2019 Dana Estates 'Vaso' Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

“This estate has turned into one of the superstars of Napa Valley thanks to the energetic and visionary ownership of Korean Hi Sang Lee and his son [in-law], along with the winemaking guru Philippe Melka. These are all sensational wines coming from some of the best sites in Napa Valley.” – Robert Parker Dana [DAH-nah] means “Spirit of Generosity” in Sanskrit, and it’s a fitting description for the hospitable vibe of this beautiful winery and compound in the northwest corner of the Rutherford Bench, not to mention the rich and giving wines that are made there. We’re thrilled to introduce you to Dana Estates, offering wines of precision and symmetrical beauty. Proprietor Hi Sang Lee is a wine nut, and that’s putting it mildly. In the early 1990s, he realized that nobody was importing the greatest wines of the United States into South Korea, and over the years, by dint of sheer determination and hustle, built a very successful wine importing company. Today his portfolio is full of luminaries like Harlan, Bond, Caymus, Dominus, Screaming Eagle, Shafer, Peter Michael, and Kosta Browne. In 2005 Mr. Hi decided to join ‘em, buying a ghost winery and vineyard called Helms, and completing a total renovation of a stone winery that had lay in ruins for decades. Only a consultant like Philippe Melka would do to oversee winemaking. Today this property is a new luminary of the Napa Valley, producing utterly collectible wines.