2018 Livio Sassetti Pertimali Brunello Di Montalcino

2018 Livio Sassetti Pertimali Brunello Di Montalcino

with No Comment $80-$90BrunelloBrunelloItalyKevin Vogt

LIVIO SASSETTI

PERTIMALI 2018
BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO

2018 Livio Sassetti Pertimali Brunello Di Montalcino
Revered for consistently producing world-class Brunello di Montalcino, the Sassetti family is one of Tuscany’s top producers, cultivating terroir-driven fruit with immense character. 
 
Their Estate is perched upon the hill of Montosoli, north of Montalcino, reputed for some of the most outstanding examples of Sangiovese, alluring and enchanting wine lovers and critics worldwide.
 
Robert Parker once mentioned that if he had to drink one Brunello for the rest of his life, “it would have to be Pertimali.” 
 
The 2018 release shows beautifully, displaying an array of fabulous aromas and flavors that define the region. This outstanding wine should be a part of any Italian wine collector’s cellar.
 
LIVIO SASSETTI
PERTIMALI 2018
BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO
 
 
 
“Intense aromas of black cherries, lavender and spice, such as nutmeg. Some sandalwood and bark, too. Full-bodied with a solid core of fruit and tannins for the vintage. Rather chewy, suggesting that additional bottle age is needed. Try after 2026.”
96 Points
2019 Merus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2019 Merus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonCoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaUSAYountville

MERUS

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
NAPA VALLEY 2019

2019 Merus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Merus is Latin for “pure” or “undiluted.” The purity behind the winery humbly came to fruition in 1998, with Erika J. Gottl and Mark Herold having crafted the inaugural vintage in their garage behind their house in Napa. The wine won international renown, and in 2007 Bill Foley added Merus to his Foley Family Wines group and restored an old ghost winery into a winemaking facility worthy of the brand.
 
The winery’s small size and long-term relationships with many Napa Valley growers allow the team to control many factors in the vineyard, including yield size, pruning, irrigation, and harvest times. The 2019 vintage is 97% Cabernet Sauvignon coming from a unique site in the Coombsville AVA with 3% Petit Verdot, sourced from a selected plot in Yountville, aged 24 months in 100% new French oak giving the already concentrated fruit additional flavor complexity, depth, and a lasting finish. 
 
MERUS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
NAPA VALLEY 2019
Retails at: $225
 
 
 
“A killer bottle of Napa Valley magic, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon from Merus is 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot. It’s a powerful, full-bodied, uber-ripe beauty that stays lively and balanced, with beautiful blue fruits, as well as smoked tobacco, chocolate, and scored earth-like aromas and flavors. A beast of a wine with a great mid-palate and velvety tannins, it should shed its considerable baby fat over the coming 4-6 years and have two decades of overall longevity.”
97 Points
2021 Lingua Franca Avni Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

2021 Lingua Franca Avni Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtOregonPinot NoirUSA

LINGUA FRANCA

AVNI PINOT NOIR
WILLAMETTE VALLEY 2021

2021 Lingua Franca Avni Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
Larry Stone was the ninth Master Sommelier in the United States and spent over 30 years as a high-profile sommelier and restaurateur. In 2010, he began negotiations on the highly sought-after 150-acre Janzen Farm in Oregon’s Eola-Amity Hills AVA, finally purchasing the property in 2012. The estate lies in the neighborhood of Argyle’s Lone Star, Domaine Serene’s Jerusalem Hill, and Evening Land’s Seven Springs vineyards, known for Nekia, Gelderman, and Jory soils and a climate ideally suited to grow Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
 
Larry co-founded Lingua Franca alongside David Honig and Dominique Lafon in 2015. Dominique, a well-known producer in Meursault, assumed the position of the consulting winemaker and brought on his protégé Thomas Savre to craft the wines because of Thomas’s experience working for some of the top domains in Burgundy. The Avni Pinot Noir comes primarily from the Lingua Franca Estate Vineyard, with around 30% from other prized plots in the Eola-Amity Hills region to elevate the range of aromas and flavors but retain the savory spice.
 
LINGUA FRANCA
AVNI PINOT NOIR
WILLAMETTE VALLEY 2021
 
 
 
“The Lingua Franca Avni Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2021 begins with a strikingly complex Burgundian-like nose of fresh cherries, delicate green herbs, light wood spice, and white florals. The palate continues with bright red and sweet black cherries, tart pomegranate, ripe Burgundy plums, black tea, hints of cola, and saline minerality. The touch of greenness from partial whole-cluster fermentation dances with the complex sweet/tart fruit to showcase the lushness of Oregon Pinot Noir, guided by the thoughtful, measured hand of a Burgundian winemaker in a way that beautifully projects the best traits of both regions.”
94 Points
2020 Dolum Estates Cabernet Sauvignoin Cask #11 Sonoma County

2020 Dolum Estates Cabernet Sauvignoin Cask #11 Sonoma County

with No Comment $30 and underAlexander ValleyCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtSonomaUSA

DOLUM ESTATES

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
CASK #11 2020
SONOMA COUNTY

2020 Dolum Estates Cabernet Sauvignoin Cask #11 Sonoma County
Dolum Estates’ founders strive to create wines with undeniable character and all-embracing elegance that vividly portray their origin. Winemaker Chad Alexander’s background in soil science, and experience making wine at Hess Collection and Robert Craig wineries, brought their goal to fruition, producing terroir-focused wines with depth of flavor that remain elegant and finely balanced.
 
Their 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Cask #11 embodies the classic Alexander Valley depth and complexity of the region’s ancient soils. It’s balanced with 8% Cabernet Sauvignon from Oakville that ties in the rich, supple mouthfeel. This impressive wine, aged in French oak, offers immediate enjoyment and the structure to age for five to seven years.
 
DOLUM ESTATES
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
CASK #11 2020
SONOMA COUNTY
Retails at: $82
 
 
 
“Massive notes of crushed stone, blackberry, earth, and licorice are gentled by the wine’s inherent elegance. It morphs from tightly wound to a tamed beast with lithe, lip-smacking tannins.”
94 Points, “Publisher’s Pick”
2021 Hourglass HG III Red Blend Napa Valley

2021 Hourglass HG III Red Blend Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

HOURGLASS 

HG III RED BLEND
NAPA VALLEY 2021

2021 Hourglass HG III Red Blend Napa Valley
The Hourglass estate consists of two vineyards producing a line of estate wines under winemaker Tony Biagi, who gained nearly ten years of experience making wines for Plumpjack. The two vineyards are planted predominately with Bordeaux varietals, and Tony focuses on creating Old-World-styled wines with a modern twist.
 
The HG III is a unique blend of small lots of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petite Sirah, offering a silky-smooth, consistent style of a Napa Valley red blend that continuously finds itself on the shelves of our wine shop. The 2021 vintage is youthful and full of life with concentrated flavors, smooth, supple tannins, and a long, indulgent finish. It is the perfect accompaniment to a meal or a relaxing evening.
 
HOURGLASS 
HG III RED BLEND
NAPA VALLEY 2021
Retails at: $53
 
 
 
“The Hourglass 2021 HG III Proprietary Red Blend opens with a spice rack of complex aromas with violets, pink peppercorns, red currant, blackberry, leather, and mushroom. On the palate, the wine has depth and flavors of ripe red plum, blueberry, melted dark chocolate, malt, toasted bread, and roasted coffee beans. The flavor intensity lasts through the finish and is enjoyable from beginning to middle to end.”
94 Points
2020 Stemmler Pinot Noir BZ Vineyard Anderson Valley

2020 Stemmler Pinot Noir BZ Vineyard Anderson Valley

with No Comment $30 and underAnderson ValleyKevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaUSA

STEMMLER

PINOT NOIR
BZ VINEYARD 2020
ANDERSON VALLEY

2020 Stemmler Pinot Noir BZ Vineyard Anderson Valley
Robert Stemmler began working at Charles Krug after moving to California from Germany in 1961, and later for Inglenook and Simi wineries before launching his winery focused on Pinot Noir in 1976. His Pinot Noirs rose to critical acclaim, being called the best in America in 1984. Although Robert sold in his winery 1989, he still steps in to ensure that the quality level he established over 40 years remains intact.
 
The BZ Vineyard sits near the Navarro River in the Anderson Valley, not far from the Pacific Ocean, and is one of the coolest sites the winery works and the last one harvested. Stemmler harvested wines from the 2020 vintage a little earlier than usual, allowing for a brighter character than past vintages, bringing zesty acidity and fresh red fruits from a co-fermentation of different Pinot Noir clones specially selected by the winemaking team. 
 
STEMMLER
PINOT NOIR
BZ VINEYARD 2020
ANDERSON VALLEY
Retails at: $50
 
 
 
“The Stemmler 2020 Bz Pinot Noir opens with bright notes of red berry and stone fruits with light florals. The palate continues with cotton-candied bright red cherries, ripe strawberries, cola bean, chalk, and white flowers. It is a fresh, easy-drinking Monday through Thursday wine.”
90 Points
2020 Maison Jessiaume Bourgogne Chardonnay Burgundy France

2020 Maison Jessiaume Bourgogne Chardonnay Burgundy France

with No Comment $30 and underBurgandyChardonnayFranceKevin Vogt

MAISON JESSIAUME

BOURGOGNE CHARDONNAY
BURGUNDY FRANCE 2020

2020 Maison Jessiaume Bourgogne Chardonnay Burgundy France
Founded in 1850 in the Santenay region of Burgundy, Maison Jessiaume’s proprietors are unwaveringly committed to continuing the winery’s legacy and showcasing unique terroirs. Jessiaume controls thirty-seven acres of organically farmed vines across fifteen sub-appellations, with their Chardonnay vines predominant in the southern areas. These vineyards provide crisp, clean acidity, minerality, and floral notes to the wines.
 
The winemaking team relies on a minimalistic approach, removing human intervention as much as possible and utilizing techniques such as ambient yeast fermentation, gravity flow, and natural clarification. The 2020 Bourgogne Chardonnay is a blend of different plots that were delicately refined over ten months in neutral French oak, keeping the characteristics of the fruit intact while providing a bit more structure, spice, and a softer mouthfeel that is delightfully approachable.
 
MAISON JESSIAUME
BOURGOGNE CHARDONNAY
BURGUNDY FRANCE 2020
 
 
 
“The Domaine Jessiaume 2020 Bourgogne Chardonnay comes from a nearly perfect vintage for white wines, evident in this wine with concentrated aromas of honeysuckle, chamomile, apricot, custard, allspice, and wet stones. On the palate, the flavors or just as intense with peach, and pear, with a hint of butterscotch pot de crème. The wine is drinking fabulously at the moment, with or without food, and is impressively delightful.”
95 Points
 
2019 Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Estate

2019 Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Estate

with No Comment $90-$100Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA

PARADIGM   

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
OAKVILLE ESTATE 2019

2019 Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Estate
In 1976, winegrowers Ren and Marilyn Harris decided to purchase a vineyard, and without hesitation, their first choice was in what is now the Oakville AVA of Napa Valley. The Harris’s hired a promising young winemaker named Heidi Barrett for their inaugural vintage under the Paradigm label in 1991, and she’s been with them ever since, sharing her passion, knowledge, and sage-like wisdom for creating phenomenal wines from vineyards responsibly farmed with love and dedication.
 
Located directly south of Beckstoffer’s To-Kalon Vineyard and with neighbors like Opus One and Martha’s Vineyard, Paradigm Estate sits on premium terroir in the heart of Oakville. The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon displays classic Oakville aromatics from perfectly ripe, lush fruit aged 20 months in French oak and 20 months in bottle before release, with the potential to age much longer. However, it is already a brilliant wine in its youth!
 
PARADIGM   
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
OAKVILLE ESTATE 2019
 
 
 
“Our 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is dark ruby in color with aromas of deep ripe fruit, black cherries, blackberry, currants, plums, savory spice, vanilla, and toasty French Oak. Aromas and flavors show nice concentration in 2019. The wine has a dense texture and mouthcoating mouthfeel. Classic Oakville Cabernet flavors similar to the aromas. Optimum ripeness leads to a lush, rich, and well-balanced wine that bodes well for age ability. Layered and interesting with a long persistent finish. A delicious offering from Paradigm. Enjoy!”
Heidi Barrett
2017 Justin Justification Red Paso Robles

2017 Justin Justification Red Paso Robles

with No Comment $50-$60Central CoastKevin VogtPaso RoblesProprietary RedUSA

JUSTIN

JUSTIFICATION RED
PASO ROBLES 2017

2017 Justin Justification Red Paso Robles
Justin Winery’s founders planted their first vineyards in 1981 on fossilized limestone soils with a similar composition as those in Bordeaux, stressing the vines and giving wines a wide range of character and depth of flavor. The winemaking philosophy combines Old World practices with New World technology to create world-class wines from Paso Robles’ unique microclimate, which includes the most significant difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures of any wine-growing region in California.
 
Justification highlights a Right Bank Bordeaux-style blend featuring Cabernet Franc and Merlot aged in 100% French oak barrels. The 2017 vintage is a full-bodied red with a beautiful combination of power and freshness, comprising 65% Cabernet Franc with 35% Merlot, making an excellent accompaniment with a wide range of foods and any occasion from a friendly barbecue to a candlelit dinner.
 
JUSTIN
JUSTIFICATION RED
PASO ROBLES 2017
Retails at: $62
 
 
 
“The 2017 Justification is a Right Bank-styled blend of 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot. Medium to deep ruby-purple in color, it offers bright red and black cherry fruits with notions of garrigue, dried herbs, vanilla and cardamom. In the mouth, it’s medium to full-bodied, with slowly opening fruits and a firm, grainy frame. It has great lift and freshness and finishes long. An approachable, friendly style.”
92 Points
2021 Bodega Atamisque Catalpa Malbec Mendoza Argentina

2021 Bodega Atamisque Catalpa Malbec Mendoza Argentina

with No Comment $30 and underArgentinaKevin VogtMalbecUco Valley

BODEGA ATAMISQUE 

CATALPA MALBEC 2021  
TUPUNGATO-VALLE DE UCO
MENDOZA ARGENTINA

2021 Bodega Atamisque Catalpa Malbec Mendoza Argentina
Bodega Atamisque sits in the San José District along the western foothills of the Andes Mountains in the Uco Valley near Tupungato, one of Mendoza’s most highly regarded growing regions. The vineyards in Tupungato are at an average elevation of 4,200 feet above sea level, moderating hot daytime temperatures and exposing the fruit to more intense sunlight, resulting in grapes with concentrated flavors, elaborately structured tannins, and crisp acidity.
 
Catalpa is the winery’s flagship wine produced from vines over 90 years old, taking advantage of the unique climate that contributes to some of the world’s most outstanding Malbecs. The 2021 vintage was aged for 14 months in Taransaud-Demptos French oak, giving the wine added complexity and age-ability, sustaining the winery’s standards and continuing Malbec’s legacy in Argentina.
 
BODEGA ATAMISQUE 
CATALPA MALBEC 2021  
TUPUNGATO-VALLE DE UCO
MENDOZA ARGENTINA
 
 
 
“Quite a ripe nose with plenty of black cherries, stewed blueberries, black licorice and violets. Juicy and chalky on the palate with a medium to full body and floral fruit coming through alongside the purple, pulpy fruit. Drink now.”
91 Points