2017 Alma De Cattleya Sonoma County Pinot Noir

2017 Alma de Cattleya Sonoma County Pinot Noir

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ALMA de CATTLEYA 2017 Alma De Cattleya Sonoma County Pinot Noir

2017 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COUNTY

 
The “Are you kidding me?” moments regarding value pricing of fine wines are getting harder and harder to find.  Wine prices escalate each year, but Alma de Cattleya seems to be suspended in a perfectly insulated time capsule.  This beauty was expertly created by Columbia born, French trained winemaker  Bibiana Gonzalez Rave, whom many of you may recognize as the winemaker for Pahlmeyer… She’s previously made wines at Lynmar and has extensive experience making wine in France as well.  Her new Alma de Cattleya and Cattleya labels are rapidly increasing in popularity with each cork pulled and are setting the bar for what can be achieved at each respective price level.
 
A blend of several methodically selected vineyard blocks centered around the Sonoma Coast AVA and focused primarily around sites positioned very close to the Pacific Ocean, this gorgeous interpretation of cool-climate, classic Sonoma Coast Pinot was authored using the same exacting standards as the Cattleya single vineyard wines which retail for around $70/btl and garner enormous scores.  Remarkably plump and velvety on the palate, this stunning Pinot covers your taste buds in ripe, penetrating fruit, layered in wild rose and violets.  I strongly recommend a case or two, because a Pinot this good, at this price, certainly won’t be available for long. And no, I’m not kidding…
 
ALMA de CATTLEYA
2017 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COUNTY
 
Your Price: $27.99/btl

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From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate: “Pale ruby purple in color, the 2017 Pinot Noir opens with Bing cherries, tart cranberry, blackberry, violet and tobacco leaf aromas with tangerine peel nuance. Light to medium-bodied, it’s fresh and soft in the mouth with crunchy red fruits and citrus accents, framed by soft, grainy tannins and juicy freshness to lift the finish…” 90 Points
 
Customers that enjoy Alma de Cattleya Pinot Noir may also enjoy these two terrific Pinots…
2017 Black Pine Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2015 Joseph Jewell Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
BLACK PINE
2017 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST
Retails at:  $30/btl
 
Your Price: $23/btl

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Winery Notes: “The wine shows appealing aromas of Bing cherry mixed with vanilla and baking spice. The deep ruby and purple wine reveals candied red plum that lingers in the glass…. sensuous and mouth filling and shows black cherry and strawberry flavors. Medium bodied flavors of perfumed Cherry, lush red fruit and clove give way to the bright natural acidity and fine tannins that draw out a long and impressive finish.”
JOSEPH JEWELL
2015 PINOT NOIR
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
Retails at:  $40/btl
 

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From PinotFile: “Moderately dark garnet color in the glass. Terrific nose offering aromas of vivid cherry, raspberry, spice and subtle toast. Thoroughly satisfying in a mid weight style featuring flavors of black cherry, blackberry and spice with a deft touch of oak in the background. Notable mid palate and finishing intensity, with gracious tannins. A charming AVA wine.” 92 Points

2017 Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

with No Comment $40-$50Fort Ross SeaviewKevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

FLOWERS

2017 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST

 

Flowers is a winery that helped shape Pinot Noir production along the extreme Sonoma Coast through style, consistency and quality.  They began their journey nearly 30 years ago and they helped pioneer the plantings of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in what’s now known as the Fort Ross Seaview AVA.  In 2011, it was approved as its own Appellation within the Sonoma Coast region.  The area is also a source for such notables as Peter Michael, Marcassin, Martinelli Martinelli, Fort Ross and Pahlmeyer, to list a few.  The 2017 is wonderfully energetic and blooms with intense raspberry, wild strawberries, lavender and baking spices.  At under fifty bucks, I highly recommend harvesting some for your cellar.

With attention to every detail, Flowers hand-sorts their fruit on their custom-built shaker table before gently dispersing the berries onto the next sorting table where six sorters assess every cluster before allowing only the best fruit to pass through into the fermenters.  Blossoming after 10 months in oak, this Pinot is indescribably beautiful now and will continue to bear gorgeous fruit for the next decade…

 
FLOWERS
2017 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST
 
Your Price: $49.99/btl

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From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate: “Pale ruby-purple colored, the 2017 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast gives up intense scents of kirsch, violets, rose hip tea and chocolate-covered cherries with touches of garrigue and dried Provence herbs. Medium-bodied with delicate floral and red fruit layers in the mouth, it has wonderfully satiny tannins and a long, lively finish.”  90 Points
 
Customers that enjoy Flowers Pinot Noir may also enjoy these two terrific Pinots… 
2015 Trombetta Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2016 Castalia Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
TROMBETTA
2015 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST
Retails at:  $45.00/btl
 
 
From Wine Enthusiast: “This is a juicy exploration of the coast-a well-made effort that showcases notes of forest floor, black tea and savory pine. The black cherry and currant fruit leans dark and brooding, with an impressively balanced, medium-bodied hold on the palate.”  90 Points
CASTALIA
2016 PINOT NOIR
ROCHIOLI VINEYARD
 
Your Price: $59.99/btl

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Arising from one of California’s Grand Cru Vineyards, this Pinot Noir is so enchanting, that it will literally speak to your soul.  A penetrating ruby/purple in the glass, the 2016 is beautifully layered with baked raspberries, warm cranberries, back cherry, roses, shaved chocolates and was carefully guided from grape to bottle by Terry Bering, Cellar Master for Rochioli Vineyards for over two decades…
2015 Trombetta Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

2015 Trombetta Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

TROMBETTA

2015 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST

2015 Trombetta Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
In the 3 years since we opened our tasting room in Yountville, if we had to select one wine that’s generated the most enthusiastic comments out of all of the wines that we’ve poured by the glass, Trombetta Pinot Noir wins by a landslide. We literally smile and watch as even our most discerning customers drop their jaws when they try this wine for the first time. We can’t wait to start showing the newly released 2015 vintage, which is finely detailed with remarkable weight and a generous presence on the palate.  The 2015 shows off in layers of wild blueberries, Morello cherries, dried violets, and dark chocolates.  This brilliant interpretation of Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is simply one of my favorite Pinots that I’ve tasted over the last few years and at under fifty bucks it truly should not be missed.
 
Emerging from the Petersen vineyard, located in the revered Petaluma Gap AVA, this brilliant example of Sonoma Coast Pinot was authored by Erica Stancliff who honed her skills while interning at Rudd and Vina Cobos…  Aged for 10 months in Damy, Francios Freres, Radoux, and Cadus French oak barrels, if you’re searching for love in Pinot Noir… This just might be it.  It is for me…
 
TROMBETTA
2015 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST
Retails at:  $45.00/btl
 
 
From Wine Enthusiast: “This is a juicy exploration of the coast-a well-made effort that showcases notes of forest floor, black tea and savory pine. The black cherry and currant fruit leans dark and brooding, with an impressively balanced, medium-bodied hold on the palate.” 90 Points
 
Customers who enjoy Trombetta’s Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir may also enjoy these two outstanding Pinots…
2016 Laird Ghost Ranch 2014 Martinelli Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
LAIRD
2016 PINOT NOIR
GHOST RANCH
 
Your Price: $42.99/btl

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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 PinotNoir. 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.
MARTINELLI
2015 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST
Retails at:  $45.00/btl
 
Your Price: $39.99/btl

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From Wine Enthusiast, “This is a robust, generous and meaty red wine. On the palate, smoke and toasted oak tones support warm baking spice, black cherry and an undeniable earthiness of cardamom and forest floor.”  91 Points
2014 Martinelli Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

2015 Martinelli Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaSonoma CoastUncategorizedUSA

MARTINELLI2014 Martinelli Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

2015 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST

 
Some of the greatest values in Pinot Noir result from top producers blending their single vineyard wines into a Cuvée of multiple vineyards.   This makes perfect sense too, because a top attribute in Pinot Noir is that it’s one of the most complex varietals in both flavor and aroma, and multiple vineyards can often emphasize that… Martinelli’s 2015 Sonoma Coast Pinot is a wonderful example that combines fruit from Blue Slide Ridge and Three Sister’s Vineyards. At around 1/2 the price of those single vineyard bottlings, the Sonoma Coast embodies the winery’s signature style, which has made them one of the Russian River Valley’s most beloved producers.  At under $40, the level of quality/value is obvious the moment this wine splashes into your glass, as the bouquet grabs you and doesn’t let go.
 
Created in a robust, larger-than-life style, the 2015 also embodies a natural elegance that makes it absolutely irresistible.  The 2015 was created with the help of consulting winemaker Erin Green, who worked alongside Helen Turley in the early 1990’s on some of her projects, and to this day, the winery remains a paragon in the Russian River Valley.  If you love BIG, rich, California Pinot Noirs, you’ll want to secure a case of this one, yesterday.
 
MARTINELLI
2015 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST
Retails at:  $45.00/btl
 
Your Price: $39.99/btl
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From Wine Enthusiast: “This is a robust, generous and meaty red wine. On the palate, smoke and toasted oak tones support warm baking spice, black cherry and an undeniable earthiness of cardamom and forest floor.“ 91 Points
 
Customers who enjoy Martinelli’s Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir may also enjoy these two outstanding Pinots…
2013 Fort Ross FRV Pinot Noir 2016 Laird Ghost Ranch Pinot Noir
FORT ROSS
2013 PINOT NOIR
FRV, SONOMA COAST
Retails at:  $52.00/btl
 
Your Price: $39.99/btl

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From Jeb Dunnuck: “The  2013 Pinot Noir FRV Fort Ross  Vineyard sports a ruby color as well as an open knit, ready-to-go bouquet of dried cherries, tobacco, menthol, and dried herbs. It’s pretty, medium-bodied, rounded, and supple, with an evolved style ideal for drinking over the coming 4-5 years.” 90 Points
LAIRD
2016 PINOT NOIR
GHOST RANCH
 
Your Price: $42.99/btl

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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 PinotNoir. 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.

2016 Martinelli Bella Vigna Chardonnay

with No Comment $30-$40ChardonnayKevin VogtSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

MARTINELLI

2016 CHARDONNAY
BELLA VIGNA

 
The latest releases from Martinelli are so stunning, that Julianna Martinelli came to our tasting room to personally show us how incredible they are, and they quite honestly might be the best they ever produced.  A perfect example is the 2016 Bella Vigna Chardonnay. It is so powerfully rich and yet delicately balanced that words alone can’t describe it. The core of the 2016 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.  At this price, the level of quality/value may just crush everything you thought possible at this price and by the time it’s hits your palate, you’ll wish you had ordered more…
 
The 2016 was brought to life by winemakers Courtney Wagoner and Erin Green. Erin worked alongside Helen Turley in the early ’90’s on some of her projects, including at Bryant Family & Martinelli and also was director of winemaking at Pahlmeyer.  There’s simply never enough of their Chardonnay to meet demand, and based on the quality of the 2016, really high scores aren’t far behind.
 
MARTINELLI
2016 CHARDONNAY
BELLA VIGNA
Retails at:  $45.00/btl
 
 
Winery Notes: “Our 2016 Bella Vigna Chardonnay has notes of lemon, hazelnut, and golden apple on the nose. A bright lemon zest entry gives way to a rich middle and citrus finish.”
 
Customers who enjoy Martinelli Bella Vigna Chardonnay may also enjoy these two terrific Chardonnays…
2014 Charles Heintz Searby Vineyard Chardonnay 2014 Black Cordon Laguna Road Vineyard Chardonnay
CHARLES HEINTZ
2014 CHARDONNAY
SEARBY VINEYARD
Retails at:  $48.00/btl
 
Your price: $39.99/btl 
 
Brought to life from the Searby Vineyard which you might recognize from Kosta Browne, Nickel & Nickel and Duckhorn Migration who have all made Chardonnays from this remarkable hillside vineyard.  This Chardonnay screams cool-climate, impeccably well-made Russian River Valley Chardonnay with penetrating flavors of lemon meringue, Bosc pear, tropical fruits and butterscotch.
BLACK CORDON
2014 CHARDONNAY
LAGUNA ROAD VINEYARD
Retails at:  $65.00/btl
 
 
Tasting Notes: “Rich, decadent and inviting, the 2014  Black Cordon Laguna Road Chardonnay is bursting with Meyer Lemond, almond shavings, tangerine and honeyed apple.  Wildflowers, nutmeg and orange rind add to it’s deep complexity.  On the palate the wine is sensual and balanced with terrific weight and structure”  93 Cases Produced 

2017 Flowers Sonoma Coast Rosé of Pinot Noir

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtRoséSonomaSonoma CoastUncategorizedUSA

FLOWERS

ROSÉ OF PINOT NOIR
2017 SONOMA COAST
 
Blooming with freshly picked strawberry, intense raspberry, wild lavender and rose petals, the 2017 Flowers Sonoma Coast Rosé of Pinot Noir cultivates feelings of energy and jubilation with a single sip. The 2017 was harvested from a selection of family-owned sites within the extreme Sonoma Coast, and including fruit from the winery’s Estate vineyard located in the Fort Ross Seaview AVA, which in 2011 was approved as its own Appellation within the Sonoma Coast.  The area is also a source for such notables as Peter Michael, Marcassin, Martinelli, Fort Ross and Pahlmeyer to list a few, and with a 95 Point score from California Wine Review, I strongly recommend planting some of this in your glass.
 
With attention to every detail, Flowers hand-sorts their fruit on their custom-built shaker table before gently dispersing the berries onto the next sorting table where six sorters assess every cluster before allowing only the best fruit to pass through by gravity flow into the fermenters.  The 2017 is fresh and vibrant and grows even more complex with aeration and at $29.99/btl it simply should not be missed.
 
FLOWERS
ROSÉ OF PINOT NOIR
2017 SONOMA COAST
Retails at:  $32.00/btl
 
Your Price: $29.99/btl

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From California Wine Review: “Layered aromatics of strawberry, raspberry, starfruit and rose petal highlight the complex palate, driven by orange marmalade countered with fresh citrus peels, and balanced by the signature coastal mineralogy and defined salinity.”  95 Points, CA Wine Review
 
Customers who enjoy Flowers Rosé, may also enjoy these two outstanding Rosés… 
2017 Chateau Des Garcinieres Provence Rose
 2017 Azur Rose of Syrah
CHÂTEAU DES GARCINIÈRES
2017 PROVENCE ROSÉ
CÔTES DE PROVENCE
 
Your Price: $23/btl

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Importers Tasting Notes: “… Blessed by the same sun and sea breezes as Tahiti Beach, Cap 21, and the memory of Voile Rouge, it embodies the delicate, romantic taste of 45% Grenache, 45% Cinsault and 10% Rolle, marrying the refreshing flavors of strawberry and cherry, mixed with mineral nuances into one glass…”
AZUR
2017 ROSÉ
 
Your Price $31.99/btl

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A remarkably compelling, Provençal inspired Rosé, brought to life by the ever talented Julien Fayard, who learned his craft at Chateau Lafite Rothschild as well as gained valuable, first-hand experience as Director of Winemaking for Philippe Melka…  Offers elegant layers of raspberry, strawberry and watermelon…
2014 Charles Heintz Searby Vineyard Chardonnay

2014 Charles Heintz Searby Vineyard Chardonnay

with No Comment $30-$40ChardonnayKevin VogtSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

CHARLES HEINTZ 2014 Charles Heintz Searby Vineyard Chardonnay

2014 CHARDONNAY
SEARBY VINEYARD

 
In a conversation about Russian River Valley’s most renowned vineyards, the name Charles Henitz never goes without mention.  Many recognize Heintz Vineyard from luminaries like Williams Selyem, DuMOL and Pierson Meyer that have all purchased their revered grapes.  Charles Heintz also produces a small amount of wine under their own label and under the guidance of Hugh Chappelle, former winemaker at Flowers and Lynmar to name a few… Their 2014 Chardonnay sourced from the Searby Vineyard bears striking balance, precision, detail, and exceptionally delicious complexity.  This wine makes absolutely no excuses at it’s $48 retail price… At $39.99, it’s one of the greatest Chardonnays that I’ve tasted in a long time.
 
Brought to life from the Searby Vineyard which you might recognize from Kosta Browne, Nickel & Nickel and Duckhorn Migration who have all made Chardonnays from this remarkable hillside vineyard.  This Chardonnay screams cool-climate, impeccably well-made Russian River Valley Chardonnay with penetrating flavors of lemon meringue, Bosc pear, tropical fruits and butterscotch. It’s perfectly balanced and leaves your taste buds yearning for another sip.
 
CHARLES HEINTZ
2014 CHARDONNAY
SEARBY VINEYARD
Retails at:  $48.00/btl
 
Your Price: $39.99/btl 

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Winery notes: “Intense stone fruit and tropical fruit aroma are prominent; followed by subtle ripe apple, orange blossom, white flower stoniness.  The aromatics continue on the palate with complex notes of pastry and candied citrus.  Acidity is brisk and racy, with a refreshing juiciness.  A good match with boldly flavored international cuisines, this wine will show best from late 2018 through 2023.“
 
Customers who enjoy Charles Heintz Searby Vineyard Chardonnay may also enjoy these two outstanding wines…
2014 Black Cordon Laguna Road Vineyard Chardonnay 2015 Charles Heintz Swan Selection Pinot Noir
BLACK CORDON
2014 CHARDONNAY
LAGUNA ROAD VINEYARD
Retails at:  $65.00/btl
 
Your Price: $39.99/btl 

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(use code bc40)
 
Tasting Notes: “Rich, decadent and inviting, the 2014  Black Cordon Laguna Road Chardonnay is bursting with Meyer Lemond, almond shavings, tangerine and honeyed apple.  Wildflowers, nutmeg and orange rind add to it’s deep complexity.  On the palate the wine is sensual and balanced with terrific weight and structure”  93 Cases Produced 
CHARLES HEINTZ
2015 PINOT NOIR
SWAN SELECTION
Retails at:  $50.00/btl
 
Your Price: $39.99/btl

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Winery Notes: “Shows deep, dark and inviting appearance and the concentration of the vintage.  Abundant fresh red fruit aromatics including bing cherry, blackberry, black raspberry and ripe Santa Rosa plum.  Subtle notes of Asian spice, cardamom, coriander and subtle clove show underneath the fruit-driven nose.  The texture is expansive and young with youthful tannins.  Consistently our longest-lived Pinot Noir, we expect the 2015 vintage to age beautifully through 2023-2025 with ideal storage conditions.”

2015 Walter Hansel Chardonnays

with No Comment $30-$40ChardonnaySonomaSonoma CoastUncategorizedUSA

WALTER HANSEL

2015 CHARDONNAYS
CAHILL LANE | NORTH SLOPE | CUVEE ALYCE

Each time I share a bottle of Walter Hansel Chardonnay, I get an unequivocal feeling that I’ve under-paid for it, because the wine inside the glass mimics Chardonnays at a significantly higher price.  When the winery comes up in a conversation, it’s very easy to reminisce about how they’re a model of consistency, and how their wines continually outshine the vast majority in their category.  Then comes the reviews, which always shine.  Robert Parker writes that they’re “… consistently terrific wines… realistically priced… consumers couldn’t have a better friend than proprietor Stephen Hansel.”  Their 2015 Chardonnays are brilliantly detailed, profound and offer a glaring sense of value with every sip.  I strongly recommend stocking up, because there’s never enough to meet demand.
 
 
2015 Walter Hansel North Slope Chardonnay 2015 Walter Hansel Cahill Lane Chardonnay 2015 Walter Hansel Russian River Valley Cuvee Alyce Chardonnay
WALTER HANSEL
2015 CHARDONNAY
NORTH SLOPE
 
Your Price: $32/btl
 
From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate: “The 2015 season resulted in tiny clusters and small berries with production levels off by a minimum of 25%. The following 2015s will be bottled unfined and unfiltered. The 2015 Chardonnay The North Slope is a relatively small parcel planted on the sandy, loamy, Goldridge soils. This wine has a light greenish-gold color, a beautiful nose of nectarine, white peach and pineapple followed by a sexy, broad, savory full-bodied mouthfeel with an almost exotic fruit character. This is heady stuff and concentrated as most 2015s are. It should drink nicely for 7-8 years.” 94-96 Points
WALTER HANSEL
2015 CHARDONNAY
CAHILL LANE
 
Your Price: $32/btl
 
From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate: “The 2015 Chardonnay Cahill Lane is made from 100% Old Wente clone and planted in one of the few areas of his vineyard that has adobe-clay soil intermixed with sandy Goldridge material. The yields tend to be relatively large, so Stephen Hansel crop-thinned by at least 30%. The result is a big, beautiful wine that reminds me of a Corton-Charlemagne. Plenty of deep, poached pear, white peach, nectarine, tangerine oil and caramelized citrus are all present in ths wine that shows virtually no oak, full body and loads of texture. Drink it over the next 7-8 years.” 91-94 Points
WALTER HANSEL
2015 CHARDONNAY
CUVEE ALYCE
 
Your Price: $36/btl

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From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate: “The 2015 Chardonnay Cuvee Alyce features lovely lemon curd, pink grapefruit and underripe pineapple with touches of toasted almonds, fresh ginger and honey toast. Medium-bodied and super intense in the mouth, it has a racy line cutting through the electrically charged fruit, finishing very long and minerally…”
94+ Points

 

2014 Ramey Platt Vineyard Chardonnay

2014 Ramey Platt Vineyard Chardonnay

with No Comment $40-$50ChardonnayKevin VogtSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

RAMEY

2014 Ramey Platt Vineyard Chardonnay2014 CHARDONNAY
PLATT VINEYARD

 
If you’ve ever wondered if a winemakers experience could manifest itself directly into the flavors, profound complexity and vivid characteristics in a wine, just try one of David Ramey’s Single Vineyard Chardonnays… David is one of the great pioneers in the California wine industry, having helped put many iconic wineries on the map, including Dominus, Rudd and Jericho Canyon.  His first vintage of Chardonnay was at Simi Winery in 1980 and he’s taken everything that he’s learned along the way and poured it into his own label Ramey Wine Cellars which he started in 1996.  His single vineyard selection of Chardonnays offer Grand-Cru level complexity and they have the scores to back it up.  2014 is the final vintage of his Platt Vineyard designate Chardonnay and with a stellar 95 Point score from Robert Parker, don’t hesitate to secure yours…
 
Emerging from the cool and wind-swept Platt Vineyard, located within a few miles from the Pacific Ocean, this absolutely brilliant expression of cool climate Chardonnay was aged for 19 months in François Frères barrels and bottled without filtration.  Bearing a concentrated core of green orchard fruits interwoven with  veins of rocky minerals, tangerine oil and nutmeg, the wine’s stunning finish goes on and on and on, which is unlike the amount of this wine available, which certainly won’t last… 
 
RAMEY
2014 CHARDONNAY
PLATT VINEYARD
Retails at:  $65.00/btl
 
Your Price: $49.99/btl
YOU SAVE 23%
 
From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate: “The 2014 Chardonnay Platt Vineyard has expressive pink grapefruit, warm peaches and brioche notes with hints of praline and ginger. Medium-bodied with great richness and depth in the mouth, it has a lovely creamy texture offset by a wicked backbone of freshness, finishing long with mineral and savory/yeasty layers.” 95 Points
 
Customers who enjoy Ramey Platt Vineyard Chardonnay may also enjoy these two terrific Chardonnays…
2016 DuMOL Wester Reach Russian River Valley Chardonnay
 2016 Pahlmeyer Napa Valley Chardonnay
DuMOL 
2016 CHARDONNAY
WESTER REACH
 
Your Price: $56.99/btl

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Winery Notes: “ Orange zest, white flower, sweet sage and hay aromas yield to softer peach and apricot. The palate is full of energy and vigor with clear-cut fruit intensity and savory character. Ripe stone fruits dominate with an underscore of oatmeal and marzipan. Texture builds with a core of old vine extract balanced with vibrant lime and oyster shell freshness. The finish is long, cleansing, and refined. Drink between 2018 and 2022.” 
PAHLMEYER
2016 CHARDONNAY
NAPA VALLEY
 
Your Price: $79.99/btl 

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From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate: “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
2016 Anthill Farms Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

2016 Anthill Farms Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

ANTHILL FARMS

2016 Anthill Farms Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

2016 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST

 
I’ll always remember Anthill Farms as the micro-produced Pinot Noir that was kept hidden behind the counter at The Wine Shop. It was so completely under-the-radar that unless you overheard a conversation, or came across some inside information, most people wouldn’t have known it existed.  The scarcity of this brand hasn’t changed much since then.  Their first vintage in 2004 was just 8 1/2 barrels and now they produce around a dozen small-lot Pinot Noirs and a Chardonnay.  The founders all met while working in the cellar at Williams-Selyem winery and they’ve been able to limit the brands exposure and produce absolutely brilliant wines.  At $39.99 a bottle, don’t let this one scurry away.  
 
Created from two of the coolest sites in the Sonoma Coast AVA, the first of which comes from the edge of the Petaluma Gap, and the second from a Ridge near the Pacific Ocean.  While both locations are geographically distinct, they’re also linked by the direct influence of the Pacific’s cool, marine air. Both vineyards give the grapes a long, cool hang-time so they can develop profound flavors, but with enough acidity to keep them lively and fresh.  If you love tiny production Pinot Noirs that won’t be found in your neighbors cellar, this one’s for you… 
 
ANTHILL FARMS
2016 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST
 
Your Price: $39.99/btl 
 
From Vinous: “The 2016 Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast) is endowed with terrific depth in this vintage. Beautifully expressive and resonant, the 2016 offers notable richness in its succulent red cherry, plum and spice nuances. This open-knit, juicy Pinot will drink well with minimal cellaring. This is a fabulous appellation-level Pinot.“ 92 Points
 
Customers that enjoy Anthill Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir,  may also enjoy these two terrific Pinots… 
2014 Trombetta Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2014 Daniel Laguna Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
TROMBETTA
2014 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST
 
Your Price: $44.99/btl 

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From The Wine Enthusiast: “The oak treatment is supportive only, with the wine aged in French oak, 25% of it new, for nine months. Restraint allows it to remain soft and silky on the palate, with inviting characteristics of white pepper, lavender, rose, cranberry, strawberry and vanilla bean.” 93 Points
DANIEL
2014 PINOT NOIR
LAGUNA VINEYARD
Retails at:  $60.00/btl
 
Your Price: $39.99/btl 

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From PinotFile: “Moderately dark reddish purple color in the glass. Inviting aromas of Bing cherry, raspberry and dried herbs draw you into the glass. A forceful attack of delicious dark cherry fruit expands in the mouth, carrying over to a finish with respectable intensity and a burst of acidity.” 92 Points