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
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“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
2014 Monthelie-Douhairet-Porcheret Burgundy

2014 Monthelie-Douhairet-Porcheret Burgundy

with No Comment $40-$50BurgandyFranceKevin VogtRed Burgandy

MONTHELIE-DOUHAIRET-PORCHERET 

2014 LES DURESSES
PREMIER CRU RED BURGUNDY

2014 Monthelie-Douhairet-Porcheret Burgundy

 
As hard as it is to find Premier Cru Red Burgundies at an affordable price, finding one made by one of Burgundy’s most renowned winemakers is a lot more difficult… Monthelie-Douhairet-Porcheret is made by André Porcheret, former winemaker at Domaine Leroy from 1988-1993. Leroy is one of the greatest producers in the world, and some would consider them in the same class as Domaine Romanee Conti. At our price, Monthelie’s Les Duresses is absolutely stunning.
 
The area of Monthelie is known for producing some of Burgundy’s most stunning values, and it neighbors Volnay to the North. The top producer in Monthelie is Monthelie Douhairet Porcheret, and their wines offer sensational levels of pure yet expressive fruit, notable elegance, and sense of place. 
 
Arising from a solid vintage in the Cote de Beaune, and one the Wine Spectator details as the third consecutive year of hail, resulting in low yields, yet the best are complex, juicy and age-worthy. This is an exceptional example of the vintage, which produced powerful, complex wines.
 
MONTHELIE-DOUHAIRET-PORCHERET 
2014 LES DURESSES
PREMIER CRU RED BURGUNDY
 
Your Price: $45
Click to Order
 
 
 
 
“The Monthelie Douhairet Porcheret Monthelie Les Duresses 2014 begins with an alluring nose combining tart cherries, asian spices, pomegranate, French lavender, crushed rock and hints of cola. The palate is bright with tart red berries, earthy minerals, exotic spices and a saline quality. It has a medium finish with fine grained tannins that promise a decade of cellaring or more.” 92 Points
2019 Chateau Des Garcinieres Provence Rose Cotes De Provence

2019 Chateau Des Garcinieres Provence Rose Cotes De Provence

with No Comment $30 and underFranceKevin VogtProvenceRosé

CHÂTEAU DES GARCINIÈRES

2019 PROVENCE ROSÉ
CÔTES DE PROVENCE

2019 Chateau Des Garcinieres Provence Rose Cotes De Provence

There are many reasons why Rosé sales in the US are climbing by double digits year-after-year. Many high-quality Rosés are affordable, and the best offer a laser-like focus, remarkable clarity, and freshness of fruit that’s simply irresistible. The level of value is immense, and when you’re looking for a refreshing white that’s not heavy or overbearing and can pair with a multitude of foods, Rosé stands tall. One of the best in our shop is Château des Garcinières, and the new 2019 release is brilliant.  
 
This jewel comes from Provence, a region in Southeastern France, and an area revered for producing delicate, yet focused Rosé wines. Château des Garcinières has been family owned and operated since 1898, and they’ve been caring for these grapes for four generations. 
 
The 2019 Garcinières Rosé deliciously combines Grenache and Cinsault grapes. On the palate, the wine is concentrated and focused, with bright orchard fruits, veins of minerals, bright acidity, and delicate sea-like nuances that bring a smile to my face every time I taste it.
 
CHÂTEAU DES GARCINIÈRES
2019 PROVENCE ROSÉ
CÔTES DE PROVENCE
Retails at: $26
 
Your Price: $24.00
Click to Order
 
 
“This elegant Rosé is vibrant and fresh; aromas of white peach and nectarine emerge from the glass with a bit of bubble gum that provides a touch of sweetness. Beautiful floral notes of scented jasmine expand into the glass as it opens. The lovely soft peach color is reminiscent of previous vintages, and Provence in general, which gives clear evidence of the wine we’ve come to love. Mouth filling orchard fruit and lemon peel notes give way to bracing acidity, wild strawberry, sea shell minerality and a hint of lavender to remind us of its home by the sea.”
2016 Ty Caton Winemaker's Cuvee Moon Mountain District

2016 Ty Caton Winemaker’s Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon Moon Mountain District

with No Comment $30 and underCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtMoon MountainNapaUSA

TY CATON 

WINEMAKER’S CUVEE
2016 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
MOON MOUNTAIN DISTRICT 

2016 Ty Caton Winemaker's Cuvee Moon Mountain DistrictIf you enjoy robust, hedonistic Cabs from Mount Veeder, and the elegant and savory wines from Spring Mountain, you would also enjoy wines from Moon Mountain. Positioned on the Sonoma side of Mount Veeder, the well-drained red volcanic soils are also home to icons like the Monte Rosso, which was made famous by Louis Martini, and Frederick’s Vineyard used by Turley. At the $38 retail price, Ty Caton’s Winemaker’s Cuvée from Moon Mountain earned a Gold Medal at the SF Chronicle Wine Competition. But at our price, few others can compete.  

Ty selected clone 337 for his Cabernet, which is commonly found in cult wines and thrives in the well-drained volcanic soils. On the palate, the wine is stunningly deep, enchanting, and full of hedonistic delights. 
 
The 2016 Cuvée checks in at 90% Cabernet Sauvignon entwined with Merlot and spent 15 months in oak barrels. Now with a couple of years in the bottle, it conquers your senses with an exotic tapestry of opulent black fruits, liquid floral, and crushed rock.
 
TY CATON 
WINEMAKER’S CUVEE
2016 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
MOON MOUNTAIN DISTRICT
Retails at: $38
 
 
 
 
 
“The 2016 Estate Winemaker’s Cuvee meets the palate with rich and full-bodied flavors of black currant, red plums, and cassis, followed by oak notes of cedar and vanilla. These dark flavors produce a lush and velvety textured mouth feel that combine with supple tannins, and leads to a long silky finish.”
2017 Maldonado Chardonnay Los Olivos Vineyard

2017 Maldonado Chardonnay Los Olivos Vineyard

with No Comment $30-$40ChardonnayKevin VogtNapaUSA

MALDONADO 

2017 CHARDONNAY
LOS OLIVOS VINEYARD

2017 Maldonado Chardonnay Los Olivos VineyardMaldonado Chardonnay is the delicious result of nearly four decades spent immersed in Napa Valley agriculture, including managing iconic vineyards like Newton Cellars. The results speak volumes, and fruit from their remarkable vineyard has attracted top producers like Venge and B Cellars to craft Chardonnay from it. The Maldonado’s passion for the grape is transparent in their flagship Los Olivos bottling, which is made in a richly layered style with beautiful weight, balance, and gloriously defined fruit. 

The Los Olivos Vineyard is near the Southeastern edge of Napa Valley, in a cool, windswept region that experiences strong maritime influences from the Pacific Ocean and the San Pablo Bay. These influences funnel through the Coastal Mountain ranges, and allow the grapes a long growing-season, with temperatures cool enough to maintain acidity and structure. 
 
Maldonado perfectly balances nectar-like texture with balanced acidity and detailed candied lemon, tropical fruits, and vanilla bean. The wine team barrel ferments the grapes, and then the wine is aged sur lie, which contributes to this wine’s incredible richness and buttery aromas. 
 
MALDONADO 
2017 CHARDONNAY
LOS OLIVOS VINEYARD
Retails at: $42
 
Your Price: $39.99
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“Inviting aromas of maple, Meyer lemon curd and ripe nectarine. Bright and clean with spiced maple, green apple, citrus, wet slate and subtle hint of oak. A classic style Chardonnay, yet re-imagined!”  
2017 Twomey Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

2017 Twomey Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtPinot NoirRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

TWOMEY

2017 PINOT NOIR
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

2017 Twomey Pinot Noir Russian River ValleyThe Duncan family members are major players and innovators in the California wine industry and have been since the 1970s. After dominating one varietal for decades with Silver Oak Cabernet, they took on a new challenge with Pinot Noir under the Twomey moniker. They embarked on the new project bringing decades of winemaking experience, a spirit of innovation, and a focus on excellence and sustainability. The results are simply stunning, and their 2017 Russian River Pinot Noir is a textbook example. 

Twomey’s 2017 Russian River Pinot Noir is a cuvée that includes fruit from the winery’s original Westpin Vineyard, located on the North end of the Russian River Valley. They also blend fruit from cool-climate sites, including Last Stop Estate, Bailey, and Bartolomei. The complex mix of terroirs and clonal selections contributes to this wine’s vast layers of fruit. 
 
Justin Hirigoyen leads the winemaking team at Twomey. Justin trained at Domaine Faiveley in France and was also the winemaker at Spring Mountain Vineyards, where he utilized a technique of fermenting 22% of the juice using whole clusters for added depth and structure.
 
TWOMEY
2017 PINOT NOIR
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
 
Your Price: $49.99
Click to Order
 
 
 
“Black-red with a lighter edge; Complex yet delicate nose of white pepper, fig reduction, black raspberry, cardamom, and prosciutto; Layered and packed with fruit; Round with powdery tannins that are both balanced and concentrated; Dense tannins carry the layered fruit for a lasting finish.”
2017 Bodegas Pinea 17 Ribera del Duero

2017 Bodegas Pinea 17 Ribera del Duero

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtSpainTempranillo

BODEGAS PINEA 

2017 “17” by PINEA
RIBERA del DUERO 

2017 Bodegas Pinea 17 Ribera del Duero

When one of Spain’s top-producers who’s flagship Ribera del Duero retails for around $150, creates a fresh and new wine inspired by the younger vines from their Estate Vineyards, AND retails it for nearly a quarter of the price, I want to try it… We introduced their 2015 last year, and the wine was an instant hit that incited a flurry of re-orders. The 2017 vintage is stunningly detailed, long, and complex and offers old-world power and antiquity with new-world fruit and lush textures that make it incredibly appealing.
 
Pinea is located in the heart of Ribera del Duero, and their high-elevation and dry-farmed vineyards are grown in chalky sand and limestone with deep, healthy root systems. The vines there produce powerfully concentrated fruit with a remarkable sense of place. The blend is 100% Tempranillo, which is Spain’s most iconic grape and revered for producing full-bodied red wines. 
 
Isaac Fernandez, whom the Wine Spectator dubbed One of Spain’s brightest young winemakers, and who trained under his uncle Mariano Garcia, who was the former head winemaker at Vega Sicilia, brought this wine to life. If you love big, rich red wines that offer unimaginable bang-for-your-buck, this is definitely for you…
 
BODEGAS PINEA 
2017 “17” by PINEA
RIBERA del DUERO
 
Your Price: $39.99
Click to Order
 
“It is clean, of medium-high intensity on the nose…. aromas of red fruits like strawberries and black fruits, particularly blackberry, ripe black plum and blueberry. These are joined by the subtle and elegant aromas of new oak, with hints of spices, vanilla, chocolate and toast. On the palate, the wine comes together in a daring and powerful profile, with noticeable, silky tannins. It is very intense with a palate-filling body that shows the same perfect balance between fruit and toast as on the nose. The finish is long and persistent.”
 
2018 Barrique Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

2018 Barrique Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

BARRIQUE 

2018 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST

2018 Barrique Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

Producing quality Pinot Noir begins in the vineyard with the right clonal selection, terroir, and perfectly ripened fruit. Then, it moves to the winery, where gentle and skilled winemaking techniques complete the job. It doesn’t always take much money to get the result you want. If you have relationships with the right growers and have the right skills, you can make a stunning wine that doesn’t cost a fortune. Barrique’s 2018 Sonoma Coast Pinot is the perfect example, and at our price, I bet you’ll wish you had ordered more when you try it…  
 
Barrique’s Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir encompasses cool-climate vineyards in the Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, and Carneros AVAs. The blend also includes fruit from the Roses Estate Vineyard on Olivet Road, which is near icons like Martinelli. 
 
Once harvested, the fruit was gently transferred by gravity to open-top fermenters, where it was fermented with 33% whole clusters for added depth and structure. The resulting wine is balances brightly focused and intriguing fruit, with velvety, yet firm tannins and lovely acidity.  
 
BARRIQUE 
2018 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST
Retails at: $23
 
Your Price: $19
Click to Order
 
 
 
“The 2018 Barrique Pinot Noir is deep red in the glass, the nose is full of ripe huckleberry, cedar and vanilla spice. The texture is plush with a broad mouthfeel. Flavors of blackberry compote, fig jam and caramelized sugar round out a long finish.”
2018 Aimsfield Sauvignon Blanc Central Otago New Zealand

2018 Amisfield Central Otago Sauvignon Blanc

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtNew ZealandSauvignon Blanc

AMISFIELD 

2018 SAUVIGNON BLANC
CENTRAL OTAGO | NEW ZEALAND 

2018 Aimsfield Sauvignon Blanc Central Otago New Zealand

Many countries have a signature grape varietal that separates them from the rest, and in New Zealand, that varietal is Sauvignon Blanc. It’s the Country’s most widely planted grape and accounts for around 70% of its total production. Wine lovers revere it for its bracing acidity, vibrant grapefruit, and herbaceous/floral aromas. The very name means “Wild White,” which perfectly coincides with the immense power of this noble variety. 
 
Amisfield is a brilliant example of classic New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, with racy acidity, pink grapefruit, fresh lime, and herbaceous characteristics. Winery founder John Darby chose to plant his vineyard in Central Otago, after an exhaustive search for the best cool-climate terroir in New Zealand. 
 
The wine team harvested the fruit at the pinnacle of perfection to capture fully developed flavors and aromas. Each parcel was fermented separately, at cool temperatures, and in stainless steel tanks to preserve freshness. If you’re looking for a vibrant and compelling white to have on your table this summer, this is it.
 
AMISFIELD 
2018 SAUVIGNON BLANC
CENTRAL OTAGO | NEW ZEALAND
Retails at: $25
 
Your Price:  $22
Click to Order
 
 
 
“Dry, bright, fresh and appealing sauvignon blanc with grapefruit, pineapple, chalky mineral and lime blossom flavours. An accessible wine with attractive purity and an ethereal texture… Drink 2019 – 2022”  93 Points
 
 
 
“This has ample lemon and grassy elements that deliver a very fleshy impression on the palate with bold, lime and lemon notes, as well as apples. Drink now. Screw cap.”  90 Points
MCPRICE MYERS HIGH ON THE HOG 2017 PROPRIETARY RED

2017 McPrice Myers High On The Hog Proprietary Red

with No Comment $30 and underCentral CoastKevin VogtProprietary RedUSA

MCPRICE MYERS

HIGH ON THE HOG
2017 PROPRIETARY RED

MCPRICE MYERS HIGH ON THE HOG 2017 PROPRIETARY REDConsumers seeking robust, textured reds with endless character, and value prices, may already know winemaker “Mac” McPrice Myers. For years his Barrel 27 wines were a staple in the value section of our shop, and in 2013 he rebranded the project as his Blue Collar Series. One of my favorites is his High on the Hog Red, which was also a former Barrel 27 wine, and it’s a full-throttle blend of primarily Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre. With 93 Points and Editors’ Choice from Wine Enthusiast, you’ll feel like you’re high on the hog, and at a price that will make you smile.  

Mac built the 2017 vintage of High On The Hog from carefully chosen sites in California’s Central Coast, including Luna Matta and Santa Barbara Highlands. The wine is made in a highly-expressive, deep, and showy style and offers a harmony of crushed berries, smoked meats, black pepper, wild plum, and violets. 
 
He then fermented the grapes in multiple different vessels, including Stainless Steel, Concrete, and open-top fermenters. For added depth and structure, Mac utilized 20% whole cluster fermentation in the process. At twenty bucks, you simply have got to try it… 
 
MCPRICE MYERS
HIGH ON THE HOG
2017 PROPRIETARY RED
 
Your Price: $19.99
 
“Aromas of fresh boysenberry, baked pastries, caramel and savory smoke lead into a well-integrated palate of fruit, herb and wood flavors that are framed by firm yet polished tannins. It’s fresh with acidity and yet dense, finishing on a touch of pine needle.” 93 Points, Editor’s Choice
 
“Deep vivid ruby. Powerful red and blue fruit preserve, candied licorice and exotic spice aromas pick up a smoky nuance with air. Broad, fleshy and seamless in texture, offering palate-coating black raspberry, cherry cola, fruitcake and mocha flavors sharpened by a zesty, peppery nuance. Clings with authority on the long, smoky finish, which leaves behind a sweet violet pastille note. For fans of bold, full-throated but not overbearing red wine, there’s serious value here. 20% whole clusters.”  91 Points