The 2022 Cryptology Reserve slinks into the glass like an encrypted dispatch from a dark cellar, the blend a classified enigma that defies decryption.
The nose is a riddle of dark, brambly fruit, intertwined with a whiff of sage. On the palate, it unfurls like a cracked cipher. Waves of dark fruit roll in, juicy and elusive, shadowed by the velvety richness of ripe plum. A swirl of café au lait emerges mid-sip; creamy, bittersweet, and a touch roguish, like espresso sipped in a dimly lit safe house.
The finish delivers a tart raspberry zing, a sharp little plot twist that cuts through the opulence like a wiretap gone live, leaving you pondering the secrets it refuses to spill. Bold yet cryptic, with a structure that’s both firm and fleeting, this wine dares you to guess its shadowy origins. The finish lingers on, just like the secrecy of the blend.
A blast from the past! We are resurrecting Skull & Bones, a wine that we have not produced since the 2010 vintage. Even if you have not been with us since those early days, you may still recognize the label image. You actually see it each time you pull one of our corks. The image is the insignia of the Yale secret society, "Skull & Bones" (also known as The Order or Order 322) who's notable alumni have gone on to become US Presidents, Senators, Supreme Court Justices and titans of industry.
Our own Skull & Bones is somewhat less intimitading and certainly more approachable. This single vineyard Zinfandel has a nose of ripe raspberry and juicy boysenberry with a whisp of clove. The pallet unlocks dark cherry and blackberry compote, tempered by a thread of anise and black pepper. An ideal wine for a secretive initiation ceremony in a dank, candle-lit crypt or for a casual weeknight supper in front of the TV.
Subterfuge is our Merlot based blend. While it takes its cues from the Bordeaux blends of the Right Bank, its style is decidedly Left Coast. This is a wine to relax with and savor. Bold and lush, it exhibits blackberry and ripe plum flavors with notes of vanilla and baking chocolate. Soft tannins, a velvety mouthfeel and lingering finish round out the experience.
The 2022 Vintage of our Cabernet Franc based blend has a decidedly "old world" profile. Firm tannins and gravelly minerality combine with raspberry, boysenberry and herbal notes. If you have the willpower, lay this one down for 5 years to 7 years. We think it would be well worth the wait. But if you are more the instant gratification type, we certainly won't judge and you surely won't be disappointed.
