2013 Three Wine Company Cabernet Sauvignon Suscol Creek Block 5 Napa Valley 750 ml

Our first introduction to Matt’s stupendous Cabernet Sauvignon off Suscol Creek “Block 5” was in Napa Valley’s historic 2007 vintage. Drawn from just a few rows near Joseph Phelps’ “Insignia” parcel — both Cline and Phelps crafted titanic 2007s, with the latter earning 99 points from Robert Parker. Napa Valley’s 2007 vintage was miraculous. Then came 2013 —  Parker’s “greatest vintage in 37 years.” The venerable critic awarded 98+ points to Phelps’s 2013 “Insignia” ($250) of which 29% was sourced from Suscol vineyard, a stone’s throw from Cline’s Block 5. Matt Cline called us on Monday to say his richly layered, mouthwatering 2013 Block 5 — released at $60 — is drinking “like an iron first in a velvet glove” right now. 

By now, we must have written 50 stories about Matt Cline’s ancient-vine blends, but only one about a Cline Cabernet from Suscol Creek — a 2007 we’re still drinking this year. A decade ago we walked the vineyard with Matt, and from his parcel, he pointed to an adjacent site. We were looking at a Joseph Phelps property, a vineyard they’d acquired years earlier and named “Suscol.” We immediately understood why he had locked into vines from the site.  

Back in December, we received a package from Three Wine Company at Wine Access HQ. Inside, we found two heavy-glass bottles accompanied by a note that read, “Deja vu at Suscol Creek. Enjoy - Matt & Erin.” We popped the bottle on the second of those 2013 Suscol Creek Cabernets just yesterday, and fired off an email to Matt: “Good to be reminded.”