2018 Silver Ghost Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2018 Silver Ghost Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaRutherfordUSA

SILVER GHOST 

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2018 NAPA VALLEY

2018 Silver Ghost Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Weston Eidson’s devotion to quality and conviction for making rich, expressive, value-priced Napa Cabernet is getting him noticed. He’s found the ideal balance of lush Valley-floor fruit and robust high-elevation grapes that together make his wines thoroughly enjoyable. It’s clear when you taste them that they share qualities found in significantly higher-priced Cabs, and at $35, that’s something to celebrate.
 
Silver Ghost’s 2018 vintage combines fruit from a historic East Rutherford vineyard, a hillside site in Calistoga, and a secret parcel in Yountville. The wine also marries clone 7, which emanates elegance, and clone 337, which lends to the lush textures, and richness. 
 
The 2018 release was cellared for 22 months in French oak barrels and is concentrated, poised, and polished. With solid scores out of the gate, I wouldn’t hesitate too long to secure yours.
 
SILVER GHOST 
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2018 NAPA VALLEY
 
Your Price: $35
 
 
“Aromas and flavors of dried flowers with currants, blackberries and violets. It’s full-bodied with soft, refined tannins and a savory finish. Pretty length, too…”
93 Points
 
“Deep garnet, rich plum nose, smooth and graceful, lush and toasty with ripe plum fruit; balanced, long and elegant.”
92 Points
 
“Silver Ghost is a full-bodied and richly expressive Cabernet Sauvignon crafted from some of Napa Valley’s finest vineyards. Dark in color with a vibrant nose of blueberries, violets and crème de cassis the palate reveals lush red and blue fruits, mocha and dark spice. The luxurious texture and depth continue through the long finish.”
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 Flowers Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

2018 Flowers Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

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

FLOWERS

2018 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST 

2018 Flowers Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
Flowers is a winery dedicated to crafting elegantly balanced wines that express their vineyard’s authentic voice. They’re able to achieve this through organic farming and minimal intervention in the cellar. As a result, their wines faultlessly showcase fresh coastal minerality, hallmark purity of fruit, and complex nuances derived from their land. The 2018 release is, as Jeb Dunnuck writes, “impeccably made and high-quality.”
 
Joan and Walt Flowers helped shape Pinot Noir production along the extreme Sonoma Coast and were among the first to plant grapes in the area known as the Fort Ross Seaview AVA. The region is also a source for such notables as Peter Michael, Marcassin, Martinelli, Fort Ross, and Pahlmeyer, to list a few. 
 
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. At under fifty bucks, I highly recommend harvesting some for your cellar.
 
FLOWERS
2018 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST
Retails at: $55
 
Your Price: $46
 
 
“… Lots of spice box, earthy forest floor, cherries, and redcurrant notes define the bouquet, and it’s medium-bodied and balanced, with good acidity and a great finish. As with everything from this estate, it’s impeccably made and high-quality.”
93 Points
 
“This complex wine is thick in tannin and structure, with nuanced underlying elegance. Textured, it offers dried herb, clove, wild strawberry and a twist of blood orange on the palate, with acidity interwoven within the integrated oak.”
91 Points
 
“… pretty, aromatic and super-elegant. Crushed flowers, dried cherry, mint, sage, cedar and tobacco are some of the many notes that develop in the glass. The 2018 is perfumed, light on its feet and exquisitely beautiful—all qualities that make it a terrific choice for drinking over the next handful of years. Drink 2020 – 2026”
90 Points
2016 Saddleback Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville

2016 Saddleback Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville

with No Comment $50-$60Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA

SADDLEBACK

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2016 OAKVILLE 

2016 Saddleback Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville
Saddleback Cellars is where premium Oakville fruit and a half-century of winemaking experience join forces to create deeply profound Cabernet Sauvignon that ranks among one of Oakville’s best values. The winery’s 14-acre vineyard is in a sweet-spot behind OPUS ONE, where the soils and climate combine to produce grapes of regal qualities. Nils Venge crafts the wine, and Nils was the first American winemaker to earn a perfect 100 point score from Robert Parker when he made the 1985 Groth Reserve Cab.
 
Saddleback’s vineyard is near Oakville’s center on Money Road with notable neighbors Plumpjack, Groth, and Silver Oak. The 2016 release showcases the vintage’s intense fruit and powerful style that offers layer after layer of dense black fruits, exotic chocolates, leather, and cassis. 
 
Nils ages his Cabernet for around 24 months in oak barrels, contributing structure and adding additional complexity layers. The 2016 vintage benefited from a further two years in the bottle, and it’s delicious right now will continue to perform for the next decade.
 
SADDLEBACK
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2016 OAKVILLE
Retails at: $78
 
 
 
“This has the well-defined fruit and racy graphite edge that typifies the vintage, with a core of steeped black currant and plum fruit and extra mesquite, sassafras and warm earth nuances throughout. The richness makes this tempting now, but no rush. Drink now through 2030.”
92 Points
 
“This substantial 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is a truly stunning! On the nose, complimentary oak, with pleasing aromas of black cherry, blackberry, graphite and light anise. One the palate, it approaches with a balanced, full bodied mouthfeel. It engages the palete with bold tannins and balances gracefully with blackberry compote, black cherry, leather and a hint of anise. A flavorful finish is generous with lingering notes of black pepper. Perfectly paired with your favorite cut of beef or tomato based pasta dish. Another amazing vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon from the ‘King of Cabs’!”
2017 Duckhorn Three Palms Napa Valley Merlot

2017 Duckhorn Three Palms Napa Valley Merlot

with No Comment $100 and overKevin VogtMerlotNapaUSA

DUCKHORN 

2017 THREE PALMS
NAPA VALLEY MERLOT

2017 Duckhorn Three Palms Napa Valley Merlot
Three Palms is the most distinguished Merlot Vineyard in the New World. It’s the exact location where a combination of large diurnal temperature swings and highly-porous gravely soils combine to produce powerful Merlot berries specific to their site. Dan Duckhorn recognized its vast potential early on and has created a single-vineyard Merlot from it since 1978. The Wine Spectator describes the 2017 release as “Powerful, rich and complex,” which is precisely what you’d expect from Three Palms. This vintage earned 96 points and was featured as the #15 wine globally on their Top 100 list last year.
 
Duckhorn’s 2017 Three Palms Vineyard Merlot perfectly embodies this hallowed ground’s most revered characteristics; Power, concentrated fruit, intensity, and a profound sense of place. 
 
The 2017 vintage was created from 100% Estate fruit, combining 91% Merlot balanced with Cabernet, Malbec, and Cab Franc. The wine is powerful, driven, focused, and confident. I strongly recommend securing a case of this celebrated California Merlot.
 
DUCKHORN 
2017 THREE PALMS
NAPA VALLEY MERLOT
 
Your Price: $110
 
 
“Powerful, rich and complex, with a refined mix of currant, dark cherry and plum tart flavors backed by suave, medium-grained tannins. Well-defined slate and loamy notes stretch out nicely on the finish, with black olive hints. Drink now through 2027.”
96 Points, #15 Top 100 Wines of 2020
 
“Once again, the famed Three Palms Vineyard has yielded a fascinating and full-bodied Merlot. Luxurious aromas of black cherry, plum, raspberry, cedar and wet slate rise from the glass where they mingle with hints of chocolate and sweet baking spices. On the palate, dusty tannins add nuance and sophistication to a round, fleshy texture, with flavors of black and red fruit, fig and iron-rich earthy notes drawing the wine to a long, resonant finish.”
2015 Livio Sassetti Pertimali Brunello Di Montalcino

2015 Livio Sassetti Pertimali Brunello Di Montalcino

with No Comment $70-$80BrunelloBrunelloItalyKevin Vogt

LIVIO SASSETTI

2015 PERTIMALI 
BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO

2015 Livio Sassetti Pertimali Brunello Di Montalcino
If you could only drink only one Brunello di Montalcino, what would it be? Robert Parker wrote, “it would have to be Pertimali.” The only problem is they’re a microscopic Italian producer owning only 7 hectares (about 17 acres), and they’re highly desired. The 2015 vintage earned a near-perfect 98 Point score from James Suckling, and at under $100, this should be in every Italian wine collector’s cellar.
 
The 2015 vintage in Montalcino was textbook, and one that James Suckling alerts, “nobody should miss.” The vintage brought remarkable power, dynamic complexity, and a purity of fruit that’s spectacular, and Livio Sassetti’s 2015 showcases all of it. 
 
Livio and his two sons take a hands-on approach in every way possible, and each wine is hand-tended by them. With a concentrated focus on every detail, their Brunello has become a Sommelier favorite, gracing the Grand Award-winning wine lists of Emeril Lagasse, Thomas Keller, and many others.
 
LIVIO SASSETTI
2015 PERTIMALI 
BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO
Retails at: $90
 
Your Price: $79.99
 
 
“There’s something ethereal in the nose with flowers, cherries, strawberries and shitake mushrooms. Full body. This grows on the palate with super tannin and fruit structure. So much berry flavor and round, caressing tannins that fill your mouth. Tight at the end. This needs four to five years to show its true greatness…”
98 Points
 
“Aromas of woodland berry, pine forest, truffle and dried herb emerge from the glass in this fragrant red. Full in weight but refined, the accessible palate offers dried cherry, black tea, star anise and a dollop of vanilla alongside polished tannins before a minty finish. Reflecting the hot vintage, it’s already approachable but still offers good midterm aging potential. Drink 2021–2027.”
94 Points
2018 Morgan Twelve Clones Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

2018 Morgan Twelve Clones Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtMontereyPinot NoirSanta Lucia HighlandsUSA

MORGAN

TWELVE CLONES
SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS
2018 PINOT NOIR 

2018 Morgan Twelve Clones Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

Dan Lee’s focus on sustainable farming and minimalist winemaking over the past 40 years has made Morgan winery a category leader in high-quality, value wines from the Santa Lucia Highlands. The winery consistently produces balanced wines of distinction, and at less than $30, their Twelve Clones Pinot Noir regularly makes my short-list of California’s best value Pinots.
 
Morgan draws on several of the Santa Lucia Highlands’ top Vineyards, including the Double L Estate, Rosella’s, and Tondre, to create their flagship Twelve Clones Pinot. 
 
The team named Twelve Clones for the diverse Pinot Noir clones inside the Double L Vineyard. The vast selection of clones contributes to the multi-dimensional flavors and aromas that make this wine so revered.
 
MORGAN
TWELVE CLONES
SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS
2018 PINOT NOIR
Retails at: $35
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“Layers of baked berry, pie crust and star anise show on the nose of this clonal combination. It’s clean and direct on the palate, offering tart red-currant and cranberry fla­vors, touched up by thyme, lavender and potpourri elements.”
92 Points
 
“… the light ruby-hued 2018 Pinot Noir Twelve Clones gives up a pretty nose of framboise and strawberries as well as lots of floral, rose petal, sappy herb, and minty aromas and flavors. It’s another lightly textured, medium-bodied, elegant wine from this estate to enjoy over the coming 4-6 years.”
92 Points
 
“Pale ruby color, fresh cherry nose, crisp and bright with cherry, strawberry and rhubarb notes; silky and fresh, charming and long.” – Anthony Dias Blue, October 2020”
92 Points
 
“The 2018 Twelve Clones demonstrates the finesse of Pinot Noir from the Santa Lucia Highlands. It displays aromas of blackberry, cola, and cured meat. Flavors of red and black fruit are complemented by notes of black plum and toasty oak. Perfectly poised, this medium bodied wine is light on its feet and a great reflection of 2018’s elegance…”
 
2016 Post Parade Stretch Drive Cabernet Sauvignon

2016 Post Parade Stretch Drive Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $60-$70Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA

POST PARADE

2016 STRETCH DRIVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 

2016 Post Parade Stretch Drive Cabernet Sauvignon
Post Parade Winery was founded ten years ago under the guiding principle to create something worth appreciating. The Post Parade crew performed this achievement without the slightest compromise, and they brought in Thomas Brown to make the wines. You may recognize Thomas from Schrader, Revana, and Outpost. When the project first launched, Brown said “Post Parade has been the most enjoyable project I’ve taken on in recent memory.” The wines have continually stretched the boundaries of quality at their price level, and the 2016 Stretch Drive, which is the second wine at Post Parade, is, as Jeb Dunnuck writes, “guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
 
The winery works closely with three vineyards; Trench Vineyard in Oakville, made famous by Russell Bevan; Red Head Vineyard on Soda Springs Road, where Brown also sources fruit Saunter Winery; and Ithaca Vineyard in North Rutherford, which is also a source for Revana winery. 
 
The grapes that go into Stretch Drive are hand-sorted twice, first by cluster, and again berry by berry after destemming, to ensure only perfectly ripened fruit makes its way to the crusher. The juice is then fermented on the skins for 16 days, extracting color and flavor, before aging in barrels for 22 months.
 
POST PARADE
2016 STRETCH DRIVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Retails at: $75
 
Your Price: $69.99
 
 
“The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Stretch Drive is also terrific and has a supple, sweetly fruited, sexy style. Ample blueberry and strawberry liqueur, fruitcake and spring flower notes all emerge from this full-bodied, massive fruit bomb that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. I suspect it will age, but I’d just drink it.”
93 Points
 
“Composed of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 20 months in 75% new French oak, the 2016 Stretch Drive Cabernet Sauvignon is deep garnet-purple colored and gives up notes of blackberries, black cherries, cassis and mulberries with hints of chocolate box, tilled soil and vanilla pod. Full, juicy and bursting with blackcurrant flavor, it has a soft texture and long, refreshing finish.”
90 Points
2018 The Crane Assembly Disciples Proprietary Red

2018 The Crane Assembly Disciples Proprietary Red

with No Comment $40-$50CalistogaKevin VogtNapaProprietary RedRutherfordUSA

THE CRANE ASSEMBLY

2018 DISCIPLES
PROPRIETARY RED

2018 The Crane Assembly Disciples Proprietary Red
The Crane Assembly wines honor the history of the G.B. Crane Vineyard, established around 1885. The eight-acre vineyard has 4 acres of original plantings. For Disciples, winemaker Kevin Fox and consulting winemaker Dave Phinney intermix fruit from other iconic vineyards in the area to replicate the style and structure of G.B. Crane. The 2018 release is richly layered, with supple dark fruits, vast complexity, and is perfectly balanced.
 
The wine’s backbone comes from Morisoli Vineyard, which sits in the center of the Rutherford bench and has been a longtime source for BV Georges de Latour, Elyse, Mercury Head, and the list goes on. The 2018 release also includes fruit from Tofanelli Vineyard in Calistoga, which has attracted producers like Prisoner, Schrader Cellars, and Turley. 
 
In 2018, the final blend is nearly 50% Zinfandel, matched with Bordeaux and Rhone Varieties. This wine deliciously shows off the incomparable skills of Dave Phinney & Kevin Fox. They are masters at creating new, unique blends that are as individualistic as they are enjoyable.
 
THE CRANE ASSEMBLY
2018 DISCIPLES
PROPRIETARY RED
 
Your Price: $45
 
 
“Strawberry preserves leap from the glass initially, followed by a bouquet of floral aromatics: lavender, violets and roses. Rich earthy notes of freshly plowed soil, fresh rain on warm granite and petrichor. Spicy, but not a peppery spice, more of a star anise spiciness, tart raspberries and sweet plouts, with a very long, dusty finish of strawberry cream, vanilla and caramelized sugar that lingers…. smooth and luscious!”
2019 Quinta de Soalheiro Alvarinho (Albarino) Moncao e Melgaco Portugal

2019 Quinta de Soalheiro Alvarinho (Albarino) Moncao e Melgaco Portugal

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtPortugal

QUINTA de SOALHEIRO 

2019 ALVARINHO (ALBARINO)
MONCAO e MELGACO, PORTUGAL

2019 Quinta de Soalheiro Alvarinho (Albarino) Moncao e Melgaco Portugal
Soalheiro is a benchmark producer of high-quality Albariño wines from the Monçao region of Northern Portugal. Their journey started nearly 50 years ago when Joгo Antуnio Cerdeira and his father planted the area’s first Albariño vines. The region is uniquely protected by surrounding mountains, creating atmospheric conditions ideal for ripening the coveted Spanish variety. They produce their Albariño in a super-clean, minerally, bright, and refreshing style, and with the 95 point score and modest price, everybody should try it.
 
Albarino grows best in areas with a strong maritime influence, which helps the grapes maintain a lively acidity. Soalheiro’s Vineyards are positively affected by the Minho River, which carries marine winds inland from the Atlantic. 
 
Joгo decants the freshly pressed juice for 48 hours at low temperatures before fermentation to concentrate the grapes’ qualities and allow room for evolution in the bottle. His wines are stunning upon release and can age for more than a decade.
 
QUINTA de SOALHEIRO 
2019 ALVARINHO (ALBARINO)
MONCAO e MELGACO, PORTUGAL
 
Your Price: $24.99
 
“A delicate but beguiling, lifted nose, with lychee and fennel notes that follow through on a cool elegant palate, alongside white peach, nectarine, pear, pear skin and a touch of passionfruit. Steely, grapefruit acidity makes for a well-focused, long, mineral finish. Lovely purity, balance and restraint. Drinking Window 2020 – 2034”
95 Points
 
“…a blend from their own parcels in Melgaco as well as neighboring vines they help farm…. Their flagship bottling is a blend of estate and purchased fruit, and this 2019 is the best version we’ve tasted in recent years. It captures their placement between the mountains and sea, where the Minho River carries winds inland from the Atlantic. Bright and fresh when first poured, the wine’s flavors of lemon pith and crunchy apple extend with air, gaining depth and length while holding the cool, airy feel of a summer rain.”
93 Points
 
“… The expression of fruit here is pure Alvarinho… It’s pretty tasty in its youth too. Like the Granit, though, this might be better next year—although this is more approachable. They both will age well, as the winery’s track record in general has frequently demonstrated over the years… This looks terrific this year, and it’s a typically super value. Drink 2020 – 2031”
92 Points