Dalla Valle 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon
Dalla Valle Vineyards, founded in 1986, is located on a plateau 400 feet above the valley floor in the eastern hills of Oakville, Napa Valley. The combination of perfect sun exposure and the cooling marine influence from the Pacific Ocean make this an ideal site for world-class winegrowing. Their wines are some of the most sought-out Cabernet Sauvignons and proprietary red wine in California and are pure unbridled expressions of fruit at its most powerful and concentrated. Sad note to you lovers of Maya: None was produced for this vintage.

Parker had this to say as he awarded the Cabernet 90 points: "The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon (85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc) exhibits an elegant, sweet nose of bay leaves, tobacco smoke, loamy earth, licorice, and cassis fruit. Medium-bodied and elegant, with attractive sweet tannin as well as a plush finish, it should drink well young, and evolve for 10-14 years."

Get your share of this sensational Cabernet Sauvignon from the Duke for $110.00 per bottle. Buy it by the 6-pack and save - $599.70 each.

Spottswoode 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2003 growing season challenged the Spottswoode team with some of the most unusual spring weather they had experienced. Warm, record-breaking March temperatures preceded a wet and cool April. The bumpy spring conditions eventually transitioned into flawless fall weather that delivered fruit. The results are spectacular, the wine age-worthy. It is youthful and racy, brimming with blackberry and dark cherry fruit, violets, apple blossoms, chocolate mousse, and spice, with well-integrated tannins and a lovely, polished palate.

Parker has made some interesting comments regarding Spottswoode: "I have often made reference to the fact that while no California wine tastes like Chateau Margaux, the Spottswoode Cabernet ossesses an aromatic profile, weight, and textural dimension that is vaguely reminiscent of that first-growth Bordeaux estate." He awarded the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon 93 points and wrote, . . ."reveals tremendous ripeness, but is lighter and not as seamless or persistent as the 2002. The bouquet offers loads of licorice, creme de cassis, and violets followed by a full-bodied palate, and wonderful finesse and richness, but the wine is neither heavy nor overdone. The wood is beautifully integrated and the finish long and stunning. It should drink well for 15+ years."

The Duke has this one for you at $110.00 per bottle. Although the wine is in short supply in most quarters, we do not currently have a limit on your order.

The Duke has a tiny allocation available for sale at $299.99 per bottle.

Opus One 2003
Since the inaugural release in 1984 for the 1979 and 1980 vintage, Opus One is one of Napa Valley's first ultra-premium wines. The wine has certainly been a presence in itself - well known to collectors and connoisseurs at home and abroad, and impressive from the outset. The standard is not to be excellent here, it is to be perfect. The wine-making influence is undeniably French and the succulent Napa Valley fruit makes this wine not only collectible, but wonderful to drink.

The list price is $162.00, but the Duke is making Opus One available to you for $149.99 per bottle.

Rudd 2003 Oakville Estate Red
Rudd's mission statement is: At Rudd, we are committed to producing wines of rare, artisinal quality. We use a blend of tradition and innovation, adhering to a philosophy of continuous improvement, so that we may provide our discriminating consumers with an exceptional wine-drinking experience. Once you taste their 2003 Oakville Estate Red, you realize that they are serious about fulfilling the mission. The wine is simply luscious with a very deep purple color, concentrated black fruit flavors and earthy mineral aromas, displaying a rich mid-palate and a long, well-integrated finish.

Parker gives it a well-deserved 93 points and opines: "This opaque purple-colored 2003 offers sweet aromas of scorched earth, tobacco leaf, blackberries, and currants. Layered, beautifully-textured, broad, elegant, and refreshing, this well-structured, superb effort should be consumed between 2008-2020."

The retail price is $125.00, but the Duke has this beauty available at $119.50 per bottle. Buy 6 or more and save - $114.50 each.

Araujo 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, Eisele Vineyard
The Eisele Vineyard is one of the most respected Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards in the Napa Valley, equivalent to a premier cru Bordeaux. Warm days, cool nights and well-drained cobbly soils produce remarkable wines. The vineyard was established more than 120 years ago and was first planted to Cabernet Sauvignon in 1964. Wines from Eisele are among the most sought-after in all of Napa. The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon is no exception to this rule. Here are Robert Parker's notes as he awarded the wine a lofty 98 points: "There are only 1,600 cases of the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard, which comes close to equaling the virtually perfect 2002. A blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot, it reveals extraordinary complexity in its floral, crushed rock, licorice, high class cigar tobacco, creme de cassis, and Asian spice-scented bouquet. With an opaque purple color, full body, great structure, a layered, multi-textured mouthfeel, and a fabulously long finish, it is a remarkable Cabernet that should age effortlessly for 20-25 years."

It is our aim to satisfy as many of our loyal customers as we can with the limited allocation we have of this highly-rated gem. So, the Duke will be pleased to offer you the purchase of one bottle of this fabulous wine with the purchase of any 6 or more bottles of the other wines listed in this email. The Duke's price - $299.99 per bottle SORRY - SOLD OUT.