Title X + Mister Cartoon Presale

Legendary Los Angeles-based artist Mister Cartoon—a longtime collaborator with the likes of Eminiem, Dr. Dre, Travis Barker, Louis Vuitton, Nike, and Supreme—recently teamed up with Matt and Mark Suroff from Title X Wines to create what is by far the most modern, and perhaps the coolest, wine release of 2024 with this incredibly rare bottle limited to just 385 magnums in total!

Having already sold out their allocation at a huge LA event a few weeks back (with Mister Cartoon in attendance and lowriders abound), we were lucky enough to secure 12 of these soon-to-be museum pieces, for both serious wine and art collectors.

Mister Cartoon drew his inspiration for the instantly-iconic bottle from pinup tattoos and the tradition of lowrider artwork, then entrusted the team from Title X to turn that vision into a 3D designer art piece. Deemed impossible by over thirty glass companies, and taking over five years to eventually realize, the team at Title X ultimately teamed with a third-generation glass company in Mexico City willing to take on the challenge!

The “Lady Impala” bottles are filled with fantastic wine, to boot. A finely-tuned Bordeaux blend from California’s Happy Canyon AVA lines the inside of each magnum, a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, and 10% Merlot from three different vineyard sites aged in 80% new oak and vinified in a classic Central Coast style by esteemed winemaker Tyler Russell.

This allocated, sculptural bottle marks the first release from Title X and is the first custom mold of its kind created for wine. We got to sit down with Matt Suroff recently, who told us: “The custom molds we craft are a true canvas for each artist, with their work seamlessly integrated into the glass itself. We don't merely see the bottles as vessels, but as unique pieces of art that shatter the paradigm of conventionality in the world of wine.”

We have secured just 12 bottles from the Mister Cartoon + Title X “Lady Impala” launch at $1250 per bottle, each encased in a custom-designed box. 

Given the demand we saw at the Los Angeles launch a few weeks back, we’re assuming serious collectors for art will be gobbling these up just to own a physical piece created by Mister Cartoon himself! Grab your piece of LA history while we still have them.

Title X Mister Cartoon “Lady Impala” Bordeaux Blend 1.5L $1249.99

These bottles are being sold on a pre-order basis and orders will be fulfilled before July 31st.

A Taste of Campania

The Campi Flegrei region just north of Naples along the coast of Campania is world-renowned for its incredible cuisine. With capers, black olives, fresh seafood, spicy chilies, and food so full of flavor that your taste buds practically explode, the wines from this region are made to pair with a wide variety of dishes and accompany just about anything.

That’s why we LOVE both the whites and reds from La Sibilla, part of the always-inspired Oliver McCrum import portfolio here in California. 

Specializing in Falanghina for the whites and Piedirosso for the reds, these indigenous grapes speak to more than just the food of Campania. They speak for the generations of growers and winemakers before them who have been tending these vineyard sites for more than a century. 

La Sibilla’s winemaker Luigi di Meo sums it up perfectly: “Our viticultural tradition is the story of our family, and can be represented by the roots of a vine that combine with the soil over the years, going ever deeper in search of minerals. We are like those roots, and for at least five generations we have worked this fascinating and mysterious little outcropping of earth called the Campi Flegrei."

With their original, ungrafted vines and low alcohol levels, the flavor that Luigi packs into every bottle has to be tasted to be believed. If you’ve been curious to taste more of Italy’s incredible variety of indigenous varietals and rustic wine beauty, we can’t think of a better place to start than here. 

And check out the great press!

2022 La Sibilla Campi Flegrei Falanghina $18.99 

91 POINTS: VINOUS - The 2022 Falanghina mixes savory and sweet with a rich blend of young peaches and mint complemented by hints of raw almond and custard. This splashes across the palate, juicy and spry, showing ripe yellow pits fruits complicated by salty mineral tones that mount toward the close. The 2022 seems to crackle and reverberate with saline tension through the close, as it cleans up beautifully and leaves the senses fully refreshed.

2022 La Sibilla Campi Flegrei Piedirosso $19.99

92 POINTS: VINOUS - The 2022 Piedirosso opens with a wild bouquet of spiced blood orange, white pepper, nectarines and cloves. It’s soft and silky in texture with spicy raspberry fruits and hints of sour citrus complemented by a cascade of tropical inner florals. This unique and beautiful beast finishes lightly structured yet teeming with residual energy, leaving the mouth-watering as hints of tangerine fade. While I can’t imagine aging this for too long in the cellar, the 2022 overdelivers and should continue to do so for at least the next three to five years.

The Best New Bourbon of 2024

There is a litany of great things that we can say about the new Leopold Bros 8 year old cask strength Bourbon finished in Three Chamber rye barrels, so we’ll list them here right off the bat:

• It’s the oldest whiskey ever released from the revered Leopold Bros at 8 years of age.

• It’s also the highest proof whiskey they’ve ever released at 55% ABV.

• It may be the most transparent whiskey ever released by any American distillery, with its proof-it bottle tag. Simply hold any smart phone near the tag on the bottle’s neck and a window pops up with an 11 minute video from Todd Leopold and a chemistry book’s worth of stats and specs.

• It’s the most fairly-priced limited edition Bourbon this year at a more than reasonable $59.99

• Finally, it’s easily the best whiskey that Leopold Bros has ever released and the best Bourbon we’ve tasted so far in 2024.

Leopold Bros 8 Year Old Cask Strength Bourbon $59.99 (Limit of 1 bottle)

What makes this whiskey so special, you ask?

It’s the finishing in the Leopold Bros own Three Chamber rye whiskey casks that puts this release over the top. For those who don’t know the story, Todd Leopold resurrected the Three Chamber still from its pre-Prohibition roots almost a decade ago (this video from Eater with over 580,000 views already is worth a watch).

This one-of-a-kind still creates a whiskey so oily and thick on the palate that even the whiskey’s residue inside the barrel once emptied is enough to beef up a standard Bourbon. And that’s exactly what the Leopolds did. They took their new 8 year pot-distilled Bourbon—which after 7 years is finally starting to evaporate and go up in proof from their barrel entry ABV of 50%—and decanted it into freshly-emptied Three Chamber rye whiskey casks for a finishing period of a few additional months.

The sweet and supple texture that those casks added to this Bourbon is simply phenomenal.

It’s a rich, round, mouth-coating Bourbon, loaded with brown sugar and caramel with plenty of sweet spices and just enough pop at 55% ABV. It’s not only the best new Bourbon we’ve tasted this year, it’s the Bourbon we’ve been waiting for Todd Leopold to make since we first fell in love with him and his Denver distillery.

The only problem is we’ve got a limited amount and the California allocation is already backordered for the next few months. For that reason, we’re limiting the Bourbon to just 1 bottle per customer until more supplies arrive later this summer.

As an additional incentive, we’ve been told that some of these bottles are from the Bourbon’s initial batch or “first edition,” but you’ll need to scan the bottle’s tag and register it to find out which edition you received!

We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

And for those who want to try the heralded Three Chamber rye whiskey on its own, or the standard pot-still Bourbon before it’s finished in Three Chamber rye casks we still have a very limited amount of those whiskies available as well.

Overachievers in Margaux

We’ve been focusing on our growing Burgundy selection for the last few weeks, but we don’t want anyone thinking we’ve forgotten about Bordeaux! France’s Cabernet king has been running a string of fantastic vintages in a row, starting with 2019, and as many of you already know: there are few meals more satisfying in the world than a finely cooked steak with a glass of properly aged Margaux.

With a few years of bottle age already, the ripe 2019 Bordeaux Cabernets are already singing, especially the more delicate offerings from Margaux. While a bottle of 2019 Château Margaux will run you at least $800 per bottle in the current market, we think one of its neighboring properties—Château d’Issan—is making some of the best “value” Bordeaux wines in the entire Médoc right now.

The critics agree.

If you’re unfamiliar with Château d’Issan, it's an overachieving third-growth estate that has been one of the premier Margaux properties since its original classification back in 1855 (when all the top Médoc properties were ranked by quality). On the whole, there’s not a lot of bad wine made in Margaux, but there are plenty of estates that are charging waaaaaaay too much. Château d’Issan isn’t one of those properties, thank goodness.

Characterized by supple red fruits, fine and elegant tannins, along with a flurry of spices on the finish, the house style of Issan has always been charming, and we think the 2019 expression is the perfect entry into high-end Bordeaux for those of you looking to learn more about the category. Unlike many California Cabs with their big fruit flavor and smooth mouthfeel, French Cabernet Sauvignon—especially Bordeaux— is much more in balance between fruit, earth, minerality, and structure.

Grab a bottle. Open and decant it. Cook yourself a fine meal. And enjoy this incredible wine from one of Margaux’s top châteaux. The only issue is there’s not much available, especially at our very attractive price.

2019 Château d’Issan Margaux $64.95 (Elsewhere $80+)

97 POINTS: JAMES SUCKLING - Fresh currants and raspberries pop out of the glass, together with oranges and cedar. Such purity of fruit in the nose. Full-bodied, yet so refined and vertical. It goes deep and long with tight, compressed tannins that are pure and exciting. Really tight and focused. Precise.

96 POINTS: ROBERT PARKER’S WINE ADVOCATE - Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 D'Issan soars out of the glass with expressive scents of baked red currants, warm cassis and black cherry compote with hints of powdered cinnamon, potpourri, Provence herbs and aniseed plus a waft of fallen leaves. The medium-bodied palate is elegantly played with bags of fresh, vibrant black and red berry flavors and a firm line of ripe, grainy tannins, finishing with an invigorating lift.

95 POINTS: VINOUS - The 2019 d'Issan was picked from September 25 to October 11 and matured in 50% new oak. This clearly has more dimension on the nose, offering well-defined blackberry and raspberry fruit; pencil shavings and undergrowth scents emerge with time. The harmonious palate is very well balanced, with pliant tannins, perfectly judged acidity, and an engaging build in the mouth. Yes, this has put on a bit of weight during its time in barrel, and it should give 30 to 40 years of drinking pleasure. Excellent.

Pouilly-Fuissé Premier Cru Wines Are Here

As we discussed in our last post about Burgundy, you’ve got to understand the vineyards in order to understand the wines. 

In fact, some might argue your curiosity about the vineyard should be the reason you want to try the wine!

Vineyard rankings in Burgundy make all the difference when it comes to price, and the sites marked as Grand Cru or Premier Cru are the most expensive of all due to their unique geographical climates—the terroir—that lends the wines their unique character. 

In the Fall of 2020, one of Burgundy’s smaller Chardonnay appellations—Pouilly Fuissé—saw the addition of 22 new Premier Cru vineyard sites to a region known for quality wines, making them the first newly-ranked parcels added since the 1940s. For Burgundy lovers in the know, it was a distinction long overdue as some of these famous sites have created impeccable wines of precision and grace for decades. 

For others, the accolades brought the end of a carefully-guarded secret: some of the best French Chardonnays that could still be had for a reasonable price!

That being said, just because you know the region doesn’t mean you know the vineyards, and that’s where we come in at Mission! As fans of Domaine Carrette for years, we’re well aware of their vineyard locations, pretty much at the foot of the famous rock of Solutré (pictured above) in the heart of the region—and the best wine from the newly-crowned Premier Cru vineyard of “Pouilly.” 

For those who want to understand fine Burgundian Chardonnay without spending $100+ per bottle, we’ve got the bottle for you.

2022 Domaine Carrette 1er Cru “Pouilly” Pouilly-Fuisse $41.99

The 2022 vintage of Domaine Carrette 1er Cru “Pouilly” marks the first we’ve seen with the new classification and it’s one of the best we’ve tasted. The richness of the older vines comes through on the palate with buttered bread and baked apples imparting their presence from just a touch of oak maturation. The body of the wine is imposing and it’s well-suited for those who like a more powerful Chardonnay. It’s a clear distinction from the standard Pouilly-Fuissé and a big win for those who understood the greater potential of this vineyard site.

The Continual Lore (and Lust) of Burgundy

French wine is often intimidating to American drinkers because of the impetus it places on the consumer: it’s on YOU to know what’s in the bottle and not the label’s job to tell you.

As an example, many wine collectors know that red wines from Burgundy are made from Pinot Noir, and the whites from Chardonnay, but you’ll almost never find those varietals named on the label. As a result, California Pinot Noir lovers tend to stick close to home and eschew Burgundy’s confusing and increasingly expensive hierarchy of vineyards and producers.

That being said, there’s a reason the most sought-after and expensive Pinot Noirs in the world ALL come from Burgundy. And that has people curious!

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti wines can run $5000+ per bottle, if you’re lucky enough to find one, while even the lesser-known names bottling Richebourg vineyard expressions start at $1000. Granted, not all Burgundy falls into this category, but California doesn’t have anything even close to this Pinot Noir price point, which many Americans find compelling. Why is it so expensive? They want to know more, just like Bourbon drinkers who obsess over Pappy Van Winkle.

THE PROBLEM: Pinot Noir from Burgundy is incredibly specific to vintage, region, winemaker, and style of production—so much so, that consistency is practically nonexistent. Because of extremely limited production, prices remain high regardless and the onus is on YOU—the customer—to know what you’re buying before you buy it. As a result, the category represents one of the biggest crapshoots in all of wine, but the highs are often glorious and keep collectors coming back time and time again.

THE REASON: The right bottle of Burgundy, opened at the right time, with the right meal, is one of the greatest experiences that wine can offer to humanity. As the late Julia Child once famously said: “I would happily die with a bottle of Burgundy in my mouth.” We agree, which is why we’re sending you this email!

At Mission, we’re well aware that countless few of our customers are ready to casually drop $50 - $100 (if not $300 - $500) on a complete gamble, so we’ve taken the liberty of sourcing two extremely delicious bottles of red Burgundy that we think embody its legacy and lore to help get you started. Burgundy is one of those rare categories that still relies on good word-of-mouth, and recommendations from friends, as its merits are so specific. We think you’re going to love both of these wines.

Meet Domaine Maurice Charleaux from Maranges

Domaine Maurice Charleaux is a tiny producer in the Maranges region of the Côtes de Beaune, virtually unknown in the U.S. albeit from a handful of Burgundy enthusiasts here in the states. With roughly 10 hectares of vineyards, all of the fruit today is handled by Vincent Charleaux who does a masterful job with each expression.

If you’re looking for affordable, well-made red Burgundy that tastes like cherries, flowers, and cassis with baking spices and just the slightest tannic structure (basically everything we love about Burgundian Pinot Noir), look no further than the following wines:

2022 Domaine Maurice Charleaux & Fils Bourgogne Rouge $23.99 (Elsewhere $30)

Bourgogne Rouge is often just the general appellation of Burgundy, meaning the grapes have little distinction compared to the single vineyard expressions, but that’s hardly the case with this wine! The Charleaux edition comes from just half a hectare of the domaine’s 50 year old vines near the Maranges. Effortless and elegant in the glass, this wine sings of strawberry, cherry, and cassis, with just a touch of earth and persistent tannins. Sustainably farmed by Vincent Charleaux, this wine is screaming for a warm basket of French bread and some charcuterie! Give it some air time to entice more deliciousness.

2019 Domaine Maurice Charleaux & Fils “Pépé Joseph” Maranges Premier Crus “Les Clos Roussots” $49.99 (Elsewhere $60+)

Things get far more serious with Charleaux’s “Pépé Joseph” Clos Roussot, a premier cru vineyard designation in the Maranges region of the Côte de Beaune. Wine nerds can break out their Clive Coates Burgundy book to get the nitty gritty details on the vineyard specifics, but as Coates writes clearly: “People have started to visit Maranges, and for good reason. There is good winemaking, interesting wines and good value here,” especially at Domaine Charleaux, which he describes as “neither too dense nor unduly rustic; indeed getting steadily better and better,” with each vintage. Les Clos Roussots vineyard sits at the top of the appellation along the border with Santenay and the Pinot Noir from this site has incredible depth: more concentrated red berries, more structure and weight, and a streak of minerality that speaks to the rockier limestone soils, with raspberry compote and vanilla on the finish. Charleaux’s tiny 2.14 hectare parcel is yielding some incredible fruit! With a few years of bottle age already, this wine is drinking beautifully now—especially after some light decanting!

The Return of Evan Williams Single Barrel

It’s been so long since we’ve seen Evan Williams vintage single barrel Bourbon here at Mission that we can’t even remember the last time it was available! Having been limited to just the state of Kentucky beginning in 2022, it’s been at least two years since we’ve sipped on this magical elixir.

Granted, Heaven Hill Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky has kept us well-stocked with a number of its fantastic whiskies, from Henry McKenna 10 year to the outstanding Elijah Craig and Larceny barrel proof batches. However, there’s always been something uniquely special about the vintage Evan Williams single barrel editions: their concentration and their texture. 

Aged between 7-8 years of age, each bottle from its own single barrel, and bottled at a very sessionable 43.3% ABV, there’s a suppleness to the whiskey that isn’t quite as apparent in the other Heaven Hill Bourbons. It’s absolutely loaded with caramel, brown sugar, and vanilla, and it just hits all the right notes. With a creamy mouthfeel and soft, candied finish, it’s a bottle that gets emptied far too quickly around these parts.

While supplies last we have the latest vintage of Evan Williams Single Barrel available for just $34.99 a bottle!

Grab what you need before Heaven Hill’s next shortage of EWSB hits California and we’re back to hoarding these again!

Celebrate McLaren's Big F1 Win!

For McLaren, this past weekend’s Miami Grand Prix was the culmination of continual innovation and patience. After early season struggles turned to a multiple podium year for McLaren in 2023, CEO Zak Brown stated that the 2024 campaign will begin with a stronger start. Brown’s words seemed to be the catalyst that the McLaren F1 team needed, as just six races into the 2024 campaign, McLaren has seen 3 podium finishes, with driver Lando Norris’s maiden F1 win in the Miami Grand Prix. The first win for McLaren since 2021, the Miami Grand Prix came to be cherry on top for McLaren’s ongoing racing program, with grander results destined to be achieved.

Celebrate McLaren’s race win with the Jack Daniel’s x McLaren’s Limited Edition 2024 bottle, commemorating the partnership between McLaren Racing and Jack Daniel’s. With a papaya color twist on the iconic Old No. 7 logo and dynamic striping, this bottle celebrates the new race season, which has proved to be successful for McLaren. Purchase your bottle today to celebrate this racing milestone.

Jack Daniel's x McLaren 2024 Edition 1L $39.95