2018 Dana Estates Cabernet Sauvignon Helms Vineyard

Community Tasting Note

Mark1npt Likes this wine:

95 Points

Sunday, June 20, 2021 - Informal notes at Vine Vault mega tasting 33 wines in all......all wines open 60-90 min by time they were consumed. Most were slow ox'd in bottle, some were double splash decanted, a few were straight decanted.

One of the WOTN, but at $600 retail is should be, no? Excellent weight, excellent quality, very full, heavy fruit with beautiful depth and layers but of course, not all put together yet. Needs time as most '18s do. A very nice wine but price point is a barrier for me. Possible huge future ahead for this one, though.

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12 comments have been posted

Comment posted by MJP Hou TX:

6/21/2021 9:48:00 AM - Very strong pricing. Assuming no wait list to buy at the event on Saturday?
Comment posted by Mark1npt:

6/21/2021 9:52:00 AM - Not that I could see but most were 3 pack minimums.
Comment posted by MJP Hou TX:

6/21/2021 10:10:00 AM - Ugh... That's a tough purchase in that setting with 30 different wines to taste.
Comment posted by Mark1npt:

6/21/2021 1:13:00 PM - Probably the most expensive wine on display that night. Heavier pours at the end of the night when wrapping up and I went back and had a decent amount. It really has nice weight, great fruit but even with 3+ hour air, just didn't quite fire on all cylinders and come together. Probably will be killer in 6+ years...but again the pricepoint just doesn't make much sense to me.
Comment posted by MJP Hou TX:

6/21/2021 1:29:00 PM - I wonder how many bottles they brought in for just that event?
Comment posted by Mark1npt:

6/21/2021 1:57:00 PM - There were 300 people at this event. Same tasting in Naples 10 days earlier 74! I'm told they cold chain in as many as they think they'll need for each event based on tix sold. Pours were all 1-2 oz all night long but at the end, trying to empty bottles helped us out!
Comment posted by Neecies:

6/28/2021 11:47:00 AM - JJ Buckley in California currently sells the Helms for $375, I think; a bargain over winery prices. And if you were going to pay $600, get the Lotus instead.
Comment posted by Mark1npt:

6/30/2021 5:18:00 AM - Neecies...even at $375 that's a tough call for me. At this point with prices escalating all over Napa Valley, it's just hard to throw $375-600 at a bottle that maybe only beats out any one of a hundred other ($100) bottles by a point, maybe 2 at best. It's the same problem I have with Realm. Yes, Absurd is great (97-100 pts) but at almost $500 it's hard to pull the trigger when Bard costing $100, is usually in most years, only 2-3 points behind it. There's just no value there for me personally.
Comment posted by Neecies:

6/30/2021 8:59:00 AM - 100%. I'm not a buyer. These wines are priced for showing off, it's not about quality per se. I'd pay $250 for Dominus and set the rest aside for some great Sauvignon Blancs--oh wait, I just did! Still, wanted to share the better-than-$600 price I knew about.
Comment posted by Mark1npt:

6/30/2021 9:22:00 AM - I think you hit it on the head.....it's all about showing off. Nothing more these days. Cheers!
Comment posted by Neecies:

6/30/2021 9:30:00 AM - Tell me about this Bard you mention...not heard of it. I need a wine like that to show my neighbor who poured the Danas.
Comment posted by Mark1npt:

6/30/2021 11:24:00 AM - Entry level wine from Realm. Off the old Hartwell Estate property in Napa. Usually about $110 from the winery/$140 retail distribution. Made by Benoit Tocquette. The Absurd is their high end red at like $475. They have a few midrange reds at $250-$325 but I usually just stick with The Bard. Hard to beat for the price.