2013 VASO by Dana Estates Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 750 ml

Dana Owner’s Private Napa Cabernet, Now Offered to You

We’ve said it before: The list of truly iconic, exclusive wines from Napa Valley is short and sweet. Firmly on that list is Dana Estates, a winery so spectacular that one speaks in hushed tones when referring to it.

For three years I was lucky enough to be part of the Dana Estates family, and it is through a continued friendship that I am able to offer the 2013 VASO by Dana Estates. The 2013 VASO Cabernet Sauvignon is a rare, impressive bottle that showcases the estate vineyards that define Dana and is meant to drink now. It is gorgeously expressive and full-bodied, with flavors of crème de cassis, espresso, loam, and blueberry and with a fairytale price of only $85. Until recently the wine was never offered for sale—VASO was the exclusive bottling reserved for family and friends of the winery. The first time I shared this exquisite bottling with you, our entire allocation disappeared. Today, I’m honored to share the final bottles from Dana’s estate cellars. This is your chance to enjoy a bottle from a legendary estate, while the final 52 bottles of this 2013 are still available. Shipping included on 2.

The entrance to Dana takes you down a winding road, up a gradual incline, past vines wholly coveted and precious, to a bright perch in the foothills of the Mayacamas. The winery hides behind an unmarked wooden gate. Built around the ruins of an old stone winery that dates back to the 1880s, proprietor Hi-Sang Lee hired Howard Backen—the architect who designed Meadowood, Harlan, Ovid, Ram’s Gate, and Futo—to fully restore the old winery and construct a new state-of-the-art winery around the ruins.

Walking past the quiet solitude of centuries-old stone walls, you can literally feel the respect and reverence Dana harbors for past generations. Once inside, a tour of the Rotunda—Hi-Sang Lee’s personal cellar—reveals a circular room. On display are old and rare bottles of the finest wines in the world, magnums signed by the winery owners of Screaming Eagle, Araujo, Petrus, Cheval Blanc, Harlan, on and on. It is awe-inspiring to see, and riveting to partake in a tasting when Lee starts pulling corks, which he does often because he likes to compare the world’s best wines against his own—for calibration.  

Although every modern winemaking option is afforded, the winemaking at Dana is remarkably old-school. Winemaker Chris Cooney steers the ship, working closely with consultant Philippe Melka. Incredibly, they’ve got three fermentation rooms: one for cement tanks, one for oak aging and one for barrel fermenting—all uniquely paired with a vineyard site, something rather unheard of even in Napa.

Melka and Cooney work with fruit from four estate vineyards. Helms Vineyard, in the Rutherford AVA, surrounds the winery, is certified organic and almost entirely dry-farmed. Planted atop a well-drained, sloped alluvial fan, it delivers the silty fine-grained tannins that to me define Rutherford, as well as red and black currant, cassis, mocha, and dried savory herbs, and always a balletic elegance on the palate.

The Lotus Vineyard in Napa is famed for numerous 100 point scores and is rooted on the steepest slope I’ve seen in the Valley. The richest of the vineyard sites, it speaks of blueberry, black cherry, incense, and exotic spices, with full plush tannins and a robust mouthfeel.

Crystal Springs vineyard, also in the Napa AVA, provides a round, voluptuous mouthfeel and tannins that are sweet, ripe, and mouth-filling. The fourth, Hershey Vineyard, sits atop Howell Mountain and is always bathed in glorious sunshine above the fog line. It delivers fruit that is undeniably Howell Mountain in the glass, redolent with smoky minerality, black currant and blackberry, forest floor, tar, and anise. The mountain tannins are lithe and structured, and the wines from this site always have an energy and sophistication.

The four vineyards marry in Vaso, a blend of not only vineyard sites, but also varieties, with 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Malbec, 3% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot. The 2013 vintage is on full display, with power, dense but fine-grained tannins, and a persistent and vibrant finish. Tasting the wine, one can find the personality of each of the vineyard sites: the cassis and dried herbs of Helms, the exotic spices of Lotus, the crushed rocks from Crystal Springs, and the blackberry and minerality of Hershey Vineyard. Under-$100 wines of this quality are virtually non-existent, especially considering it is comprised of all estate fruit and crafted under the meticulous Dana Estates winemaking team. It is not meant to be cellared away for decades like the single vineyard bottlings, and while one certainly shouldn’t feel rushed, the wine is meant to be enjoyed and shared now.

I’m thrilled to share the final bottles of this wine with our friends at Wine Access. It is truly a diamond in the rough, and a wine that I know will bring you the pleasure and excitement it brings me. Enjoy.

Sincerely,

Vanessa Conlin