Brilliant Mistake Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2019

We knew from the very first vintage, just a few years ago, that this newly launched project had the 'it factor' and would skyrocket to a stratosphere of cult standing.  In just its third vintage and first time at the Napa Valley Vintners' Premiere Auction, their five-case lot of the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon sold for $30,000 ($500/bottle!!!), a lofty feat for such an unknown brand at the time, but deservedly so.  Since then, these wines have continued to sell out soon after they are released, leaving many people sadly without.  This micro-production project was started in 2013 by John & Stacy Reinert with winemaker extraordinaire Maayan Koschitzky, Director of Winemaking for Atelier Melka (Philippe Melka’s consulting business producing some of Napa Valley’s greatest wines: Dana Estates, Tusk, Brand, Alejandro Bulgheroni to name a few) and formerly of Dalla Valle and Screaming Eagle.  This dream team has knocked it out of the park with every vintage, and their 2019 Cabernet is no exception.

Winemaker Notes:
The 2019 Brilliant Mistake is 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot sourced from vineyards in Rutherford and St. Helena. This wine is rich, full-bodied, and dense purple in color. Nuanced notes of crème de cassis, graphite, spice box, and flowers. The palate has a rock-solid structure of grainy tannins supporting the muscular, crunchy blue-black fruits, finishing long and lively. - Maayan Koschitzky

Critic Review:
Winemaker Maayan Koschitzky is the talent behind these Brilliant Mistake wines, and the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is beautiful, with full-bodied aromas and flavors of cassis, tobacco leaf, violets and baking spices. Ripe, exuberant, and expansive on the palate, this sexy, balanced 2019 can be enjoyed today or cellared for 15-20 years if you're so inclined. - Jeb Dunnuck, 96 Points