2023 Aaron Sand And Stone Paso Robles Red

2023 Aaron Sand And Stone Paso Robles Red

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtPaso RoblesProprietary RedUSA

Aaron

Sand & Stone
Paso Robles Red 2023

2023 Aaron Sand And Stone Paso Robles Red

The 2023 Sand & Stone shows the raw side of western Paso Robles that Aaron Jackson refuses to polish away. Steep hillsides, limestone soils, dry-farmed vineyards, and constant coastal winds all leave their mark on this wine. With only 276 cases made, it carries a rare sense of focus and purpose. This is Paso Robles seen through the eyes of a winemaker who values identity far more than excess, and that approach earned the wine two separate 94-point scores.

Aaron Jackson blends with the patience of someone building structure instead of chasing impact. Grenache brings the drive and energy, Petite Sirah adds depth and backbone, Syrah layers in savory spice and texture, and Graciano sharpens the lift. Eighteen months in French oak puncheons lets everything settle gradually, preserving the mineral edge and freshness that the limestone soils naturally supply.

The name Sand & Stone is more than clever branding. It is the very blueprint for the wine. Paso’s sandy soils keep the brightness and aromatic lift alive, while the rocky limestone hillsides give the blend its structure and mineral core. Jackson works directly with that contrast, letting the vineyards shape the wine far more than the cellar does. That honest connection to place is what makes this 2023 vintage feel so complete, with every element perfectly balanced.

Aaron
Sand & Stone
Paso Robles Red 2023
Retails:$56

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“Deep purple-hued, the 2023 Sand & Stone reveals meaty red, blue, and black fruits intermixed with asphalt, graphite, and peppery herbs. Based on 40% Grenache, 27% Syrah, 21% Petite Sirah, and 14% Graciano aged 18 months in 35% new French oak puncheons, it’s medium to full-bodied, broad, layered, and seamless on the palate, with ripe tannins and a beautiful finish. This is a ripe, sexy, opulent blend to drink over the coming 7-8 years. Drink 2025-2033.”

94 Points

2023 Hawk and Horse Cabernet Franc Red Hills Lake County

2023 Hawk and Horse Cabernet Franc Red Hills Lake County

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet FrancKevin VogtNapaUSA

Hawk & Horse

Cabernet Franc 2023
Red Hills Estate

2023 Hawk and Horse Cabernet Franc Red Hills Lake County

Dick Peterson helped shape Napa Valley history, which is part of what makes Hawk & Horse so compelling. Instead of chasing modern trends, the estate remains committed to something increasingly rare: site-driven wines built around farming, measured winemaking, and longevity. Sourced entirely from organically and biodynamically farmed volcanic vineyards in the Red Hills AVA, the 2023 Hawk & Horse Cabernet Franc delivers remarkable depth while preserving the freshness, precision, and aromatic lift that make great Cabernet Franc so captivating.

What stands out most is how unapologetically authentic the wine feels. Nothing here seems engineered toward trends or critic formulas. The structure feels natural. The freshness feels earned. Volcanic minerality, crushed herbs, dark fruit, and floral notes are allowed to speak clearly rather than being polished into sameness. In a market crowded with interchangeable luxury reds, this wine still feels deeply connected to a vineyard, a farming philosophy, and the people behind it.

Very few wines at this price point put together a resume like this. Estate grown. Biodynamically farmed. Volcanic soils. Dick Peterson and Scott Harvey are behind the winemaking. A 96-point score from Tasting Panel. Yet none of those details would matter if the wine itself did not deliver emotionally, and this absolutely does. The 2023 Hawk & Horse Cabernet Franc carries the kind of energy and personality that makes you stop after the first sip and immediately go back for another.

Hawk & Horse
Cabernet Franc 2023
Red Hills Estate
Retails: $65

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“Cab Franc grown on rocky soils at an elevation of 2,200 feet has quite the impact. Focused, with melting dark chocolate cherries, roasted coffee, blackberries, layered with candied violets. The palate is long, with exquisitely balanced tannins and a fine mineral tonality on the clean finish.”

96 Points

2022 Parcel One Petite Sirah Sonoma County

2022 Parcel One Petite Sirah Sonoma County

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtPetite SirahSonomaSonoma ValleyUSA

Parcel One

Petite Sirah
Sonoma County 2022

2022 Parcel One Petite Sirah Sonoma County

The 2022 Tom Eddy Parcel One Petite Sirah shows a different side of a winemaker known for Napa Cabernet Sauvignons that ask for time and attention. Here he turns to Petite Sirah from Sonoma’s celebrated Kick Ranch Vineyard, producing a wine of serious depth and concentration. It balances dense blackberry fruit, smoked spice, and firm mountain structure with a composure that keeps everything remarkably well judged from start to finish.

Kick Ranch sits high above the Sonoma Valley floor, where rocky volcanic soils and cool Pacific breezes come together. The site gives Petite Sirah power and freshness at once, along with thick-skinned intensity and natural structure. That combination brings the 2022 Parcel One a lively energy that many wines in this category simply lack.

Tom Eddy has never chased flash or early drinkability. His reputation rests on structure, balance, and longevity, and those same qualities define this bottle. It delivers the dark, saturated intensity Petite Sirah lovers seek, yet it stays controlled and polished enough to invite another glass. At $36 against the $55 winery price, this is one of those wines people will wish they had bought more of once it’s gone.

Parcel One
Petite Sirah
Sonoma County 2022
Winery $55

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“The Parcel One 2022 Petite Sirah from Sonoma opens with floral notes, violets, forest floor, ripe plums, boysenberries, a hint of black pepper, and dark chocolate. On the palate, the wine has flavors of dark cherry, black currant, bittersweet chocolate, spice, and graphite minerality. The wine has smooth, almost powdery tannins and balanced acidity that bring freshness and lead into a lovely finish, cascading through the characteristics of a classic Petite Sirah.”

93 Points

2021 Tom Eddy Cabernet Sauvignon Kerry's Vineyard Napa Valley

2021 Tom Eddy Cabernet Sauvignon Kerry’s Vineyard Napa Valley

with No Comment $90-$100Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

Tom Eddy

‘Kerry’s Vineyard’ Napa Valley
Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

2021 Tom Eddy Cabernet Sauvignon Kerry's Vineyard Napa Valley

Tom Eddy has never chased the modern Napa style. While many producers turned toward heavier ripeness and immediate appeal, he stayed committed to powerful mountain Cabernet Sauvignon meant to evolve for decades. The 2021 Kerry’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon carries that same identity from the very first sip. It is structured, intense, and built to last.

The 2021 vintage aligns perfectly with everything Tom Eddy has built his reputation on: firm structure, longevity, and mountain-driven intensity. Kerry’s Vineyard brings impressive concentration while holding onto freshness and control. There is real power here, yet it never feels excessive or overworked.

Wines like this have become increasingly rare in Napa Valley. There is no attempt to soften the edges or rush approachability. Instead, the 2021 Kerry’s Vineyard simply embraces the structure and drive that have defined Tom Eddy Cabernets for decades, rewarding patience rather than chasing immediacy.

Tom Eddy
‘Kerry’s Vineyard’ Napa Valley
Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
Retails: $210

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“Coming from Kerry’s Vineyard in Calistoga, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Kerry’s Vineyard reveals a classic bouquet of red and black fruits, chocolate, spice, and floral nuances, with subtle oak shadings in the background. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has a round, supple texture, with fine balance and integration. The finish brings chalky, crushed stone-like minerality that adds complexity. Aged three years in 70% new French oak, this beautifully crafted effort will drink nicely over the coming 8-10 years.”

93 Points

NV Sherwin Cellar Scraps #19 Napa Valley Red

NV Sherwin Cellar Scraps #19 Napa Valley Red

with No Comment $70-$80Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedSpring MountainUSA

Sherwin

‘Cellar Scraps’ #19
Napa Valley Red

NV Sherwin Cellar Scraps #19 Napa Valley Red

Cellar Scraps #19 is one of those wines that catches your eye even before you open it. The packaging pulls you in, but what’s inside holds your attention. From one of Spring Mountain’s most respected producers, this is Sherwin giving the reins a gentle loosen. It is a multi-vintage blend drawn from serious Napa sites, offering a level of creativity and playfulness you rarely encounter at this quality.

The concept is straightforward, yet the execution is anything but simple. Sherwin selects fruit from top vineyard sources across Napa and builds the blend barrel by barrel. Cabernet Sauvignon forms the backbone, while the supporting varieties are woven in with real precision, adding texture and dimension. The multi-vintage approach gives the team the freedom to fine-tune every detail, and it shows in the final wine.

It opens with immediate charm, but there is real depth beneath the surface. Dark fruit and spice lead the way, followed by a smooth, layered texture that unfolds across the palate. Structure keeps everything neatly in place, maintaining focus and composure through a finish that lingers longer than you expect. Polished, expressive, and genuinely complex, this is the kind of Napa blend that confidently overdelivers.

Sherwin
‘Cellar Scraps’ #19
Napa Valley Red
Retails: $85

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“The Cellar Scraps #19 Napa Valley Red Wine has an exciting array of complexity on the nose with juicy red and black cherries, boysenberries, hints of cedar and black tea leaves, balsamic glaze, and savory spices. On the palate, the wine has a smooth texture with a bit of a bite from tannic structure. The flavors match the aromas on the palate with a mélange of red and black fruits, spices, and a finish of hot cocoa. This wine is very well balanced and very easy to drink, with potential for aging as well.”

94 Points

2022 Domaine du Chancelier Bourgogne Cote d'Or

2022 Domaine du Chancelier Bourgogne Cote d’Or

with No Comment $40-$50BurgandyFranceKevin VogtPinot NoirRed Burgandy

Domaine du Chancelier 

Bourgogne Côte d’Or “
En Coulezain” Vieilles Vignes 2022

2022 Domaine du Chancelier Bourgogne Cote d'Or

Domaine du Chancelier’s “En Coulezain” Vieilles Vignes shows exactly why Bourgogne Côte d’Or has become so compelling lately. Sourced entirely from the region’s classic vineyards and drawn from old Pinot Noir vines, it delivers a level of depth and definition that feels a clear step above what you usually find at this price.

The “En Coulezain” site does most of the heavy lifting. Old vines naturally limit yields, building concentration and structure from the start, while the Côte d’Or soils add concentration and a fine mineral line. In the cellar, the approach stays refreshingly straightforward: preserve that natural balance and simply let the wine hold its shape.

In the glass, it all comes together beautifully. Bright red fruit, subtle earth, and a delicate mineral edge flow through with fresh acidity and a steady, composed structure. It is balanced and precise right away, opening quickly yet continuing to unfold with time in the glass.

Domaine du Chancelier 
Bourgogne Côte d’Or ”
En Coulezain” Vieilles Vignes 2022
Retails at: $65

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“The 2022 Domaine du Chancelier Bourgogne Côte d’Or “En Coulezain” Vieilles Vignes offers aromas of cherry cola intermixed with wild and exotic mushrooms, freshly turned earth, light wood spice, and crushed stone. On the palate, this linear-styled wine displays crunchy red fruits and red berries backed by saline minerality. It features focused, penetrating fruit, lively, mouth-quenching acidity, and vivid freshness. Elegant and complex, it is worthy of your attention and cellar.”

94 Points

2018 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Lot C-91 Napa Valley

2018 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Lot C-91 Napa Valley

with No Comment $90-$100Cabernet SauvignonHowell MountainKevin VogtNapaOakvilleRutherfordUSA

Heitz Cellar

Cabernet Sauvignon
Lot C-91 2018
Napa Valley

2018 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Lot C-91 Napa Valley

A visionary pioneer, Joe Heitz etched his name into Napa Valley history by introducing the region’s first vineyard-designated Cabernet Sauvignon from Martha’s Vineyard in the late 1950s. He subsequently founded Heitz Cellar in 1961.

Lot C-91 traces its origins to the autumn of 1969. Joe had a profound realization: by carefully selecting grapes from his finest parcels, he could craft a wine that transcended the sum of its components. The resulting wine embodies the culmination of five decades of relentless dedication, experimentation, and an unwavering pursuit of excellence. 

A passionate homage to Joe Heitz, who passed in 2000, this cuvée is meticulously crafted in each vintage. The 2018 vintage, predominantly sourced from estate vineyards in St. Helena, incorporates fruit from the revered appellations of Oakville, Rutherford, and Howell Mountain. The result is a flawlessly balanced Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, a timeless testament to Joe Heitz and his enduring legacy.

Heitz Cellar
Cabernet Sauvignon
Lot C-91 2018
Napa Valley
Retails at: $120

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“In 1969, Joe Heitz made a cuvée that was more outstanding than his Napa Cabernet, but not a single-vineyard bottling. In 2018, after the winery was bought by Gaylon Lawrence Jr., the team at Heitz discovered four bottles and decided they should set out to recreate Joe’s experiment. It is the boldest of the bunch: a delicious hedonistic pleasure filled red with excellent balance and teeming with pure dark fruit notes, rich earthen spices, dried purple florals, cedarwood, tobacco, and dark chocolate — a firm acid backbone frames fine-grained tannins. There is plenty of richness, balanced by tension and energy. Lawrence Wine Estates Master Sommelier and CEO Carlton McCoy calls it the ‘uber Napa cuvee’ and the best multi-site expression of Heitz for the vintage.”

95 Points

2015 Chateau Leoville Poyferre Saint Julien Bordeaux

2015 Chateau Leoville Poyferre Saint Julien Bordeaux

with No Comment $100 and overBordeauxBordeauxFranceKevin Vogt

Château Léoville Poyferré

Saint Julien 2015
Bordeaux, France

2015 Chateau Leoville Poyferre Saint Julien Bordeaux

When collectors discuss the renaissance of Bordeaux’s great estates, the 2015 Léoville Poyferré invariably enters the conversation. Decades of thoughtful replanting and thoughtful technical evolution have transformed this historic Second Growth into a property that now produces wines of remarkable depth and polish. In 2015, all those efforts converged, yielding a wine many regard as one of the defining achievements of the vintage.

Set between Pauillac and Margaux, Saint-Julien strikes a perfect balance of strength and finesse, and Léoville Poyferré lies at the very heart of that equilibrium. Its 80 hectares rest on deep, gravelly, and sandy-clay soils that give Cabernet Sauvignon both the structure it demands and the elegance that distinguishes the appellation.

The 2015 vintage is the estate’s defining statement of the modern era: a wine that bridges history and innovation with uncommon grace. Its seamless blend of power, texture, and purity reflects an exceptional year and a château performing at the peak of its abilities. It is the kind of benchmark bottle that becomes a touchstone for the entire Left Bank.

Château Léoville Poyferré
Saint Julien 2015
Bordeaux, France

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“The 2015 Léoville-Poyferré is spectacular. Inky, dense and explosive, the 2015 possesses off the chart richness, with soft contours, no hard edges and exceptional balance. All the elements are simply fused together. inky blue/purplish fruit, chocolate, new leather, blueberry jam, exotic spice and violet notes are all beautifully delineated throughout. Fresh, vibrant and totally sexy, Léoville-Poyferré is one of the wines of the vintage. Don’t miss it! Tasted two times.”

97 Points

2021 Castello di Ama Haiku Siena, Tuscany

2021 Castello di Ama Haiku Siena, Tuscany

with No Comment $70-$80ItalyKevin VogtSangioveseTuscany

Castello di Ama

Haiku 2021
Siena, Tuscany

2021 Castello di Ama Haiku Siena, Tuscany

Castello di Ama’s 2021 Haiku draws you in, line by line, with precise elegance. Rooted in tradition, Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot move in measured harmony, each voice distinct yet seamlessly intertwined. The wine unfolds with a natural cadence, where structure and emotion meet, and every detail arrives with intent.

From hillside vineyards rising between 420 and 500 meters, the wine gains a lift that defines its character. Clay-limestone soils drive a firm mineral spine, while elevation sharpens freshness and aromatic detail within the fruit. Under the direction of Marco Pallanti, each decision serves the wine’s voice, guiding the vineyard to speak fully and shaping a wine that feels both grounded and expressive.

In the cellar, that same discipline carries through. Fermentation follows a measured path, capturing structure, while élevage frames the wine with balance, allowing oak to support finite details in balance. Texture builds with intention, fine tannins threading through layers of depth, carrying the wine forward in a steady rhythm to a long, composed finish that lingers with precision.

Castello di Ama
Haiku 2021
Siena, Tuscany

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“Blackberries, black cherries and graphite on the nose. It’s full-bodied with very polished and lightly chewy tannins and a tangy finish. Minerally and citrusy at the end. Solid wine that needs two or three years of bottle age to soften.”

95 Points

2022 Lewis Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Napa Valley

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

Lewis

Cabernet Sauvignon
Reserve 2022
Napa Valley

Built with conviction, Lewis Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 captures the essence of Napa through power shaped by discipline. Sourced from the most compelling vineyard parcels and guided by a relentless pursuit of polish, it reveals a wine where intensity is not accidental, but carefully constructed.

Time in barrel refines and amplifies its character, with 19 months in French oak shaping both texture and aromatic complexity. Behind it lies a winemaking philosophy that prioritizes impact without sacrificing structure, where richness is never accidental but the result of deliberate choices at every stage. This is where Lewis separates itself, crafting wines that are as intentional as they are expressive.

The result is a wine that transcends vintage, defined instead by its completeness. It reflects a winery that has spent decades refining a singular voice, one rooted in richness yet sharpened by experience. In the 2022 Reserve, that voice is unmistakable: confident, composed, and built to endure.

Lewis
Cabernet Sauvignon
Reserve 2022
Napa Valley

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“Aged for 19 months in 75% French oak barrels, the 2022 Reserve bottling elevates its profile with similar blue fruit and blackberry preserve character, enhanced by more pronounced toasty oak spices. This wine dials up the tannin tension to the maximum, delivering a robust and powerful expression. Muscular and brooding, it boasts intensely saline-laced tannins with a dark chocolate quality. The dark fruit character is more pronounced, with hints of kirsch adding complexity. Everything in this Reserve bottling feels amplified, offering loads of pleasure in 2022. Best paired with hearty braised meats to complement its intensity and structure.”

94 Points