth, and flawless overall balance," and predicting it "will be a 40- to 50-year wine." The Asterisk earned 97 points but also Dunnuck’s commendation as “killer”; he hailed its "classic Sloan nose of meaty red and black fruits, iron, roasted herbs, graphite, and licorice,” and described it as "Pauillac-like" in its "full-bodied, concentrated" character.

OUR TASTING NOTES:  Some wines announce themselves; the Estate Cabernet takes over the freaking room. There’s a concentration here that makes you understand why so many people compare Sloan to Bordeaux first growths, and you’ll be in thrall to its dynamic, leap-out-of-the-glass intensity. It’s also a supremely seamless experience, so much so that you can't pick apart the components because they're all so perfectly integrated, like listening to a great jazz ensemble where the individual instruments disappear into something larger. The Asterisk surprised me right from the start with its gravitas, an unusual quality to come across in a so-called second wine. But this 60-40 Cabernet-Merlot blend carries real weight and that distinctive (and wonderful) Sloan minerality that reminds you where it was born: the volcanic hillside soils of Rutherford. 

THE STORY: Many wineries evolve slowly over the generations. Not Sloan. It exploded onto the scene, and almost overnight became a force. Established on 40 spectacular Rutherford hillside acres in the late 1990s and perched between 875 and 990 feet above sea level, the property boasted what amounts to a Napa dream team: Martha McClellan as winemaker, David Abreu handling the vines, and Michel Rolland consulting on blending. The 13 acres of vines, planted in 1997 on fractured volcanic rock and sandy loam, immediately proved that location matters just as much as talent. By the 2002 vintage, Sloan reeled in the first of its many perfect scores, and collectors began treating their releases like certifiable events. Among wine lovers, it’s become fashionable to say that the wines are akin to Bordeaux first growths, both in their quality and their scarcity. Fashionable, but also accurate. The eastern Rutherford hills provide the perfect combination of white tufa soil, marine influence, and sun exposure that creates intense, age-worthy, and opulent wines that are the epitome, we think, of contemporary cult Cabernet.

WHAT TO PAIR THEM WITH:  The Estate Cabernet calls for red meat, but not just any red meat. Think: dry-aged ribeye, a rich and luscious steak tartare, or venison with juniper. The Asterisk is going to make magic with pan-seared duck breast, rack of lamb with herbs, or ripened aged cheeses that can match its intensity.

FUN FACT:  Sloan produces three, 12 liter “Balthazar” bottles each vintage, but good luck finding them; they’re generally reserved for auctions and for the house.

OUR GUARANTEE:  As always, we only buy and source directly from the estate to ensure that your wines arrive as they should: with pristine provenance. Secure these bottles today before our small supply disappears!