2018 Beau Vigne Romeo Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2018 Beau Vigne Romeo Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $50-$60Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleRutherfordSaint HelenaUSA

BEAU VIGNE

ROMEO CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2018

2018 Beau Vigne Romeo Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
With over two decades of winemaking experience, Julien Fayard has earned respect among winemakers in Napa Valley. He began in his family’s Provençal winery, then spent valuable time in Bordeaux at Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte. After relocating to Napa Valley, Julien worked as the Director of Winemaking for Philippe Melka and currently oversees small boutique wineries, including Beau Vigne, combining his elegant French winemaking style with bold California elements.
 
The Beau Vigne Romeo Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 is a charming blend of premier vineyards in Oakville, Rutherford, and St. Helena that’s impossible not to love. Beau Vigne’s limited production is a prize to behold, especially in exceptional vintages such as 2018 that will continue to deliver with an elegant demeanor and complementary depth.
 
BEAU VIGNE
ROMEO CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2018
Retails at: $100
 
 
 
“Dark chocolate cherry and roasted coffee intensity glides in on a sleek mouthfeel. Seductive notes of blackberry and licorice rise up to a massive shouldered – yet balanced – red. In his youth, Romeo is cloaked in dark violet flowers that bloom as the wine opens up.”
97 Points
2018 Vista Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Reserve

2018 Vista Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Reserve

with No Comment $30 and underCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaRutherfordUSA

VISTA

RUTHERFORD RESERVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2018

2018 Vista Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Reserve
Vista commands the wine world’s attention as the only Cabernet Sauvignon from Rutherford at $25, powerfully reflecting the region’s signature complexity, elegance, and dusty tannins, a combination unmatched anywhere in the world. Qualities magnified further by the 2018 vintage and amplified by time in the bottle, unleashing a richer, more opulent, complex Cabernet that will make anyone rethink what’s possible at this price level.
 
This 2018 offering originates from Rutherford’s Western side, where the soils and microclimate produce pristine, complex fruit. The Cabernet Sauvignon is clone 337, often used in cult wines, and it’s balanced with 15% Oakville Cabernet Franc and 6% Rutherford Merlot. The resulting wine reflects the vintage with a purity of fruit and complexity that expands into mineral-laced black fruits, blue violets, iron, and Rutherford dust hints. If you’re looking for a wine that tastes like it should be at least double the price, this is it.
 
VISTA
RUTHERFORD RESERVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2018
 
Your Price: $25
 
 
“The Vista Reserve Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 has a gorgeous, powerful nose of blackberry pie filling, French lavender, sweet vanilla and brioche. On the palate, this opulent beauty is rich and concentrated, with a core of focused fruits and flavors including mountain blackberries, red plums, ripe blueberries, menthol, vanilla spice, and dark chocolate, all supported by fine grained fruit tannins. It is amazingly ready-to-drink now, but has the structure to cellar for a decade.” 
95 Points, Kevin M. Vogt, Master Sommelier
2018 Beaulieu Vineyards Georges De Latour Private Reserve

2018 Beaulieu Vineyards Georges De Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaRutherfordUSA

BEAULIEU VINEYARDS

GEORGES DE LATOUR
PRIVATE RESERVE 2018
CABERNET SAUVIGNON

2018 Beaulieu Vineyards Georges De Latour Private Reserve
Few wines in the Napa Valley have the same historical prestige as Beaulieu Vineyard’s Georges de Latour Private Reserve, setting the benchmark for Napa Cabernet Sauvignon for over 80 years. André Tchelistcheff didn’t know it at the time, but his talented winemaking helped create one of the most collected American wines and one of the first true “cult” Cabernets in the New World.
 
André coined the term “Rutherford dust” because of the unique aroma that gives wines a provenance that can’t be matched anywhere else in the world. The 2018 release is an elegantly structured wine with layers of complexity and finely integrated tannins that create a solid backbone for aging, making it a fine addition to any collector’s cellar. As a side note, former BV winemaker for 27 years, Joel Aiken, is part of our weekly tasting panel, and his insight is invaluable.
 
BEAULIEU VINEYARDS
GEORGES DE LATOUR
PRIVATE RESERVE 2018
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Retails at: $145
 
Your Price: $139.99
 
 
“The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve is fabulous. Inky, rich and explosive, the 2018 is a fine addition to the lineage of one of Napa Valley’s most historic wines. Inky red fruit, chocolate, leather and licorice all open in the glass. Aeration brings out floral top notes, raspberry and a hint of blood orange. There is plenty of depth, but the tannins are finer than they were a few years ago. Shorter time on the skins and a reduction in barrel fermentations really allow the pedigree of these Rutherford sites to come through. The 2018 is sensational.”
98 Points
 
“Blackberry, blackcurrant and mint with some sage and crushed-stone undertones. Full-bodied with chewy tannins that are in-check and nicely polished. Smoke, toasted oak and bark at the end, complementing the fresh yet ripe fruit. Drink after 2024.”
98 Points
 
“The famous wine lives up to its historic promise in this wonderfully complex and structured vintage, the wine showing an abundance of tension and youthful grip. Earthy in dried herb, cedar and sage, it shares notes of black currant, cassis and forest within a textured and brightly layered foundation of elegant ageablity. Enjoy best from 2028–2038.”
97 Points, Cellar Selection
2018 Martin Ray Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2018 Martin Ray Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $30 and underCabernet SauvignonHowell MountainKevin VogtNapaOak KnollRutherfordStags LeapUSA

MARTIN RAY

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2018 NAPA VALLEY

2018 Martin Ray Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Martin Ray Vineyards and Winery embraces the “wines of place” philosophy, perenially producing wines that showcase the best of the region’s site-specific terroir. The Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon blends four different sought-after appellations: Howell Mountain, Oak Knoll, Rutherford, and Stags Leap District, giving this wine diversity from the select vineyards.
 
This release is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that underwent hand punch-downs for two weeks in open-top fermenters and then aged in 40% new French oak for 16 months. Any wine drinker familiar with Martin Ray knows the consistency of high quality from vintage to vintage the wines have to offer, and the 2018 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon hits a home run for the superior level of sophistication in the bottle at this price.
 
MARTIN RAY
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2018 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $30
 
Your Price: $25
 
 
“Deep and manicured with blueberry and blackberry aromas and flavors. Full-bodied and tight with super polished tannins and a tight, racy finish. Beautifully crafted tannins make this exciting. Better after 2022, but already beautiful. Screw cap.”
93 Points
2015 Corley Proprietary Red Napa Valley

2015 Corley Proprietary Red Napa Valley

with No Comment $70-$80Kevin VogtNapaOak KnollProprietary RedRutherfordSaint HelenaUSAYountville

CORLEY

PROPRIETARY RED
2015 NAPA VALLEY

2015 Corley Proprietary Red Napa Valley
The Corley family and their dedicated team are well known for creating single vineyard premium Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from their vineyards in Rutherford, St. Helena, Yountville, and Oak Knoll. In 1990 they planted Cabernet Franc in their Oak Knoll vineyard with the vision of producing a Meritage of the three varieties.
 
The 2015 vintage is a small production of just 506 cases comprised of 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Cabernet Franc, and 32% Merlot, created to be approachable in its youth while also having the capability to age and can be enjoyed at every phase of its development. With over five years in the bottle, the 2015 perfect showcases Chris Corley’s winemaking ability, the strong vintage, and choice of vineyards.
 
CORLEY
PROPRIETARY RED
2015 NAPA VALLEY
 
Your Price: $75
 
 
“The 2015 Corley Proprietary Red Wine opens with lavender, cassis, freshly picked blackberries, cherry cola, cloves, and crushed volcanic rocks. The palate is intense and complex, with flavors of black plums and cocoa powder with a hint of savory black olives. This wine is simply stunning at the moment and is an excellent food wine that will age gracefully for the next decade or so.”
96 Points
2019 Steps Reserve Barrel Select Proprietary Red

2019 Steps Reserve Barrel Select Proprietary Red

with No Comment $40-$50Diamond MountainKevin VogtNapaOakvilleProprietary RedRutherfordUSA

STEPS

RESERVE BARREL SELECT
2019 PROPRIETARY RED

2019 Steps Reserve Barrel Select Proprietary Red
Each year STEPS is re-birthed as it’s formed from declassified grapes from some of Napa Valley’s most coveted vineyards and meticulously blended by winemaker Grant Long, Jr, whom you might know from Aonair, Witchery, and James Joseph. Grant makes the blend with an unwavering goal of producing a showy, opulent red, guided by the vintage and the varietals that performed best. The 2019 release reflects the vintage’s knockout power and blanketing intensity, and at $50, the value is nearly inconceivable.
 
Steps 2019 Barrel Select draws on Diamond Mountain’s concentrated fruit and expressive flavors, then brings Rutherford elegance and Oakville complexity into play with absolute grandiosity. The final blend is more than 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, elevated with Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Merlot, crafted in a richly layered, lavish, hedonistic style. The wine is a steal at $50, and at $45, a single case won’t be enough.
 
STEPS
RESERVE BARREL SELECT
2019 PROPRIETARY RED
Retails at: $50
 
 
 
“The 2019 Steps Reserve Barrel Select is beautifully aromatic with violets, ripe black plums and black raspberries, dark chocolate, and wet stones. On the palate, flavors of blueberry pie, cocoa power, and a savory mushroom component add additional layers of complexity. The tannins are fine-grained, giving the wine a velvety texture felt throughout the long and opulent finish that slowly fades away on the palate, revealing its complexity one layer at a time.”
95 Points
2019 Steps Reserve Barrel Select Proprietary Red

2019 Steps Reserve Barrel Select Proprietary Red

with No Comment $40-$50Diamond MountainKevin VogtNapaOakvilleProprietary RedRutherfordUSA

STEPS

RESERVE BARREL SELECT
2019 PROPRIETARY RED

2019 Steps Reserve Barrel Select Proprietary Red
Each year STEPS is re-birthed as it’s formed from declassified grapes from some of Napa Valley’s most coveted vineyards and meticulously blended by winemaker Grant Long, Jr, whom you might know from Aonair, Witchery, and James Joseph. Grant makes the blend with an unwavering goal of producing a showy, opulent red, guided by the vintage and the varietals that performed best. The 2019 release reflects the vintage’s knockout power and blanketing intensity, and at our price, the value is nearly inconceivable.
 
Steps 2019 Barrel Select draws on Diamond Mountain’s concentrated fruit and expressive flavors, then brings Rutherford elegance and Oakville complexity into play with absolute grandiosity. The final blend is more than 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, elevated with Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Merlot, crafted in a richly layered, lavish, hedonistic style. The wine is a steal at $50, and at $45, a single case won’t be enough.
 
STEPS
RESERVE BARREL SELECT
2019 PROPRIETARY RED
Retails at: $50
 
 
 
“The 2019 Steps Reserve Barrel Select is beautifully aromatic with violets, ripe black plums and black raspberries, dark chocolate, and wet stones. On the palate, flavors of blueberry pie, cocoa power, and a savory mushroom component add additional layers of complexity. The tannins are fine-grained, giving the wine a velvety texture felt throughout the long and opulent finish that slowly fades away on the palate, revealing its complexity one layer at a time.”
95 Points
2019 Silver Ghost Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2019 Silver Ghost Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet SauvignonCalistogaKevin VogtNapaRutherfordUSAYountville

SILVER GHOST 

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2019 NAPA VALLEY

2019 Silver Ghost Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Named after Weston Eidson’s great-grandfather’s love for the legendary automobile of the same name- the 1909 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, Silver Ghost Napa Valley Cabernet embodies the same precision, power, and class. Weston’s winemaking parallels in quality, gaining much of his experience from mentors Jason Moore and Russell Bevan.
 
Crafted from a selection of high-quality grapes from Rutherford, Calistoga, and Yountville, Silver Ghost is bold and expressive with 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and 5% Petite Verdot aged 22 months in 50% new French oak barriques. This value-driven wine compares to other Napa Valley Cabernets that are double and triple the price and thoroughly impressed our tasting panel when it stood out in a lineup of a few dozen respected producers within Napa Valley.
 
SILVER GHOST 
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2019 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at $40
 
Your Price: $35
 
 
“I’m always impressed by the quality to value this producer offers in his wines, and this new release is another absolute winner. The 2019 Silver Ghost Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon begins with a nose including black cherries, pink peppercorns, dried sage, bay leaf, and violets. The palate showcases red currants, wild red berries, fresh tobacco leaf, cardamom, delicate mint, and oak spice. While this bottle will certainly benefit from a few extra years of aging, it is drinking beautifully now and will continue to for another decade.”
92 Points
2016 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Lot C-91

2016 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Lot C-91

with No Comment $90-$100Cabernet SauvignonHowell MountainKevin VogtNapaOakvilleRutherfordSt HelenaUSA

HEITZ CELLAR

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2016 LOT C-91
2016 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Lot C-91
Joe Heitz pioneered single-vineyard wines in Napa Valley, and in 1969 he blended select plots from his most prized vineyards, discovering that he could create a wine with the qualities he desired most – aging potential, complexity, and depth. Lot C-91 encompasses this art of assemblage, gracefully presented with concentrated fruit, focus, and sophisticated complexity. 
 
Heitz is a historic winery that continues to pursue the same traditional, age-worthy style for which they’re well known and respected. For the last 50 years, Heitz Cellar has sourced fruit for Lot C-91 from premium parcels in St. Helena, Oakville, Rutherford, and Howell Mountain, representing a step-up in quality, achieving the density and length of a genuinely fantastic wine, which recently earned an extraordinary score.
 
HEITZ CELLAR
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2016 LOT C-91
 
Your Price: $99.99
 
 
“Blue fruit with stone, lavender and currant aromas and flavors. Fresh herbs too. Medium-bodied with ultra-fine tannins. Such firmness and focus and beauty. A blend of all their top single vineyards. Drink or hold.”
96 Points
2018 Quintessa Proprietary Red Rutherford

2018 Quintessa Proprietary Red Rutherford

with No Comment $100 and overKevin VogtNapaProprietary RedRutherfordUSA

QUINTESSA

PROPRIETARY RED
2018 RUTHERFORD

2018 Quintessa Proprietary Red Rutherford
Quintessa was founded on 280 acres of diverse geology, providing many different terroirs, each individually monitored to ensure the perfect ripening of the grapes for their flagship red wine. In addition, the application of organic and biodynamic farming enables them to capture the nuances of each plot in every bottle produced.
 
Quintessa sees each vintage as an opportunity to listen to the land, create a deeper connection, and better understand how each plot is affected by its composition, aspect, and microclimate. 2018 was a milder vintage that slowed down ripening, allowing for more complex flavor development, perfect ripeness, and refreshing acidity for one of the finest and purest examples to date.
 
QUINTESSA
PROPRIETARY RED
2018 RUTHERFORD
 
Your Price: $210
 
 
“This is beautifully polished with firm, dusty tannins to the blue fruit, as well as chocolate and cedar character. Some much earthier character, too, from mushrooms to bark. Forest flowers. Perfumed. It’s full-bodied with round tannins and a soft, creamy finish. Some iron and iodine to this. So attractive at the finish. From biodynamically grown grapes.”
99 Points