Explosive Blue-Chip Collectible: A Margaux/Pauillac Lover's Dream

Not everything needs to be a comparison. But on the rare occasion, a wine offers a fanatical degree of profundity and terroir expression, it demands to be pitted against the all-time greats.

That’s why I found myself excitedly mentioning Bordeaux heavyweights in Margaux, Pauillac, and Saint-Estèphe when the cork on today’s 2014 Calluna Estate was pulled. Over the course of several glasses and hours, I couldn’t pry my nose away from its ultra-pure, savory, flawlessly knit layers of dark forest fruit, cigar box, pencil shavings, fresh violets, and baking spice—an exquisite fusion of aromas that are typically reserved for the crème de la crème of Left Bank Bordeaux.

And yet, today’s extraordinary Cabernet-driven blend hails from the famed Napa/Sonoma Mayacamas range, an area so coveted that Bordeaux titans (e.g. the owners of Pontet-Canet and Cheval Blanc) have snatched up property here with alacrity. Having said all that, allow me to be crystal clear: Calluna isn’t some one-hit-wonder. I’ve had my eyes fixated on every release for the majority of my career and have no qualms or hesitations putting them in the highest percentile of elite producers. John Gilman calls them Sonoma County’s “finest Bordeaux Blend specialist” and Wine Enthusiast and Wine Spectator rate them on par—and in many cases, well past—the luxurious and far-pricier Left Bank labels. Given a healthy decant, Calluna’s 2014 is singing right now, yet it will also keep standing up to Bordeaux’ finest over the next two decades. Put simply, this is a legendary cellar collectible!

Calluna Estate, 'CVC', 2015 - Chalk Hill, Sonoma County, California

91 points - Wine Advocate 

A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot, the 2015 Calluna Vineyards Cuvée is medium to deep garnet-purple colored and offers notes of warm plums, mulberries and wild blueberries with wafts of underbrush, Provence herbs and rose hip tea. Medium-bodied, the palate has an understated, savory character, with a firm backbone of grainy tannins and great freshness, finishing with very good persistence. 1,160 cases produced.

90 points - Wine Spectator

This is among the finest Bordeaux blends at its price point, from estate-grown fruit, and consisting of a majority Merlot. A dusty, oaky nose gives way to soft fleshy black fruit, cedar, and black pepper, offering length and breadth with ease.