Over 50% Off Highly-Rated Boutique Napa Cabernets

We’re back again with more insane pricing on some of California’s most highly-rated red wines, including two vintages of Cabernet Sauvignon from Vineyard 29, sourced from the same Aida Vineyard from which Turley made its legendary Petit Sirah.

Per the norm, we encourage you to do a quick Google search for both of these wines so that you’ll quickly find the $250+ pricing still in place at most retailers nationwide. With an MSRP of $289.99 upon release, we think you’ll be pleased with today’s $124.95 offer on these beauties.

Vineyard 29 is one of Napa’s most prestigious boutique bottlers, with a club subscription that rivals some of the finest wineries in the world. There’s a reason their wines receive top marks every single vintage: they source from the state’s best vineyard sites and their wines are approachable upon release.

Simply read the reviews for the 2019 and 2018 Aida Estate Cabernet Sauvignons and you’ll understand what the fuss is about. Because of limited inventory, we’re only able to offer these prices online. Check out ASAP to secure your bottles!

2019 Vineyard 29 Aida Estate Cabernet Sauvignon $124.95

97 POINTS: WINE ENTHUSIAST - Rich, broad and impressively saturated, this full-bodied wine from stony soil north of St. Helena floods the palate with überripe black fruits, mocha and bracing black currant, blackberry and blueberry flavors with well-integrated tannins for grip without grit. Made with just 2% Cabernet Franc, the wine has been fermented for 30 days in oak tanks and matured for 20 months in 80% new French barrels.

95 POINTS: ROBERT PARKER’S WINE ADVOCATE - While I adored the Turley Petite Syrahs (yes, that's how they were labeled) sourced from this vineyard, it's hard to argue with the Cabernet Sauvignon that replaced those old vines. Vaguely smoky, with layers of dark fruit—black cherries, plums, cassis and blueberries—framed by lavish vanilla and cedar notes, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Aida Estate is full-bodied and expansive in the mouth, richly textured and tannic, with a long, velvety finish. It should begin drinking well in a few years and continue to do so for up to two decades.

2018 Vineyard 29 Aida Estate Cabernet Sauvignon $124.95

97 POINTS: ROBERT PARKER’S WINE ADVOCATE - A blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Aida Estate has a deep garnet-purple color and flamboyant notes of stewed black and red plums, boysenberries and black currant cordial plus touches of bay leaves, tilled loam, charcoal and new leather. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is jam-packed with tightly knit black fruit and earthy layers, framed by firm, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and savory.

Save Big With Our GlenAllachie Bundle

There’s a reason we all fell in love with GlenDronach single malt whiskies a decade ago when the brand revamped itself for a new generation of Scotch drinkers. With its incredibly decadent, Sherry-laden single malts, the secret sauce was whisky hall of famer Billy Walker’s meticulous cask management. Using only the best Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez Sherry butts, Walker was able to transform not only the reputation of GlenDronach, but also its sister distillery BenRiach.

In fact, Walker did such an amazing job with those distilleries that Brown-Forman swooped in and purchased them both in 2016, which left the 50 year veteran in search of a new adventure. That’s when Billy decided to purchase GlenAllachie distillery and continue his vision at a new facility.

GlenAllachie’s Sherry-matured whiskies picked up right where GlenDronach left off, but the cask enhancing didn’t stop there. Free to experiment with new types of wood, Billy Walker’s talents were displayed in a new line-up of Virgin Oak editions utilizing Hungarian, Scottish, and Spanish oak barrels, each of which pushed the flavor profile further.

In order to truly appreciate just how awesome these GlenAllachie Virgin Oak editions are, tasting them side-by-side is paramount. That’s why we’re offering Mission customers a MONSTER $70 discount when you purchase all three of them. If you’re looking for a fun activity to do with friends, invite some of your buddies over and pour each one a flight of all three Virgin Oak expressions.

Here’s the breakdown:

GlenAllachie Virgin Oak Bundle $189.99

GlenAllachie 7 Year Old Hungarian Oak - Bottled at 48% ABV and finished in rare Quercus Petraea wood from the Zemplén forest, the toasted Hungarian Oak finish adds nutty flavors and a mellow toffee note that lasts long on the finish. It’s one of the first single malt whiskies to ever be matured in oak of this type.

GlenAllachie 8 Year Old Scottish Oak - A Scotch whisky matured in Scottish Oak! Bottled at 48% ABV, the aromas imparted from the Scottish Sessile oak are immediate on the nose. Dark chocolate and zesty orange peel emanate from the glass. Because it’s extremely difficult to cooper, Scottish Oak is almost never used for whisky maturation, but the effects here are fascinating. Toasted oak on the finish lingers for minutes.

GlenAllachie 10 Year Old Spanish Oak - Matured in Spanish Oak from Galicia and Asturias, specifically from forests in the Cantabrian Mountains, this mahogany malt showcases exotic spices and loads of candied ginger alongside shortbread and dried fruits. The difference from the previous two whiskies is night and day, even with the 48% ABV being the same throughout. The spices carry the finish into completely new single malt territory.

New Angel's Envy Delivers More Than Just Marketing Hype

“Five-year-old bourbon is put separately into second-fill Hungarian oak for about six months, new Chinkapin oak for about six months, and new French oak for about three months. All three liquids are blended together to create the final product, and the results are excellent.”

-Robb Report

Everyone we’ve spoken to seems to agree: many cask-finished Bourbons are too gimmicky or marketing-focused, but NOT the new Angel’s Envy Triple Oak Bourbon.

With the standard Angel’s Envy as the base, the addition of Hungarian oak, Chinkapin oak, and French oak add sweetness, spice, and richness the likes of which we’ve yet to taste in many similarly-marketed Bourbons.

What makes this release different from the others? The flavor, pure and simple.

The combination of nutty, sweet, spicy, and oaky is dialed up and concentrated together in a way that is completely different from the Port-finished Angel’s Envy Bourbon we all know and love. There is nuance, depth, and complexity to unlock with every sip, from intense flavors of roasted peanuts and chocolate to exotic spices and sweet toasted vanilla beans.

There’s plenty to unpack.

If you’re looking for a new Bourbon that actually delivers on the promise of its premise (or one that’s greater than the sum of its parts), we think the new Angel’s Envy Triple Oak is that whiskey.

The Best Syrah of the Year

“While the wine shows the freshness and energy of the vintage to full effect, it also possesses the underlying structure and balance to assure a positive aging curve over at least the next decade and probably beyond. That said, I tend to really enjoy this wine, regardless of vintage, on the young side.”

• Josh Raynolds, Vinous

When you taste a wine so good that your knees buckle, your heart flutters, and your brain practically explodes, you know there's something special in your glass. That's almost precisely how the wine team at Mission felt this week after tasting the latest vintage of Domaine Chambeyron-Manin Côte-Rôtie—a wine so good, so special, and so rare that it’s always one of the best wines we taste each year.

What exactly makes Domain Chambeyron-Manin so good? Let's start with the producer.

First off, Christianne Manin and her family operate a small market offering locally-produced meats, cheeses, and produce, including a large amount of vegetables they grow themselves like radishes, spinach, chard, and a variety of lettuces. Her prowess for produce is of high renown in southern France. She also happens to make a small amount of wine.

How small? How about half a hectare!!

Yes, a teeny-tiny half hectare of 40-50 year old Syrah vines is farmed in Côte-Rôtie, of which a mere 165 total cases is made for the entire world!! Farmed entirely by hand, with hard-to-reach wines on steep slopes, the entire process of production is the definition of small artisanship.

As you might imagine, only a small percentage of that wine is shipped to the United States which means the few cases we have currently at Mission represent some of the minuscule bottles made available to American customers as a whole (not to mention the Mission staff members who are also buying this).

What does it taste like? Like the most lush, mouth-filling, concentrated fruit known to man, accented by violets and smoked meats, with a five minute finish that leaves you longing for more.

The 2021 Chambeyron-Manin has yet to be reviewed by Vinous, but the last three vintages have all received 93-94 point scores continuously. We will be out of inventory long before the 2021 review is published, so take our word for it. This wine is always one of the highlights each Fall when we get our tiny allocation.

Available only online due to small allocations, reserve your bottles before they’re gone!

2021 Domaine Chambeyron-Manin Côte-Rôtie $99.99

VINOUS: This tiny domaine owns a mere half-hectare of vines in Côte-Brune and is as traditional a producer as one will find in the northern Rhône. The single wine that they bottle is whole-cluster-fermented in concrete tanks and then aged in neutral oak barrels for 18 months before being bottled without fining or filtration.

Caribbean Reposado

Barrel-aged mezcal hasn’t caught on with consumers the way that Reposado and Añejo Tequilas have, but Ilegal is trying to change that perception with its new Caribbean release.

Finished for two months in casks that previously held 8 year old Caribbean rum, the dynamic of smoky mezcal highlighted by the sweet cane flavors of that rum residue creates an amazing profile.

Most agave fans see the word “Reposado” and they immediately think: a light dusting of American oak and a hint of vanilla. In the case of the Ilegal Caribbean Reposado, it’s a far more intense concentration of richness, depth, and smoke. Like a rum-finished Islay single malt, the combination of sweet and smoky is a wonderful thing.

Grab a bottle today for our super low price of just $42.99.

Balvenie's Curious Casks

Vinyl collectors around the world are always on the hunt for that elusive B-side track, available only as a 45 or demo pressing. As music collectors, many of us covet the rarities from our favorite musicians, as much (if not more) than their standard catalog of albums.

A slight deviation from the expected norm can be thrilling, especially when it offers a deeper and more introspective look at something you truly love and appreciate.

In the case of Balvenie single malt (a whisky we adore here at Mission), their “Collection of Curious Casks” represent the barrels too wonky or outside-the-norm of their everyday expressions to be utilized for standard release. As it pertains to their new 14 year old expression, the whisky is comprised of casks filled directly after Balvenie’s “peat week”—the one week a year that Balvenie distills its smoky whisky.

As it turns out, peat is difficult to get rid of once its in the stills. Hence, some of the distillate produced just after peat week picked up just a touch of that smoke by accident. After 14 years in American oak ex-Bourbon barrels, that subtle hint of phenols is both too smoky for the standard Balvenie, and not smoky enough for the peated Balvenie!

What it is, however, is 100% delicious. Not only is the whisky entirely unique in the Balvenie lexicon, it’s one of the best new single malts we’ve tasted this year. The first sip brings orange cream, loads of toasted vanilla beans, and a thick, mouth-coating texture that is surprisingly decadent for a Bourbon barrel-aged single malt. Those flavors morph into baking spices and roasted nuts with just a touch of campfire smoke on the finish.

It’s hard to remember a whisky from Balvenie that didn’t deliver, as it’s one of Scotland’s perennial overachievers. Yet, this little anomaly was a welcome surprise and its flavors perfectly encapsulate the essence of Fall.

To put it more simply, this is the exact whisky you want to be drinking in October. We think you’re going to love it.

Ardbeg's 17 Year Returns After a 25 Year Absence

When the resurrection of Ardbeg was just getting started (and the committee bottlings were actually only for committee members), it was the Ardbeg 17 year single malt that launched the reputation of the revamped Islay distillery.

Considered legendary by all who remember it, the classic flavors of salt, smoke, peat, brine, and vanilla were in complete harmony, rising to the level of iconic status at 17 years of age. It was a symphony of Islay complexity, whisky fans went absolutely crazy for it, and the response launched a new era of single malt connoisseurship around the world.

Back then, few drinkers knew the story of Ardbeg. Absolutely no one had heard of Dr. Bill Lumsden. Yet, today, Ardbeg is one of the most beloved and famous single malt whiskies in the world and Lumsden just finished helping Beyonce blend her new American whiskey release.

Times have certainly changed, but—when fortune smiles upon us—sometimes it repeats itself.

The release of Ardbeg’s latest committee bottling is a moment many of us have been waiting decades for. Dr. Bill Lumsden spent an incredible amount of time reconstructing the flavors of the original Ardbeg 17 year (down to the exact ABV%) and the result is finally here.

While supplies last, the limited edition Ardbeg 17 year old single malt is finally available again, bringing with it all the complexity of the original. For those who missed out the first time around, now is your chance.

Much like your favorite rock band, there’s no guarantee this show will come back around for a third time.

The Bartender's Handshake

Long before the Negroni cocktail became a global phenomenon and Italian amaro was a household bar staple, Fernet Branca was the bartender’s shot of choice up and down California (also known as “the Bartender’s Handshake.”

With its distinctive herbaceous flavors and slightly bitter finish, Fernet Branca’s appeal as a digestivo has been in place for over 150 years at this point, but its modern renaissance stems from California’s bar scene where it’s said that over 35% of Fernet Branca is consumed globally!

If you’re too old to be taking late night shots at the bar these days (we understand!), you can still enjoy a shot of Fernet Branca at home after a nice meal with your friends and family. Normally $26 a bottle, we’re discounting it down to $19.95 today so that home bartenders can extend their own “handshake” to their loved ones.

If you’re a Fernet Branca lover, it’s time to stock up at our nationwide low price. If you’re new to Fernet Branca, there’s no better time to try a bottle than now!