2023 Caduceus "Anubis" Cochise County, Willcox AVA, Arizona

The 2023 vintage of Caduceus Cellars Anubis is a bold red Bordeaux-style blend primarily composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Aglianico grown in Buhl Memorial Vineyard of Arizona. A rich, bold Red Bordeaux-style blend that serves as the ultimate "meat eaters' go-to wine" due to its heavy, muscular profile. On the palate, this dense red wine delivers a remarkably velvety texture balanced by complex layers of dark cherry and sweet Medjool dates. These deep fruit notes are intricately woven with elegant undertones of dried rose petals and a savory hint of sweet tobacco, all integrated through 18 months of aging in French casks and puncheons.

50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 20% Aglianico.

This specific wine and its producer are highly significant to modern American viticulture because they prove that world-class, elegant wines can thrive outside traditional West Coast regions by mastering high-elevation desert terroir. Founded and operated by winemaker Maynard James Keenan - widely recognized as the frontman for the Grammy Award-winning rock band Tool - Caduceus Cellars shifted the global perception of the Southwest from an agricultural anomaly into a respected winemaking frontier. Keenan is a hands-on vigneron who spent over two decades personally farming 110 acres across Arizona and spearheaded the efforts to secure the official federal registration of the Verde Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA) in 2021. Furthermore, his impact extends beyond individual success through initiatives like the Four Eight Wineworks co-operative, which provides production space for independent local winemakers, and his participation in the Verde River Exchange, which demonstrates how low-yield, sustainable farming can actively protect delicate desert water systems.

There is significant, essential women-led involvement at the core of the winery's operations through his wife and co-owner, Jennifer Keenan. She co-runs the estate, actively manages the intricate laboratory analysis and quality control work essential to crafting the wines, and works alongside Maynard as a named producer for their collective Merkin Vineyards and Caduceus labels. Furthermore, the entire winemaking venture was emotionally and philosophically inspired by a woman; Maynard's late mother, Judith Marie Keenan, served as the driving muse behind his entry into viticulture, and the estate's highly acclaimed flagship home vineyard block is permanently named in her honor.