2017 Peter Mathis Grenache Sonoma Valley

2017 Peter Mathis Grenache Sonoma Valley

with No Comment $30-$40GrenacheKevin VogtSonomaSonoma ValleyUSA

PETER MATHIS

2017 GRENACHE
SONOMA VALLEY

2017 Peter Mathis Grenache Sonoma Valley
Peter Mathis made wine for over 20 years at Ravenswood while simultaneously working on a side project clearing land in the hills above Sonoma Valley, below the famed Monte Rosso Vineyard. He planted the vineyard himself, carved into Southern-facing slopes, using cuttings from Chateauneuf-du-Pape, achieving his long-held dream of growing premium Grenache in California. 
 
Grown in low vigor volcanic soils, Mathis Vineyard is planted to Grenache vines primarily, but includes a small amount of Petite Sirah, Carigñan, and Alicanté Bouschet, which make up a small percentage of the blend each year. Peter’s clonal selection yields tiny berries with great color and a tannic backbone with extra spice representing European roots with American flair. Our panel was thrilled with the wine’s penetrating fruit, site expression, and stunning balance, and it is a remarkable value at $32.
 
PETER MATHIS
2017 GRENACHE
SONOMA VALLEY 
 
Your Price: $32
 
 
“Among the most dark-fruited examples from the Mathis Vineyard, the 2017 Grenache rivals the 2007 and 2015 for lush blackberry and plum fruit, pepper spice, fresh acidity, firm grip and power—all balanced with the typical sweet, red fruit of all Grenache wines. These past vintages have been some of my favorites: they pair spectacularly with food, age well, and have a “seriousness” about them that I adore. I expect the 2017 to be an absolute top year for Mathis Grenache—highly recommended.”
2017 Enos Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County

2017 Enos Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County

with No Comment $30 and underCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtSonomaSonoma ValleyUSA

ENOS

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2017 SONOMA COUNTY

2017 Enos Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County
Carved from the steepest section of Totem Ridge Vineyard across from Peter Michael Winery, Enos Cabernet Sauvignon delivers substantial value. The site’s rocky, well-drained soils are ideally suited for ripening Cabernet Sauvignon and are planted to clone 337, the backbone of many cult Cabernets. The vineyard yields just 2 tons per acre of intensely flavored berries. 
 
This wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon crafted in a focused, savory style, medium in body, and packed with remarkable complexity and balance uncommon at this price level. At under $20, this is simply one of the best values in our shop.
 
ENOS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2017 SONOMA COUNTY
Retails at: $24
 
Your Price: $19.99
 
 
“The Enos Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 begins with a perfumed nose of bright red and deep black berries, Spring flowers and a hint of vanilla. The palate is smooth and supple with a seamless, easy drinking style that includes black plum, blueberries, red currants and spice. This is a beautiful wine at an amazing value that will drink great over the next 4-6 years.”
90 Points
2019 Details Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County

2019 Details Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County

with No Comment $30-$40Alexander ValleyCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtKnight's ValleySonomaSonoma ValleyUSA

DETAILS

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2019 SONOMA COUNTY

2019 Details Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County
Details Cabernet fuses superior talent, assiduous fruit selection, and rigorous science in creating their value-focused Cabernet, which hails from the Sonoma, Knights, and Alexander Valleys. Their team, let by Ryan Knoth, who previously worked under the tutelage of icons David Abreu, Michel Rolland, and Fredrik Johansson at Staglin, handpicks the fruit to precise analytics equating to optimized flavors and aromas. 
 
Masterfully blending four of Bordeaux’s top five varietals; Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, and Petit Verdot, then adding Petite Sirah, Sinegal’s winemaking team’s obsessive attention to detail paid off. Their efforts result in an enchanting wine that tastes like it should be much more expensive.
 
DETAILS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2019 SONOMA COUNTY
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Details is obviously a very young wine, but its freshness and energy are so compelling. Spice, new leather, menthol, licorice and dried herbs are some of the many notes that grace the 2019. Even in the early going, the 2019 is positively stellar. Franc aromatics and a distinct savoriness from the Petit Verdot add so much character. This may be the best vintage yet. I loved it.”
93-95 Points
2018 Martinelli Zinfandel Vigneto Di Evo

2018 Martinelli Zinfandel Vigneto Di Evo

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtSonomaSonoma ValleyUSAZinfandel

MARTINELLI

2018 ZINFANDEL
VIGNETO DI EVO

2018 Martinelli Zinfandel Vigneto Di Evo
The Martinelli Family’s intimate knowledge of their land developed over 135 years, encompassing six generations with an unsurpassed dedication to farming and crafting wines expressing their place and heritage. Their plantings include Jackass Hill; The steepest non-terraced vineyard in Sonoma County at a death-defying 65 degrees slope, compared to today’s 30 degrees limit. Their Vigneto di Evo Zinfandel is a barrel selection from Jackass, Vellutini, Lolita, and Giuseppe & Luisa vineyards. At $33, it offers a profound glimpse into the lifeblood of their wines. 
 
Guardians of terroir, the Martinelli team strives to consistently produce wines deeply rooted in place, highlighting the vineyard’s character through a hands-off winemaking approach, allowing the wine to go through a set of natural processes with minimal intervention.
 
Courtney Wagoner and Erin Green created this wine to represent the winery’s best Zinfandel plots, manifesting primal energy, heritage, and balance. Deeper, darker flavors developed from the vineyard’s proximity to the Pacific, heightened by old-vine intensity, and refreshed with younger vines, resulting in a fantastic representation of the Estate.
 
MARTINELLI
2018 ZINFANDEL
VIGNETO DI EVO
Retails at: $40
 
Your Price: $33
 
 
“… 2018 “Vigneto di Evo” Zinfandel has energetic aromas of wild strawberry, sweet leather and star anise lift and fill your nose. The palate has balanced acidity and elegant tannins with layers of chocolate and black cherry. Sweet and juicy flavors of blackberry and baking spices linger through the finish.”
2016 Amapola Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Sonoma Valley

2016 Amapola Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Sonoma Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtSonomaSonoma ValleyUSA

AMAPOLA CREEK

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2016 ESTATE SONOMA VALLEY 

2016 Amapola Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Sonoma Valley
Maestro of Sonoma winemaking with 50+ years experience, Richard Arrowood helped pioneer small-lot, single-vineyard wines unveiling terroir significance. His Estate neighbors the highly-acclaimed Monte Rosso Vineyard, and his 15 acres of organically farmed vines carved into red, iron-oxide soils produce powerful berries with deep savory intensity. At $100, his 2016 Estate Cab earned an exceptional 94 point score from Robert Parker; at $46, the best score will be a case for your cellar. 
 
Richard’s Cabernet highlights the diversity of his Estate’s terroir by combining fruit from China Wall, Bobcat Run, Fox Trot Meadow, and Montaña Vista blocks, each with a distinct micro-climate and soil profile. 
 
A masterpiece of hedonism, the 2016 release includes 7% Petit Verdot that contributes to the seamless texture and aids in harnessing the power of Moon Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. After 24 months in seasoned French oak barrels, the wine’s dynamic complexity is on display, showcasing Dick Arrowood’s vast skillset. 
 
AMAPOLA CREEK
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2016 ESTATE SONOMA VALLEY 
Retails at: $100
 
Your Price: $46
 
 
“… the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Vineyard displays a deep garnet-purple color and tantalizing scents of plum pudding, crème de cassis and blueberry pie with touches of hoisin, licorice, sandalwood and cedar chest plus a hint of cloves. The palate is big, concentrated and full-bodied, laden with black and blue fruit preserves and framed by ripe, grainy tannins, finishing wonderfully long and spicy…”
94 Points
 
“… a deep ruby/plum color as well as a beautiful perfume of cassis, sandalwood, menthol, and lead pencil shavings. This medium-bodied, seamlessly textured, balanced Sonoma Cabernet has bright acidity, moderate depth yet terrific balance, and a clean, classy finish. It’s going to continue drinking nicely for a solid 15-20 years.”
92+ Points
2019 Arbe Garbe White Blend Sonoma County

2019 Arbe Garbe White Blend Sonoma County

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtProprietary WhiteSonomaSonoma ValleyUSA

ARBE GARBE

2019 WHITE BLEND
SONOMA COUNTY

2019 Arbe Garbe White Blend Sonoma County
Inspired by the Friuli region of Northern Italy, Letizia Pauletto and Enrico Maria Bertoz created Arbe Garbe to reconnect with their roots by crafting unadulterated wines, created from rare varieties common in Friuli but scarce in the New World. An essential part of their blend is Tocai Friulano, a relative of Sauvignon Blanc, of which there are 51 acres planted in California. Malvasia Bianca and Chardonnay shape the rest of the blend into a freshly focused, euphorically detailed white that’s unlike anything else from California. 
 
Winemakers Enrico and Letizia worked harvests in Friuli, well-rounding their skillsets. After arriving in the US, Enrico gained invaluable experience at Sine Qua Non, Joseph Phelps, and Flora Springs. 
 
Their 2019 release includes 50% Malvasia Bianca, an ancient variety with Greek origins contributing to the clean, crisp, laser focus. The winemaking is done naturally with gentle pressing and native fermentation, resulting in balanced, direct, and powerfully intriguing wines.
 
ARBE GARBE
2019 WHITE BLEND
SONOMA COUNTY
 
Your Price: $35
 
 
“This beautiful wine packs a one-two punch in both style and fruit character. It begins with a basket of ripe stone fruits, including peaches, nectarines, and apricots. It then follows with exotic bright citrus with pomelos, kumquats, mandarins, calamondins and carries bright florals along the way. The weight and body of this wine are rich and supple, with a degree of opulence and a bright acidity profile to keep it super fresh and clean—what a delight.”
93 Points
2019 Alma De Cattleya Chardonnay Sonoma County

2019 Alma De Cattleya Chardonnay Sonoma County

with No Comment $30 and underChardonnayKevin VogtSonomaSonoma ValleyUSA

ALMA de CATTLEYA

2019 CHARDONNAY 
SONOMA COUNTY 

2019 Alma De Cattleya Chardonnay Sonoma County
Bibiana González Rave’s unwavering commitment to superior quality, accessible prices, varietal purity, and origin in her wines is highly transparent. She makes wines in a bright and cheerful style tied to the year’s hallmarks and location of the grapes. I’ve stopped asking how she can create wines with such surreal quality, sense of place, and value, and I’m just simply going to enjoy them and share them with you.
 
Bibiana created this brilliant 2019 Chardonnay from methodically selected vineyards, each with a strong coastal influence that lends to the perfect balance of acidity, texture, softness, and length. She then crafted this wine using the same exacting standards as the Cattleya single-vineyard Chardonnays, which retail for around $70 per bottle. 
 
Bibiana has extensive experience making wine in Bordeaux and the Rhone Valley in France and South Africa. When she came to California, industry leaders immediately recognized her talents as she helped shape brilliant wines at Peay, Lynmar, and Pahlmeyer, to name a few. At just $26, you have to try this.
 
ALMA de CATTLEYA
2019 CHARDONNAY 
SONOMA COUNTY
 
Your Price: $26
 
 
“Lush notes of red apple and juicy pear balance beautifully with notes of lemon curd, honeysuckle and hints of toasted vanilla. Bright acidity and a rich mouthfeel add complexity and a textured, complex finish.”
2018 Arbe Garbe White Blend Sonoma County

2018 Arbe Garbe White Blend Sonoma County

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtProprietary WhiteSonomaSonoma ValleyUSA

ARBE GARBE

2018 WHITE BLEND
SONOMA COUNTY

2018 Arbe Garbe White Blend Sonoma County
Arbe Garbe is a local winery inspired by the Friuli region of Italy and created by Italian-born winemakers Letizia Pauletto and Enrico Maria Bertoz to reconnect with their roots. They make the Arbe Garbe Blend with rare white varieties common in Friuli but scarce in the New World. For instance, in 2016, there were 51 acres of Tocai Friulano in California and too little Ribolla Gialla to register on the CDFA report. The style is freshly focused, with citrus fruits, minerals, floral characteristics, and is presented seamlessly on the palate. It’s as Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate writes, “fabulous”.
 
The 2018 release combines roughly 50% Malvasia Bianca with nearly equal parts Ribolla Gialla and old-vine Tocai Friulano. The Malvasia Bianca contributes to the clean and crisp style, while the Ribolla adds stunning floral notes, and the Tocai Friulano lends body and weight. 
 
Winemakers Enrico and Letizia are well-rounded in their skillsets, having worked harvests in Friuli. After arriving in the US, Enrico gained invaluable experience at Sine Qua Non, Joseph Phelps, and Flora Springs. If you enjoy crisp whites with enormous personality, don’t miss this one. 
 
ARBE GARBE
2018 WHITE BLEND
SONOMA COUNTY
 
Your Price: $35
 
“The 2018 White Wine from Arbe Garbe is an unusual—and fabulous—blend of 55% Malvasia Bianca, 25% Tocai Friulano and 20% Ribolla Gialla, what winemaker Enrico Maria Bertoz calls “the Holy Trinity of Friuli,” where he was raised. The Malvasia is split into portions, with one portion whole-cluster pressed, a second portion on skins for 12 hours and a third portion on skins for 24 hours. These lots are then blind tasted to create the final blend. The nose explodes to musk, lychee, warm peaches, charcuterie and beeswax with high-toned notes of fresh green herbs. The medium to full-bodied palate has a gorgeous silken texture, ever-so-slightly creamy, with kaleidoscopic bursts of ripe fruit in the mouth. It’s concentrated while still incredibly light on its feet, addicting in its freshness and long, textured finish. What a gorgeous vintage for this wine!”
94 Points
2016 Waterfall Proprietary Red Old Vine Cabernet Franc Sonoma Valley

2016 Waterfall Proprietary Red Old Vine Cabernet Franc Sonoma Valley

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtProprietary RedSonomaSonoma ValleyUSA

WATERFALL 

2016 PROPRIETARY RED
(OLD VINE CABERNET FRANC)
SONOMA VALLEY

2016 Waterfall Proprietary Red Old Vine Cabernet Franc Sonoma Valley
At $23, we knew Waterfall’s 2016 Red would be an instant hit, and based on the torrent of re-orders and glowing feedback, we were right. After all, it’s made by Helen Keplinger, whom you might recognize from her work at Bryant, Carte Blanche, and Grace Family, and even at the winery retail price of $42, a wine of this caliber would make anyone do a double-take. At $23, very few can compete.
 
Waterfall’s 2016 Proprietary Red is composed of 100% Cabernet Franc, and Helen crafted it from ancient 80-year-old vines. On the palate, the wine is stunningly balanced, finely detailed, long, and expansive. 
 
This beauty comes from the incredible 2016 vintage, bringing a supple and inviting style that envelopes your palate with rich, enchanting flavors, silky tannins and perfectly ripened dark berries. At this price, you can’t have too much of this in your cellar. 
 
WATERFALL 
2016 PROPRIETARY RED
(OLD VINE CABERNET FRANC)
SONOMA VALLEY
Retails at: $42
 
Your Price: $23
 
 
“Polished textured with melted tannins. Balancing acidity with aromas of raspberry pie, blueberry and strawberry jam combined with nuances of rose petal and violets + spicy notes on the finish.”
2016 Radio-Coteau Pinot Noir La Neblina

2016 Radio-Coteau Pinot Noir La Neblina

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaSonoma ValleyUSA

RADIO-COTEAU

2016 PINOT NOIR
LA NEBLINA

2016 Radio-Coteau Pinot Noir La Neblina
Radio-Coteau has always been a brand for those “in the know,” and their name is a French colloquial expression that suggests “word of mouth,” which is how most find out about their brilliant wines. Their Pinot Noirs are captivating, compelling, balanced, and individualistic, and their flagship Pinot is named La Neblina, which is Spanish for “fog.” It’s sourced from five fog-laden vineyards in Western Sonoma County. When you learn about these vineyards and who created this wine, the 95 point score shouldn’t come as a surprise. 
 
The 2016 La Neblina comes from Radio-Coteau Estate, Hallberg, Dierke, Alberigi and Laguna Vineyards, and perfectly laces together each organically farmed site. On the palate, the wine has lovely weight and compelling layers and nuances that let you know you’re into something extraordinary.
 
The winery believes winemaking is a team effort, and Eric Sussman leads the orchestration. He brings diverse experience from Yakima, Washington, to Burgundy, Bordeaux, and over to the Russian River, where he was the assistant winemaker at Dehlinger before launching his brand. Here’s a chance to try the flagship, and at a fantastic price… 
 
RADIO-COTEAU
2016 PINOT NOIR
LA NEBLINA
Retails at: $55
 
 
 
“Named for the coastal fog that rolls in at night to blanket western Sonoma, this wine blends fruit from five sites, including Eric Sussman’s Radio-Coteau estate in Occidental, and Hallberg, Dierke, Alberigi and Laguna, all of them farmed under organics. It seems to capture coastal energy with lovely density to its flavors of red raspberry and pomegranate, powerful and bold, refreshingly ripe and succulent. There’s a lot of vibrato to the flavors, a harmonic intensity that makes it thrilling to drink now and suggests a long life ahead.”  95 Points
 
“The 2016 Pinot Noir La Neblina is supple, open-knit and absolutely delicious. Understated and gracious, with lovely fruit purity, the 2016 has quite a bit to offer. Sweet red cherry and plum fruit are nicely pushed forward. Succulent and inviting, the 2016 will drink well with minimal cellaring.”  92 Points
 
“Fermented with a touch of stems, it spent 16 months in one-third new French oak. Bright raspberries, citrus, and spring flowers notes as well as a hint of wild strawberry all emerge from the glass. This vibrant, pure, racy Pinot Noir has high yet integrated acidity, a beautifully chiseled, crisp style, and a great finish.”  91 Points