Kerr Cellars
2023 Merlot
"Sideways "
Napa Valley AVA
Auction 29 | Lot No. 122
Vintage: 2023
Kerr Cellars
Merlot
Napa Valley
5 cases produced
Highlights
- A masterfully crafted single-vineyard wine that is sourced from the Sage Ridge Vineyard in Napa
- A wine with incredible purity and depth that highlights the elite nature of this hillside site
- 100% Clone 181 Merlot aging in French oak for 18 months, 40% new
- Handcrafted by “Winemaker of the Year” Helen Keplinger from a selection of our best barrels
Description
Handcrafted by “Winemaker of the Year” Helen Keplinger from a selection of our best barrels, Sideways is a masterful single-vineyard wine that is sourced from the Sage Ridge Vineyard in Napa. It is a wine with incredible purity and depth that highlights the elite nature of this hillside site.
Helen Keplinger
Winemaker, Kerr Cellars
Helen Keplinger always loved rocks, dirt, art, science, and being outdoors – all which dynamically come together in winemaking.
After graduating from Smith College, she moved to California in 1998 to attend the MS program in Enology at UC Davis. Since UC Davis, she has worked with Heidi Barrett, Kathy Joseph, Claude Gros, Michel Rolland, and David Abreu. Since 2004, she has made wine for Cellers Melis (Priorat, Spain), Kenzo Estate, Arrow & Branch, Bryant Family Vineyards, and is currently the Winemaker for Kerr Cellars, Waterfall, Carte Blanche and Grace Family Vineyard and the Consulting Enologist at Force Majeure in Washington.
In 2006, Helen launched Keplinger Wines in Napa Valley, with a focus on small production, single vineyard Rhone varietals wines. Upon the first release, her husband, DJ Warner, joined the winery to help manage the business side of Keplinger. Since then, acclaim has been building, with press accolades naming Helen Food & Wine Magazine’s 2012 Winemaker of the Year and she graced the cover of Wine Spectator’s June 15, 2014 edition, with an inspired story by James Laube. She was also awarded a Smith College Medal in 2017 for excellence in her field.
Now also making Cabernet Sauvignon under her own label in addition to her Rhone varietal wines, Keplinger focuses on making seamlessly-crafted, terroir-driven wines from distinctive and diverse sites in Napa, Sonoma and the Sierra Foothills. All the vineyards are hillside or mountain sites, carefully farmed in collaboration with Keplinger for health, balance, and the highest quality. The wines are made in small lots, with close attention paid to every detail.
Keplinger constantly strives to make unique wines that are expressions of their vineyards and vintages. Today, production of ten boutique cuvees totals 1,800 cases, with a single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from the Oakville AVA has been added to the line up in 2014.
Country born: USA
Education: UC Davis MS Enology
Years in the wine industry: 20-30 years
Honors / Awards:
Smith College Award for Excellence in her field
Winemaker of the Year 2012 Food and Wine
Winemaking Philosophy:
Seamlessly crafted, terroir-driven wines from distinctive and diverse sites in Napa, Sonoma and the Sierra Foothills.
Total Wine & More
6600 Rockledge Drive Suite 150
Bethesda MD 20817
301-547-0757
Other Premiere Napa Valley Wines available from Total Wine & More:
| Winery | Vintage | Variety | Appellation | Fanciful | Auction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alta Nova Cellars | 2023 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Diamond Mountain District | AG Vineyard 1 of 1 | 29 (2025) |
| Amici Cellars | 2023 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Oakville | Beckstoffer Heritage Blend | 29 (2025) |
| Antinori Napa Valley | 2023 | Red Table Wine | Atlas Peak | A27 The Next Generation of Antinori | 29 (2025) |
| Axios | 2023 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | 29 (2025) | |
| Barnett Vineyards | 2023 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Spring Mountain District | Rattlesnake Blend | 29 (2025) |
| Beau Vigne | 2023 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Rutherford | Titania | 29 (2025) |
| Bella Union | 2023 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Rutherford | 29 (2025) | |
| Cakebread Cellars | 2023 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Suscol Mountain Vineyard | 29 (2025) |
| Chappellet Vineyard | 2023 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Upper Terraces | 29 (2025) |
| Clos du Val | 2023 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Stags Leap District | Cypress District | 29 (2025) |
| Faust | 2023 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Coombsville | The Pact | 29 (2025) |
| Favia | 2023 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Oakville | Scalene Dream | 29 (2025) |
| Foley Johnson | 2023 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Peral Vineyard | 29 (2025) |
| Gallica, Snowden Vineyards, Trois Noix | 2023 | Cabernet Franc | Napa Valley | Phenolic Femmes | 29 (2025) |
| Grgich Hills Estate, Spottswoode Estate Vineyard & Winery | 2023 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Re-Generation | 29 (2025) |
| Inglenook | 2023 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Rutherford | Heritage Blocks | 29 (2025) |
| Ink Grade | 2023 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Howell Mountain | Prophet’s Water | 29 (2025) |
| JaM Cellars | 2023 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Coombsville | 29 (2025) | |
| Kerr Cellars | 2023 | Merlot | Napa Valley | Sideways | 29 (2025) |
| Long Meadow Ranch Winery | 2023 | Cabernet Franc | Napa Valley | 29 (2025) | |
| Miner Family Winery | 2023 | Cabernet Franc | Napa Valley | P&J Vineyard | 29 (2025) |
| Napa De Oro | 2022 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Coombsville | AU79 | 29 (2025) |
| Nickel & Nickel | 2023 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Oakville | John C. Sullenger | 29 (2025) |
| PlumpJack Winery | 2023 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Oakville | 29 (2025) | |
| Quintessa | 2023 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Rutherford | Corona | 29 (2025) |
| S. R. Tonella Cellars | 2023 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Rutherford | 29 (2025) | |
| Saintsbury | 2024 | Pinot Noir | Los Carneros | Georgie | 29 (2025) |
| Shafer Vineyards | 2023 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Stags Leap District | Sunspot Vineyard | 29 (2025) |
| Silver Oak | 2023 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | State Lane Legacy | 29 (2025) |
| Silverado Vineyards | 2023 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Caldera | 29 (2025) |
| Spoto Family Wines | 2021 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Oakville | Family Reserve | 29 (2025) |
| Stag's Leap Wine Cellars | 2023 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Stags Leap District | Judgment of Paris 50th Anniversary | 29 (2025) |
| TATE | 2023 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Mount Veeder | 29 (2025) | |
| Titus Vineyards | 2023 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | 29 (2025) | |
| Volker Eisele Family Estate | 2023 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Chiles Valley District | 29 (2025) | |
| ZD Wines | Non-vintage | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Petit Abacus | 29 (2025) |
| Amici Cellars | 2022 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Fire & Ice | 28 (2024) |
| Baldacci Family Vineyards, Chimney Rock Winery, Pine Ridge Vineyards, Quixote Winery | 2022 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Stags Leap District | Stags Leap Unleashed | 28 (2024) |
| Beaulieu Vineyard | 2022 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Rutherford | Maître Cuvée | 28 (2024) |
| Bella Union | 2022 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Rutherford | 28 (2024) | |
| Belle Glos | 2022 | Pinot Noir | Napa Valley | Eulenloch | 28 (2024) |
| Bougetz Cellars | 2022 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Yountville | 28 (2024) | |
| Burgess Cellars, Heitz Cellar, Stony Hill Vineyard | 2022 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Founder's Cuvée | 28 (2024) |
| Cakebread Cellars | 2022 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Suscol Ranches | 28 (2024) |
| Chimney Rock Winery | 2022 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Stags Leap District | Swan Song | 28 (2024) |
| Davies, Diamond Creek, Diamond Mountain, Dyer, The Vineyardist, Wallis | 2022 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Diamond Mountain District | Diamond Mountain Six | 28 (2024) |
| Duckhorn Vineyards | 2022 | Red Wine | Napa Valley | Three Palms Vineyard Red Blend | 28 (2024) |
| Far Niente | 2022 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Oakville | 28 (2024) | |
| Faust | 2022 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Coombsville | THE PACT | 28 (2024) |
| Foley Johnson, PEJU | 2022 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Rutherford | Heart of the Valley | 28 (2024) |
| Freemark Abbey | 2022 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Rutherford | 28 (2024) | |
| Ghost Block Estate Wines | 2022 | Red Table Wine | Yountville | Maratona | 28 (2024) |
| Monticello Vineyards | 2022 | Cabernet Sauvignon | St. Helena | Yewell Vineyard | 28 (2024) |
| Nickel & Nickel | 2022 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Oakville | John C. Sullenger Vineyard | 28 (2024) |
| Pine Ridge Vineyards | 2022 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Stags Leap District | Trailblazer | 28 (2024) |
| Red Thread Wines, Summit Lake Vineyards & Winery | 2022 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Howell Mountain | 28 (2024) | |
| Robert Mondavi Winery | 2022 | Red Table Wine | Oakville | To Kalon Vineyard | 28 (2024) |
| Rombauer Vineyards | 2022 | Cabernet Sauvignon | St. Helena | Stice Lane | 28 (2024) |
| Saintsbury | 2023 | Pinot Noir | Los Carneros | Lee Vineyard | 28 (2024) |
| Shafer Vineyards | 2022 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Stags Leap District | Sunspot Vineyard | 28 (2024) |
| Silver Oak | 2022 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Echoes of Exceptionality | 28 (2024) |
| Spring Mountain Vineyard | 2022 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Spring Mountain District | Vista 42 | 28 (2024) |
| TATE | 2022 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Jack's Blend | 28 (2024) |
| Women Winemakers | 2022 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Women Winemakers | 28 (2024) |
| Acumen | 2021 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | 5.71 Carats | 27 (2023) |
| Baldacci Family Vineyards | 2021 | Red Wine | Napa Valley | Assemblage V | 27 (2023) |
| Beau Vigne | 2021 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Rutherford | Titania | 27 (2023) |
| Belle Glos | 2021 | Pinot Noir | Napa Valley | Eulenloch | 27 (2023) |
| Cain Vineyard & Winery | 2021 | Red Table Wine | Spring Mountain District | The Phoenix Rises | 27 (2023) |
| Davies Vineyards | 2021 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Diamond Mountain District | J. Davies Tres Bloques | 27 (2023) |
| Frank Family Vineyards | 2021 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Winston Hill Block 5 - Heart Block | 27 (2023) |
| Ghost Block Estate Wines | 2021 | Red Wine | Yountville | Maratona | 27 (2023) |
| Groth Vineyards & Winery | 2021 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Oakville | Sweet Spot | 27 (2023) |
| La Jota Vineyard Co. | 2021 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Howell Mountain | 27 (2023) | |
| Miner Family Winery | 2021 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Bonny’s Vineyard | 27 (2023) |
| Monticello Vineyards | 2021 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Rutherford | Tietjen Vineyard | 27 (2023) |
| Quilt | 2021 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | 27 (2023) | |
| Quintessa | 2021 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Rutherford | Mt. Calisse | 27 (2023) |
| Robert Mondavi Winery | 2021 | Red Wine | Oakville | To Kalon Vineyard | 27 (2023) |
| Rutherford Ranch Winery | 2022 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Rutherford | Abela Vineyard Charlie's Reserve | 27 (2023) |
| Silver Oak | 2021 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Heritage Homecoming | 27 (2023) |
| TATE | 2021 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Tetz Vineyard | 27 (2023) |
| The Vice | 2020 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Stags Leap District | The Cowboy of Wall Street | 27 (2023) |
| William Cole Vineyards | 2021 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Smoking Gun | 27 (2023) |
Winery Distribution
Kerr Cellars 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:
- Georgia (Eagle Rock Distributing )
- Nevada (Summit Wines & Spirits )
- Virginia (Z Wine Guy)
International:
- Canada - Alberta (Vintage West Wine Marketing)
- Canada - British Columbia (Vintage West Wine Marketing)
- Canada - Ontario (Vonterra)
- Canada - Quebec (Vineo)
- Canada - Saskatchewan (COOP Wine & Spirits)
- Singapore (Alfa International Pte Ltd)