Popular Outcry Forces Vailia From to Reintroduce Her Famous White!
Last year, something surprising happened. Winemaker Vailia From announced she was discontinuing her beloved Fragment Sauvignon Blanc. Her loyal customers, including us, revolted.
While Vailia is not someone to back down from a fight, when it is your faithful patrons begging you to continue producing a wine they love, it's hard to argue. She agreed that Fragment would live on to see the 2024 vintage. From the looks of this picture that we snapped yesterday during a surprise visit she made to our Elston Avenue store, it appears Vailia has made peace with her decision!
“Winemaker Vailia From's Desparada label is unique in the Paso Robles landscape, focusing on wines that are loaded with freshness and verve without sacrificing textural depth.”
- Wine Advocate, October 2025
Fresh, complex and texturally alluring, the 2024 Desparada "Fragment" is a drop-dead gorgeous bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. We are thrilled to bring it to you today, and do so for what looks to be the best price on the planet.
Read on for the tasting notes, and for a rare crack at her 94-Point "Sackcloth & Ashes" red, then hit down quick on the Big Green Button to get in on the fun!
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2024 Desparada "Fragment" Sauvignon Blanc
Central Coast, California
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This was the very first wine Vailia produced when she opened her winery in 2009. We first worked with it in 2012, and have featured nearly every vintage since.
Irresistible and refreshing, this 2024 release of Desparada “Fragment” Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from a trio of cool-climate vineyards near the Pacific Ocean. The fruit is fermented and raised in a complex combination of neutral oak and amphora, plus a touch of new acacia and French oak. These vineyards and vessels make up the “fragments” that Vailia crafts together to form this flavorful and complex white.
Exploding from the glass with notes of pear, white peach, lime zest, mandarin orange, fresh garden herbs, subtle spice, and a lovely dose of sea spray salinity, the 2024 Fragment is as captivating as ever!
“The 2024 Fragment is a total pleasure on the nose, with a burst of tangerine and lemon zest complemented by minty herbs and a whiff of gingery spice. This is full of zesty tension and saline tension, with citrus-infused orchard fruits and a savory herbal flourish toward the close. It cleans up the palate beautifully, leaving a sour lime tinge and the senses salivating. The Fragment, a varietal Sauvignon Blanc, is refined in a mix of 47% neutral barrels, 32% amphora and 11% new acacia barrels. Drinking Window: 2026 - 2029.”
- 92 Points, Vinous - Eric Guido (4/2026)
This anytime, anywhere wine is delicious on its own, and bold and complex enough to pair with fish tacos, grilled lobster tails, orange chicken, a plate of soft cheeses and so much more. Looking online we found just two listings. Our price beats them both. Great stuff here from a truly inspirational person.
Vin Chicago Price: 25.99
Pre-Arrival Offer of Vailia's "Sackcloth & Ashes" Red!
We learned just two days ago that Vailia had set aside a dozen cases for us of the 2023 vintage of her "Sackcloth & Ashes" Bordeaux-style red. We wasted no time in placing an order, and expect it to arrive in Chicago later in June. Place your order now for pickup beginning on June 20th!
2023 Desparada "Sackcloth & Ashes"
Central Coast, California
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The 2023 “Sackcloth & Ashes” is a Cabernet Sauvignon dominant blend that was aged for 19 months in French oak, 40% of which was new, then bottled unfined and unfiltered. These tasting notes from Vinous are simply mouthwatering…
"The 2023 Sackcloth, Ashes entices with a classic bouquet of pencil shavings, white pepper, cassis and dusty black currants. Silken textures flood the palate with ripe red and black fruits as savory herbal tones and nuances of graphite add complexity toward the close. It leaves a pleasant herbaceous note, finishing with an array of fine tannins and a pleasantly tart blackberry tinge. The Sackcloth, Ashes blends 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Petit Verdot, 11% Malbec and 6% Cabernet Franc. Drinking Window 2027 - 2037.”
- 94 Points, Vinous - Eric Guido, April 2026
Only 417 cases were produced of this sexy red. Winery price is a cool $68, which is the only listing we could find. We are thankful to Vailia for sending a small supply our way!
Vin Chicago Price: 59.99
