2014 Vermillion Red Wine 750 ml

Distinctive Red from Former Bryant Family Winemaker

Winemaker Helen Keplinger has graced the cover of Wine Spectator and was named Food & Wine magazine’s “Winemaker of the Year.” In April, this 2014 “Vermillion” Red was recommended by Food & Wine as a “New Kid on the Block” to watch  — and we can attest, this is no ordinary red. Why? Keplinger is one of Napa’s superstar winemakers who recently earned 98 points from Robert Parker for the 2012 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon ($450). According to Parker, under her stewardship, the cult wines of Bryant came “ back to represent some of the most singular and prodigious,” wines of Napa Valley. Today’s “Vermillion” was fashioned with all of Helen’s brilliance, and comes in at a delicious $34.99 price tag.

In Wine Spectator’s 2014 cover story, James Laube wrote that Keplinger’s eponymous wine label is “one of the most exciting and innovative wineries to emerge in California in years.” In a region that largely hangs it hat on high-end Cabernet — and with which Keplinger has had notable success at Grace Family Vineyards and Bryant Family Vineyards — she has sought out the most unique sites planted with Rhône varieties.

Keplinger’s thirst for crafting single-vineyard, distinctive Rhône-style wines from top-notch sites in northern California, borders on the obsessive. Laube further praised her ability to create “captivating and uniquely styled wines that are stretching the boundaries,” of distinctive California reds.