2017 Vin Perdu Proprietary Red Napa Valley

2017 Vin Perdu Proprietary Red Napa Valley

with No Comment $90-$100Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

VIN PERDU

PROPRIETARY RED
2017 NAPA VALLEY 

2017 Vin Perdu Proprietary Red Napa Valley
Vin Perdu is blended to emphasize each premium vineyard component’s unique characteristics, maximize the potential of the vintage, and then articulate it with elegance. In 2017 the wine arose from La Sirena, Amuse Bouche, and Fantesca vineyards and was crafted by Heidi Barrett. Heidi is a world-class winemaker whose past and present clients include Amuse Bouche, Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle, Grace Family, and many others. At under $100, this is, as Vinous writes, “an absolutely joyous wine.”
 
For the 2017 Blend, Heidi selected 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc from some of Napa Valley’s most premier sites. The wine highlights the vintage’s elegance, with stunning balance, enthralling complexity, and plush textures. 
 
Vin Perdu is the delicious result of a powerful partnership between Heidi Barrett and John Schwartz. In 2002 they created Amuse Bouche, a Pomerol-inspired Merlot that’s arguably the best in the Valley. With super-premium fruit from Amuse Bouche and several of Heidi’s other projects, Vin Perdu was born. 
 
VIN PERDU
PROPRIETARY RED
2017 NAPA VALLEY
 
Your Price: $95
 
 
“The 2017 Vin Perdu is racy and voluptuous, not to mention incredibly delicious. Succulent red cherry, rose petal, mocha, plum and spice are all given an extra kick of textural richness in the 2017, a wine that benefits from the addition of fruit that would have gone into some of the higher end wines in a more typical vintage. Plush, opulent and creamy, the 2017 is an absolutely joyous wine to enjoy over the next decade or so.” 
93 Points
 
“A pure and fruity red with lovely raspberries and dark chocolate. Medium to full body, round and fine tannins and flavorful finish. 80% cabernet sauvignon and 20% cabernet franc. Drink now or hold.” 
93 Points
 
“The fruit for this was harvested on October 2nd and 3rd, just before the 2017 fires… Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a little coaxing to reveal notes of plum preserves, crème de cassis and Black Forest cake with underlying hints of candied violets, forest floor, cigar box and bay leaves. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is jam-packed with black fruits and savory layers, framed by firm, grainy tannins and bright freshness, finishing long.”
92 Points
2015 Larry Hyde Pinot Noir Hyde Estate Vineyard

2015 Larry Hyde Pinot Noir Hyde Estate Vineyard

with No Comment $60-$70CarnerosKevin VogtNapaPinot NoirUSA

LARRY HYDE

2015 PINOT NOIR
HYDE ESTATE VINEYARD

2015 Larry Hyde Pinot Noir Hyde Estate Vineyard
Napa Valley Grower-of-the-Year for 2020 Larry Hyde of Hyde Vineyard produces powerfully expressive, profound fruit, which is why he’s attracted many of California’s top producers, including Paul Hobbs, Aubert, Kistler, and DuMOL, to make wine from his vineyard. Larry planted the vineyard in the heart of Carneros in 1979, and in 2009 he decided to craft wine under his own label. Larry created this one from some of the best blocks in the vineyard, and this 2015 Estate Pinot is massive but delivers the regal elegance you’d expect from a top Pinot Noir producer. 
 
Larry and his team continually strive to produce the best wine possible from the Estate, and in doing so, they aren’t afraid to take risks. Much of his success resulted from Larry’s experimenting with new clones and planting methods. 
 
Hyde Vineyard benefits from cooling influences from the Pacific Ocean and the San Pablo Bay that funnel through the Coastal Mountain ranges and allow the grapes a long growing season. These geographical conditions keep Carneros cool enough to maintain acidity and structure in the grapes. If you want a mind-blowing Pinot Noir that drinks fantastic now and provides nearly endless delight, this is it.
 
LARRY HYDE
2015 PINOT NOIR
HYDE ESTATE VINEYARD
 
Your Price: $69.99
 
 
“Powerfully juicy and rich-tasting, with concentrated dried berry and dark cherry flavors that are backed by firm acidity and tannins. Cream and chocolate details show on the savory finish. Drink now through 2022…”
92 Points
 
“… intense and complex with deep aromas of dark cherry, blackberry, plum, spice and earthy notes. On the palate, it is rich and powerful capturing an elegant style while offering tiers of dark berry flavors and soft tannins.”
2016 Palmaz Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2016 Palmaz Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonCoombsvilleNapaUSA

PALMAZ

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2016 NAPA VALLEY 

2016 Palmaz Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Palmaz combines cutting-edge technology, talent, and a passion for producing riveting Napa Valley wines. They believe in farming each vine, rather than the entire vineyard as a whole, and they achieve this through advanced Geographic Informational Systems. They also have consultants like legendary viticulturist Mike Wolf and top consulting winemaker Mia Klein to help give voice to their incredible Coombsville vineyard. Their 2016 Napa Cabernet is classically styled, profound, and penetrating, and at around $150, it stunningly delivers everything Cabernet lovers want. 
 
The winery itself is an architectural marvel, extending 18 stories underground, created for gravity-flow winemaking, eliminating mechanical pumps and minimizing the turbulence that damages wines’ molecular structure.
 
Emerging from the blockbuster 2016 vintage, which ranks as the highest-rated vintage since 1997 according to the Wine Spectator Vintage Report, this 2016 is powerfully elegant and effortlessly balanced. 
 
PALMAZ
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2016 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $165
 
Your Price: $150
 
 
“With a greeting of freshly fired creme brûlée and toasted currant, the 2016 Palmaz Cabernet draws you in for a cozy embrace. Comforting flavors of vanilla, caramel, and baked boysenberry dance across the palate. The voluptuous fruit flavors are effortlessly balanced with elegant tannins that cover the tongue like a feather – spreading to every hidden taste bud in the deepest corners of the palate. An everlasting finish that holds steadfast, begging to be remembered – satisfied only by the indulgence of a second glass.”
2016 Storybook Mountain Vineyards Zinfandel Mayacamas Range

2016 Storybook Mountain Vineyards Zinfandel Mayacamas Range

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtNapaUSAZinfandel

STORYBOOK MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS

2016 ZINFANDEL
MAYACAMAS RANGE

2016 Storybook Mountain Vineyards Zinfandel Mayacamas Range
Storybook Mountain Vineyards has always been a treasured producer for those “in the know” and has ranked on the Wine & Spirits magazine top 100 list on fifteen occasions; that list is ever-growing. It’s the winery’s elevation, eastern exposure, and red clay-loam soils that join forces and create a terroir capable of producing world-class Zinfandel. The results speak for themselves, and fans of elegantly styled Zins with penetrating fruit, unique Mountain complexity, and long expansive flavors should invest in this 94 point treasure.
 
Andre Tchelistcheff advised Dr. Jerry Seps that the hills above Calistoga, with their red clay-loam soils and eastern exposures, were the best place in California to plant Zinfandel vines. Today, the vineyard is divided into over 100 micro-blocks based on varietal, sun exposure, rootstock, and clone, all farmed organically and without irrigation.  
 
Jerry aged this Zinfandel in a combination of French and American oak barrels inside the 130 years old caves, dug into the volcanic rock. The yields are also severely regulated by two green harvests in May and June, where only the best clusters are kept on each vine, resulting in just 2 to 2.5 tons/acre of pristine Zinfandel fruit.  
 
STORYBOOK MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS
2016 ZINFANDEL
MAYACAMAS RANGE
Retails at: $42
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
“While Eastern Exposures (also recommended here) may prove to be longer lived than the Mayacamas Range zin from 2016, this wine is more compellingly delicious right now. “I was happy this was in my mouth,” said Jared Hooper of LA’s Faith & Flower when he tasted it. Maria Garcia from the Wine House in Santa Monica described it as “pinot-noir-esque, with more of the weight I want in zinfandel.” In fact, when our pourer, Lewis Hurrell, was griping to me about a ZAP tasting he’d attended, I suggested he taste this wine, along with another (the Storybook Reserve). “Those wines changed my mind about zinfandel,” he told me later. So, if you don’t think of zinfandel as lively, zesty and fresh, a sleekly fruited backdrop for the scent of a meadow in June, try this wine. I can’t guarantee you’ll like it, but I would wager that you will.”
94 Points
 
“The Mayacamas Range Zinfandel is our primary estate wine from 100% Napa Valley organically grown grapes. Here you will find all the varietal character and fruit for which Zinfandel is famous, plus the depth and structure associated with Napa hillside vineyards, and the balance for which Storybook wines are known. Crafted to be enjoyed on release, the wine’s notable depth and balance will continue its appeal well into the future.”
2017 Halcon Alturas Syrah Yorkville Highlands

2017 Halcon Alturas Syrah Yorkville Highlands

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtNapaSyrahUSA

HALCON

2017 ALTURAS SYRAH
YORKVILLE HIGHLANDS 

2017 Halcon Alturas Syrah Yorkville Highlands
Halcon’s guiding principle is, “the best fruit makes the best wine,” and they planted their vineyard without the slightest compromise. At 2,500 feet, it’s one of the highest vineyards in California, and the densely planted vines grown in heavily metamorphosed sandstone, fractured shale, and quartz-rich rock produce brilliant quality fruit. The location, ocean influence, and altitude form a climate remarkably similar to Côte-Rôtie, and the wines are spectacular.
 
Halcon’s densely-planted, organically-farmed vineyard contains heritage selections from Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie. Their Syrah’s style is reminiscent of Côte-Rôtie and was co-fermented with Viognier, which adds lift and a beautiful focus to the dense core of fruit. 
 
For added depth and structure, Scott Sharpley, whom you might recognize as the winemaker at ROAR, utilized 50% whole-cluster fermentation in the winemaking process and kept the wine in mostly neutral oak barrels. If you’ve been waiting for the next rising wave in California Syrah, it’s here, and you too will be a believer the moment you try it.
 
HALCON
2017 ALTURAS SYRAH
YORKVILLE HIGHLANDS
Retails at: $32
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
“The 2017 Alturas is another stellar wine in this range. Rich and deep in feel, the 2017 has a bit more body than is typical for the Halcón wines, and yet it retains all of the signatures of the house style. Firm tannins wrap around a core of red fruit, licorice, wild flowers, herbs and rose petal. The 2017 is pretty alluring today, but it will be even better in another few years’ time, once all the elements have come together a bit more fully.” 
94 Points
2015 Chateau De Vie Cabernet Sauvignon Calistoga

2015 Chateau De Vie Cabernet Sauvignon Calistoga

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet SauvignonCalistogaKevin VogtNapaUSA

CHATEAU DE VIE

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2015 CALISTOGA 

2015 Chateau De Vie Cabernet Sauvignon Calistoga
Chateau de Vie isn’t just a working B&B surrounded by world-class vineyards. They also produce a small amount of powerful Cabernet Sauvignon that’s clean and focused, with exceptional fruit and intertwined minerality. Dave Phinney, the winemaker responsible for creating The Prisoner, Orin Swift, and Location brands, helps make it. Dave also consults for a handful of small wineries, and Chateau de Vie might be a lesser known brand, but the quality of their wine is something special.
 
The estate is located on the northern end of Calistoga and sits almost directly behind Tamber Bey and not far from Chateau Montelena. Their soils are loaded with volcanic compounds, formed by ancient lava flows, and produce Cabernet Sauvignon with powerful fruit and intriguing minerality. 
 
Calistoga is warmer than most other appellations in Napa, and thus, produces some of the biggest, boldest, and most robust Cabernet Sauvignons in the Valley. Chateau De Vie perfectly details all of the qualities that I love about Calistoga Cabernet and delivers them with focus and balance. 
 
CHATEAU DE VIE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2015 CALISTOGA
Retails at: $68
 
 
“The Chateau de Vie 2015 is everything you would hope for from this spectacular vintage. It begins with an enticing nose with briary red currants, cool blue fruits, purple flowers, a hint of spearmint and vanilla spice. The seductively lively palate is balanced with red cherries, wild blackberries, dark plums, cassis and cocoa powder. The beautiful finish has just enough bright acidity to keep your mouth watering for more.”
93 Points, Kevin M. Vogt, Master Sommelier
 
“All Estate Grown fruit off of 3.5 acres on the Northwest side of Calistoga. Aged in 70% New French Oak Barrels for 22 months This is a deeply rich and satisfying Cabernet with aromas of blackberry, mocha, black fig, dark brown bread and rich vanilla. The wine is fleshy in texture and ripe on the palate, with almost a heady display of blueberry, black fig and toasted caramel. The finish is long and sweetly ripe and will pair nicely with rich cheeses and ripe fruits as well as dark roasts or sauced filet. It is essentially ready to drink and will grow softer and more aromatic over the next few years.”
80% Cabernet Sauvignon | 10% Petite Verdot |10% Cabernet Franc
2017 Black Kite Pinot Noir Soberanes Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands

2017 Black Kite Pinot Noir Soberanes Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtMontereyPinot NoirSanta Lucia HighlandsUSA

BLACK KITE

2017 PINOT NOIR
SOBERANES VINEYARD
SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS

2017 Black Kite Pinot Noir Soberanes Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands
Black Kite Cellars produces highly-textured, expressive Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays from exceptional coastal vineyards. For them, wine is a journey that combines high aspirations with a long term commitment, patience, and fortitude. Their journey began in 2003 with the inaugural vintage and led them to Jeff Gaffner, who became their winemaker in 2005. In 2010, it steered them to the Soberanes Vineyard, now producing this extraordinary Pinot Noir. 
 
The wine team forged this remarkable wine from three rows of vines out of the Soberanes Vineyard, planted to the Pisoni Clone. The vineyard is synonymous with excellence and is the latest site developed by the Pisoni’s & Franscioni’s, whose families have been farming the area for over 100 years. 
 
Winemaker Jeff Gaffner gained fame helping make the renowned 1996 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cépages, which became the Wine Spectator’s #1 wine of the year. Jeff fermented this Pinot with Burgundian yeast and performed punch-downs three times daily, contributing to the remarkable textures and flavor extraction of this very special Pinot.
 
BLACK KITE
2017 PINOT NOIR
SOBERANES VINEYARD
SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS
 
Your Price: $45
 
“Dark aromas of roasted plum, loamy earth, crushed rocks and a hint of shiitake mushroom show on the nose of this bottling. The palate is loaded with earthy flavors of rock and mushroom, set against a backdrop of boysenberry and wild herbs.”
92 Points
 
“Shimmering magenta. Deep-pitched red and blue fruit aromas pick up hints of vanilla and exotic spices with air. Fleshy and subtly chewy on the palate, offering appealingly sweet black raspberry and boysenberry flavors that become livelier through the midpalate. Closes long and spicy, with a repeating vanilla note and steadily building tannins…”
92 Points
 
“Our 2017 Soberanes Vineyard Pinot Noir is a deeply expressive wine that opens with beguiling bottle brush and sweet tea aromas that give way to a complex core of black fruit, cassis and clove. The rich, round mouthfeel is met with just enough tannic traction to sustain the compelling fruit intensity throughout the long finish. Enjoy upon release or cellar for up to 4-6 years.”
199 Cases Produced
2018 Martin Ray Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains

2018 Martin Ray Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet SauvignonCentral CoastKevin VogtSanta Cruz MountainsUSA

MARTIN RAY

2018 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS
2018 Martin Ray Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains
The Santa Cruz Mountains AVA produces powerful Cabernet Sauvignons with appealing savory elements, firm tannins, and intriguing red and black fruits. Martin Ray sources their Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet from three high-elevation sites that produce intensely concentrated fruits. Our panel loved their 2018 vintage, but we weren’t the only ones. With a 95 point score, I’d jump on this sub $35 Cabernet before it’s too late.
 
Martin Ray’s Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet comes from high-elevation vineyards, Fellom Ranch, Cooper-Garrod, and Beauregard, each sharing large diurnal temperature fluctuation shifts, which result in powerfully concentrated fruit. 
 
The 2018 release is a blend of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and fermented on its skins for a month, which extracted the deep purple color. They stored the wine for 18 months in French and American oak barrels, which added compelling vanilla and spice elements.
 
MARTIN RAY
2018 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS
Retails at: $35
 
Your Price: $33
 
“Loads of forest floor, mushrooms, leaves and dark fruit on the nose. It’s full-bodied with juicy fruit and chewy tannins. Hints of toasted oak and cedar, too. This is a structured red that needs two or three years to soften, then you can give it a go. Best Santa Cruz Mountain cab for a long time from here. Try after 2023.”
95 Points
 
“Notes of dense cassis with touches of nutmeg and cherry. Blackberry brush and mountain sage with bright acidity and a touch of graphite. Firm, chalky tannins and well-integrated oak.”
2018 Arbe Garbe White Blend Sonoma County

2018 Arbe Garbe White Blend Sonoma County

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

ARBE GARBE

2018 WHITE BLEND
SONOMA COUNTY

2018 Arbe Garbe White Blend Sonoma County
Arbe Garbe is a local winery inspired by the Friuli region of Italy and created by Italian-born winemakers Letizia Pauletto and Enrico Maria Bertoz to reconnect with their roots. They make the Arbe Garbe Blend with rare white varieties common in Friuli but scarce in the New World. For instance, in 2016, there were 51 acres of Tocai Friulano in California and too little Ribolla Gialla to register on the CDFA report. The style is freshly focused, with citrus fruits, minerals, floral characteristics, and is presented seamlessly on the palate. It’s as Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate writes, “fabulous”.
 
The 2018 release combines roughly 50% Malvasia Bianca with nearly equal parts Ribolla Gialla and old-vine Tocai Friulano. The Malvasia Bianca contributes to the clean and crisp style, while the Ribolla adds stunning floral notes, and the Tocai Friulano lends body and weight. 
 
Winemakers Enrico and Letizia are well-rounded in their skillsets, having worked harvests in Friuli. After arriving in the US, Enrico gained invaluable experience at Sine Qua Non, Joseph Phelps, and Flora Springs. If you enjoy crisp whites with enormous personality, don’t miss this one. 
 
ARBE GARBE
2018 WHITE BLEND
SONOMA COUNTY
 
Your Price: $35
 
“The 2018 White Wine from Arbe Garbe is an unusual—and fabulous—blend of 55% Malvasia Bianca, 25% Tocai Friulano and 20% Ribolla Gialla, what winemaker Enrico Maria Bertoz calls “the Holy Trinity of Friuli,” where he was raised. The Malvasia is split into portions, with one portion whole-cluster pressed, a second portion on skins for 12 hours and a third portion on skins for 24 hours. These lots are then blind tasted to create the final blend. The nose explodes to musk, lychee, warm peaches, charcuterie and beeswax with high-toned notes of fresh green herbs. The medium to full-bodied palate has a gorgeous silken texture, ever-so-slightly creamy, with kaleidoscopic bursts of ripe fruit in the mouth. It’s concentrated while still incredibly light on its feet, addicting in its freshness and long, textured finish. What a gorgeous vintage for this wine!”
94 Points
2018 Kanzler Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

2018 Kanzler Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

with No Comment $50-$60Kevin VogtPinot NoirRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

KANZLER

2018 PINOT NOIR
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

2018 Kanzler Pinot Noir Russian River Valley
Kanzler’s Russian River Pinot is flawlessly balanced and epitomizes cool-climate, domestic Pinot Noir at the highest level, making it the appropriate choice as my number 1 wine in 2020. Even after tasting around 5,000 wines this year, Kanzler is fresh on my mind. Their team utilizes top-level farming practices, skilled winemaking, and they source from some of the best Pinot Noir vineyards in California. At $60, this is one of the finest domestic Pinot Noirs that I’ve tasted. 
 
The winery’s Estate Vineyard in Sebastapol has well-drained Goldridge soils and a fog blanket from the Pacific that’s ideal for growing Pinot Noir. Their vineyard caught the eye of Kosta Browne, who’s made a single-vineyard Pinot from Kanzler for nearly 20 consecutive vintages. This 2018 is primarily Estate fruit and includes almost 25% fruit from Walker Station Vineyard, a source for Paul Hobbs for years. 
 
Kanzler set out to make the best Pinot possible from their Estate. To meet their goal, they exercise everything from meticulous farming to double-hand sorting. They also utilize partial whole-cluster fermentation for added depth. Their winemaking is gentle, precise, and skilled, and the results are simply stunning.
 
KANZLER
2018 PINOT NOIR
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
 
Your Price: $59.99
 
“This gorgeous Pinot Noir begins with a deep, rich, concentrated nose including tart candied red fruits, opulent black fruits, fresh sage, delicate rose petals, and gunflint. On the palate, it combines compact, bright fruit featuring focused Burgundy plums, ripe Bing cherries, tart pomegranates, dried currants, and baking spices. Its finish is decadent, very alluring and complex with an incredible intensity that’s powerful, lush and long, along with an incredible balance that gives me goosebumps.”
96 Points
 
Winery Notes: “The 2018 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir wine is opulent and rich while still displaying great freshness. The classic silky Pinot texture is more chocolate mousse than heavy whipping cream, and the tannins show enough grip to hold and frame the wine without being bitter or obtrusive. The high percentage of once-used barrels imparts a subtle oak characteristic that enhances and compliments the fruit and spice character. After opening for several hours, exotic sweet-spice notes reminiscent of liquors in the Vin Santo or Fernet range begin to appear, further enhancing the intrigue and complexity of this Pinot Noir.”