VASO Cabernet Sauvignon from the highly respected and cherished Cabernet producer, Dana Estates, is the definition of a unicorn wine, and one that takes our breath away! From the very first vintage made back in 2006, to today’s current release ~ 2016 ~ the US Market never had access to it until 2018 when the opportunity to introduce it to the rest of the world presented itself with the 2013 vintage. For the first several years, VASO was exported and sold exclusively to South Korea, the birthplace of proprietor Hi Sang Lee. Though Dana’s three single-vineyard cult Cabernets ~ Helms, Hershey, and Lotus ~ were becoming more and more sought after by collectors throughout the years, garnering rave reviews and capturing high purchase prices at around $500 per bottle, VASO was created to offer a luxurious, high-quality wine at a lower price point than their extremely limited Dana wines to a wider audience of serious wine enthusiasts. When we debuted the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon a couple of years ago, ACME proudly, without any hesitation, awarded the wine 100 pts because of how SENSATIONAL it was. We knew this was a wine people needed to know about! The 2014 and 2015 that followed was even more extraordinary than each year prior and was nothing short of a revelation. So amazing, truly. We are elated to share that the 2016 has captured our hearts, once again, completely exceeding our expectations, which as you can imagine are extremely high. We are overjoyed to share with you that once again, this wine is 100 pts in our eyes, stamped proudly with the ACME seal of approval!!!
Allow me to tell you why these wines are so spectacular and deserve the limelight! The great Philippe Melka has been at the helm of Dana Estates as Consulting Winemaker since the debut vintage of 2005. Dana Estates is, hands down, a “winemaker’s winery,” designed entirely with their estate vineyards and small lots in mind. Unlike so many other Napa wineries, stainless steel tanks are few and far between, as they are rarely used for any fermentations. The winery includes three individual fermentation rooms, one for each of their three spectacular vineyard sites. This technique (and investment) allows the team to best capture each and every varying element that the individual vineyards produce in the fruit. Helms Vineyard (located on the estate in Rutherford) Cabernet Sauvignon is fermented in large, customized oak tanks, while fruit from the Hershey Vineyard (atop Howell Mountain) are barrel-fermented in French oak barriques, and finally grapes from the Lotus Vineyard (adjacent to the Silverado Trail in the Vaca Mountains) are fermented in varying-size concrete vessels to help soften some of the robust tannins that the Lotus Vineyard is known for. The core of the VASO blend comes from their coolest and highest vineyard, Hershey Vineyard atop Howell Mountain, with fruit from the other estate vineyards meticulously blended in. Intensely flavored berries with thick, darkly colored skins showcase the terroir and complexity from each site and the result is unbelievably delightful!
Now in its fourth US release, but yet 11th vintage, Winemaker Chris Cooney has joined Philippe Melka at Dana to oversee the VASO portfolio, bringing with him an unparalleled ability to craft elegantly balanced, terroir-driven wines from their three esteemed Napa Valley vineyards. In 2016, the Napa Valley experienced a near perfect growing season yielding wines of great balance, precision, focus, and depth of flavor. Chris and his team carefully blended 83% Cabernet Sauvignon with 9% Petit Verdot, 4% Merlot and 4% Malbec utilizing fruit from all the Dana Estates Vineyards. Aromatically generous and bursting with personality, the 2016 VASO Cabernet Sauvignon exudes fragrances of red currant, black plum, and dark chocolate with hints of nutmeg and baking spices. Flavors of red cherry entice the front palate as the hillside fruit expression takes over, fusing flavors of blackberry, roasted coffee and dried herbs as the firm tannins fill out the mid-palate. The wine is supple and creamy, yet structured and powerful. Approachable now, the tannins are sturdy and seamlessly integrated making for an extremely opulent finish. Truly a gorgeous, insanely priced wine in a category well below what you would expect. Dollar for dollar, it can’t be beat. This wine will continue to soften and develop over the next five to ten years. Aged for 22 months in French oak.
