Michel and Melka: Cabernet Collaboration for the Ages
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2016 Alejandro Bulgheroni Lithology Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 750 ml
- Curated by unrivaled experts
- Choose your delivery date
- Temperature controlled shipping options
- Get credited back if a wine fails to impress
Melka and Rolland—This Cab’s a Steal
Vintner Alejandro Bulgheroni arrived in Napa Valley with grand aspirations, and has not held back: He purchased 14 prime acres in St. Helena from Bill Harlan, sought out the finest Cabernet sources in Napa Valley, and hired two of the most lauded winemakers in the world in Philippe Melka and Michel Rolland.
Considering that Melka-minted bottles routinely fetch $400-$500 and Rolland’s Napa wines range from $285-$800+, Bulgheroni’s single-vineyard bottles are worth every dime of their $300 price tag—which means today’s 2016 Alejandro Bulgheroni Lithology Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is an absolute steal. It’s a Melka/Rolland collaboration from top Napa Valley terroirs in St. Helena, Rutherford, and Oakville, and we’ve got it at a rare value price.
Our Master Sommelier Sur Lucero negotiated for months to get Wine Access members this stellar bottle at this price, so don’t wait. It’s by far the best (and most affordable) way to add a bottle from one of Napa Valley’s fastest-rising labels and two of the world’s most sought-after winemakers to your cellar.
The first thing you notice as you swirl the 2016 Lithology Cabernet in a big Bordeaux stem is the density: It’s opaque and purple, staining the walls of the glass as it releases alluring aromas of black currant, black cherry, Maduro tobacco, vanilla, baking spices, and dried violets, which open to complex cocoa, graphite, and tilled earth.
Then comes the opulent palate, striking and layered, with mouth-filling warm black cherry and blackberry carried on a highly structured frame, and super-fine tongue-coating tannins that linger on a long and evolving finish.
Boasting beautiful toasted notes from 22 months in 59% new French oak, this is ultra-refined, top-class Cabernet from two peerless winemakers, and a 98-point Napa Valley vintage—one of the greatest ever. Jeb Dunnuck praised the Lithology’s “tons of sweet fruit, beautiful tannins, and a great finish,” calling it “rich and powerful yet also incredibly pure and graceful.” Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate loved its “fantastic concentration” and “seductive, velvety texture.”
Wine Access offers don’t come much more straightforward than this one: This is a world-class Cabernet with priceless pedigree, and it plays in the $250-$300 league for about a third of that. It took us months to get this price, so don’t hesitate to take advantage, while we’ve got it locked in.