Nickel & Nickel
2018 Cabernet Sauvignon
"John C. Sullenger"
Oakville AVA
Auction 24 | Lot No. 74
Vintage: 2018
Nickel & Nickel
Cabernet Sauvignon
Oakville
5 cases produced
Highlights
- Your Premiere Napa Valley wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, completely sourced from the John C. Sullenger Vineyard
- All of this vineyard’s 30 acres are devoted to Cabernet Sauvignon
- The vineyard is composed of fluvial river deposits and clay loam soil from the Bale soil series
- A dark, serious wine with ripe plum, black cherry, cedar and tobacco leaf with a rich texture
Description
With its state-of-the-art winery in the heart of Oakville, Nickel & Nickel’s decades-long commitment to producing 100 percent varietal, single-vineyard wines from Napa Valley’s most significant nested appellations has helped secure its reputation as a top producer of single-vineyard Cabernet. The single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon hails from Nickel & Nickel’s home vineyard, 30 exceptional acres planted exclusively to Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2018 John C. Sullenger Vineyard Cabernet has a supple core of black cherry and plum flavors, cassis and tobacco leaf accents and expansive tannins. It’s a serious wine that reminds us that Oakville Cabernet is still at the top of its game.
Wine Facts
- Sustainably produced
Joe Harden
Winemaker, Nickel & Nickel
Joe Harden, Winemaker, Nickel & Nickel
As Winemaker, Joe Harden oversees the production of Nickel & Nickel’s expansive portfolio of 100 percent varietal, single-vineyard wines from the Napa & Russian River Valleys. Prior to taking the helm of Nickel & Nickel in 2018, Joe served as an integral part of the Robert Mondavi winemaking team where he was the winemaker for Bordeaux varietals and oversaw production of the renowned To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon wines. A Lodi native, Joe was entrenched in the wine business at an early age with a father who worked for a wine distributor and later became a winegower.
A talented athlete, Joe was offered a basketball scholarship to Division I Notre Dame University following graduation from high school. After a while however, he found himself missing California wine country and opted return to the golden state, continuing his passion for basketball and rediscovering his roots in wine. Harden completed of a Bachelor of Science degree in Viticulture and Enology at University of California, Davis in 2011, the 6’7’ college athlete put his oenology career on hold for a year while he tested the waters of a professional basketball career with the NBA D League Warriors in California and then the Ballarat Miners in Melbourne, Australia.
The rigors of the professional circuit, however, led to his return to California in 2012, where he began his internship at Robert Mondavi Winery under the tutelage of winemaker Geneviève Janssens. He advanced to enologist in 2013 and was eventually named winemaker there in 2014.
Utilizing his distinctive background to lead the single-vineyard winemaking program at Nickel & Nickel, Joe is able to further expand upon the innovative mission established at the winery with its founding in 1997.
When he is not making wine, Joe resides in Yountville with his wife Hannah, also an alum of the UC Davis basketball program. Together they enjoy cooking, reading, brewing beer and biking and of course, the sharing of fine wine with friends and family.
Country born: United States
Years in the wine industry: 7 years
Liquor Barn
101 South Fifth Street Suite 3800
Louisville KY 40202
502-589-8181
Other Premiere Napa Valley Wines available from Liquor Barn:
| Winery | Vintage | Variety | Appellation | Fanciful | Auction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cuvaison | 2019 | Pinot Noir | Los Carneros | The Next Fifty | 24 (2020) |
| Gargiulo Vineyards | 2018 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Oakville | G Major Augmented | 24 (2020) |
| Louis M. Martini Winery | 2018 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | 24 (2020) | |
| Nickel & Nickel | 2018 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Oakville | John C. Sullenger | 24 (2020) |
| Paraduxx | 2018 | Red Wine | Napa Valley | Stylishly Napa Valley | 24 (2020) |
| Tres Sabores | 2018 | Zinfandel | Rutherford | 24 (2020) | |
| Yao Family Wines | 2017 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Rutherford | 24 (2020) | |
| Belle Glos | 2017 | Pinot Noir | Napa Valley | Eulenloch | 23 (2019) |
| Ca' Momi | 2017 | Pinot Noir | Los Carneros | 23 (2019) | |
| Eleven Eleven | 2017 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley | 23 (2019) | |
| Emerson Brown | 2017 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Oakville | Clone 338 Special | 23 (2019) |
| Girard Winery | 2017 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | 23 (2019) | |
| Ideology Cellars | 2017 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley | Cento | 23 (2019) |
| Rombauer Vineyards | 2017 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Atlas Peak | 23 (2019) | |
| Salvestrin | 2016 | Cabernet Sauvignon | St. Helena | Dr. Crane Vineyard Homestead | 23 (2019) |
| Tres Sabores | 2017 | Zinfandel | Rutherford | 23 (2019) | |
| Clos Du Val | 2016 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Stags Leap District | Full Circle | 22 (2018) |
| Leaf And Vine | 2017 | Chardonnay | Oakville | Unicorn Tears | 22 (2018) |
| Twomey | 2016 | Red Wine | Napa Valley | 22 (2018) | |
| FARM Napa Valley | 2014 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley | 20 (2016) | |
| Sterling Vineyards | 2014 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Old Friends | 20 (2016) |
| Rutherford Hill Winery | 2013 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Rutherford | 19 (2015) | |
| Sequoia Grove Winery | 2013 | Cabernet Sauvignon | St. Helena | Healy Vineyard | 19 (2015) |
| LATERAL | 2012 | Cabernet Franc | Napa Valley | 18 (2014) | |
| Canard Vineyard | 2011 | Red Wine | Calistoga | 17 (2013) | |
| William Hill Estate Winery | 2010 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Bench Blend | 16 (2012) |
| Ardente Winery | 2008 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Atlas Peak | Grande Riserva | 15 (2011) |
| Domaine Chandon | 2009 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Mount Veeder | 15 (2011) | |
| Newton Vineyard | 2008 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Spring Mountain District | Piece of the Puzzle | 14 (2010) |
Winery Distribution
Nickel & Nickel is distributed in the following markets. Please contact the winery directly for the most up-to-date distribution information and to explore commercial opportunities.
Domestic:
- California (Far Niente)