New ‘cult’ California wine released

A California Cabernet tipped to achieve cult status has gone on sale priced at $799 a bottle.

King of Clubs is the fruit of a collaboration between Robert Mondavi Jr., entrepreneur Christopher R. King and restaurateur Justin Anthony.

As reported by Forbes, the first vintage of the Napa Valley red, which boasts a simple label shaped like the club symbol in a deck of cards, is 2010.

The wine, which spends two years in new French oak, is a blend of 86% Cabernet from Oakville, 10% Cabernet from the Napa Valley floor and 4% Petite Sirah.

A long standing friend of Robert Mondavi Jr., King embarked on the collaboration due to a desire to create a wine in Napa that would age in a similar way to the top wines of Bordeaux.

An avid wine collector, King is bullish about the price tag and the idea of deliberately creating an “envelope pushing” the majority of consumers won’t be able to afford.

“It was made for connoisseurs by connoisseurs. For the top 1% of the world who really love high-end, prestigious wine,” King told Forbes.

“What Rob’s grandfather did when he made Opus One – I think we are doing that again. We went all out,” he added.

Taking Harlan Estate as a benchmark, King was keen for the wine to be soft and silky in texture, with pronounced fruit, balanced oak and restrained alcohol.

In a bid to craft the wine to King’s specifications, Mondavi sought fruit from a friend’s vineyard on the eastern bench of the Oakville appellation.

King of Clubs 2010 is on sale at Wolfgang Puck’s Beverly Hills restaurants Spago and Cecconi’s. Those keen to get hold of a bottle can also sign up to the waiting list on the King of Clubs website.