Behind the Icons Set

Behind Each Label is an Artisan

We all know the iconic Napa wine labels from Robert Mondavi, Opus One, and Screaming Eagle— producers of some of the world’s most popular fine wines. These are highly allocated gems, some earning perfect 100-point scores from some of the industry’s toughest critics. But behind each label is an artisan—a winemaker who crafts the truly extraordinary. These winemakers are so passionate for their craft that they often launch their own brands—seeking to push the envelope and pursue new challenges. Industry insiders know them, and so do Michelin-star restaurants. And now, so do you. We’ve curated this set to showcase some of the world’s best winemakers producing extraordinary wine, priced for people to be able to appreciate.

WINE SET INCLUDES:

2014 Cornerstone Cellars Benchlands Cabernet Sauvignon

Opus One. Robert Mondavi. Cardinale, Lokoya, Verité, and Quintessa. The producers on winemaker Charles Thomas’s C.V. are the marquee names of California Cabernet. Robert Parker calls Thomas “brilliant” and a “star winemaker,” and Wine Spectator simply calls him “one of California’s best winemakers.” The 2014 Cornerstone Cellars Benchlands Cabernet is the handiwork of Thomas and his winemaking partner at Cornerstone, Kari Auringer, whose own resume includes a Scarecrow 100-pointer. Their combined expertise makes them one of the most formidable winemaking duos in Napa, and the 2014 “dream vintage” delivered perfect fruit for this ripe and luxurious Cabernet. You’ll find it at Napa’s Morimoto restaurant for a whopping $29 per glass.

2015 Vermillion Red Wine

A winemaker cannot live by Cabernet alone, though one winemaker—Helen Keplinger—absolutely could, if that was her desire. Just look at this Napa Valley superstar’s stewardship of Grace Family Vineyards (California’s original cult Cabernet winery) along with past successes at Arrow & Branch, Bryant Family, Fort Ross and Kenzo Estate. In 2012, Keplinger was honored as Food & Wine Magazine’s “Winemaker of the Year” and just two years later, she landed on the cover of Wine Spectator. But the great press wasn’t just for her mastery of Bordeaux varieties; instead, the critical spotlight shined equally on Grenache and the other Rhône-centric wines. Keplinger’s 2015 Vermillion Red is a stunning example of what happens when a Cabernet-expert goes rogue-Rhône.

2014 Purlieu Le Pich Cabernet Sauvignon

This is one of the most brilliant Cabernet buys of Wine Spectator’s “dream vintage” and one of our Wine Access client-favorites. Consider some of the Parker praise heaped on winemaker Julien Fayard’s Cabernets. In his 98-100 point review of Fayard’s 2016 Purlieu To Kalon Beckstoffer Vineyard, Parker gushed it “just has it all. It is really a wine to diagram and analyze over and over to see what true perfection really is.” And Fayard’s 2014 Le Pich—crafted by the same hands and sourced from many of the same stellar sites as Purlieu—was described by Parker as a “a sleeper of the vintage,” a “generous, and irresistible” Napa Cabernet.

2015 Arbalest Red Bordeaux

Benoit Touquette’s Napa Cabernets from Fait-Main, Teeter-Totter, Realm, Kata, and Hartwell are nothing short of world-class, marked with a clear distinction in the glass that is Benoit’s alone. If you’ve tasted them, or are simply a fan of impeccable discovery reds, you’re going to love this 2015 Arbalest—a modern-styled value red Bordeaux blend. It is distinctly Touquette: bursting with freshness and marrying rich, fruit-driven opulence with classic Bordeaux minerality. Touquette has worked alongside Andy Erickson at Screaming Eagle and achieved 100-point perfection at Realm. But Arbalest is Touquette’s way of proving to his native French counterparts that he can make a stunning value red from Bordeaux. 

2015 Clos Sainte Anne Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux

In the 1980s, Marie and Sylvie Courselle’s father Francis acquired the 5-acre plot that would lend its name to this Premières Côtes de Bordeaux. Their family has been making wine “between two seas” in Bordeaux for over 100 years. These sisters, both enologists, are also co-owners of Château Thieuley in Entre-Deux-Mers. On travels south of Thieuley castle, they stumbled upon the southern-facing, terraced clay slopes of Clos Sainte Anne, blanketed in gravel, and knew they’d found one of the Côtes de Bordeaux’s best sites. This well-draining site and the nearby Garonne River create a special microclimate that results in the wine character Bordeaux lovers can’t get enough of—refined black fruits, savory spices, excellent acidity, and age-worthy tannins. With 60 percent aged in barrels, of which 20% is new, the rest rests in tank, preserving the freshness of fruit character in this 2015 Clos Sainte Anne.