2022 Parcel One Petite Sirah Sonoma County

2022 Parcel One Petite Sirah Sonoma County

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtPetite SirahSonomaSonoma ValleyUSA

Parcel One

Petite Sirah
Sonoma County 2022

2022 Parcel One Petite Sirah Sonoma County

The 2022 Tom Eddy Parcel One Petite Sirah shows a different side of a winemaker known for Napa Cabernet Sauvignons that ask for time and attention. Here he turns to Petite Sirah from Sonoma’s celebrated Kick Ranch Vineyard, producing a wine of serious depth and concentration. It balances dense blackberry fruit, smoked spice, and firm mountain structure with a composure that keeps everything remarkably well judged from start to finish.

Kick Ranch sits high above the Sonoma Valley floor, where rocky volcanic soils and cool Pacific breezes come together. The site gives Petite Sirah power and freshness at once, along with thick-skinned intensity and natural structure. That combination brings the 2022 Parcel One a lively energy that many wines in this category simply lack.

Tom Eddy has never chased flash or early drinkability. His reputation rests on structure, balance, and longevity, and those same qualities define this bottle. It delivers the dark, saturated intensity Petite Sirah lovers seek, yet it stays controlled and polished enough to invite another glass. At $36 against the $55 winery price, this is one of those wines people will wish they had bought more of once it’s gone.

Parcel One
Petite Sirah
Sonoma County 2022
Winery $55

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“The Parcel One 2022 Petite Sirah from Sonoma opens with floral notes, violets, forest floor, ripe plums, boysenberries, a hint of black pepper, and dark chocolate. On the palate, the wine has flavors of dark cherry, black currant, bittersweet chocolate, spice, and graphite minerality. The wine has smooth, almost powdery tannins and balanced acidity that bring freshness and lead into a lovely finish, cascading through the characteristics of a classic Petite Sirah.”

93 Points

NV Sherwin Cellar Scraps #19 Napa Valley Red

NV Sherwin Cellar Scraps #19 Napa Valley Red

with No Comment $70-$80Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedSpring MountainUSA

Sherwin

‘Cellar Scraps’ #19
Napa Valley Red

NV Sherwin Cellar Scraps #19 Napa Valley Red

Cellar Scraps #19 is one of those wines that catches your eye even before you open it. The packaging pulls you in, but what’s inside holds your attention. From one of Spring Mountain’s most respected producers, this is Sherwin giving the reins a gentle loosen. It is a multi-vintage blend drawn from serious Napa sites, offering a level of creativity and playfulness you rarely encounter at this quality.

The concept is straightforward, yet the execution is anything but simple. Sherwin selects fruit from top vineyard sources across Napa and builds the blend barrel by barrel. Cabernet Sauvignon forms the backbone, while the supporting varieties are woven in with real precision, adding texture and dimension. The multi-vintage approach gives the team the freedom to fine-tune every detail, and it shows in the final wine.

It opens with immediate charm, but there is real depth beneath the surface. Dark fruit and spice lead the way, followed by a smooth, layered texture that unfolds across the palate. Structure keeps everything neatly in place, maintaining focus and composure through a finish that lingers longer than you expect. Polished, expressive, and genuinely complex, this is the kind of Napa blend that confidently overdelivers.

Sherwin
‘Cellar Scraps’ #19
Napa Valley Red
Retails: $85

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“The Cellar Scraps #19 Napa Valley Red Wine has an exciting array of complexity on the nose with juicy red and black cherries, boysenberries, hints of cedar and black tea leaves, balsamic glaze, and savory spices. On the palate, the wine has a smooth texture with a bit of a bite from tannic structure. The flavors match the aromas on the palate with a mélange of red and black fruits, spices, and a finish of hot cocoa. This wine is very well balanced and very easy to drink, with potential for aging as well.”

94 Points

2018 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Lot C-91 Napa Valley

2018 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Lot C-91 Napa Valley

with No Comment $90-$100Cabernet SauvignonHowell MountainKevin VogtNapaOakvilleRutherfordUSA

Heitz Cellar

Cabernet Sauvignon
Lot C-91 2018
Napa Valley

2018 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Lot C-91 Napa Valley

A visionary pioneer, Joe Heitz etched his name into Napa Valley history by introducing the region’s first vineyard-designated Cabernet Sauvignon from Martha’s Vineyard in the late 1950s. He subsequently founded Heitz Cellar in 1961.

Lot C-91 traces its origins to the autumn of 1969. Joe had a profound realization: by carefully selecting grapes from his finest parcels, he could craft a wine that transcended the sum of its components. The resulting wine embodies the culmination of five decades of relentless dedication, experimentation, and an unwavering pursuit of excellence. 

A passionate homage to Joe Heitz, who passed in 2000, this cuvée is meticulously crafted in each vintage. The 2018 vintage, predominantly sourced from estate vineyards in St. Helena, incorporates fruit from the revered appellations of Oakville, Rutherford, and Howell Mountain. The result is a flawlessly balanced Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, a timeless testament to Joe Heitz and his enduring legacy.

Heitz Cellar
Cabernet Sauvignon
Lot C-91 2018
Napa Valley
Retails at: $120

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“In 1969, Joe Heitz made a cuvée that was more outstanding than his Napa Cabernet, but not a single-vineyard bottling. In 2018, after the winery was bought by Gaylon Lawrence Jr., the team at Heitz discovered four bottles and decided they should set out to recreate Joe’s experiment. It is the boldest of the bunch: a delicious hedonistic pleasure filled red with excellent balance and teeming with pure dark fruit notes, rich earthen spices, dried purple florals, cedarwood, tobacco, and dark chocolate — a firm acid backbone frames fine-grained tannins. There is plenty of richness, balanced by tension and energy. Lawrence Wine Estates Master Sommelier and CEO Carlton McCoy calls it the ‘uber Napa cuvee’ and the best multi-site expression of Heitz for the vintage.”

95 Points

2022 Post & Vine Carignane Lodi California

2022 Post & Vine Carignane Lodi California

with No Comment $30 and underCarignaneKevin VogtLodiUSA

Post & Vine

Carignane 2022
Mule Plane Vineyard
Lodi, California

2022 Post & Vine Carignane Lodi California

The Post & Vine Carignane sets itself apart by returning to something California doesn’t always prioritize: its own history. Drawn from old vines in Lodi, it carries a natural depth and balance that doesn’t need shaping, only preservation. Under Rebekah Wineburg, the wine reflects a deliberate choice to step away from modern excess and allow the vineyard to define the outcome.

Mule Plane Vineyard exists as part of California’s earlier chapter, where Carignane was planted for durability, not prestige. Decades later, those same vines now offer something far more compelling: depth shaped by age, and structure that forms naturally. That continuity gives the wine its foundation, connecting it directly to a farming style that has largely disappeared.

That foundation allows Rebekah to do what she does best: step back. After years working at estates like Rudd, Staglin, Ornellaia, and Quintessa, her approach is intentional. She applies that experience not to shape the wine, but to protect it, guiding it so that what defines it remains intact from start to finish.

Post & Vine
Carignane 2022
Mule Plane Vineyard
Lodi, California

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“This dark red colored Carignane from Post & Vine opens with a forest floor and red raspberry bouquet with hints of nutmeg and pencil shavings. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied with integrated medium plus acidity. The mouthfeel is well-balanced, smooth, and fresh with nice tension. The flavor profile is spiced red plum and stony minerality blend with notes of red licorice and oolong tea. We also detected hints of cranberry and lingonberry. The finish is dry, and its flavors, acidity, and moderate fine-grained tannins stick around for a very long time. We would pair this outstanding value Carignane with poached salmon with wild rice and raspberry vinaigrette or roasted lamb with rosemary. Enjoy – KWGTP”

93 Points

2022 Saddleback Zinfandel Calistoga Napa Valley

2022 Saddleback Zinfandel Calistoga Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50CalistogaKevin VogtNapaUSAZinfandel

Saddleback

Zinfandel 2022
Calistoga, Napa Valley

2022 Saddleback Zinfandel Calistoga Napa Valley

Calistoga Zinfandel takes on a deeper, more resonant voice in the 2022 Saddleback Cellars offering, where old vines translate warmth and intensity into depth and composure. The fruit arrives with presence, carried by a steady sense of control that shapes power into structure, revealing a wine defined by precision, balance, and composed authority.

The foundation lies in carefully selected old-vine sites in Calistoga, where smaller yields concentrate flavor while preserving energy. These mature vines bring layered depth, capturing both the warmth of the valley floor and the lift that defines the region at its best. This interplay gives the wine its sense of movement, where richness and freshness exist in seamless alignment.

What emerges is a Zinfandel of striking precision, its structure holding firm from the first impression through a long, composed finish. That control reflects the influence of Nils Venge, who has spent decades shaping wines that balance power with poise. That legacy comes through in every detail in this release, directing intensity into a form that feels both enduring and complete.

Saddleback
Zinfandel 2022
Calistoga, Napa Valley
Retails at: $56

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“Plump and brooding, with deep and ripe blackberry, cassis, licorice and toasty spice flavors that finish with briary tannins. Drink now through 2032. 782 cases made.”

92 Points

2024 Raen Pinot Noir Royal St. Robert Cuvee

2024 Raen Pinot Noir Royal St. Robert Cuvee

with No Comment $70-$80Kevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaSonoma Coast

Raen

Pinot Noir 
Royal St Robert Cuvée
Sonoma Coast 2024

2024 Raen Pinot Noir Royal St. Robert Cuvee

Raen’s Royal St. Robert Cuvée Pinot Noir captures the Sonoma Coast with striking definition, where tension, lift, and depth converge in exact proportion. From the first impression, it feels deliberate, shaped by an uncompromising focus on site and carried with a balance that is immediately apparent.

Drawn from the far Sonoma Coast, the vineyards exist in constant dialogue with the Pacific. Wind, fog, and shifting light shape each day of the growing season, slowing ripening and preserving the wine’s natural tension. The freshness and purity are inherent. Every detail, from aromatics to texture, traces back to a landscape that defines the wine at every level.

In the cellar, that same focus guides each step forward. Gentle extraction captures detail without forcing it, while élevage frames the wine without pulling it away from its origin. The texture moves seamlessly, with depth and energy carried together with precision. It finishes the way it begins, composed, focused, and lingering, leaving a lasting impression that feels both complete and unmistakably tied to place.

Raen
Pinot Noir 
Royal St Robert Cuvée
Sonoma Coast 2024

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“Spellbinding aromas of rose petals, strawberries, citrus and bark, with hints of lemongrass. Medium-bodied, tight and structured, this offers a captivating combination of linear intensity and calmness, so classy and sophisticated. A continued benchmark for American pinot noir. Drink or hold.”

99 Points

2024 Far Niente Chardonnay Napa Valley

2024 Far Niente Chardonnay Napa Valley

with No Comment $50-$60ChardonnayCoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaUSA

Far Niente

Chardonnay 2024
Napa Valley

2024 Far Niente Chardonnay Napa Valley

Defined by control and guided by grace, Far Niente’s 2024 Chardonnay achieves richness and precision in equal measure. It feels sculpted, its cool-climate origins articulated through vibrant acidity and a firm mineral spine. By forgoing malolactic fermentation, the wine preserves a crystalline edge, allowing the estate’s proprietary “Charlemagne” selection to reveal layered texture with focus.

Rooted in Coombsville’s gravelly loam and volcanic ash soils, it carries a mineral tension that grounds its generosity. These well-draining sites promote slow ripening, building depth while safeguarding natural acidity. The wine broadens across the palate, then narrows with purpose, finishing long and composed, its architecture as deliberate as its texture.

Balance is the defining signature. Acidity remains vivid, fruit precise, oak integrated rather than pronounced. Nothing dominates; everything aligns. The 2024 does not chase opulence. It relies on proportion, site, and discipline to create a Chardonnay that is confident, structured, and enduringly compelling.

Far Niente
Chardonnay 2024
Napa Valley
Retails at: $76

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“The Far Niente 2024 Napa Valley Chardonnay captivates with an elegance and freshness complemented by a subtle richness, beginning with aromas of citrus blossoms, honeydew melon, ripe nectarine, and sweet cream. On the palate, the wine offers flavors of vibrant lemon and lime zest, hints of vanilla, and delicate baking spices. The wine has a silky texture, balanced acidity and flavors, and a long, polished finish.”

94 Points

2023 Castalia Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

2023 Castalia Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

with No Comment $60-$70Kevin VogtPinot NoirRussian River ValleyUSA

Castalia

Pinot Noir 2023
Rochioli Vineyard
Russian River Valley

2023 Castalia Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

From one of California’s most storied vineyards, the 2023 Castalia Rochioli Vineyard Pinot Noir reveals itself gradually, never all at once. It gathers with intention, each element settling into place with precision. The result is a wine that does not chase impact, but achieves something far rarer: complete harmony.

Continuity defines this wine. Terry Bering has worked at Rochioli Vineyard since 1990, learning it block by block, vintage by vintage, long before site expression became a guiding principle in California. Founded in 1992, Castalia serves as his personal lens on the vineyard, a small-scale project rooted in experience and an unwavering focus on precision.

The 2023 vintage unfolded with rare steadiness, a long and even season that allowed the vineyard to develop without pressure. At Rochioli, where detail defines the outcome, the results are unmistakable. The 2023 Castalia stands among the most complete bottlings in the wine’s history, capturing both the character of the vintage and the depth of understanding behind it.

Castalia
Pinot Noir 2023
Rochioli Vineyard
Russian River Valley

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“The 2023 Castalia Rochioli Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is a striking achievement, even by the lofty standards of this site. The nose bursts with vibrant red cherry, cola bean, and French lavender, laced with crushed granite and mandarin peel, while subtle pie spices add complexity without intrusion. On the palate, it reveals powerful concentration married to remarkable precision. Intense red cherry fruit drives forward in compact, multi-layered waves of depth and intensity, framed by liquid minerals and mouth-quenching acidity that keeps everything vibrant and alive. The finish is long, elegant, and penetrating, echoing for what feels like minutes. This is Russian River Pinot at its most pristine state—pure, profound, and utterly convincing.”

97 Points

2023 Robert Biale Black Chicken Zinfandel Napa Valley

2023 Robert Biale Black Chicken Zinfandel Napa Valley

with No Comment $50-$60Kevin VogtNapaOak KnollUSAZinfandel

Robert Biale

Black Chicken Zinfandel
Napa Valley 2023

2023 Robert Biale Black Chicken Zinfandel Napa Valley

Some wines are born of soil, while others are born of story. Black Chicken is both. Conceived on the Biale family farm in the 1940s as a code whispered over a crackling party-line phone, this Zinfandel has grown into one of Napa Valley’s most revered gems. The 2023 vintage carries that history forward with fresh intensity, a wine that unites heritage with the precision of modern craftsmanship.

Black Chicken is shaped by the Oak Knoll District, where the Biale family has tended their home ranch since the 1930s. This cooler pocket of Napa lends the wine its hallmark freshness and balance, characterized by bright acidity, supple tannins, and fruit that sings with clarity, giving Black Chicken its unmistakable voice.

From vineyard to cellar, every detail of the 2023 vintage was shaped with purpose, yielding a Zinfandel of extraordinary character. Vibrant fruit, supple tannins, and an enduring finish make this release one of the most complete Black Chickens to date. This is a Zinfandel that transcends trend or time, standing proudly as one of Napa Valley’s enduring treasures.

Robert Biale
Black Chicken Zinfandel
Napa Valley 2023

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“A big but cool and well-balanced wine that is full-bodied but fresh. Made from vines averaging 40 years old and from mostly cool parts of Napa Valley, including the Biale family’s vineyard planted in 1937. Moderate tannins lift the vivid raspberry, blackberry, black pepper and umami flavors. Drink or hold.”

94 Points

2021 Renato Ratti Marcenasco Barolo Piedmont Italy

2021 Renato Ratti Marcenasco Barolo Piedmont Italy

with No Comment $70-$80BaroloBaroloItalyKevin VogtPiedmont

Renato Ratti

Marcenasco Barolo
Piedmont, Italy 2021

2021 Renato Ratti Marcenasco Barolo Piedmont Italy

In the hills of La Morra, where Nebbiolo finds its most articulate voice, Renato Ratti Marcenasco stands as both history and living expression. Long before “cru” entered Barolo’s common vocabulary, Ratti was mapping the Langhe with conviction, arguing that each hillside possessed a distinct identity. Marcenasco became the clearest proof of that belief.

 

The vineyard itself carries documented depth, its name appearing in records that trace Nebbiolo cultivation here back centuries. From these rolling slopes, Marcenasco expresses La Morra’s defining signature: aromatic precision, measured authority, and a tensile structure that lingers well beyond the first impression. It is elegance anchored by underlying strength.

 

In the cellar, tradition sharpens rather than softens that identity. The 2021 matures for about two years in oak barrels before an additional year of bottle refinement, building structure while preserving aromatic detail. The aging shapes the wine without imprinting upon it. What remains is unmistakably Marcenasco, a Barolo rooted in place, lineage, and disciplined craft.

Renato Ratti
Marcenasco Barolo
Piedmont, Italy 2021

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“Assertive aromas of graphite, violets, mint and chalky minerality. A stunning, precise wine focused on elegance, with citrus flavors, a full body and lavish, velvety tannins supported by freshness. Long, youthful and savory aftertaste. Try from 2026, but best after 2030.”

97 Points