Over Half Off: “This Wine Blew Me Away for the Money”

For the concentration, depth, and the price, theres nothing like it in Napa.

That was Master Sommelier Sur Luceros verdict the first time he tasted Clay Shannons The David Red Blend. You can print that, he added. This wine blew me away for the money.

Sur had just returned from an overnight visit to the sprawling Clay Shannon estate, which covers 2,000 acres of High Valley AVA ridges and valleys on the east side of Clear Lake. After two long days of negotiations to get the exclusive on this limited allocation, hed come home with a MASSIVE win.

The David is a 100% estate-grown, certified organic, high-elevation Bordeaux-style blend, drawn off low-yielding vineyards that are so steep two-man teams must use cables and ropes to get to the grapes in some places.

With all the virtues of your favorite mountain wines, this comes at a FRACTION of what youd expect. Members compared our last vintage to wines double and triple the price, saying, Incredible valueComplex, fine tannins, soft fruit. I loved it, and The very best everyday wine Ive come across in this price rangeWish I would have bought more. We recommend you lay in as much as you can.

The blend, primarily composed of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, is from the winerys best hilltop blocks, and delivers structure, polish, concentrated fruit, and the fine, earthy grit that is a hallmark of high-elevation appellations like Howell Mountain.

This is a big wine, befitting a big estate and the big vision of its owner, Clay Shannon. Next to vineyard impresario Andy Beckstoffer, who has also invested heavily in cultivating the regions potential, practically no one else is operating on the same scale here.

That vision of growth is not rooted in branding or marketing, but in the land itself. Clay is working to create a self-sustaining farm that requires little in the way of agricultural inputs from outside his own property. No herbicides are used, and sheep graze through the carbon-trapping cover crops that intersperse the rows of vines, also enriching the soil with manure.

With about half its total acreage covered by vines, the Clay Shannon estate practically boasts its own microclimate. The hills are windier than at the lake level, but warmer in the evenings. In the mornings, you can see the fog settling at lower elevations. These conditions, so conducive to vine health, help focus the ripening of the grapes. Berries are tiny, tannins are huge yet refined, and the resulting wine is so impressive it might just inspire you to go see the place yourself.

Ruby black center with tones of crimson toward the rim. Darkly packed with black fruits such as currants, blackberries, black plums, and raw chocolate. Rich on the palate, with lots of plush mid- and back-palate presence, showing notes of Madagascar vanilla, clove, and violet. The richness speaks to the power of the Mayacamas Mountain range and the affinity the Cabernet Sauvignon family of varieties shows for this area of the world. Bay laurel and a touch of graphite round out the long, polished finish. Way too good to be sold for so little. Drink now2037.

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