2012 Ardente Estate Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Atlas Peak Select Reserve 750 ml

2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Atlas Peak Reserve … When Right is Wrong

In the late 1970s, Carlo Di Ruocco founded Mr. Espresso, a company that paved the way for the artisanal coffee-roasting industry in the U.S. Just 15 years later, Carlo was “looking to retire,” only to realize that retirement was something he knew nothing about. Instead, he began scouring the high ground of Napa Valley, looking for vineyard land. In 1996, he purchased 20 acres perched 1,500 feet up Atlas Peak.

Di Ruocco didn’t stop there: He brought on superstar Philippe Melka and charged the brilliant Bordeaux-educated winemaker with designing the blueprint for Ardente Winery. Together, they planted the property to Bordeaux varieties and Sangiovese.

Like most of the top plantings in Napa Valley, the vineyard was divided into dozens of distinct blocks. Clones and varieties were chosen based on exposure and soil composition. A strict organic farming protocol was established across the property, earning organic certification in 2005.

If you’ve made what you believe to be a fortune in recent years, and you’re considering investing in vineyard property, before you sign on the dotted line, take a lesson from the founder of Mr. Espresso. Carlo Di Ruocco did EVERYTHING right. His vineyard is superb. Luring Philippe Melka to Atlas Peak was a stroke of genius. No expense was spared in the cellar, from the “triple-sorting process” — picking at night, using only small 2-by-1 foot trays to ensure the integrity of clusters, and positioning sorters on each side of the conveyor belt to de-stem — to purchasing plenty of new French cooperage at $1,000+ per barrel.

But even though Carlo did everything right, he made just one very costly mistake. Di Ruocco assumed that he’d have no problem building a network of small wholesalers nationwide, each delighted to sell Ardente Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. After years of “pounding the street,” he realized his assumption was incorrect … and he did what so many excellent boutique Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon producers are doing these days. He called WineAccess.

The 2012 Ardente Cabernet Sauvignon Select Reserve Atlas Peak is an absolute powerhouse. Purple-black. Explosive aromas of blackberry, black cherry, black currant, and sweet herbs, bracketed by new-wood cedar. Rich, expansive, and burly on the attack, full-bodied and powerfully structured, the core is packed with black-fruit preserves, all the opulence of the great 2012 vintage bracketed by sturdy mountain tannins. Drink now for its youthful hedonism or lay down for another 10-15 years in a cool cellar.

$72 on release. $29 today. The last 360 bottles are now up for grabs.