Notes from the Archivist

"Earth's Fotune"

2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse, and apparently that includes “challenging authority, redefining identity, and pushing for radical change” from my vast Chinese Zodiac knowledge.

I guess that makes sense. We’re challenging the status quo of the wine industry, redefining what value means, and pushing for a radical change in what you can expect for your dollar. And we’ve gathered some fantastic wines from a few titans in the industry, with plans to bring them into the open, one by one. Or in some cases, a generous, sumptuous, and prosperous Bordeaux blend.

This blend combines three small forces into one. Alone they’re all solid, but together the sum exceeds the inputs. A base of Cab Franc anchors it, sourced from a small family producer who recently earned some good press for their wines. Although, they’re virtually unknown still you might be able to clue in to them by the name, “Earth’s Fortune”. They make just a few hundred cases of each wine, and their top blend fetches around $95.

The remainder comes from home favorite, Chiron. Their Blue Dog Cabernet along with a bit of Merlot coming from another small family producer in Oak Knoll, again which you might tease out of the name if you do some digging.

In the glass it’s medium to full-bodied in style, and drinking friendly as a Golden Retriever pup right now. I popped one to evaluate over two nights and it drank great straight from the pull. Garnet/purple in color, it’s flush with red and black plum, creme de violette and kirschy red fruit. The restrained 45% new French oak carries the fruit, delivering just a kiss of barrel spice and lifted with a great acidity. This is without question what you want in a top pedigreed Bordeaux blend from Napa, and at $39 it lands in a sweet spot to deliver some major value.