2016 Keever Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2016 Keever Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $90-$100Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSAYountville

KEEVER

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2016 NAPA VALLEY

2016 Keever Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Marked by an alliance of elegance, intensity, and balance, Keever Vineyards is a small family estate located on a 6-acre rock-laden hillside Southwest of Yountville. Planted and farmed by renowned viticulturist Jim Barbour, the vineyard sits at the foot of the Mayacamas Mountains, where the earth has eroded from the slopes over millennia. Guided by taste, not laboratory numbers, the fruit is harvested at the full physiological ripeness and under the guidance of Celia Welch, whom you might recognize from Scarecrow, Barbour, and Dalla Valle. 
 
At Keever, each vineyard block ferments separately and with individual attention, ensuring absolute quality. In the cellar, gentle handling is foremost, supported by gravity flow and vibrating sorting tables where the wine team meticulously inspects every grape, removing any that are less than perfect. 
 
Created with resolute intent on highlighting the best features of each vineyard block and seamlessly blended to represent the highest quality wine possible each year, every decision made at Keever executed with the highest regards to quality. At around $100, this is one of the most undervalued Napa Cabernets. 
 
KEEVER
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2016 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $135
 
Your Price: $99.99
 
 
“…even better, with an awesome bouquet of sweet cassis, cedarwood, incense, and dried flowers. As with all the wines from Celia Welch, this beauty is impeccably balanced, has medium to full-bodied richness and depth, subtle background oak, and a great finish. It shines for its purity and elegance as well as its depth of fruit and intensity. Drink it over the coming two decades or more.”
95 Points
2019 Desante L'Atelier Proprietary White Napa Valley

2019 Desante L’Atelier Proprietary White Napa Valley

with No Comment $30 and underNapaProprietary WhiteSauvignon BlancUSAYountville

DESANTE 

2019 L’ATELIER
PROPRIETARY WHITE
NAPA VALLEY
 
2019 Desante L'Atelier Proprietary White Napa Valley
Desante’s L’Atelier proves that certain grape varietals can complement one another by accentuating specific characteristics. In this case, Semillon adds richness and opulence to the bright, piercing Sauvignon Blanc elements, resulting in a supremely focused white with enough richness to keep you coming back for more.
 
Dave Desante’s admiration for winemaking began at age ten, and it’s taken him all over the world, from Margaret River, Australia, to Chateau Petrus in Bordeaux. He’s revered as an expert winemaking consultant in Napa Valley and was the founding winemaker for Tierra Roja.
 
The Semillon grapes are from 45-year-old, dry-farmed vines in Yountville, and contribute to the wine’s textural depth, richness, and floral complexity. The Sauvignon Blanc came from the nearly half-century-old Varozza Vineyard in St. Helena, which brings intense minerality and bright citrus fruits.
 
DESANTE 
2019 L’ATELIER
PROPRIETARY WHITE
NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $28
 
 
 
“Surprising with its vivid aromatic references to flint and peach, this refreshing summer white could be mistaken with ease for one of the best offerings from Bordeaux. True to this reference, there is a harmonic balance of Semillon (30%) that rounds the vibrant edge of the crisp Sauvignon Blanc. The Semillon adds mid-palate weight without making this marriage a clumsy one. Spiced pear and fresh mandarin are the flavors that result with a flourish of toast and mineral in the pleasing finish. This is the wine to enjoy with prawns, grilled vegetables and salmon.”
2019 Prisoner Proprietary Red Napa Valley

2019 Prisoner Proprietary Red Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSAYountville

PRISONER

PROPRIETARY RED
2019 NAPA VALLEY

2019 Prisoner Proprietary Red Napa Valley
The Prisoner wine was inspired by “Mixed Blacks,” which are field blends that were common in California more than 100 years ago. These interplanted vineyards were predominantly Zinfandel vines intermixed with varieties like Petite Sirah, Carignane, and Alicante Bouchet. With the right ‘mix’ of grape varieties, these vineyards can produce intensely flavored wines with profound character and charm. The Prisoner comes from multiple sites, so it’s not technically a Mixed Blacks wine; however, the style, varietal mix, and flavors share similarities.
 
Created from a compilation of strategically selected sites throughout Napa Valley, including Korte Ranch in St. Helena and Tiedemann Ranch in Yountville, The Prisoner exists because of the relationships and collaboration from each of their growers. 
 
The 2019 release served time in French and American barrels and was built around a core of Zinfandel, enhanced with Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Charbono. This latest release condemns your taste buds to a sentence filled with provocative red, blue and black fruits, sweet tannins, and elaborate flavors, and even the toughest restraints couldn’t contain the fun and excitement this wine exudes.
 
PRISONER
PROPRIETARY RED
2019 NAPA VALLEY
 
Your Price: $48
 
“Features enticing aromas of Bing cherry, dark chocolate, clove, and roasted fig. Persistent flavors of ripe raspberry, boysenberry, pomegranate, and vanilla linger harmoniously, for a smooth and luscious finish.”
2016 Keever Inspirado Proprietary Red Napa Valley

2016 Keever Inspirado Proprietary Red Napa Valley

with No Comment $70-$80Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSAYountville

KEEVER

2016 INSPIRADO 
PROPRIETARY RED
NAPA VALLEY 

2016 Keever Inspirado Proprietary Red Napa Valley
Keever Vineyard’s motto is that great wine should tell a story, and theirs is an inspiring tale written by a passionate family of proprietors and some of the most talented winemaking and farming in the industry. It takes place on a 6-acre rock-laden hillside Southwest of Yountville, nestled at the base of the Mayacamas Mountains where the earth has eroded from the slopes over millennia. Then add in Jim Barbour, one of the absolute top grape growers, and Celia Welch, a legendary winemaker. We’ve had the Inspirado on our best seller’s list for years, and the 2016 vintage is among their very best yet. 
 
Appropriately named Inspirado, which translates to Inspired, this release was penned with 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, and drafted with Merlot and Petite Verdot. It envelopes your taste buds with rich, scrumptious textures, and intermixed are fine details of rocky minerals, cocoa dusted black fruits, and vanilla bean. 
 
The wine was authored by Celia Welch, whom you might recognize from Scarecrow, D.R. Stephens, Barbour, Dalla Valle, and at under $100/btl, this is one of the best wines in the shop, period.
 
KEEVER
2016 INSPIRADO 
PROPRIETARY RED
NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $80
 
Your Price: $75
 
“… It has an exotic, complex bouquet of black raspberry and cassis fruits intermixed with some forest floor, dried flowers, and cedar. This carries to a medium to full-bodied red that has sweet tannin, a rounded, approachable style, and loads to love.”  93 points
“Once in a handful of years, Mother Nature serves up a growing season in which every detail is just exactly right. A Spring full of enough rainfall but not too much, a Summer of enough heat but not too much, and an Autumn with warm days and cool nights. The 2016 Inspirado captures this season beautifully, showing warm blueberry, spiced plum, and dark cherry notes, all floating atop more subtle base notes of vanilla and toasty oak. The palate impression reflects the aromas, with ripe fruit, a touch of spice, and a finish that showcases the soft, satiny texture of this beautiful blend.”
2018 Mica Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2018 Mica Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonCoombsvilleOakvilleSt HelenaSt. HelenaUSAYountville

MICA 

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2018 NAPA VALLEY 

2018 Mica Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

 
When we can access it, Buccella is a pillar on our reserve list in the shop, and MICA is the second wine from Buccella. However, in 2018 the quality of fruit was so stupendous that referring to MICA as a second wine, doesn’t seem to fit… The 2018 vintage shows more like a first wine from a top Estate, with deep, penetrating fruit, sharply defined details, and stunning balance. At around 1/2 the price of Buccella, this wine mimics a much pricier wine.   
 
Buccella and Mica are made by Landon Donley, who gained experience interning for Australian powerhouse Mollydooker before joining Spottswoode Estate as the assistant winemaker. At Spottswoode, he learned to craft wines worthy of 100 Point scores, and everything he absorbed there is transparent in a glass of 2018 Mica. 
 
The 2018 Mica stitches together fruit from Oakville, Yountville, St Helena, and Coombsville in a way that embellishes the best qualities from each iconic AVA, without losing sight of balance. The wine checks in at 90% Cabernet, balanced with Merlot and Malbec, and with just over 500 cases produced, I wouldn’t hesitate to secure yours…
 
MICA 
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2018 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $120
 
Your Price: $115
Click to Order
 
 
 
 
“The 2018 Mica Cabernet Sauvignon from Buccella is a masterpiece. It begins with a deep nose of blueberry cobbler, English rose petals, sweet vanilla and iron. The palate explodes with a mixed basket of fresh red, black and blue berries, beautifully balanced by toasty oak. The finish is long, concentrated, penetrating and makes your mouth water, leaving it begging for the next sip. Drink now to 2032.” 95 Points
2017 The Prisoner Proprietary Red

2017 The Prisoner Napa Valley Proprietary Red

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedSt HelenaUncategorizedUSAYountville

THE PRISONER 2017 The Prisoner Proprietary Red

PROPRIETARY RED
2017 NAPA VALLEY

 
Electric, jubillant, infectiously charming, the 2017 Prisoner unshackles a jailbreak of vibrant and elaborate flavors that are both intense and broadening, and that become even more complex once it escapes the bottle and opens in the glass. The 2017 has shocking levels of intensity and permeates with unsweetened cherry cobbler, wild strawberries, chocolate dipped blueberries and liquid floral. A single sip condemns your taste buds to a sentence filled with provocative red fruits, sweet tannins and elaborate flavors that even the toughest restraints couldn’t contain.  This is regularly the first bottle emptied at ANY celebration and it’s pairs particularly great with summer fun and barbecues.
 
This captivating concoction contains a glass-staining, deep, dense ruby/purple color, and is from a gang of top vineyard sites throughout Napa Valley, including Korte Ranch in St. Helena and Tiedemann Ranch in Yountville.  Each distinct vineyard block adds its own unique dimension, helping to complete the uniquely complex flavors that we have come to love and expect from The Prisoner.  I strongly recommend stowing some of this away… You’ll be glad you did.
 
THE PRISONER
PROPRIETARY RED
2017 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at:  $50.00/btl
 
Your Price: $42.99/btl
YOU SAVE 14%
 
Winery Notes: “Features enticing aromas of Bing cherry, dark chocolate, clove, and roasted fig. Persistent flavors of ripe raspberry, boysenberry, pomegranate, and vanilla linger harmoniously, for a smooth and luscious finish.”
 
Customers that enjoy The Prisoner may also enjoy these two terrific wines from Prisoner Wine Company…
2017 Prisoner Wine Co Saldo Zinfandel 2016 Prisoner Wine Co Cuttings Cabernet Sauvignon
SALDO
2017 ZINFANDEL
PRISONER WINE CO.
Retails at:  $32.00/btl
 
Your Price: $27.99/btl 

 Click to Order 

 
Winemaker’s Notes: “Dark ruby color with bold aromas of black licorice, black pepper, cherry, and baking spice. The entry is rich, full, and scintillating. The palate is mouthwatering and smooth with a hint of chocolate. The finish is voluptuous with soft, velvety tannins.” Blend: 85% Zinfandel; 15% Petite Sirah and Syrah
CUTTINGS
2016 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
PRISONER WINE CO.
Retails at:  $55.00/btl
 
Your Price: $39.99/btl 

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The 2016 Cuttings is a larger-than-life Cabernet Sauvignon that always makes an indomitable entrance with a spectacular display of unbridled richness, voluptuous textures and satin layers. The wine was thoughtfully inspired by steep, hillside vineyards and expert blending, and the 2016 was built around a core of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, elevated with Petite Sirah, Syrah and Zinfandel.
2014 Liparita V Block Yountville Cabernet Sauvignon

2014 Liparita V Block Yountville Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSAYountville

LIPARITA  2014 Liparita V Block Yountville Cabernet Sauvignon

 

2014 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
V BLOCK, YOUNTVILLE

 
With the ever-growing number of new wineries in Napa Valley, sometimes it pays to re-discover a historic Estate.  Liparita, originally named Liparita – La Jota is absolutely one of the oldest wine Estates in Napa Valley, with the original property on Howell Mountain dating back to 1880.  In 1900 their claret earned a gold medal in Paris and another in Saint Louis in 1904.  Like many other Napa Valley wineries, Liparita vanished with Prohibition and remained a ghost winery that didn’t re-open until the late 1980’s.  Now, nearly 140 years after their inception, Liparita is producing stunning, classically-styled Cabernet Sauvignons and you really ought to try this one.  
 
Conjured from a single block that’s ideally located in a benchlands vineyard in Napa Valley’s iconic Yountville AVA, the 2014 erupts from the glass with intense blackberry, red plum, pipe tobacco and dark chocolate.  Kept for 21 months in oak barrels, the 2014 is made in a deep, supple style that opens up beautifully in the glass.  This one is going to fly… 
 
LIPARITA 
2014 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
V BLOCK, YOUNTVILLE
Retails at: $65.00/btl
 
 
From James Suckling: “Attractive spice, walnut, earth and currant character follows through to a medium body, fresh acidity and a tangy, complex aftertaste. Fun, traditional-styled cab. Drink now or hold.” 91 Points
2014 Laird Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

2014 Laird Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $50-$60Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSAYountville

LAIRD 2014 Laird Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2014 NAPA VALLEY

 
Laird models strength, consistency, and value, and when it comes to traditionally styled Napa Valley Cabernet, theirs is one of the best.  As one of the largest vineyard owners in Napa Valley, Laird has access to some terrific fruit sources.  The 2014 Napa Cab is built from almost equal parts Mast Ranch and Flat Rock vineyards.  The winery produces single vineyard Cabernets from both of these sites which retail for $80 to $90 per bottle…  It’s a brand that I love, and in fact we featured an earlier vintage as one of our top 5 wines of the year in 2017.  Their 2014 made a big impression on our panel with deep and impressive core, layered in dark chocolate, plum and blackberry and etched with character. At $55/btl this classic Napa Valley Cabernet should not be missed… 
 
Laird has always attracted terrific winemakers.  The wines are currently made by Brian Mox, who spent several vintages at Lewis Cellars.  In 2014, Laird’s Consulting Winemaker was Paul Hobbs, one of the top winemakers in the world, having crafted such notables as Opus One, DuMOL, and Peter Michael to name a few.  This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Yountville spends nearly two years in oak and generously delivers hedonistic delights with velvety tannins and great length.  If you enjoy classically styled and full-bodied Napa Valley Cabs, you won’t want to miss this latest release from Laird.  
 
LAIRD
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2014 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at:  $60.00/btl
 
Your Price: $54.99/btl
 
From Vinous: “A rich, unctuous wine, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is sweet, layered and enveloping in feel. Dark cherry, plum, mocha, cloves and new leather are all fused together. This is an especially intense, flamboyant expression of the vintage.” 
 
Customers who enjoy Laird’s Napa Valley Cabernet may also enjoy these two outstanding wines from Laird…
 
2016 Laird Ghost Ranch Pinot Noir 2014 Laird Jillian's Blend Proprietary Red
LAIRD
2016 PINOT NOIR
GHOST RANCH
Retails at:  $48.00/btl
 
Your Price: $42.99/btl 

Click to Order

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. 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
JILLIAN’S BLEND
2014 NAPA VALLEY 
Retails at:  $48.00/btl
 

Click to Order

 
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.  
2017 Ghost Block Morgaenlee Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc

2017 Ghost Block Morgaenlee Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtNapaSauvignon BlancUSAYountville

GHOST BLOCK 2017 Ghost Block Morgaenlee Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc

2017 SAUVIGNON BLANC
MORGAENLEE VINEYARD
YOUNTVILLE, CA

 
The Ghost Block Vineyard lies adjacent to the Yountville cemetery, and legend has it that the ghost of George Yount, founder of Yountville haunts the cemetery on moon-lit nights… The historic family that owns the vineyard has been farming in Napa Valley since 1903, and has owned the Ghost Block parcel since 1930, yet producing the first vintage of Ghost Block in 2004.  Their 2017 Sauvignon Blanc from the MorgaenLee Vineyard in Yountville summons detailed tropical fruits, rock minerals, shaved coconut and supple cantaloupe.  The flavors are long, lingering, and unlike Yount’s ghost, they’re full of life.  The only thing scarier than the haunted cemetery is running out of this chillingly delicious Sauvignon Blanc.  
 
Ghost Block Sauvignon is aged 10 months Sur Lie, a french term meaning “on the sediment.”  This style of winemaking adds palpable levels of richness and body which meld perfectly with the Island fruits, minerals and firm acidity.  At our tasting, we were so captivated by the 2017 that it’s not only haunting the wine racks in our shop, but we’re pouring it by the glass in the tasting room.  Come by for a taste…
 
GHOST BLOCK
2017 SAUVIGNON BLANC
MORGAENLEE VINEYARD
YOUNTVILLE, CA
 
Your Price: $24.99/btl 
 
Winery Notes: “A ripe full bodied sauvignon blanc that has a great balance of aromas. A grassy herbal scent with tropical tones and flavors of melon and pear which lead to a nice mid-palette weight of tropical and stone fruits. The lasting finish is full with pleasant oak undertones.“
 
Customers who enjoy Ghost Block Morgaenlee Vineyard  Sauvignon Blanc, may also enjoy these two Whites… 
2017 Grey Stack Dry Stack Vineyard Rosemary's Block Sauvignon Blanc 2017 Farella Coombsville Sauvingnon Blanc
GREY STACK
2017 SAUVIGNON BLANC
DRY STACK VINEYARD
ROSEMARY’S BLOCK
 
Your Price: $31.99/btl 

Click to Order

 
From The Wine Enthusiast: “This block is home to a mysterious clone of Sauvignon Blanc that appears to be the only one of its kind in the region and thought to hail originally from Northern Italy. The resulting wine is citrus-driven on the nose and on the palate-a pure expression that shows complexity and rich layers of flavor, with an intensity of lemongrass.”  94 Points
FARELLA 
2017 SAUVIGNON BLANC
LA LUCE, ESTATE
COOMBSVILLE, NAPA VALLEY
 
Your Price: $25.99/btl 
 

The Prisoner Napa Valley Proprietary Red

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedSt HelenaUSAYountville

THE PRISONER

PROPRIETARY RED 
2017 NAPA VALLEY

 
Electric, jubilant, infectiously charming, the new 2017 Prisoner unshackles a posse of vibrant and elaborate flavors that are both intense and broadening, and become even more complex with aeration. Having jail-break level intensity, the 2017 permeates with unsweetened cherry cobbler, wild strawberries, chocolate dipped blueberries and liquid floral. Condemning your taste buds to a sentence filled with provocative red fruits, sweet tannins and elaborate flavors, even the toughest restraints couldn’t contain the fun and excitement that this wine exudes. 
 
A glass-staining, deep, dense ruby/purple in color, the 2017 Prisoner is from a gang of top vineyard sites throughout Napa Valley, including Korte Ranch in St Helena and Tiedemann Ranch in Yountville.  Each distinct vineyard block adds its own unique dimension, helping to complete the uniquely complex flavors that we have come to love and expect from The Prisoner.  I strongly recommend stocking up on the 2017… You’ll be glad you did.  
 
THE PRISONER
PROPRIETARY RED 
2017 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at:  $50.00/btl
 
Your Price: $42.99/btl 
YOU SAVE 14%
 
Winery Notes: “Features enticing aromas of Bing cherry, dark chocolate, clove, and roasted fig. Persistent flavors of ripe raspberry, boysenberry, pomegranate, and vanilla linger harmoniously, for a smooth and luscious finish.“
 
2016 Prisoner Wine Co Blindfold Proprietary White 2015 Prisoner Wine Co Derange Proprietary Red
PRISONER WINE CO.
2016 BLINDFOLD
PROPRIETARY WHITE
Retails at:  $32.00/btl
 
Your Price: $26.99/btl 

Click to Order

 
PRISONER WINE CO.
2015 DÉRANGÉ
PROPRIETARY RED
 
Your Price: $99.99/btl 

Click to Order