2018 Nine Suns Sunbird Red Napa Valley is sold out.

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Melka’s Seldom-Seen Pritchard Hill Red

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    2018 Nine Suns Sunbird Red Napa Valley 750 ml

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    This product is not eligible for discounts and promotions.
    • Curated by unrivaled experts
    • Choose your delivery date
    • Temperature controlled shipping options
    • Get credited back if a wine fails to impress

    Pritchard Hill’s Prime Cut

    Last fall, we were extremely fortunate to secure one of Napa Valley’s most exciting inaugural bottlings: the Nine Suns Sunbird Red, crafted by Napa Valley master Philippe Melka from the Houyi Vineyard, a world-class Pritchard Hill site that has supplied $277-$483 reds from Bevan, Realm, and Fairchild. 

    Many Wine Access members know how hard it is to obtain one of Nine Suns’ proprietary reds or ANY Houyi Vineyard wine. Thanks to our close friendship with proprietor Flora Chang, however, we secured an allocation of the 2018 Sunbird Red Napa Valley. 

    The 22-acre Houyi Vineyard boasts everything that makes Pritchard Hill one of the top grape-growing sites in California: deep-red iron-rich soils, hunks of volcanic rock, and a 1400-foot perch above the fog line that blesses it with abundant sunshine. 

    In addition to Cabernet Sauvignon, the property also has tiny blocks of Grenache and Syrah that thrive in the high-elevation sunshine of Pritchard Hill. In 2018, Melka and Nine Suns Director of Winemaking Lloyd Matthews blended them with Cab (41%), Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc to produce a full snapshot of this one-of-a-kind plot.

    Sunbird bursts with the presence that Pritchard Hill is famous for, showing a deep purple-ruby color, and a nose of warm plums and blackberry, accented by mocha and vanilla. With ripe black cherries, toast, and espresso on the palate, the wine is swaddled in robust and ripe tannins that make for a smooth texture, with intensity and beautiful balance.

    We’re proud to bring you this opportunity to claim Nine Suns’ hard-to-find Sunbird Red. It’s a rare bottle from one of Napa Valley’s most precious terroirs. Don’t miss it.