Nickel & Nickel
2024 Cabernet Sauvignon
"John C. Sullenger Vineyard"
Oakville AVA
Auction 30 | Lot No. 58
Vintage: 2024
Nickel & Nickel
Cabernet Sauvignon
Oakville
10 cases produced
Highlights
- Our Oakville Sullenger Vineyard yields 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from a single historic site.
- Aged ~20 months in French oak, offering silky texture and crafted to evolve over time.
- Lush blackberry, dark chocolate, cedar, and graphite reveal the vineyard’s essence.
- A rare 10-case expression capturing the unique character of distinct Sullenger vineyard blocks.
Description
Nickel & Nickel’s 2024 John C. Sullenger Vineyard Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon is a truly singular creation—crafted not just from this hallowed single vineyard, but from a handful of exceptional blocks within the historic Sullenger site. These parcels, each defined by its own soil profile and exposure, come together in a 10-case bottling that captures the vineyard’s most expressive character. Aged nearly 20 months in French oak, it delivers a silky, layered structure shaped by meticulous farming and precision winemaking. This limited release stands apart even within Nickel & Nickel’s single-vineyard legacy: a distinctive, block-born Cabernet that reveals Sullenger Vineyard at its most captivating.
Wine Facts
- Single vineyard wine
- Wine is 100% estate grown and bottled
Joe Harden
Winemaker, Nickel & Nickel
Joe Harden, Winemaker, Nickel & Nickel
As Winemaker, Joe Harden oversees the production of Nickel & Nickel’s expansive portfolio of 100 percent varietal, single-vineyard wines from the Napa & Russian River Valleys. Prior to taking the helm of Nickel & Nickel in 2018, Joe served as an integral part of the Robert Mondavi winemaking team where he was the winemaker for Bordeaux varietals and oversaw production of the renowned To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon wines. A Lodi native, Joe was entrenched in the wine business at an early age with a father who worked for a wine distributor and later became a winegower.
A talented athlete, Joe was offered a basketball scholarship to Division I Notre Dame University following graduation from high school. After a while however, he found himself missing California wine country and opted return to the golden state, continuing his passion for basketball and rediscovering his roots in wine. Harden completed of a Bachelor of Science degree in Viticulture and Enology at University of California, Davis in 2011, the 6’7’ college athlete put his oenology career on hold for a year while he tested the waters of a professional basketball career with the NBA D League Warriors in California and then the Ballarat Miners in Melbourne, Australia.
The rigors of the professional circuit, however, led to his return to California in 2012, where he began his internship at Robert Mondavi Winery under the tutelage of winemaker Geneviève Janssens. He advanced to enologist in 2013 and was eventually named winemaker there in 2014.
Utilizing his distinctive background to lead the single-vineyard winemaking program at Nickel & Nickel, Joe is able to further expand upon the innovative mission established at the winery with its founding in 1997.
When he is not making wine, Joe resides in Yountville with his wife Hannah, also an alum of the UC Davis basketball program. Together they enjoy cooking, reading, brewing beer and biking and of course, the sharing of fine wine with friends and family.
Country born: United States
Years in the wine industry: 7 years
Lakeshore Sport & Fitness
1320 West Fullerton
Chicago IL 60614
312-730-7333
Other Premiere Napa Valley Wines available from Lakeshore Sport & Fitness:
| Winery | Vintage | Variety | Appellation | Fanciful | Auction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rutherford Hill Winery | 2023 | Red Table Wine | Napa Valley | The Vista | 29 (2025) |
| STEREOGRAPH | 2023 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Oakville | 29 (2025) | |
| VGS Chateau Potelle | 2023 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | 40th Anniversary Cuvée | 29 (2025) |
| Baldacci Family Vineyards | 2022 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley | Valley's Beauty | 28 (2024) |
| Gamble Family Vineyards | 2022 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Oakville | New Beginnings 2.0 | 28 (2024) |
| Cliff Lede Vineyards | 2021 | Cabernet Sauvignon | Stags Leap District | Bohemian Thrill | 27 (2023) |
| Hyde Vineyard Estate | 2022 | Pinot Noir | Los Carneros | 27 (2023) |
Winery Distribution
Nickel & Nickel 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:
- California (Far Niente)