2010 Watkins Family Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Bugay Vineyard Sonoma County 750 ml

We love telling the stories of the wines we offer, but we’re the first to admit when someone does it better—especially when it's an extremely satisfied Wine Access member. Here are rave reviews from two separate vintages of Randall Watkins' Cabernet Sauvignon Bugay Vineyard, expressing why every Cabernet fan with internet access should clear space for today’s exclusive at 45% off. 

“This is my perfect wine: dry but great fruit, and lovely lingering on the palate. I don't think I've ever met a Bugay Vineyard wine I didn't love. Wish I'd bought more of this.”

“Absolutely fabulous. The word is ‘balance.’ Aroma, bouquet, taste, color, tannins, richness all in perfect balance. One of my finest tastings of the year. My dinner grouping could not believe it was not $100/bottle.”

Randall Watkins’ wines are built to age, which is why the only way to top those two wines is with another library bottling of the Bugay Vineyard Cabernet, from the outstanding 95-point 2010 vintage. Now rested for a decade, it’s an incredible snapshot of a balanced and structured season that portrays layers of plum, cherry, hoisin, all sprinkled with pepper and spice. Juicy and full of well-earned character, the long finish and the impeccable balance touted above will amaze you: How often do you find a decade-aged Cabernet that will make you think it cost triple digits—for $30 per bottle? 

We’ve been buying from and supporting this small, family-owned Sonoma operation since they were making just two barrels of each wine and fermenting lots in makeshift containers because stainless steel tanks were too expensive. Today, their mailing list regularly buys up the winery’s entire production, because their Cabernets are held close to the hearts of countless mountain Cab collectors. Now, our early patronage has paid off with unprecedented cellar access—not to mention unmatched pricing. 

Library wines are some of the most valuable bottles on the market—pre-aged, perfectly preserved specimens from wineries’ private stocks—and from top vintages, they can transcend price. That’s because such wines are stashed away in collectors’ homes or winery libraries, and have effectively disappeared from the market. Which is why having the keys (figuratively) to Randall Watkins’ cellar is such a unique honor—and why we never pass on an opportunity to extend the access to you.  

Watkins makes wine for top wineries like Laurel Glen and Wine Access-favorite Redwood Hill, but his heart is in the family business, which started in 1979. He specializes in mountain wines, specifically those off the rock-strewn slopes of the Mayacamas. He focuses on sites with the warmth and sun exposure to ripen late into the growing season, and well-draining soils that stress the vines and lead to small, thick-skinned, ultra-concentrated berries.

This small-production release off the Bugay Vineyard shows the genius of his approach, and why his wines are vanishingly popular with those who prefer high-altitude expressions. The site, which sits some 1,400 feet up on a Mayacamas ridge, has produced stunning Cabernets for Arnot-Roberts. Watkins sources from the rockiest block of Bugay, which sits above frosts and fog, protected from damaging conditions and perfectly situated to absorb sunlight. Caressed and cooled by marine air, the grapes mature slowly and evenly, maintaining the acidity bolstered by the complex volcanic rock soils interspersed with ash.

Precious little fruit comes off this block in general, making today’s wine extra exclusive. Throw in the $30 price for a single-vineyard Cabernet from a top vintage, and you’re looking at a deal that will not last long.