Secret Agents
Acme Fine Wines

Shop - April 14, 2009

Cultivating relationships with wine merchants makes a lot of sense. Having a few skilled ones at the ready who know your palate and your budget makes wine life more fun. But who helps find hidden gems such as the 11*14 Napa Valley Cab we bought last week? Only one barrel was made! Where's the next Screaming Eagle?

One answer rests in a smartly redecorated warehouse off the beaten path in St. Helena. It's home to specialty retail merchant Acme Fine Wines, brainchild of valley veterans, Karen Williams and David Stevens. In California they know the game and the players; and they have access. They've earned such a reputation for spotting new, upcoming winemakers that vintners seeking fame and fortune come knocking.

Acme matches the preferences of individual customers spread across America with its deep knowledge of little known and hard to get west coast wines, with a really keen eye for Napa Cabs. Whether a bottle or a case, they fill requests like ours: "we enjoy Quintessa meritage reds, Merry Edwards Pinots, and Cliff Lede Sauvignon Blancs, kindly hold for pickup four comparables you adore (three reds and a white) for under $240 all in."

Karen and David are down-to-earth, fair-minded realists who are easy to talk to. We've not yet found a better way to explore once-a-week California wines on our own terms.

Listed below are three stars that Acme's talent seekers have "discovered." In another Minute 00:60 we'll let you know which wines they selected based on our request.

What would you request?

Wine: SHELTER, '27-29', Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2006 ($45)
Case Production: 500
Acme Fine Wines Description
Top winemakers always vinify more top quality wine than they bottle, preferring to tinker with their final blend and add more juice from some barrels than others. The owners of the Shelter project, with their friendships and deep-rooted relationships in Napa, find out about this incredible extra juice and purchase it to label at a fraction of the price. What you end up with is an excellent bottle of wine that's selling for well under its inherent value.

Wine: TRIVIUM, Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena 2005 ($60)
Case Production: 318
Acme Fine Wines Description
This first release is a partnership between a grower, winemaker and wine marketer...these three musketeers have all the essential bases covered. Not ironically, Trivium is Latin for "a place where three ways meet." The fruit is from a specific block of Lewelling Vineyard in St. Helena. Those of you that are "in the know" realize that this is one of the most sought after vineyards in the Napa Valley and certainly among the best in the St. Helena Appellation. This is a terrific new wine which we will be getting behind in a very big way!

Wine: CAVUS, Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District 2005 ($80)
Case Production: Less than 200
Acme Fine Wines Description
The 2005 is the second release for Cavus, a Cabernet Sauvignon made by Dave Phinney (Mercury Head / Prisoner / Papillon / Stanton / Beau Vigne) from a three acre hillside vineyard adjacent to the famed Fay Vineyard. The first vintage was among the top two or three new releases we saw in the 2004 vintage and the 2005 has turned out to be a carbon copy. One must move quickly to acquire some of this beauty.

ACME Fine Wines, LLC
1080 Fulton Lane
St. Helena, CA 94574
Phone: 888 963-0440
www.AcmeFineWines.com

Wine mark-ups and prices vary, and, as such, Wine Country Minute 00:60 cannot guarantee the accuracy of the listed prices. Please check around to find the best price and availability.

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