2023 Aaron Sand And Stone Paso Robles Red

2023 Aaron Sand And Stone Paso Robles Red

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtPaso RoblesProprietary RedUSA

Aaron

Sand & Stone
Paso Robles Red 2023

2023 Aaron Sand And Stone Paso Robles Red

The 2023 Sand & Stone shows the raw side of western Paso Robles that Aaron Jackson refuses to polish away. Steep hillsides, limestone soils, dry-farmed vineyards, and constant coastal winds all leave their mark on this wine. With only 276 cases made, it carries a rare sense of focus and purpose. This is Paso Robles seen through the eyes of a winemaker who values identity far more than excess, and that approach earned the wine two separate 94-point scores.

Aaron Jackson blends with the patience of someone building structure instead of chasing impact. Grenache brings the drive and energy, Petite Sirah adds depth and backbone, Syrah layers in savory spice and texture, and Graciano sharpens the lift. Eighteen months in French oak puncheons lets everything settle gradually, preserving the mineral edge and freshness that the limestone soils naturally supply.

The name Sand & Stone is more than clever branding. It is the very blueprint for the wine. Paso’s sandy soils keep the brightness and aromatic lift alive, while the rocky limestone hillsides give the blend its structure and mineral core. Jackson works directly with that contrast, letting the vineyards shape the wine far more than the cellar does. That honest connection to place is what makes this 2023 vintage feel so complete, with every element perfectly balanced.

Aaron
Sand & Stone
Paso Robles Red 2023
Retails:$56

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“Deep purple-hued, the 2023 Sand & Stone reveals meaty red, blue, and black fruits intermixed with asphalt, graphite, and peppery herbs. Based on 40% Grenache, 27% Syrah, 21% Petite Sirah, and 14% Graciano aged 18 months in 35% new French oak puncheons, it’s medium to full-bodied, broad, layered, and seamless on the palate, with ripe tannins and a beautiful finish. This is a ripe, sexy, opulent blend to drink over the coming 7-8 years. Drink 2025-2033.”

94 Points

2023 Hawk and Horse Cabernet Franc Red Hills Lake County

2023 Hawk and Horse Cabernet Franc Red Hills Lake County

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet FrancKevin VogtNapaUSA

Hawk & Horse

Cabernet Franc 2023
Red Hills Estate

2023 Hawk and Horse Cabernet Franc Red Hills Lake County

Dick Peterson helped shape Napa Valley history, which is part of what makes Hawk & Horse so compelling. Instead of chasing modern trends, the estate remains committed to something increasingly rare: site-driven wines built around farming, measured winemaking, and longevity. Sourced entirely from organically and biodynamically farmed volcanic vineyards in the Red Hills AVA, the 2023 Hawk & Horse Cabernet Franc delivers remarkable depth while preserving the freshness, precision, and aromatic lift that make great Cabernet Franc so captivating.

What stands out most is how unapologetically authentic the wine feels. Nothing here seems engineered toward trends or critic formulas. The structure feels natural. The freshness feels earned. Volcanic minerality, crushed herbs, dark fruit, and floral notes are allowed to speak clearly rather than being polished into sameness. In a market crowded with interchangeable luxury reds, this wine still feels deeply connected to a vineyard, a farming philosophy, and the people behind it.

Very few wines at this price point put together a resume like this. Estate grown. Biodynamically farmed. Volcanic soils. Dick Peterson and Scott Harvey are behind the winemaking. A 96-point score from Tasting Panel. Yet none of those details would matter if the wine itself did not deliver emotionally, and this absolutely does. The 2023 Hawk & Horse Cabernet Franc carries the kind of energy and personality that makes you stop after the first sip and immediately go back for another.

Hawk & Horse
Cabernet Franc 2023
Red Hills Estate
Retails: $65

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“Cab Franc grown on rocky soils at an elevation of 2,200 feet has quite the impact. Focused, with melting dark chocolate cherries, roasted coffee, blackberries, layered with candied violets. The palate is long, with exquisitely balanced tannins and a fine mineral tonality on the clean finish.”

96 Points

2022 Parcel One Petite Sirah Sonoma County

2022 Parcel One Petite Sirah Sonoma County

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtPetite SirahSonomaSonoma ValleyUSA

Parcel One

Petite Sirah
Sonoma County 2022

2022 Parcel One Petite Sirah Sonoma County

The 2022 Tom Eddy Parcel One Petite Sirah shows a different side of a winemaker known for Napa Cabernet Sauvignons that ask for time and attention. Here he turns to Petite Sirah from Sonoma’s celebrated Kick Ranch Vineyard, producing a wine of serious depth and concentration. It balances dense blackberry fruit, smoked spice, and firm mountain structure with a composure that keeps everything remarkably well judged from start to finish.

Kick Ranch sits high above the Sonoma Valley floor, where rocky volcanic soils and cool Pacific breezes come together. The site gives Petite Sirah power and freshness at once, along with thick-skinned intensity and natural structure. That combination brings the 2022 Parcel One a lively energy that many wines in this category simply lack.

Tom Eddy has never chased flash or early drinkability. His reputation rests on structure, balance, and longevity, and those same qualities define this bottle. It delivers the dark, saturated intensity Petite Sirah lovers seek, yet it stays controlled and polished enough to invite another glass. At $36 against the $55 winery price, this is one of those wines people will wish they had bought more of once it’s gone.

Parcel One
Petite Sirah
Sonoma County 2022
Winery $55

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“The Parcel One 2022 Petite Sirah from Sonoma opens with floral notes, violets, forest floor, ripe plums, boysenberries, a hint of black pepper, and dark chocolate. On the palate, the wine has flavors of dark cherry, black currant, bittersweet chocolate, spice, and graphite minerality. The wine has smooth, almost powdery tannins and balanced acidity that bring freshness and lead into a lovely finish, cascading through the characteristics of a classic Petite Sirah.”

93 Points

2021 Tom Eddy Cabernet Sauvignon Kerry's Vineyard Napa Valley

2021 Tom Eddy Cabernet Sauvignon Kerry’s Vineyard Napa Valley

with No Comment $90-$100Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

Tom Eddy

‘Kerry’s Vineyard’ Napa Valley
Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

2021 Tom Eddy Cabernet Sauvignon Kerry's Vineyard Napa Valley

Tom Eddy has never chased the modern Napa style. While many producers turned toward heavier ripeness and immediate appeal, he stayed committed to powerful mountain Cabernet Sauvignon meant to evolve for decades. The 2021 Kerry’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon carries that same identity from the very first sip. It is structured, intense, and built to last.

The 2021 vintage aligns perfectly with everything Tom Eddy has built his reputation on: firm structure, longevity, and mountain-driven intensity. Kerry’s Vineyard brings impressive concentration while holding onto freshness and control. There is real power here, yet it never feels excessive or overworked.

Wines like this have become increasingly rare in Napa Valley. There is no attempt to soften the edges or rush approachability. Instead, the 2021 Kerry’s Vineyard simply embraces the structure and drive that have defined Tom Eddy Cabernets for decades, rewarding patience rather than chasing immediacy.

Tom Eddy
‘Kerry’s Vineyard’ Napa Valley
Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
Retails: $210

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“Coming from Kerry’s Vineyard in Calistoga, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Kerry’s Vineyard reveals a classic bouquet of red and black fruits, chocolate, spice, and floral nuances, with subtle oak shadings in the background. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has a round, supple texture, with fine balance and integration. The finish brings chalky, crushed stone-like minerality that adds complexity. Aged three years in 70% new French oak, this beautifully crafted effort will drink nicely over the coming 8-10 years.”

93 Points

NV Sherwin Cellar Scraps #19 Napa Valley Red

NV Sherwin Cellar Scraps #19 Napa Valley Red

with No Comment $70-$80Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedSpring MountainUSA

Sherwin

‘Cellar Scraps’ #19
Napa Valley Red

NV Sherwin Cellar Scraps #19 Napa Valley Red

Cellar Scraps #19 is one of those wines that catches your eye even before you open it. The packaging pulls you in, but what’s inside holds your attention. From one of Spring Mountain’s most respected producers, this is Sherwin giving the reins a gentle loosen. It is a multi-vintage blend drawn from serious Napa sites, offering a level of creativity and playfulness you rarely encounter at this quality.

The concept is straightforward, yet the execution is anything but simple. Sherwin selects fruit from top vineyard sources across Napa and builds the blend barrel by barrel. Cabernet Sauvignon forms the backbone, while the supporting varieties are woven in with real precision, adding texture and dimension. The multi-vintage approach gives the team the freedom to fine-tune every detail, and it shows in the final wine.

It opens with immediate charm, but there is real depth beneath the surface. Dark fruit and spice lead the way, followed by a smooth, layered texture that unfolds across the palate. Structure keeps everything neatly in place, maintaining focus and composure through a finish that lingers longer than you expect. Polished, expressive, and genuinely complex, this is the kind of Napa blend that confidently overdelivers.

Sherwin
‘Cellar Scraps’ #19
Napa Valley Red
Retails: $85

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“The Cellar Scraps #19 Napa Valley Red Wine has an exciting array of complexity on the nose with juicy red and black cherries, boysenberries, hints of cedar and black tea leaves, balsamic glaze, and savory spices. On the palate, the wine has a smooth texture with a bit of a bite from tannic structure. The flavors match the aromas on the palate with a mélange of red and black fruits, spices, and a finish of hot cocoa. This wine is very well balanced and very easy to drink, with potential for aging as well.”

94 Points

2018 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Lot C-91 Napa Valley

2018 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Lot C-91 Napa Valley

with No Comment $90-$100Cabernet SauvignonHowell MountainKevin VogtNapaOakvilleRutherfordUSA

Heitz Cellar

Cabernet Sauvignon
Lot C-91 2018
Napa Valley

2018 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Lot C-91 Napa Valley

A visionary pioneer, Joe Heitz etched his name into Napa Valley history by introducing the region’s first vineyard-designated Cabernet Sauvignon from Martha’s Vineyard in the late 1950s. He subsequently founded Heitz Cellar in 1961.

Lot C-91 traces its origins to the autumn of 1969. Joe had a profound realization: by carefully selecting grapes from his finest parcels, he could craft a wine that transcended the sum of its components. The resulting wine embodies the culmination of five decades of relentless dedication, experimentation, and an unwavering pursuit of excellence. 

A passionate homage to Joe Heitz, who passed in 2000, this cuvée is meticulously crafted in each vintage. The 2018 vintage, predominantly sourced from estate vineyards in St. Helena, incorporates fruit from the revered appellations of Oakville, Rutherford, and Howell Mountain. The result is a flawlessly balanced Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, a timeless testament to Joe Heitz and his enduring legacy.

Heitz Cellar
Cabernet Sauvignon
Lot C-91 2018
Napa Valley
Retails at: $120

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“In 1969, Joe Heitz made a cuvée that was more outstanding than his Napa Cabernet, but not a single-vineyard bottling. In 2018, after the winery was bought by Gaylon Lawrence Jr., the team at Heitz discovered four bottles and decided they should set out to recreate Joe’s experiment. It is the boldest of the bunch: a delicious hedonistic pleasure filled red with excellent balance and teeming with pure dark fruit notes, rich earthen spices, dried purple florals, cedarwood, tobacco, and dark chocolate — a firm acid backbone frames fine-grained tannins. There is plenty of richness, balanced by tension and energy. Lawrence Wine Estates Master Sommelier and CEO Carlton McCoy calls it the ‘uber Napa cuvee’ and the best multi-site expression of Heitz for the vintage.”

95 Points

2022 Lewis Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Napa Valley

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

Lewis

Cabernet Sauvignon
Reserve 2022
Napa Valley

Built with conviction, Lewis Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 captures the essence of Napa through power shaped by discipline. Sourced from the most compelling vineyard parcels and guided by a relentless pursuit of polish, it reveals a wine where intensity is not accidental, but carefully constructed.

Time in barrel refines and amplifies its character, with 19 months in French oak shaping both texture and aromatic complexity. Behind it lies a winemaking philosophy that prioritizes impact without sacrificing structure, where richness is never accidental but the result of deliberate choices at every stage. This is where Lewis separates itself, crafting wines that are as intentional as they are expressive.

The result is a wine that transcends vintage, defined instead by its completeness. It reflects a winery that has spent decades refining a singular voice, one rooted in richness yet sharpened by experience. In the 2022 Reserve, that voice is unmistakable: confident, composed, and built to endure.

Lewis
Cabernet Sauvignon
Reserve 2022
Napa Valley

Your Price: $119.99

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“Aged for 19 months in 75% French oak barrels, the 2022 Reserve bottling elevates its profile with similar blue fruit and blackberry preserve character, enhanced by more pronounced toasty oak spices. This wine dials up the tannin tension to the maximum, delivering a robust and powerful expression. Muscular and brooding, it boasts intensely saline-laced tannins with a dark chocolate quality. The dark fruit character is more pronounced, with hints of kirsch adding complexity. Everything in this Reserve bottling feels amplified, offering loads of pleasure in 2022. Best paired with hearty braised meats to complement its intensity and structure.”

94 Points

2022 Post & Vine Carignane Lodi California

2022 Post & Vine Carignane Lodi California

with No Comment $30 and underCarignaneKevin VogtLodiUSA

Post & Vine

Carignane 2022
Mule Plane Vineyard
Lodi, California

2022 Post & Vine Carignane Lodi California

The Post & Vine Carignane sets itself apart by returning to something California doesn’t always prioritize: its own history. Drawn from old vines in Lodi, it carries a natural depth and balance that doesn’t need shaping, only preservation. Under Rebekah Wineburg, the wine reflects a deliberate choice to step away from modern excess and allow the vineyard to define the outcome.

Mule Plane Vineyard exists as part of California’s earlier chapter, where Carignane was planted for durability, not prestige. Decades later, those same vines now offer something far more compelling: depth shaped by age, and structure that forms naturally. That continuity gives the wine its foundation, connecting it directly to a farming style that has largely disappeared.

That foundation allows Rebekah to do what she does best: step back. After years working at estates like Rudd, Staglin, Ornellaia, and Quintessa, her approach is intentional. She applies that experience not to shape the wine, but to protect it, guiding it so that what defines it remains intact from start to finish.

Post & Vine
Carignane 2022
Mule Plane Vineyard
Lodi, California

Your Price: $28

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“This dark red colored Carignane from Post & Vine opens with a forest floor and red raspberry bouquet with hints of nutmeg and pencil shavings. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied with integrated medium plus acidity. The mouthfeel is well-balanced, smooth, and fresh with nice tension. The flavor profile is spiced red plum and stony minerality blend with notes of red licorice and oolong tea. We also detected hints of cranberry and lingonberry. The finish is dry, and its flavors, acidity, and moderate fine-grained tannins stick around for a very long time. We would pair this outstanding value Carignane with poached salmon with wild rice and raspberry vinaigrette or roasted lamb with rosemary. Enjoy – KWGTP”

93 Points

2022 Saddleback Zinfandel Calistoga Napa Valley

2022 Saddleback Zinfandel Calistoga Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50CalistogaKevin VogtNapaUSAZinfandel

Saddleback

Zinfandel 2022
Calistoga, Napa Valley

2022 Saddleback Zinfandel Calistoga Napa Valley

Calistoga Zinfandel takes on a deeper, more resonant voice in the 2022 Saddleback Cellars offering, where old vines translate warmth and intensity into depth and composure. The fruit arrives with presence, carried by a steady sense of control that shapes power into structure, revealing a wine defined by precision, balance, and composed authority.

The foundation lies in carefully selected old-vine sites in Calistoga, where smaller yields concentrate flavor while preserving energy. These mature vines bring layered depth, capturing both the warmth of the valley floor and the lift that defines the region at its best. This interplay gives the wine its sense of movement, where richness and freshness exist in seamless alignment.

What emerges is a Zinfandel of striking precision, its structure holding firm from the first impression through a long, composed finish. That control reflects the influence of Nils Venge, who has spent decades shaping wines that balance power with poise. That legacy comes through in every detail in this release, directing intensity into a form that feels both enduring and complete.

Saddleback
Zinfandel 2022
Calistoga, Napa Valley
Retails at: $56

Your Price: $40

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“Plump and brooding, with deep and ripe blackberry, cassis, licorice and toasty spice flavors that finish with briary tannins. Drink now through 2032. 782 cases made.”

92 Points

2024 Far Niente Chardonnay Napa Valley

2024 Far Niente Chardonnay Napa Valley

with No Comment $50-$60ChardonnayCoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaUSA

Far Niente

Chardonnay 2024
Napa Valley

2024 Far Niente Chardonnay Napa Valley

Defined by control and guided by grace, Far Niente’s 2024 Chardonnay achieves richness and precision in equal measure. It feels sculpted, its cool-climate origins articulated through vibrant acidity and a firm mineral spine. By forgoing malolactic fermentation, the wine preserves a crystalline edge, allowing the estate’s proprietary “Charlemagne” selection to reveal layered texture with focus.

Rooted in Coombsville’s gravelly loam and volcanic ash soils, it carries a mineral tension that grounds its generosity. These well-draining sites promote slow ripening, building depth while safeguarding natural acidity. The wine broadens across the palate, then narrows with purpose, finishing long and composed, its architecture as deliberate as its texture.

Balance is the defining signature. Acidity remains vivid, fruit precise, oak integrated rather than pronounced. Nothing dominates; everything aligns. The 2024 does not chase opulence. It relies on proportion, site, and discipline to create a Chardonnay that is confident, structured, and enduringly compelling.

Far Niente
Chardonnay 2024
Napa Valley
Retails at: $76

Your Price: $59.99

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“The Far Niente 2024 Napa Valley Chardonnay captivates with an elegance and freshness complemented by a subtle richness, beginning with aromas of citrus blossoms, honeydew melon, ripe nectarine, and sweet cream. On the palate, the wine offers flavors of vibrant lemon and lime zest, hints of vanilla, and delicate baking spices. The wine has a silky texture, balanced acidity and flavors, and a long, polished finish.”

94 Points