2014 Double Eagle Red Wine Napa Valley 750 ml

“This is a lot of wine for the money.”

That’s what we whispered after putting down the generous, balanced, absolutely killer Double Eagle Red Wine from Napa’s 2014 “dream vintage”—and we were thinking about the $85 winery price.

Winemaker Vance Rose looked up. “What was that?”

Vanessa cleared her throat, employing more volume to rephrase, “How much if we take it all?”

That’s how we managed to nab this classic Napa red for Wine Access members.

Wine Access members might recognize Vance Rose as the super talent behind The Vice wines—perennial member-favorites that we can’t keep in stock for more than a few hours. 

For Double Eagle, Vance combines his two passions—the rarest of golf shots (the name), and the most classic of Bordeaux blends (Cabernet, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc). To achieve his Bordeaux style, Vance sources his grapes from a unique microclimate in Lovall Valley, just north of where the majestic Mayacamas Mountains begin their slow descent toward the San Pablo Bay.

The vineyard straddles the county line between Sonoma and Napa—though this plot is cooler than the average of both. In fact, this is the coolest region in either county, a fact that, combined with the loamy-clay soils, makes it ideal for Bordeaux varieties. That special terroir produces Merlot with naturally small berries for greater intensity of flavor, helping the variety stand tall alongside its Cabernet counterparts, which also benefited from 2014’s drought conditions. The three grapes sing in perfect unison to give the wine its mineral drive, concentration, and mouthwatering structure.

As if that weren’t enough of a recipe for success, Vance double-farms the vineyard, treating the north side differently from the south side, optimizing the Cabernet and Merlot’s need for sun exposure to maximize the flavor intensity in the grapes. This means two separate harvests for the same wine—a highly unusual process that’s both labor-intensive and expensive, but which clearly shows in every sip of this extraordinary red.

A layered bouquet of crushed violet and blackberry preserves greets the nose, with a mocha undertone and ephemeral hints of mint. Bold, seductive, and deeply concentrated, black fruit and espresso tones are accentuated by graphite minerality. Rich tannins add to an impressive structure, while 2014’s characteristic acidity gives the wine a stamina that should keep it evolving beautifully for at least another decade.

The 2014s are getting hard to find already. As Antonio Galloni put it in his Vinous report, “Napa Valley delivered another exceptional vintage in 2014,” and this Double Eagle Red provides an excellent snapshot of all that defined the season. Better yet, with six years in the bottle, it’s just starting to show its secondary complexity.

Like we said—the 2014 Double Eagle Red is a lot of wine for the money. Just now entering its golden years, this perfectly aged classic-in-the-making is what Napa is all about.