2021 Bacio Divino Pazzo Red Blend Sonoma County

2021 Bacio Divino Pazzo Red Blend Sonoma County

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

BACIO DIVINO

PAZZO RED BLEND
SONOMA COUNTY 2021

2021 Bacio Divino Pazzo Red Blend Sonoma County
Sourcing fruit from some of Napa and Sonoma’s best vineyards, Bacio Divino produces superior quality wines under the guidance of Kirk Venge, one of California’s most in-demand winemakers, whom you might recognize from Eleven Eleven, Macauley, and Venge wines. A combination of exceptional terroir, expert winemaking, and excellent fruit quality is their recipe for success, and the wines are phenomenal.
 
Pazzo was created in 1999 as a sister label to Bacio Divino and translates to “crazy” in Italian and perfectly depicts the wine’s crazy-good value. The 2021 vintage comprises 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Petite Sirah, 19% Merlot, 11% Sagrantino, and 4% Malbec aged 14 months in once-used French oak barrels that provide a hint of spice but maintain the fruit’s integrity and complex flavor profile. It’s a big, juicy, crowd-pleasing wine at a modest price point.
 
BACIO DIVINO
PAZZO RED BLEND
SONOMA COUNTY 2021
Retails at: $45
 
 
 
“The Bacio Divino 2021 Sonoma County Red has intense, rich aromas of ripe plum, bramble, licorice, and Fig Newton cookies. On the palate, the wine has a smooth mouth-coating texture that lingers throughout the finish with flavors of raspberry jelly, black cherry, Marionberry pie, and fresh mint. The flavor concentration and tannic structure will give this wine longevity but don’t hesitate to drink it now.”
93 Points
2021 Per-Us Lyla Napa Valley

2021 Per-Us Lyla Napa Valley

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA

PER•US

LYLA 2021
NAPA VALLEY

2021 Per-Us Lyla Napa Valley
PER·US Winery produces super high-quality, high-scoring boutique wines from some of Napa Valley’s most desired vineyards under the guidance of rockstar winemaker Russell Bevan. Bevan is one of just a handful of winemakers that have earned multiple 100-Point scores from some of the world’s most well-known critics for his intensely flavorful hedonistic wines with harmonious balance.
 
Lyla is a blend based on equal parts Cabernet Franc from the Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard and Cabernet Sauvignon from the Tench Vineyard in Oakville’s center, directly across from Screaming Eagle. The 2021 growing season was longer than average, and there were no heat spikes near harvest which gave the Cabernet Franc a lively acidity that brightened up the blend and is a match made in heaven when paired with hearty dishes.
 
PER•US
LYLA 2021
NAPA VALLEY
 
 
 
“Our Lyla blends have some magical qualities to them. In 2021, the growing season was so incredibly long, and there was no heat near harvest. We were able to maintain the acid levels in our Cabernet Franc which makes this wine incredibly vibrant and lively. If we have ever crafted a wine that is perfect for cuisine, this is it. The natural cool climate of the franc’s high acid profile is incredibly complementary to rich, hearty dishes. It screams for braised short ribs, or beef Bourguignon. It has the linear power to cut through almost any dish while showcasing it’s beautiful blue and red fruits. This wine is all about bound up energy.” 
2022 J. Bucher Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley

2022 J. Bucher Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtRussian River ValleySauvignon BlancSonomaUSA

J. BUCHER

SAUVIGNON BLANC
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY 2022

2022 J. Bucher Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley
Located in Healdsburg at the site of an old dairy farm, Bucher Vineyard is one of the Russian River Valley’s most prized vineyards. Renowned producers Williams Selyem, Merry Edwards, and Joseph Jewell have all produced single vineyard wines from Bucher, highlighting the site’s ability to deliver exceptional fruit. 
 
Bob Cabral, the former winemaker at Williams Selyem, helped the Bucher family establish their vineyards, quickly becoming a top supplier for some of the Russian River Valley’s most renowned wineries. The 2022 Bucher Estate Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc comes from a block planted in the 1970s and takes on a European approach to the variety with fresh minerality and a delicate balance of citrus and tropical fruits, perfect for warm summer months. 
 
J. BUCHER
SAUVIGNON BLANC
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY 2022
Retails at: $38
 
 
 
“J. Bucher’s 2022 Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc is similar to the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast because it gives powerfully concentrated fruit with delicate elegance. The wine opens with ripe citrus fruits, including lemon and grapefruit, a backdrop of white blossoms, and some hints of pineapple and lychee. On the palate, the wine offers notes of ripe lemon, golden apple, green mango, and chalky minerality.”
94 Points
2019 Montagu The Baron Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford

2019 Montagu The Baron Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaRutherfordUSA

MONTAGU

THE BARON
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
RUTHERFORD 2019

2019 Montagu The Baron Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford
Weston Eidson apprenticed with mentors Jason Moore of Modus Operandi Cellars and Russell Bevan. Well-connected, Eidson has partnered with exceptional vineyards in Napa and Sonoma, including Sage Ridge, Baciagalupi, Durell, Charles Heintz, Hyde, and Richie. He thoughtfully crafts his wines to highlight the terroir through minimal intervention winemaking.
 
The Baron is a rich, full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon with some Petit Verdot to flesh out the mid-palate and give the wine a zesty spice and playfulness. The fruit comes from a secret vineyard in Rutherford, and the 2019 vintage was fabulous for the area, producing wines with depth, robust flavors, and ripe, fine-grained tannins that feel like satin and will provide at least a decade of ageability.
 
Don’t let the scores based on the winery’s $125 retail sway you. At our price, it is one of our finest offerings and is a rich, powerful, hedonistic Cabernet Sauvignon that will make you wish you had ordered more once you’ve tried it. Our panel loved it, and now it’s an unbelievable value.
 
MONTAGU
THE BARON
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
RUTHERFORD 2019
Retails at: $125
 
 
 
“Starting with the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon The Baron, which includes 10% Petit Verdot, this rich, chewy, mouth-filling effort offers tons of ripe black cherry and plum fruits as well as chocolate and assorted spices. It’s a chewy, fruit-driven Cabernet to drink over the coming decade.” Reviewed May, 2022
90 Points
2019 Mt. Beautiful Pinot Noir North Canterbury

2019 Mt. Beautiful Pinot Noir North Canterbury

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtNew ZealandPinot Noir

MT. BEAUTIFUL

PINOT NOIR 2019
NORTH CANTERBURY

2019 Mt. Beautiful Pinot Noir North Canterbury
New Zealand is known for producing pure, fresh, consistent, and delightful Sauvignon Blancs. However, Pinot Noir is now garnering the attention it deserves for the same reasons.
 
Mt. Beautiful founder David Teece established his winery with the help of his close friend and geologist Ron Sutherland, who has walked nearly every square inch of the northern part of the South Island and has discovered 23 different soil types in the region. The various strata and microclimates create abundant and optimal vine-growing opportunities, as a result of which Pinot Noir is becoming one of the most planted varietals in the country.
 
The 2019 Pinot Noir release has spicy, earthy notes that balance and complement the fruit, giving depth to this easily drinkable and delightful wine.
 
MT. BEAUTIFUL
PINOT NOIR 2019
NORTH CANTERBURY
 
 
 
“Refreshment is the name of the game at this North Canterbury winery, located in the Waipara Valley, just north of Christchurch. The nose is heady and perfumed: vivid cherries, strawberries and florals, with whispers of white pepper, river stones, and vanilla bean. The medium weight palate is similarly vibrant, leading with fresh, silky red berries framed in savory tannins. Not the world’s most complex Pinot but totally delicious nonetheless. Drink now slightly chilled.”
92 Points
2018 Sequum Cabernet Sauvignon Kidd Ranch Vineyard Napa Valley

2018 Sequum Cabernet Sauvignon Kidd Ranch Vineyard Napa Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaSaint HelenaUSA

SEQUUM

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
KIDD RANCH VINEYARD
NAPA VALLEY 2018

2018 Sequum Cabernet Sauvignon Kidd Ranch Vineyard Napa Valley
Sequum is a boutique winery based in Saint Helena, led by Paul Skinner, who combines his Ph.D. in viticulture and soil science with his deep connections in the wine industry to create balanced wines with a powerful sense of place. 
 
Paul spent two decades consulting for premium vineyards before starting his winery in 2003, which is now blended and bottled at Pride Mountain Vineyards.
 
The cooler 2018 growing season is known for producing red wines with elegance, and this Cabernet Sauvignon is nuanced and sophisticated while exhibiting power and depth throughout the finish. It promises a divine wine-drinking experience and has many years of cellaring potential.
 
SEQUUM
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
KIDD RANCH VINEYARD
NAPA VALLEY 2018
Retails at: $75
 
 
 
“The Sequum Kidd Ranch Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 begins with an intense nose of black currants, Italian glove leather, baking spices, milk chocolate, Kalamata olives, and French lavender. The rich palate continues with ripe red and black plums and tart red cherries, combining a complex savory note with sweet vanilla spice. It has an outstanding balance of rich, ripe black fruits intermixed with tart, bright red fruits, intertwined in a way where the red fruits lift the heavier dark fruits to create a wine with impeccable power, elegance, grace, liveliness, and length. Congratulations to Paul Skinner and his team for making another beautiful vintage of this wine.”
95 Points
2013 Knights Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley

2013 Knights Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtKnight's ValleyUSA

KNIGHTS BRIDGE

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
KNIGHTS VALLEY 2013

2013 Knights Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley
Founded in 2006, Knights Bridge Winery sits in a sweet spot near the Knights Valley AVA’s western edge, not far from Peter Michael Winery. The area just North of Calistoga is known for its warm days, cool nights, and mineral-rich volcanic soils. 
 
The Knights Bridge Estate Vineyard rises from 300 to 900 feet of elevation on the rugged slopes of the Mayacamas mountain range, exposed to cool winds from the Pacific Ocean, aiding in structure, flavor development, and retaining fresh acidity.
 
Douglas Danielak (owner/winemaker of Pont Neuf) joined the founding team as the winemaker, using his knowledge and experience from earning a BS in Viticulture and Enology from UC Davis and the Lycee Agricole et Viticole de Beaune in Burgundy. 2013 was an excellent vintage for the region, and this wine has aged gracefully for just under a decade bringing forth subtle spices and soft tannins with a long, supple finish.
 
KNIGHTS BRIDGE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
KNIGHTS VALLEY 2013
 
 
 
“Coming from a practically perfect growing season, the Knights Bridge 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon opens with aromas of violets, red and black currants, black cherry, allspice, cigar box, and cedar. On the palate, the wine has smooth, supple tannins and flavors of cassis, black olive, baking spices, black tea leaves, and cocoa powder. The concentration of flavor is impressive and holds on throughout the lengthy finish. This wine is divine and drinking beautifully right now, but it still possesses aging capability.”
95 Points
2019 Domus Aurea Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Valley

2019 Domus Aurea Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Valley

with No Comment $60-$70Cabernet SauvignonChileKevin Vogt

DOMUS AUREA

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
MAIPO VALLEY 2019

2019 Domus Aurea Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Valley
One of Chile’s most renowned vineyards, Clos Quebrada de Macul, planted in 1970, sits on a low-yielding hillside site requiring highly skilled farming. Proprietors Isabelle and Ricardo Peña planted predominately Cabernet Sauvignon with a small mixture of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot that they sold to some of the top wineries in Chile, reaching the highest price on the market and motivating the Peña’s to open a winery of their own.
 
The first vintage of Domus Aurea was released in 1996 and remains today the vineyard’s flagship wine and one of Chile’s most sought-after Cabernets. The wine consistently gained worldwide attention, garnering high praise from critics. 
 
The 2019 vintage comprises 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot, traditionally vinified with a long, slow fermentation, aged 18 months in French oak barrels, and bottled unfiltered to preserve the integrity of the wine from this magnificent terroir.
 
DOMUS AUREA
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
MAIPO VALLEY 2019
Retails at: $75
 
 
 
“…It has the textbook notes of mint and eucalyptus, intermixed with exotic spices (cola nut and Jamaica pepper), quite aromatic, with notes of crème de cassis and good ripeness. It has the Domus character from the mountains and the stones with that dry sensation and austere palate….bottled in March 2021.”
95 Points
2022 Leto Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma County

2022 Leto Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma County

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtSauvignon BlancSonomaSonoma ValleyUSA

LETO CELLARS

SAUVIGNON BLANC
SONOMA COUNTY 2022

2022 Leto Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma County
Brad Warner, co-founder and winemaker at Leto Cellars, has over 50 years of dedication and experience in the wine industry. He began his career in the cellar at Charles Krug Winery, followed by nearly 30 years of tenure at Robert Mondavi Winery, where he served as the Vice President of Production. Brad’s wife, Lisa, was also at Mondavi and was in charge of all aspects of wine production for over 30 years, founding Leto Cellars in 2008 and leaning into their well-deserved knowledge and adoration for their work.
 
“Leto” translates to “the hidden one” in Greek, and Leto Cellars symbolizes finding a fantastic wine made with passion at an unbelievably low price point. 
 
The 2022 Sauvignon Blanc was stainless steel-fermented, giving a very aromatically pure character, bursting with concentrated flavors and crisp acidity, perfect for a warm summer day.
 
LETO CELLARS
SAUVIGNON BLANC
SONOMA COUNTY 2022
Retails at: $28
 
 
 
“The Leto 2022 Sauvignon Blanc is brilliantly aromatic with notes of white blossoms, lemon zest, pink grapefruit, white peach, passion fruit, and golden straw. On the palate, the wine has a lively intensity with concentrated flavors of lemon, Granny Smith apple, mandarin orange, and gooseberry and a long, playful finish.”
94 Points
2019 Kelly Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Napa Valley

2019 Kelly Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOak KnollUSA

KELLY FAMILY VINEYARDS

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
ESTATE NAPA VALLEY
OAK KNOLL DISTRICT 2019

2019 Kelly Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Napa Valley
Kelly Family Vineyards is one of our most exciting boutique wine discoveries this year, and their 2019 vintage embodies everything we look for in superior-quality, small-lot Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. For years, they’ve sold fruit to some of Napa’s top Cabernet producers, and if I told you which ones, I’m confident you’d jump straight to the order button. 
 
Vineyard Manager Mario Bazán immigrated to Napa in 1973 and was charmed by Napa’s beauty, so he carefully honed his viticultural skills as a laborer and today runs one of the most respected vineyard management companies in Napa and Sonoma counties.
 
Winemaker Bob Pepi works closely with Gene and Mario to craft Kelly Family Vineyards’ limited production of premium quality wines. The depth and complexity of the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon release reflect the undivided attention of the small, intimate team and the glorious vintage.
 
KELLY FAMILY VINEYARDS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
ESTATE NAPA VALLEY
OAK KNOLL DISTRICT 2019
Retails at: $95
 
 
 
“Coming from another fantastic vintage in Napa Valley, the Kelly Family 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits notes of wet stones, petrichor, black currant, savory spice, and a hint of cinnamon. On the palate, the wine has bright acidity that enhances the flavors of dried herbs, menthol, black plum, cherry, and allspice. The finish lingers on the palate and portrays the complexity of the flavors as it envelopes your taste buds. This wine has the structure to age and will continue to develop.”
96 Points