2017 San Leonino Governo All'uso Toscana Sangiovese IGT

2017 San Leonino Governo All’uso Toscana Sangiovese IGT

with No Comment $30 and underItalyKevin VogtSangioveseTuscany

SAN LEONINO

2017 GOVERNO
ALL’USO TOSCANA 
SANGIOVESE IGT

2017 San Leonino Governo All'uso Toscana Sangiovese IGT
Governo is a wine type favored by sommeliers looking for a value-priced Sangiovese with greater depth, richness, and X-factor. Producers make it using similar methods to Amarone, but instead of Valpolicella’s mix of grapes, they use Sangiovese. To make it, winemakers add partially dried grapes back into already fermented Sangiovese, igniting a secondary fermentation, which creates a more profound, more vibrant, and often smoother wine.  
 
Tuscany is where winemakers first developed Governo in the 14th century. It was often a method used by vineyard workers who got paid with the poorest quality grapes in the vineyard. They found that if they added partially raisinated grapes into the already fermented Sangiovese, they could make a deeper, richer Sangiovese that was easier to sell. 
 
San Leonino’s 2017 Governo is 100% Sangiovese and comes from the All’Uso Toscano region in Tuscany. It’s a classically styled wine, with penetrating cherry fruit intertwined with spices, and liquid floral.  
 
SAN LEONINO
2017 GOVERNO
ALL’USO TOSCANA 
SANGIOVESE IGT
 
Your Price: $19.99
 
 
“Intense notes of ripe cassis, cherry, licorice, cedar and spiced oak dominate on both the nose and palate. 100% Sangiovese.”
2016 Joseph Jewell Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

2016 Joseph Jewell Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtPinot NoirRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

JOSEPH JEWELL 

2016 PINOT NOIR
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

2016 Joseph Jewell Pinot Noir Russian River Valley
There are many reasons why Joseph Jewell Pinot Noir is the only wine that I’ve featured on my top-five-wines of the year list more than once. The most distinctive trait that’s become a hallmark of this wine is the satiny texture and weight on the palate, which is sublime. Every time I taste it, I’m perplexed that a wine we can offer at this value price can taste like it costs more than double. 
 
Joseph Jewell marries fruit from renowned sites Hallberg, Floodgate, and Bucher Vineyards. Williams-Selyem and Gary Farrell Pinot fans likely recognize these sites as being spectacular.  
 
On the palate, the 2016 vintage is full, rich and opens up to a basket of black cherries, ripe raspberries, black tea, and blue violets. The wine team elevated it for around 11 months in French oak, and then it blossomed generously over the last three years in the bottle.
 
JOSEPH JEWELL 
2016 PINOT NOIR
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
Retails at: $40
 
 
 
“Doubling down on the extreme quality that Joseph Jewell Russian River Valley Pinot Noir has produced in previous vintages, the 2016 sets an all new high water mark. The alluring nose has the most beautiful blend of pomegranate, red pie cherries, mixed florals and hints of spice. The mesmerizing mouthfeel has a supple, satiny texture, along with a mouth-filling explosion of ripe black raspberries, sweet red plums, tart cranberry, cherry cola, chamomile tea and asian spice. The rich, supple texture and concentrated flavors are perfectly balanced by a mouth-quenching freshness that leaves me begging for another sip. I am seriously sitting here shaking my head and trying to remember if I have ever had as great a wine at this low price. Don’t think so.” 98 Points, Kevin M. Vogt, Master Sommelier
2017 Venge Silencieux Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2017 Venge Silencieux Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA

VENGE

2017 SILENCIEUX
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY

2017 Venge Silencieux Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Silencieux means quiet, but there’s absolutely nothing silent about Venge’s Cabernet Silencieux, other than it could leave you speechless when you try it. It’s made by Kirk Venge, whom you might recognize from high-scoring Janzen and Bacio Divino wines, as well as several other cult brands. Kirk made it in a larger-than-life style that’s deep, inky, and highly-extracted. Of course, at under fifty bucks, you might want to keep Silencieux about it until you get your case… 
 
Silencieux was given a voice from the winery’s Estate Vineyard in Oakville, their Bone Ash Vineyard in Calistoga, and includes fruit from Rentaria’s Oakville 88, Kenefick Ranch, and Star in Rutherford.  
 
Kirk created it using a 100% gravity-flow method and a state-of-the-art Pellenc optical sorter, which sorts the fruit berry-by-berry, leaving you with what Kirk calls his fruit caviar. The wine spends around 30 days on the skins extracting color and then aged 18 months in barrel. 
 
VENGE
2017 SILENCIEUX
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $60
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
“This hearty wine is blended with 4% Petit Verdot. Grippy, rich and viscous, it has intense fruit flavors of plum and cassis, with supple, integrated tannins. The whole is a testament to good grapes and great winemaking, blending together seven sites across the valley.” 94 Points
2018 Sans Liege The Offspring Proprietary Red

2018 Sans Liege The Offspring Proprietary Red

with No Comment $30 and underCentral CoastKevin VogtProprietary RedSanta BarbaraUSA

SANS LIEGE

2018 THE OFFERING
PROPRIETARY RED

2018 Sans Liege The Offspring Proprietary Red
Sans Liege The Offering is a fusion of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre that was inspired by the deliciously complex wines from the Southern Rhone Valley, and crafted with the New World winemaking freedom. Each subsequent vintage develops an even more intense following, and it’s the wines’ magnetic style, with a plush mouthfeel and abundance of complexity that makes it so unforgettable. All of that combined with a retail price of under $30, and the quality is unmatched when it comes to juicy red blends. 
 
With origins from top vineyards in California’s iconic Santa Barbara County, winemaker Curt Schalchlin selects each vineyard based on flavor characteristics and distinct qualities that add layers to the diversity of the overall blend. 
 
This remarkable and highly-expressive blend spent around 16 months in barrel, and Curt made it with a technique of utilizing partial whole cluster fermentation, contributing to greater depth and structure in the wine.
 
SANS LIEGE
2018 THE OFFERING
PROPRIETARY RED
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
“The early fall breeze brushes through the orchard, bringing with it aromas of red plum, cinnamon bark, cocoa, and freshly oiled leather. The harvest table is bountiful; friends and family all gather round. Wooden bowls full of green olives and mixed berries are passed as you warm your hands on a rustic mug filled with anise black tea.”
2019 Brevity Pinot Grigio Santa Barbara County

2019 Brevity Pinot Grigio Santa Barbara County

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtSanta BarbaraUSA

BREVITY

2019 PINOT GRIGIO
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY

2019 Brevity Pinot Grigio Santa Barbara County
As a fan of Pinot Noir, I can’t help but admire Pinot Grigio. After all, Pinot Grigio came from a genetic mutation of the Pinot Noir grape, removing the color pigmentation and making it a grayish-blue color, rather than purple. And this didn’t just happen yesterday; Pinot Grigio has been around since the Middle Ages. It’s now the second most popular white wine grape in the US, behind Chardonnay, and it’s also found a stronghold in Northern Italy and Alsace. We don’t feature them in our emails often, but then again, we’ve never tasted one as great as this…
 
There are many different styles of Pinot Grigio, from dry and minerally, (common in Northern Italy), to sweet & fruity which is common in Alsace (and also referred to as Pinot Gris.) In the New World, Pinot Grigio is often both fruity and dry. This wine stands out for having concentrated fruit, lively acidy, brilliant details, and powerful intensity. 
 
Brevity is a brand new project made by Bobby Moy, who got his feet wet in the wine industry mentoring under Thomas Rivers Brown before launching this label. It’s farmed organically, and the grapes were whole-cluster pressed and cold fermented for 42 days, which both contributed to the concentrated fruit and bright acid. If you know anyone that loves Pinot Grigio, they should not miss this one.
 
BREVITY
2019 PINOT GRIGIO
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY
 
Your Price: $22
 
 
“The Brevity 2019 Santa Barbara County Pinot Grigio is an absolute delight to taste. This stunning wine is defined and focused on the nose with bright citrus, Spring flowers, and green apple hints. The palate is exceptionally concentrated, with intense key lime, passionfruit, and pomelo. There is a steeliness on the palate with this one combined with a very crisp acidity that keeps you coming back for more. It’s simply the best Pinot Grigio I’ve had the last few years.”  93 Points
2017 Calculated Risk Barrel Selection Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2017 Calculated Risk Barrel Selection Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

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

CALCULATED RISK

BARREL SELECTION
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2017 NAPA VALLEY

2017 Calculated Risk Barrel Selection Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Adding up the reasons why Calculated Risk offers such an extraordinary value, and the summation will point to fruit source, winemaking, and price. The fruit quality multiplies with their vast selection of premium vineyards under their brands Heir Apparent and Grand Napa Vineyards, and the winemaking gets huge scores from top publications like James Suckling and Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, that have featured all three brands with high ratings. It doesn’t take a calculus degree to see the no risk value in this Calculated Risk… 
 
The winemaking team selected fruit from Coombsville and St. Helena AVA’s to craft a powerful, penetrating, and balanced wine. The wine perfectly fuses the elegance and restrained power of Coombsville, with St. Helena structure and depth.
 
The 2017 Barrel Selection is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, and it lights up your senses with cocoa dusted black fruits, graphite, and crushed flowers. The 2017 vintage is rocking right now, and every time I taste it, I’m perplexed by how incalculably good it is. 
 
CALCULATED RISK
BARREL SELECTION
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2017 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $79.99
 
2016 Keever Inspirado Proprietary Red Napa Valley

2016 Keever Inspirado Proprietary Red Napa Valley

with No Comment $70-$80Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSAYountville

KEEVER

2016 INSPIRADO 
PROPRIETARY RED
NAPA VALLEY 

2016 Keever Inspirado Proprietary Red Napa Valley
Keever Vineyard’s motto is that great wine should tell a story, and theirs is an inspiring tale written by a passionate family of proprietors and some of the most talented winemaking and farming in the industry. It takes place on a 6-acre rock-laden hillside Southwest of Yountville, nestled at the base of the Mayacamas Mountains where the earth has eroded from the slopes over millennia. Then add in Jim Barbour, one of the absolute top grape growers, and Celia Welch, a legendary winemaker. We’ve had the Inspirado on our best seller’s list for years, and the 2016 vintage is among their very best yet. 
 
Appropriately named Inspirado, which translates to Inspired, this release was penned with 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, and drafted with Merlot and Petite Verdot. It envelopes your taste buds with rich, scrumptious textures, and intermixed are fine details of rocky minerals, cocoa dusted black fruits, and vanilla bean. 
 
The wine was authored by Celia Welch, whom you might recognize from Scarecrow, D.R. Stephens, Barbour, Dalla Valle, and at under $100/btl, this is one of the best wines in the shop, period.
 
KEEVER
2016 INSPIRADO 
PROPRIETARY RED
NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $80
 
Your Price: $75
 
“… It has an exotic, complex bouquet of black raspberry and cassis fruits intermixed with some forest floor, dried flowers, and cedar. This carries to a medium to full-bodied red that has sweet tannin, a rounded, approachable style, and loads to love.”  93 points
“Once in a handful of years, Mother Nature serves up a growing season in which every detail is just exactly right. A Spring full of enough rainfall but not too much, a Summer of enough heat but not too much, and an Autumn with warm days and cool nights. The 2016 Inspirado captures this season beautifully, showing warm blueberry, spiced plum, and dark cherry notes, all floating atop more subtle base notes of vanilla and toasty oak. The palate impression reflects the aromas, with ripe fruit, a touch of spice, and a finish that showcases the soft, satiny texture of this beautiful blend.”
2015 Chateau Chantelune Margaux Bordeaux France

2015 Chateau Chantelune Margaux Bordeaux France

with No Comment $40-$50BordeauxFranceKevin Vogt

CHÂTEAU CHANTELUNE

2015 MARGAUX
BORDEAUX, FRANCE

2015 Chateau Chantelune Margaux Bordeaux France
The region of Margaux produces some of the most powerful yet beautifully elegant wines in all of Bordeaux. Most are blends led by Cabernet Sauvignon, contributing to the power and depth, and Merlot, which weaves in a captivating elegance and supple fruit. Chateau Chantelune is a brilliant example of Margaux, and with the string of high-scores combined with the low price, this could go very quickly…
 
Shaped from the highly sought after 2015 vintage which the Wine Spectator describes as “truly special” in Margaux, the Chateau Chantelune 2015 is deeply concentrated with a satiny texture and striking complexity. Chantelune is an extraordinary 7 acre parcel of 40-year-old vines situated on the highest point in the appellation.
 
The wine is carefully guided from grape to bottle by José Sanfins, who’s also the director at Château Cantenac Brown. Our panel was floored by the quality, and this wine perfectly represents everything I love about Margaux.
 
CHÂTEAU CHANTELUNE
2015 MARGAUX
BORDEAUX, FRANCE
Retails at: $55
 
Your Price: $45
 
 
“….a total beauty in this wonderful vintage. Margaux may have been the sweet spot in all of Bordeaux in 2015, and the combination of the ideal conditions and incredibly talented winemaker José Sanfins make this wine simply sensational…. It begins with gorgeous aromas of blackberries and ripe currants along with graphite, spring florals and spices all taking shape. Medium to full-bodied, with wonderful concentration and depth, yet lovely elegance. It remains beautifully textured and polished with a gorgeous mouthfeel through the opulent finish.” 94 Points
 
“Owned and produced by José Sanfins, who is the manager at neighboring classed growth Château Cantenac Brown, this wine balances the elegance of Margaux with the richness of the vintage, giving swathes of black-currant fruit that has been lifted by the new-wood aging. Drink this wine from 2023.” 93 Points
 
 
“Very intense and ripe dark fruits with strikingly fresh dark berries on the nose. This leads to a concentrated palate with intense dark-plum and blackberry flavors. Try from 2021.” 92 Points
 
“This sports a sanguine note out front, followed by fresh and enticing damson plum, cherry preserve and raspberry coulis flavors. Richly layered, but with silky tannins that let the fruit hold sway throughout, while light violet and black tea details add background nuance. A mineral edge underscores the finish. Best from 2022 through 2032. 708 cases made.” 92 Points
2018 Castello Romitorio Rosso Di Montalcino Italy

2018 Castello Romitorio Rosso Di Montalcino Italy

with No Comment $30 and underItalyKevin VogtRosso

CASTELLO ROMITORIO

2018 ROSSO DI MONTALCINO
MONTALCINO, ITALY

2018 Castello Romitorio Rosso Di Montalcino Italy
Rosso di Montalcino from a great producer can offer immense value, and provide one of the purest and most vivid interpretations of Sangiovese Grosso grape. Rossos require only one year of age before release, which often results in a fresher and more vibrant Sangiovese that can also be enjoyed young. Castello Romitorio Brunello gets monster scores, and they fashioned their Rosso from younger vines on the Estate. And, they made it with the same exacting standards that make their Brunellos so great. At about 1/2 the price of their Brunello, the value is abundant.
 
Castello Romitorio has Italian history embedded in its DNA. The Estate dates back to the Middle Ages, and through time, transitioned from a temple to a fortress, a monastery, a castle, a Manor House, and now, lucky for us, a winery… 
 
Located northwest of Montalcino’s town, the vineyard has soils composed of clay and Albarese, from which fossils and shells emerge, evidence of an ancient coastal seabed. Their 2018 Rosso is robust, vibrant, and unleashes a flurry of concentrated red and blue fruits, rose garden, and intriguing spice. 
 
CASTELLO ROMITORIO
2018 ROSSO DI MONTALCINO
MONTALCINO, ITALY
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“The 2018 Castello Romitorio Rosso di Montalcino takes time to blossom in the glass, yet it is totally worth the wait. A pretty and understated display of cherry and strawberry mixed with dusty earth, roses and hints of undergrowth opens nicely. Soft, silky textures flood the palate with ripe red and hints of blue fruit, sweet yet perfectly contrasted by saline-minerality, along with hints of fine tannin that slowly mount toward the close. The finish is remarkably long, as notes of dried wild berries, blueberry skins and hints of violet florals linger.” 91 Points
 
 
“Limpid garnet color, translucent. Appetizing nose so typical for Sangiovese: the tangy aroma of Marasca cherry. With increasing bottle age, this cherry fruit turns from fresh and crisp to mellow and dried, in the young wines the fruit is pristine, varying in intensity with each vintage. The body is sinewy and bone-dry: not a prettified, mollified Sangiovese but a wine as rugged as the land. There is fine, bright acidity and a lovely tannic grip. This has impact but is not heavy. A little age sits wonderfully on this rustic charmer: bottle age will give you scents of leather, wild thyme and polished wood.” Anne Krebiehl MW
2016 Waterfall Proprietary Red Old Vine Cabernet Franc Sonoma Valley

2016 Waterfall Proprietary Red Old Vine Cabernet Franc Sonoma Valley

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtProprietary RedSonomaSonoma ValleyUSA

WATERFALL 

2016 PROPRIETARY RED
(OLD VINE CABERNET FRANC)
SONOMA VALLEY

2016 Waterfall Proprietary Red Old Vine Cabernet Franc Sonoma Valley
At $23, we knew Waterfall’s 2016 Red would be an instant hit, and based on the torrent of re-orders and glowing feedback, we were right. After all, it’s made by Helen Keplinger, whom you might recognize from her work at Bryant, Carte Blanche, and Grace Family, and even at the winery retail price of $42, a wine of this caliber would make anyone do a double-take. At $23, very few can compete.
 
Waterfall’s 2016 Proprietary Red is composed of 100% Cabernet Franc, and Helen crafted it from ancient 80-year-old vines. On the palate, the wine is stunningly balanced, finely detailed, long, and expansive. 
 
This beauty comes from the incredible 2016 vintage, bringing a supple and inviting style that envelopes your palate with rich, enchanting flavors, silky tannins and perfectly ripened dark berries. At this price, you can’t have too much of this in your cellar. 
 
WATERFALL 
2016 PROPRIETARY RED
(OLD VINE CABERNET FRANC)
SONOMA VALLEY
Retails at: $42
 
Your Price: $23
 
 
“Polished textured with melted tannins. Balancing acidity with aromas of raspberry pie, blueberry and strawberry jam combined with nuances of rose petal and violets + spicy notes on the finish.”