Clos LaChance Lion's Ridge Barrel Select Cabernet 2021

Sometimes a great notion ends up in total disaster with oceans of delicious wine orphaned, looking for a happy home. Such is the tale of our wine today. 

Now nobody I know likes their dirty laundry aired in public so I’ll be quick. 

About three years ago a man we will call Mr. X approached several California wineries about doing a members only, exclusive Cabernet. Mr. X owned several retail stores in high rent districts - Naples, FL; Beverly Hills, CA; San Francisco. Mr. X’s travels eventually led him to the winery Clos LaChance in Saint Martin, California. 

Clos LaChance was founded in 1990 by Bill and Brenda Murphy, and their idea was just for landscaping and gardening. Of course, like many people (including me) in the wine business, a little bit of avocation can suddenly turn into a vocation - their dream of becoming small-scale vintners took root. But not only that, after they did a little research, they discovered that one of California’s old-school, most respected growing sites, was less than an hour’s drive away – Hayes Valley. In 1992, they brought a renaissance to this historic grape-growing area, and are now making tremendous Cabernet.

But back to Mr. X - he asked Bill and Brenda to make his private exclusive “cult” Cabernet blend, and they did. Actually, what they did is took Clos LaChance’s top Cabernet, their “Proprietary Red Blend” and labeled it under a different label for Mr. X. The juice inside the bottle is the same, but the label now reads Lion’s Ridge Barrel Select Cabernet. And it’s darn amazing stuff:

Powerful aromas of black cherries intermix with fully ripe blueberries, cassis, violets, fresh figs and vanilla wood.  It is as complex as it is pronounced.  But there is more.  The palate is power-packed with white chocolate, blackberries, espresso and mocha flavors.  The tannins are sweet and integrated, imparting a smooth, supple quality to the wine, whose finishing flavors are measured in minutes, not seconds.  Taken in the glass, this is an absolute knock-out Cabernet, perfect for drinking right now (as I am) or to be tucked away in the cellar for three more years. 

Now here comes the sad part, but it also explains the price reduction - Mr. X (who with your present information you could probably now google-out his name) went out of business, with about $1.3 million outstanding. Part of that unpaid amount was this wine, which was only partially shipped. 

And now to close the story - This wine is now an orphan without a home. Which means we received an amazing deal on it. You can check Clos LaChance’s website but don’t check it too long. A $50 Cali Cab at this price will be be gone in an instant!