This page will feature wines that need Wine Disruption. I am not promoting smoke tainted wines, sweet Napa Cabernets and many more wines around the world not worthy of you spending money on.

The First Disrupted Wine:

This one is easy as the gentleman who brought it had the chance for over a month for me to help recommend a better wine. He could have gone to Sunfish Cellars in Lilydale and picked up my 2nd best wine of the year in 2024 the Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon but made the poor decision to go to Total Wine in Bloomington and purchased the 2022 Double Diamond by Schrader.

  • 2022 Double Diamond (Schrader) Cabernet Sauvignon – USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (1/25/2025)
    $75.00 Cabernet Plus Event (Liz’s House Minneapolis): This wine showcases the terrible wine reviewers in the world. As a pro reviewer and one of the biggest promoters of the tasting process in the world I was able to show 12 others at this tasting what is clearly wrong with this wine. OAK to start but then gets into a molasses on the palate/finish. The fruit is ripe and this wine is a complete disaster. So I was joking that some critic gave this 95 or higher and sure enough Jeb Dunnick did. WOW!!! Almost a slam dunk for top 3 worst wines of the year. The irony of this at the tasting was I always tell people do not go to Total Wine last minute to pick up a wine for an event and sure enough that is what happened. (72 points)
  • Critic Scores: Jeb Dunnuck, 95 Points 
  • “Readers looking to get a taste of the impeccable quality and style from Schrader at a more affordable price point would do well to check out the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Double Diamond. Coming all from Oakville, it has a classic Cabernet nose of black and blue fruits, green tobacco, cedar pencil, damp earth, and chocolate. It’s not over the top and has beautiful varietal character as well as medium to full body, ripe yet present tannins, good overall freshness, and a great finish. This is beautifully done and well worth a case purchase. I’d lean toward drinking bottles over the coming 10-12 years, but I certainly wouldn’t be surprised to see it evolve longer. It’s a candidate for the best Napa Cabernet under $100.” 
  • James Suckling, 94 Points 
  • “An elegant, fruit-driven cabernet sauvignon with notes of red fruit and spices. Fresh herbs, such as thyme. It’s full-bodied and well balanced. The texture is pleasant and smooth with elegant tannins. The finish is long and flavorful.” 
  • Wine Enthusiast, 94 Points 
  • “A Schrader-related wine made by Thomas Rivers Brown, this 100% varietal wine is a showcase of the appellation, wide in appeal and bold, ripe red fruit. Sage, tar, cedar and pencil provide varietal complexity and contrast to the fruit; the tannin’s are integrated yet still grippy. Enjoy best from 2028–2038. Cellar Selection.”  
  • Wine Spectator, 91 Points 
  • “This has a rounded, fleshy feel to the mix of creamed plum and cassis flavors. Light flashes of sassafras and loam provide that Oakville hint, while the fruit holds sway overall.” 
  • Alcohol: 14.5% 

2nd Wine Disrupted: 2019 Orin Swift Cabernet Sauvignon Mercury Head Click Here