His first vintage tasting this Cabernet, Jeb Dunnuck raved, “It tastes as though it costs three times the price… Hats off to winemaker Maayan Koschitzky for over-delivering on all these wines from Royal Prince.”

And if you’re a seasoned Operative, you’ll know: THAT WAS AT FULL PRICE.

Today, at 65% OFF and with DOUBLE 94 Points – it’s simple math. You should grab at least nine bottles!!!

Need more? Around the same time Jeb was gobsmacked, the Robb Report published an article modestly titled ‘Why Royal Prince Is Making the Best Wines You Can Buy for Your Money Right Now’. Their conclusion was more succinct, “This is what overdelivering tastes like.”

Let’s begin by introducing the main characters in our vinous play.

Somehow, Maayan Koschitzky is not a household name. At least not yet. And this is despite being intimately involved most of the top wines to come out of Napa. His resumé is CRAZY! Highlights include Simon Family, Lail, Fairchild, Dana Estates, Dalla Valle, and a vintner particularly fond of cease & desist letters whose name rhymes with Seaming Legal. Between his time as the Director of Winemaker at Atelier Melka and his own projects, he’s involved in over 30 wineries in Napa alone!

Meanwhile, his partner in Royal Prince Wines, David Green, is another quiet fixture of the community. If you’ve ever heard of Joel Gott, it’s because of David. But on the luxury end, he was founding CEO of Dana Estates (where he met Maayan), and over the years has helped Cliff Lede, Ehler’s Estate, Turnbull, Vice Versa and more. He’s one of Napa’s top consultants.

The story goes, in 2018 David and Maayan were sharing a bottle over a roast chicken in David’s kitchen. David was discussing his new project. You guessed it – Royal Prince Wines. And by the end of the night, Maayan became his new winemaker.

And here is the value prop – two humble titans of the industry sharing their resources. Though they will never tell you were the fruit comes from (and we Spies do love a good Secret), they work with the best of the best. On a daily basis. If a cult property is looking to make a little extra fruit disappear – and this happens more often than you would think – they are usually the first call.

Robb Report again, “This is not a ‘second label,’ a lineup of entry-level wines that have been declassified from top bottlings and produced to be cheery and cheap and meant to be drunk after that famous interval of aging—the time it takes to get them home from the supermarket… the label is a very deliberate attempt to offer bottles sourced from pedigreed vineyards and draw on the business partners’ joint industry connections, relationships with growers and winemaking expertise to overdeliver on their price points.”

It’s a little bit of a passion project for them. A way to offer something impeccably made but affordable, if a bit under-the-radar. And they aim to keep it this way.

If you’ve not had their wines before, 2021 is a great year to dive in. Dunnuck puts it plain, “To get straight to the point (as I always like to do), 2021 is another extraordinary vintage for this region. Coming from a warm, incredibly dry growing season, the wines nevertheless hold onto a beautiful sense of freshness and purity while being concentrated, rich, and structured.”

Pouring opaque purple, it rushes out the gate with dark chocolate, black cherry, black currant, purple flowers, wild bay laurel, and a whiff of smoke. If you like your wine like the complex ensemble cast of a Marvel movie, with all the muscle, drama, and tension to boot, this is for you. It’s a crowd pleaser, but with serious bones, that will continue to delight again and again over the coming years.

At a mere $35 a bottle, the math is on your side. Take full advantage WHILE YOU CAN!

94 Points – Decanter “The Royal Prince 2021 Napa Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon opens with dark berry fruit, dried violets, crème de cassis, leather, charcuterie, and intensely rich, dark, loamy earth. It is medium—to full-bodied with broad-shouldered, muscular tannins, which display an exacting, fine-grained quality, leading to a long, earthy, dried-violet finish. Aged for 20 months in mostly new French oak, this wine is a collaboration between vintner David Green and winemaker Maayan Koschitzky (also the Director of Winemaking at Atelier Melka). Drink 2024-2034.

94 Points – The Tasting Panel “Dense and brushy notes of blackberry and plum skin take a deep dive on the palate, creating a tongue-coating effect. Bold coffee-bean tannins add grip to luxurious effect.”

93+ Points – Jeb Dunnuck “Made by Maayan Koschitzky (of Atelier Philippe Melka), the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is all varietal brought up in French oak. Its deeper ruby/plum hue is followed by a classic Cabernet Sauvignon nose of cassis and black cherries supported by plenty of sappy herbs, graphite, and obvious minerality. This medium-bodied, lively, elegant Cabernet has ripe, building tannins, a good spine of acidity, and outstanding length. Drink this classic, impeccably made 2021 over the coming 10-12 years, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it evolve longer. Drink 2023-2035.”