2019 Sei Querce Ellis Hillside Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

Let's cut to the chase: This is one of our greatest Cabernet deals, EVER!

Sei Querce Vineyards is a family-owned winery nestled in the picturesque Alexander Valley, (same Valley that has seen the birth and rise of top wineries like Jordan, Silver Oak, and Lancaster). After spending 22 years at Goldman Sachs and running a bond exchange, Hal Hinkle retired to the quiet farming life. He has been a lifelong environmentalist and as a result the vineyard is certified organic, sustainable, and bee-friendly. In addition, Hal helped create a new standard for vineyards called "climate-adapted" which aims to reduce greenhouse gases over time.

The thirty acre vineyard has been a prized source of world-class grapes to some of the top wineries in the area, including Aperture, Silver Oak, Lambert Bridge, Jordan, Fisher, Coppola, and Duckhorn.

The vineyard is planted on the old Ellis Ranch down the road from Silver Oak and overlooking the town of Geyserville. This vineyard is located east of Geyserville toward the Mayacamas mountains. Just over the ridge and down the hill is Calistoga. This wine with a "Napa Valley" AVA from mountain fruit would sell for over $150.

The Ellis Ranch was operated as a stock and fruit producer shortly after Leadner G. Ellis paid $1000 in gold coins to buy it in 1868. Reports say that well before 1890, he had established 25 acres of pears, prunes, and grapes, and was grazing sheep and raising hogs.

Kate Nowell-Smith took over as winemaker in 2019, bringing a fresh vision for small-lot, minimal-intervention wines with a strong focus on sustainability. After working with the estate’s fruit for two harvests at a partnering winery, she was drawn to its potential and set out to craft wines of purity and precision. With a background as a chef, food writer, and recipe developer, she has a deep understanding of flavor and balance. She honed her winemaking skills at Stuhlmuller and Porter Creek Vineyards, refining her approach to Alexander Valley fruit.

She follows in the footsteps of Jesse Katz, the renowned winemaker who transformed the estate from 2014 to 2019. With experience at Chateau Pétrus, Screaming Eagle, and his own Aperture Cellars, Katz set a new standard for quality, guiding the vineyard’s redevelopment and elevating the wines to global acclaim. Kate builds on this foundation, bringing a refined, European-influenced sensibility while continuing the estate’s commitment to excellence.

As a result of pandemic closures and limited distribution channels outside of the winery, Bighammer was able to take a large position on this special wine and hammer down the price. We taste a lot of wine and this one is a homerun for lovers of Cabernet Sauvignon without the Napa price tag.

Farming: Organic, sustainable

Aging: 100% French oak, 50% new, 20 months.