2015 Laird Ghost Ranch Pinot Noir

2017 Laird Ghost Ranch Pinot Noir

with No Comment $40-$50CarnerosKevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaUSA

LAIRD 

2017 PINOT NOIR
GHOST RANCH 

2015 Laird Ghost Ranch Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is remarkably versatile, and stylistically it can be crafted in more ways than just about any other varietal, ranging from light, bright and elegant, to deep, rich and opulent, and of course, everything in-between. Laird’s Single-Vineyard Pinot from Ghost Ranch definitely lives on the full-bodied end of the spectrum, and beautifully reflects that style.
 
Ghost Ranch is a stunning 9 acre vineyard located on the Sonoma side of Carneros. The site got its name from vineyard workers that had reported seeing children between the rows of vines, and when approached, they would vanish.
 
The winery has always attracted expert winemakers, and they’re currently made by Brian Mox whom previously consulted for both Lewis and Etude.
 
The 2017 is an idyllic example of a deep, full-bodied, and lavish Pinot Noir that doesn’t give an inch in terms of balance. So, if you enjoy Big Pinots, the scariest thing about Laird’s Ghost Ranch Pinot would be missing out on a case.   
 
LAIRD 
2017 PINOT NOIR
GHOST RANCH
Retails at:  $48.00/btl
 
Your Price: $43/btl
 
Tasting Notes: “The Laird Ghost Ranch Pinot Noir 2017 is a rich, supple wine with bright acidity along with a lush, satiny mouthfeel. It begins with ripe boysenberry, cherry cola and baking spices, with a hint of sweet vanilla. The finish is penetrating and long, with an overall balance that draws you back in, sip after sip…” 93 Points, Kevin M. Vogt, Master Sommelier
2018 TOR Carneros Napa Valley Chardonnay

2018 TOR Carneros Napa Valley Chardonnay

with No Comment $50-$60CarnerosChardonnayKevin VogtNapaUSA

TOR

2018 CHARDONNAY
CARNEROS, NAPA VALLEY

2018 TOR Carneros Napa Valley ChardonnayIf you enjoy some of California’s top Chardonnays, and you want to find one at an obtainable price, TOR’s 2018 Carneros Chardonnay is for you. When you read below about the origins of the grapes, and then consider that they’re paired with the immeasurable talents of winemaker Jeff Ames, you might just decide to skip right down to the order button…

Tor’s 2018 Chardonnay is a barrel selection from Steve Beresini’s heritage vines, Larry Hyde’s world-renowned Carneros fruit, and the iconic Durell Vineyard in Sonoma, and any one of these three sites could be considered one of California’s Grand Cru Vineyards.

All three sites were hand-harvested separately, and at their individual optimum ripeness before being pressed directly into small French oak barrels, where winemaker Jeff Ames was then able to identify and capture the best qualities from each vineyard, and harmonize them into something absolutely remarkable.

TOR
2018 CHARDONNAY
CARNEROS, NAPA VALLEY

Your Price: $55/btl

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Winery Notes: “This wine is from three historic Chardonnay vineyards, the sum of this winemaker’s selection is greater than its parts. Steve Beresini’s thirty-year-old, dry-farmed heritage vines gives depth and texture, Hyde Vineyard’s wind-cooled topography gives minerality and precision, Durell vineyard contributes richness and opulence. 470 cases made.” 94 Points ~ International Wine Report

2015 Patz & Hall Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay

2015 Patz & Hall Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay

with No Comment $40-$50CarnerosChardonnayHaroKevin VogtNapaUSA

PATZ & HALL 2015 Patz & Hall Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay

2015 CHARDONNAY
HYDE VINEYARD 

 
What does it really mean to be considered one of California’s Grand Cru Chardonnay Vineyards?  To me, the single most important quality is the level of vivid distinction that the site is able to produce year after year.  It’s these vineyards that can produce the most clear-cut examples of their individualistic terroir that will attract many of the greatest Chardonnay producers to make wine from it.  Larry Hyde’s Vineyard in Carneros makes the short-list of California Chardonnay Vineyards that have reached that status and it’s been a long-time source for icons Pahlmeyer, Ramey, Aubert, Kistler, & TOR, to name just a few… Patz & Hall‘s 2015 Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay perfectly expresses the Vineyards profound power, elegance and vivid complexity that have made it so preferred.
 
Founded in 1988 by Donald & Heather Patz, James Hall, and Anne Moses, Patz & Hall built a solid reputation of excellence, and has consistently produced brilliant wines with no shortage of character and overall balance.  Their 2015 Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay was barrel fermented after relentless fruit sorting and attention to every detail.  The winery has been working with Hyde fruit since 1990, and in fact it’s their longest grape purchase relationship which began in just their 3rd year of production.  Over the past nearly 30 years, they’ve produced some of my favorite interpretations of this in-arguably renowned site. 
 
PATZ & HALL
2015 CHARDONNAY
HYDE VINEYARD 
Retails at:  $65.00/btl
 
Your Price: $49.99/btl  
YOU SAVE 23%
 

 
“Restraint in the use of oak paid off here. Distant smoke mingles with sea air on the nose. It’s on the palate that the ripeness and richness of the wine becomes apparent – there is bundled force and warmth at the centre of this, radiating outward with finessed power. A big but elegant wine. Drinking Window 2020 – 2030″  93 Points

 
 
“Rich in green apple and fig, this wine offers medium-bodied weight and breadth and grainy acidity. From the famous site planted to densely concentrated berries, it’s fleshy and textured, with plenty of complexity from spice and oak.“ 92 Points

 
“…offering subtle glimpses at lemon peel, white peach and orange blossom scents with hints of oyster shells, shaved almonds and coriander seed. Medium bodied with a lovely satiny texture, it offers plenty of mineral and citrus flavors with a long, refreshing finish.” 91 Points
 
Customers who enjoy Patz & Hall Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay  may also enjoy these two terrific Chardonnays…
2016 Lobo Wulf Vineyard Chardonnay 2017 Montagu Durell Vineyard Chardonnay
LOBO 
2016 CHARDONNAY
WULF VINEYARD
Retails at:  $60/btl
 

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Tasting Notes: “This gorgeous wine highlights a full, intense palate of rich, yet balanced flavors, loaded with Golden Delicious apple, exotic tropical fruit, ripe pear and pineapple flavors. These intriguing characteristics all intermingle on the palate, then slowly taper off with a satisfying sweet vanilla/toasty oak finish. Drink now through 2021.“
93 Points, Kevin M Vogt, Master Sommelier
MONTAGU
2017 CHARDONNAY
DURELL VINEYARD
Retails at:  $55/btl
 

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Winery Notes: “This Chardonnay hails exclusively from the Durell Vineyard in Sonoma Coast. The Chardonnay is bright, powerful, and driven by a flinty minerality balanced with tropical fruit notes of white peach, honeyed apricots, and lemon curd with hints of mint and citrus. This wine was fermented in French barrels and spent one year in barrel leading to wonderfully balanced oak integration while sur lee aging developed rich complexity.“
2015 Mira Stanly Ranch Los Carneros Napa Valley Pinot Noir

2015 Mira Stanly Ranch Pinot Noir

with No Comment $30 and underCarnerosKevin VogtNapaPinot Noir

MIRA 2015 Mira Stanly Ranch Los Carneros Napa Valley Pinot Noir

2015 PINOT NOIR
STANLY RANCH

 
Have you ever read about a wine with a narrative so compelling that you knew it was something you absolutely had to have?  That’s what happened when we wrote about Mira’s 2014 Stanly Ranch Pinot and we sold it all out in a matter of hours.  Fortunately for all of us and especially those who missed the 2014, the 2015 is a superb follow-up.  After all, it’s made by winemaker Gustavo Gonzalez, who has two decades of experience at one of the top wine Estates in the world.  He’s responsible for crafting the 2001 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia “Masseto” which received 100 points from Wine Spectator and was described as possibly the best Tuscan red ever…  And the vineyard? You might recognize Stanly Ranch from high-scoring, single-vineyard Pinots made by Saintsbury, Cherry Pie, and Merryvale to name a few.  At $45, this is a Pinot worth trying… Join our Insider’s Club (free) and you may want to stock up with enough to share.  
 
Cut from the historic Stanly Ranch Vineyard on the Eastern side of the Los Carneros Appellation which was originally planted in 1870, this Pinot has terrific intensity, brilliantly detail and plenty of focused fruit.  It has all of the components necessary to be something outstanding and our panel was thrilled with the quality at this modest price point.  Just don’t wait too long to secure yours, because this might go fast. 
 
MIRA
2015 PINOT NOIR
STANLY RANCH
Retails at:  $45/btl
 
 
 
Winery Notes: “White chocolate, floral and fruit aromas lead the senses into juicy flavors of fresh plums, sweet berries, hints of tobacco and soft tannins. In its youth this is a very tight wine with an acid back bone that ensures years of complexity.”
2017 Vine Cliff Los Carneros Chardonnay

2017 Vine Cliff Los Carneros Chardonnay

with No Comment $30-$40CarnerosChardonnayKevin VogtNapaUSA

VINE CLIFF 2017 Vine Cliff Los Carneros Chardonnay

2017 CHARDONNAY
LOS CARNEROS

 

This time of year, we start our tastings with nearly two dozen Chardonnays, and see every style from extremely rich, lushious and buttery offerings, to shimmering, unoaked crisp and minerally, Chablis-like examples.  Somewhere in the middle of those very opposite styles you’ll find a perfect balance of concentrated, pristinely focused fruit that perfectly balances the elegant oak and subtle buttery characteristics.  When we find one of these, it really stands out in a crowd of countless others.  Vine Cliff’s 2017 could be the reference-standard for perfectly balanced, intensely powerful Chardonnay…  It is an absolutely pure expression of concentrated fruit with just enough oak and butter characteristics to appeal to anyone that tries it.  If you enjoy Chardonnay, trust me on this one.  It’s one of the best that I’ve tasted in years.

Vine Cliff has a terrific reputation of quality and consistency and is one of Napa Valley’s historic wineries, being established in 1871.  This Chardonnay comes from their  twelve-acre Estate vineyard in the heart of the Los Carneros appellation, an area that’s absolutely perfect for producing perfectly ripe, incredibly balanced Chardonnay fruit.  The fruit was pressed long and slow in a Champagne style to maximize freshness and you’ll taste it in this brilliant Napa Valley Chardonnay.

 
VINE CLIFF
2017 CHARDONNAY
LOS CARNEROS 
Retails at:  $50.00/btl
 

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Winery Notes: “Our 2017 Los Carneros Chardonnay opens up with inviting citrus notes of Meyer lemon and mandarin orange, followed by floral notes of honey suckle, and jasmine. A second breath of wine takes you to a place of minerals, with hints of flint and wet stones. The gentle kiss of oak seems to seep through the fruit ever so slowly. The beauty of this vintage is reflected by the perfect balance between fruit, oak, and acid. The palate exhibits a depth of fruit flavors ranging from golden delicious apple, tangelo, and nectarine. On the finish the wine ends with a medley of honey, citrus, and floral notes.“
 
Customers who enjoy Vine Cliff Los Carneros Chardonnay may also enjoy these two terrific Chardonnays…
2016 Valdez Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2016 Martinelli Bella Vigna Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
VALDEZ
2016 CHARDONNAY
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
 
Your Price: $35/btl 

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Winery Notes: “Smooth, full-bodied, and crisp; The 2016 chardonnay fills the palate with juicy citrus fruits, honey, and hints of vanilla. The 2016 vintage is slightly brighter than the 2015 with a touch more acidity that presents a nice freshness in the wine…“
MARTINELLI
2016 CHARDONNAY
BELLA VIGNA
Retails at:  $45.00/btl
 
 
The core of Martinelli’s 2016 Bela Vigna Chardonnay comes from the iconic Zio Tony Ranch Vineyard and was brightened with fruit from Martinelli Road.  On the palate, the wine has regal opulence matched with majestic balance, and displays focused flavors spanning from lemon meringue pie and lemon blossoms to honeyed pineapple.
2016 Orrin-Sage Napa Valley Chardonnay

2016 Orrin-Sage Napa Valley Chardonnay

with No Comment $30 and underCarnerosChardonnayKevin VogtNapaUSA

ORRIN-SAGE

2016 CHARDONNAY
NAPA VALLEY 

2016 Orrin-Sage Napa Valley Chardonnay
The best wines are much more than just flavors and aromas.  Great examples should evoke feelings, a sense of place and some even have mystical elements.  We found all of the above in Orrin-Sage’s Chardonnay and in the new 2016 release the fairytale continues and becomes even more engaging. This new chapter has been rewritten from the Maldonado’s cool and wind-swept vineyard on Jameson Canyon Road in Napa Valley’s Southern most point.  As I read further into the glass, the story became more detailed and full of lavish characters, with notes of lemon Meringue pie, ripe green figs, freshly picked nectarines and baking spices.  You simply can’t put this one down…
 
This wine was authored by Justin Harmon who gained valuable experience as an intern under Russell Bevan.  It’s illustrated with vivid orchard fruits, Granny Smith apple and rich, creamy undertones.  This is a limited edition, so don’t wait too long to secure yours.  You will need to sign up for our email list to unlock a special can’t-put-it-down value. This Chardonnay would normally command a much higher book price.
 
ORRIN-SAGE
2016 CHARDONNAY
NAPA VALLEY
Retails at:  $49.00/btl
 
 
Tasting Notes: “Penetrating, complex aromas of candied citrus, toast, orchard fruits and vanilla curd.  Concentrated and focused on the palate with layers of fig, lemon creme brûlée, sweet vanilla and light spice.  The wine is expansive, silky and elegant in a way that just makes you want to smile. Simply stunning!”
 
Customers who enjoy Orrin-Sage Chardonnay may also enjoy these two terrific Chardonnays…
 
 
2015 Foley-Johnson Carneros Chardonnay 2015 Hungry Blonde Chardonnay
FOLEY JOHNSON
2016 CHARDONNAY
CARNEROS APPELLATION
Retails at:  $38.00/btl
 
Your Price: $29.99/btl 

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Wrapping your taste buds in a curtain of opulence and serenity, this an absolutely stunning expression of Carneros  Chardonnay was directed by talented winemaker Steve Nelson, former assistant winemaker at Lewis Cellars and winemaker at Chalk Hill… It casts an abundance of honeyed melon, minerals and  warm hazelnut across your palate.  If you’re searching for a rich, textured  Chardonnay that’s not the least bit overbearing, this one’s for you.   
HUNGRY BLONDE
2015 CHARDONNAY
NAPA VALLEY, CARNEROS
 
Your Price: $29.99/btl 
 
From Jeb Dunnuck: “There’s 2000 cases of the 2015 Chardonnay Hungry Blonde, and it’s one seriously good Chardonnay. Aged sur lie in 20% new French oak, this classic beauty gives up lot of orchard fruits, some buttered citrus and peach, medium to full-bodied richness, and terrific balance. It’s thereal deal and will keep for 5+ years. At 30 bucks it’s a killer value.”  94 Points

2014 Baldacci Allwin Syrah, Carneros, Napa Valley

with No Comment $30 and underCarnerosSyrahUSA

BALDACCI

2014 ALLWIN SYRAH
CARNEROS, NAPA VALLEY

I’ve always been drawn to perfectly made, cool climate California Syrah. It’s the combination of lush fruit, soft tannins and supple berries that I find incredibly alluring and I was recently reminded of that in a bottle of Baldacci 2014 Allwin Syrah.  The wine is stacked with lavish, enchanting and brooding flavors that saturate your palate and carry all the way through the long, supple finish.  Subtle smoked meats and bacon fat with hints of leather add to the layers of fascination.  I personally can’t wait to bring a case of this home and share it with my friends and family this Fall. The flavors and aromas in this wine will pair perfectly with everything Fall. 
 
The 2014 Allwin Syrah was carved out of a single vineyard in Napa Valleys cool climate Carneros AVA, and after meticulous sorting, the wine was fermented whole berry, adding to the complex flavors and dimension.  I should add that Baldacci’s Vineyard Manager is Josh Clark, one of wine country’s most sought after viticulturists, whose list of clients include icons like Outpost, Hourglass, and Kinsella and to list a few…  Wines like this don’t come around very often at under fifty bucks…

  

BALDACCI
2014 ALLWIN SYRAH
CARNEROS, NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $45/btl
 
 
Winery Notes: “The structure is firm and powerful with rich, dark chocolate aromas followed by macerated blackberry fruit flavors with nicely punctuated notes of black paper spiciness.” 
 
Customers who enjoy Baldacci Allwin Syrah may also enjoy these two terrific Reds…  
 
2015 San Liege The Offering Proprietary Red 2015 Westwood Legend Proprietary Red
SANS LIEGE
2015 THE OFFERING
PROPRIETARY BLEND
 
Your Price: $29/btl

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Made in a magnetic style that draws you in with lavish aromas that become increasingly compelling with aeration, Sans Liege’s Southern Rhone inspired blend The Offering is wine that I simply love.  A remarkable fusion of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre, the 2015 saturates your taste buds with a velvety texture, intermixed with vibrant red fruits, crème de cassis, juicy blackberries, and savory spices that you coming back for more.
WESTWOOD
2015 LEGEND
PROPRIETARY RED
Retails at:  $44.00/btl
 
 
From Tasting Panel: “... (25% Syrah, 25% Grenache, 25% Mourvèdre, 15% Zinfandel and 10% Tannat) … The perfume is primarily floral: gardenia, red rose petals – with accents on red plum and an echo of black pepper. The palate is a silk road with gritty chocolate tannins. But the ruby slippers that carry you down the path bursts with red plum, dark chocolate cherries, exotic jasmine and grilled meat with soy sauce. The finish is pleasurable with a creamy cedar note.”  95 Points
2016 Laird Ghost Ranch Pinot Noir

2016 Laird Ghost Ranch Pinot Noir

with No Comment $40-$50CarnerosKevin VogtNapaPinot NoirUSA

LAIRD

2016 PINOT NOIR
GHOST RANCH

2016 Laird Ghost Ranch Pinot Noir
I love it when a wine has flavors are so deep and penetrating, that it might be described as chilling, spine-tingling and scary good.  All three of these descriptors came time mind when I tasted Laird’s 2016 Ghost Ranch Pinot Noir.  It was authored by Brian Mox, who spent several vintages crafting the high-scoring Lewis wines, always ranking among the best in the Valley.  It comes from an incredible Pinot Noir Vineyard in Carneros where vineyard workers have long reported seeing children between the rows and down by the creek… that would vanish when approached.  Eerie!  With just a few hundred cases produced, most of the production goes to their wine club.   I strongly recommend securing yours before it vanishes… 
 
Made in a deep, velvety style that I love, Laird’s 2016 Ghost Ranch is haunted by spine-tingling allure, laced with shades of wild blueberries, black cherries, vanilla and spices.  If you like your Pinot Noirs a little fuller bodied, deep, and rich, I strongly recommend a case of this limited release.
 
LAIRD
2016 PINOT NOIR
GHOST RANCH
Retails at:  $48.00/btl
 
Your Price: $42.99/btl
YOU SAVE 10% 
 
Winery Notes: “With enticing garnet hues, that leads way to aromas of fresh raspberries, toasty oak, Bing cherries and baking spice. With a medium body and a balanced smooth palate that opens to distinct layers of wild strawberry, vanilla & sweet cherry compote...”
 
Customers who enjoy Laird’s Ghost Ranch Pinot Noir may also enjoy these two outstanding wines from Laird…
2014 Laird Jillian's Blend Proprietary Red 2014 Laird Phantom Ranch Pinot Noir
LAIRD
JILLIAN’S BLEND
2014 NAPA VALLEY 
Retails at:  $48.00/btl
 
 
When Napa Valley’s preeminent farming family uses just 3% of their grapes to produce their own wine, they’re able to hand select the absolute best grapes, producing wines of unrivaled quality.  We’ve always loved Laird’s Jillian’s Blend, but our affection was further solidified when we tasted the new vintage side-by-side another Napa Cab Blend that we love, which retails at $70/btl. We unanimously agreed that the Laird eclipsed it by a healthy margin.  
LAIRD
2014 PINOT NOIR
PHANTOM RANCH
Retails at:  $55/btl
 
 
Composed in a chillingly deep, velvety style that I love, and we don’t have anything else quite like it on our tasting menu in Yountville…  Laird’s 2014  Phantom Ranch is haunted by spine-tingling allure, laced with shades of wild blueberries, spring flowers, vanilla and spices. If you enjoy full-bodied, deep, velvety Pinots, I strongly recommend a case of this limited release.
2016 Pahlmeyer Napa Valley Chardonnay

2016 Pahlmeyer Napa Valley Chardonnay

with No Comment $70-$80Atlas PeakCarnerosChardonnayKevin VogtNapa

PAHLMEYER

2016 CHARDONNAY
NAPA VALLEY 

2016 Pahlmeyer Napa Valley Chardonnay
Becoming Napa Valley’s first Cult Chardonnay after Demi Moore tried to seduce Michael Douglas in the hit movie Disclosure back in 1994, Pahlmeyer became nearly impossible to acquire, overnight. More than two decades later and it’s still making a powerful statement of prestige, along with three 95 Point reviews, the demand is still going full-bore.  It’s made in a style that has remarkable weight, dimension and intensity, and under the guidance of Bibiana Gonzalez Rave it’s only gotten better. She’s added a level of elegance to the wines that marries perfectly with the classic rich, unctuous style that Pahlmeyer is known for.
 
Created from the winery’s Estate Vineyard, as well as Antinori’s Antica Vineyard on Atlas Peak and Larry Hyde’s iconic Vineyard in Carneros, the 2016 has all the ingredients necessary to be everything you’d want in a powerful yet elegant Napa Valley Chardonnay.  With attention to every minute detail, the fruit was picked at night before being rigorously inspected by hand at the winery.  Kept for 11 months in 100% new Francois Freres oak Barrels, the wine is simply gorgeous.
 
PAHLMEYER
2016 CHARDONNAY
NAPA VALLEY
 
Your Price: $79.99/btl
 
 
“… Apricot, honey, dried flowers and lightly buttery notes get a kick of energy from the freshness of vintage and the personality of the mountain sites (Estate and Antica) that inform this bottling, Winemaker Bibiana Gonzalez-Rave has brought an added level of finesse to the Pahlmeyer Chardonnay.”  95 Points
“The 2016 Chardonnay has a lovely savory, yeasty/toasty nose over a core of warm grapefruit, fresh apricots and allspice with a touch of candied ginger. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers mouth-filling stone fruit and spicy layers, supported by great freshness and finishing long and creamy.”  95 Points
“Gorgeous aromatics of heady voluptuousness conjure elements of caramel, honey and baked apple behind a golden hue of color in this memorable, no-holds-barred white. The flavors follow through along a lengthy layered pathway lined in sparks of anise and key lime, finishing in juicy crisp acidity.”  95 Points
 
Customers who enjoy Pahlmeyer Napa Valley Chardonnay may also enjoy these two terrific wines…
2015 DuMOL Chloe Russian River Valley Chardonnay
 2014 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red
DuMOL
2015 CHLOE CHARDONNAY
RITCHIE-LORENZO VINEYARDS
 
Your Price: $67.99/btl

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From Jeb Dunnuck: “… a big, rich, classic Russian River Chardonnay that has loads of ripe orchard fruits, honeysuckle, dried herbs/earth, and spice all soaring from the glass. It’s another impeccably balanced, pure, classic effort from this estate that does everything right.”  97 Points
PAHLMEYER
PROPRIETARY RED
2014 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at:  $175.00/btl
 
Your Price:  $159.99/btl 

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From James Suckling: “Fantastic aromatics with blackberries, blackcurrants and iodine. Licorice, too. Medium to fulll body, fine and velvety tannins and a very polished and gorgeous finish. Caressing and dialed in. Why wait? An intellectual wine here. Lovely now.” 97 Points

2015 Etude Grace Benoist Ranch Pinot Noir

with No Comment $30-$40CarnerosKevin VogtNapaPinot NoirUSA

ETUDE

2015 PINOT NOIR
GRACE BENOIST RANCH 

With around two hundred 90+ point scores under their belt, Etude is the reigning King of the Carneros AVA.  Founded in 1982 by wine country icon Tony Soter, I can’t think of any other Carneros winery that defines the AVA as well as Etude, and now nearly four decades later they remain a paragon.  With all of the hallmarks that make the Carneros AVA so wondrous, you can almost smell the fog from the San Pablo Bay in their 2015 Grace Benoist Ranch Pinot.  Classic Carneros down to the core and at $39.99/btl it will put a smile on your face… 
 
Tucked along the Northwest corner of Carneros, Etude’s Grace Benoist Ranch benefits from a strong maritime influence and rocky, volcanic soils, making it ideally suited for Pinot Noir.  A correlation of the best grapes from individual vineyard blocks on Grace Benoist Ranch, this wine always tells the story of a particular vintage from a very unique place.  The 2015 is such a good story that you won’t be able to put it down until the last page has turned.   
 
ETUDE
2015 PINOT NOIR
GRACE BENOIST RANCH
Retails at:  $47.00/btl
 
Your Price: $39.99/btl 
YOU SAVE 14%
 
 
“… the 2015 Pinot Noir Grace Benoist Ranch has a savory, sautéed herbs-laced nose over a core of red currants, cranberries and Bing cherries plus hints of dusty earth and iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the palate with savory/earthy flavors, framed by chewy tannins and finishing with a lot of interesting layers.”  92 Points
 “... a deeply colored effort that has medium-bodied notes of red currants, cherries, campfire and forest floor. It has plenty of texture and a charming, rounded, delicious style ideal for drinking over the coming 4-5 years.”  91 points

 

 
Customers that enjoy Etude Grace Benoist Ranch Pinot Noir,  may also enjoy these two terrific Pinots… 
2015 Two Sisters Lindsay's Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014 Solamente Terra Blanca Vineyard Carneros
TWO SISTERS
2015 PINOT NOIR
LINDSAY’S VINEYARD
Retails at:  $75.00/btl
 

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From Wine Enthusiast: “Plump red cherry, rust, dried sage, wild thyme and baking spices show on the nose of this top-end regional wine from Bill Foley. The palate shows cohesive well-woven flavors of strong red fruits, turned earth, brown spice, cracked pepper and a menthol-like finish. The acidity is perfect, the tannins soft but structural.”   93 Points
SOLAMENTE
2014 PINOT NOIR
TERRA BLANCA VINEYARD
Retails at:  $65.00/btl
 
 
Cellar Tracker Tasting Notes: “This deep ruby wine flaunts bright aromas of cranberries, black cherries, raspberries, pickling spice and violets. Medium-bodied, fresh, seamlessly alcoholic (14.5%) and with medium-weight but grippy tannins, it has impressive presence on the mid-palate. The medium length finish concludes with a wisp of oak. This is an outstanding Pinot…“