2012 Sequum Four Soil Melange Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 750 ml

Dr. Dirt — “one of the most important thinkers in California wine.”

Dr. Paul Skinner’s viticultural expertise in California is untouchable. Nicknamed “Dr. Dirt,” Skinner got a Ph.D in wine soil science from UC Davis in the late 1980s. When word of Skinner’s soil wizardry got out, the calls starting pouring in. The good doctor went on to serve as vine whisperer for some of the greatest Golden State wineries of all time: Colgin, Caymus, Araujo, Kistler, Harlan Estate, Peter Michael. Wine Spectator called him “one of the most important thinkers in California wine.”

So what happens when the West Coast’s oenological mastermind gets carte blanche to call his own shots? The wine world found out in 2003 as Dr. Dirt founded Sequum, a winery named after the geological term for the sequence of layers in soil.

At his Kidd Ranch Vineyard in Napa Valley, Skinner keeps a round-the-clock vigil over the vines that surround his home. He monitors everything from the light infiltration into fruit zones to ripening rates, conducting exhaustive studies of soil moisture and weather conditions and their effects on vines.

Sequum wines are produced and bottled at Pride Mountain Vineyard facilities — the Napa institution behind wines that have been served at more than 30 White House functions, “one of the world’s greatest wine estates” according to Robert Parker. Skinner has been Pride’s viticultural consultant since 1990.

Parker singled out 2012 as “a superb vintage of flamboyant and dramatic, concentrated wines” in his Wine Advocate report. That description also perfectly captures this 2012 Sequum Four Soil Melange. Take it from Wine Enthusiast, which went nuts for this Cabernet Sauvignon, lobbing on 93 points AND an “Editor’s Choice” commendation.

The 2012 Sequum Cabernet Sauvignon Four Soil Melange hits all the marks — a stunning snapshot of the 2012 California harvest. Beautiful crimson in color, with elegant perfumed notes of sandalwood, dried herbs, black plum, and red-berry aromas. The attack arrives in a flood of rich, bold flavors that gush with vibrant red berry and concentrated blackberry. Round and rich, with sweet spice and cocoa, robust tannins are caressed by mouthwatering acidity and the finish is persistent and pleasing.

If you’ve got the considerable means to sample the fruits of Dr. Dirt’s labor at Harlan or Peter Michael, be our guest. But for the bargain-hunters, today’s shot is as good as it gets. 93 points and an “Editor’s Choice” from Wine Enthusiast. $60 on release, slashed down to $44.99 for the savviest WineAccess members out there: the ones who hit that “Buy” button first. Shipping included on 4.