2014 Picayune Cellars Padlock Proprietary Red Napa Valley 750 ml

Breaking open Thomas Keller’s “Padlock”

At age 15, Thomas Keller found himself washing dishes at the Palm Beach Yacht Club for $4/hour. But even as he sponged plates and polished silverware, young Keller couldn’t keep his eyes off “the line.” Several months later, he was promoted, trading his washcloth for a set of J.A. Henckel knives. That summer, Keller moved to Rhode Island and found himself behind the line of a commercial kitchen overseen by Master Chef Roland Henin. Henin, who would go on to become the coach of the 1992 Gold Medal U.S. Culinary Olympic Team, took a special interest in his future protégé, and asked Keller to cook staff meals at the Dunes Club.

To this day, Keller credits Henin with providing him with the inspiration that gave birth to America’s greatest restaurant, The French Laundry in Yountville.

What’s this have to do with the runaway success of the 2014 Picayune Padlock Red? More than you might imagine.

Jennifer Roberts is married to Nathan Roberts of Arnot-Roberts fame. Claire Weinkauf’s husband, Aron, is the winemaking guru at Spottswoode. When the women founded Picayune, they did so with the full knowledge that their “consultants” would be working free of charge.

Jennifer and Claire’s flagship wine is their “Padlock Red,” a traditional Right Bank Bordeaux blend of Merlot, Malbec, and Cabernet Sauvignon. In Napa Valley’s superb 2014 vintage, the women crafted 85 cases of a deep, dark, voluptuous “Padlock” that is simply perfect for Thomas Keller’s signature entree — charcoal-grilled Japanese Wagyu with roasted cèpes and sauce Bordelaise!

At $27/bottle, this wine drinks well above its pay grade, another reason why Thomas Keller keeps trying to cut our allocations in half. For now, 480 bottles are up for grabs.