Is it only me, or have you ever found yourself saying, ‘Wow, that’s a textbook Cabernet.’ Well, Jonathan Pey did exclaim just that when he first tasted his newly crafted Oakville Cabernet, which he sourced from Vyborny Vineyard, located next to Screaming Eagle property. What he actually said was, “This is classic Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon – so textbook-like.” And the name rang true. Surprisingly, “textbook” was never trademarked. He named his wine to provide its varietal expression and make people want to say, “This is what Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon smells and tastes like.”

Jon started his epiphany on wine when, in his teens, his father got transferred to Paris for three years. Milk was replaced by wine as part of the meals, and he started his road to wine appreciation. He worked as a sales manager at Kobrand Corp in New York and was involved in wine education and vineyard trips overseas and in California. He had integral roles at Schramsberg, Seagrams Chateau & Estates, Mondavi, and Rosemount. He has owned vineyards and made wine in Marin County and Southern Burgundy. He then set his sights on Napa, in particular, Oakville, and worked with numerous growers up and down the valley buying the best grapes available. Integral to their success has been working with top vineyards but also being prudent financially – never taking out a huge loan, growing slowly, using a custom crush winery in Napa, and never purchasing vineyards. He has taken this winning formula, European-inspired winemaking, to produce “textbook” examples of the most popular California varietals — with a particular focus on cabernet sauvignon. He is now taking a step further and starting to source from select vineyards in Paso Robles.

Paso is unique because it has the greatest diurnal temperature swing in California, experiencing a 50° difference from day to night. The hot days ensure grapes develop complexity, while cool nights prolong the growing season, allowing grapes to fully mature while maintaining acidity. The region’s diverse mineral-rich soils, particularly those with calcareous composition, imbue the wine with a distinct minerality. Hand-selected lots spend 13 months aging in 100% French Oak before being blended. Small amounts of Syrah and Petite Sirah, which also thrive in Paso, were added for structure and depth.

“My family’s original quest was to craft ‘textbook’ expressions of varietal and appellation. For nearly two decades, we’ve fulfilled that vision - making exceptional, while approachable Cabernet Sauvignon that truly represents the best a region has to offer. To continue that commitment, we’ve traveled to Paso Robles, situated in Central California. Cabernet grown in this appellation has beautiful concentration and depth due to the warm climate, while fruit still exhibits freshness as a result of the region’s unique terroir.” – Jonathan Pey, Founder.

Grapes for Textbooks Paso Robles Cabernet are sourced from four distinct sub-districts with unique elevations, climates, and soils.

• Estrella Vineyard, Estrella District – Hot days and moderate evenings foster ripe fruit flavors and well-developed phenolics.
• El Pomar District – Near the Templeton Gap, cool marine air allows grapes to maintain acidity and develop complexity over a prolonged growing season.
• Geneseo District– The warmer climate ensures tannins fully mature by harvest, resulting in powerful wines.
• San Miguel District – Characterized by limestone soils, which impart a distinct minerality.

The individual lots for this wine spent months aging separately in French Oak, before I hand-selected the final blend. The result is richness yet restraint - allowing this Textbook Paso Robles Cabernet to be paired with an array of cuisines or simply enjoyed on its own. On the nose, there are lovely aromas of Satsuma plum, red currant, anise, and a dusting of baking spices from the French oak aging. On the palate, flavors of juicy black cherry, raspberry, and milk chocolate. The finish is smooth with well integrated tannins. It’s opulent, richly textured, and beautifully balanced.

Blend: 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2.9% Syrah, 0.1% Petite Sirah

13 Months in French Oak (30% New)

2021 Textbook Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles – A wildly surprising wine, lush with cherry, currant, and raspberry notes. It quickly reveals itself as one of the juiciest and most fruit-forward cabernets I’ve encountered, particularly from the often austere Paso Robles. Lightly herbal notes evoke some of the Paso terroir, though a semi-sweet cherry note perks up the finish, making room for light touches of milk chocolate and vanilla. This wine lays everything out for the drinker, showcasing all its (many) charms right from the start. Don’t expect a lengthy journey of discovery, but do settle in for an effusive and unabashedly enjoyable ride. A great value for a Paso Robles cab. Drinkhacker.com 95 pts

Textbook Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

I tasted this wine with our terrific group of wine geeks who were full of adjectives that I had to look up on Google to figure out what they were talking about. The wine pours with a medium garnet color that goes to the rim. Aromas of leather tomb, clove, and nutmeg with red fruit. On the palate, we found a moderate body with black cherry, dark ripe plumb (the ones with thick skin that the juice bursts onto your shirt when you take a bite), fresh sweet fruit, and tea, balanced by medium, integrated silky tannins. A long bitter cherry finish with a bit of coffee. The dark fruit is certainly there but dry and clean. This is a quality wine, and I can see why it has an internet average price of $26. At $16 a bottle, it represents a real bargain for Paso Cabs. We have a limited supply, and the distributor has moved on to the next vintage.

Regular Price: $23.99

*Sale Price is on 6 or more bottles

Wine is packed in a 12-bottle case

*Wine pricing for these wine promotions are held for two weeks after the email offer.

We can hold wines in unpaid reserves for two weeks to allow you time to pick up your wine. If it takes you longer than that to pick up your wines, give us a call, and we can process your wine and move it to paid reserves.

Orders must be done by replying to this email. The reason is that I need to keep control of the inventory in one central spot. Emailing or calling your favorite wine geek at one of our four stores may not get your orders in on time to be counted or processed and this creates a helter-skelter for us to get you the wine. For the same reason, ordering on our online Web Store is linked to our regular price, and this sale price is only offered on the email platform. It is also why it takes me some time to respond due to the deluge of orders that I sometimes get. We haven't reached the efficiency or volume of Amazon yet. Thank you in advance for your patience.

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Cheers!

—John Hannum, Fine & Rare Wine Specialist

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