Heir Apparent (part of the Grand Napa family) have provided us with some of the very best deals in quality Napa Cab over the past 5 or so years. When the winery is looking to move end of vintage deals, they come to us with incredible pricing that has made them some of the best-selling and consistently re-purchased wines in our inventory. With their own estate right off Highway 29 in the heart of Rutherford, plus a huge depth of relationships across the valley, these wines always over-deliver on quality. The 2022 Proprietary Red balances a majority of Cabernet Sauvignon (55%) with 35% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Merlot for a compelling, rich, decadent Bordeaux inspired blend that includes fruit from the AVAs of Rutherford and Calistoga. Bold, powerful, dark fruited, loamy earth, vanilla tinged oak, cigar box, hints of dark chocolate and exotic spices tones. Ripe, soft tannins, mouth filling texture with excellent purity and polish. Tastes expensive...but isn't for you as a K&L Insider! Cheers!

Savory bay leaf on the nose dances with blueberries and winter spice and vanilla on the palate. Although mostly cabernet sauvignon, the unmistakably earthy cabernet franc and plush merlot come through clearly on this velvety red. The unique character of this bold, layered wine stands out among Napa blends.

A slightly dusty nose that's filled with gobs of fresh and dried cherries, fleshy plum skin, and ripe blackberries. Behind the fruit there's a cedary floral note mixed with white flowers and the lightest whispered suggestion of an olive coming softly from the next room. The palate is fresh and incredibly approachable, with enough tannin to make it food friendly, but not so much that you couldn't just go for it if you wanted a rich and tasty Bordeaux-style blend to sip on while you cooked or watched your neighbor's kids. This has a lot going on for a Napa red at this price point, and a couple bottles are definitely going home with me. We've got a good amount of this wine for now, but wine of this pedigree at this price probably won't last too long. Better to be safe than sorry and get a couple bottles for the holidays, this is the kind of wine you want to open up for friends and family - good enough to be impressive but reasonably priced enough you don't wince while you grab a wine opener for the third bottle of the night.