2021 Ehlers Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Jean Leducq St. Helena

2021 Ehlers Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Jean Leducq St. Helena

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaSt. HelenaUSA

EHLERS ESTATE

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
JEAN LEDUCQ
ST. HELENA 2021

2021 Ehlers Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Jean Leducq St. Helena

Established in 1886, Ehlers Estate, located in one of Napa’s most elite neighborhoods, crafts beautiful wines reminiscent of an older Napa Valley style marked by robust structure, balance, and a palpable sense of place. The historic estate and stone winery were established in the late 1800s by Bernard Ehlers and purchased by the Leducq family in 1987, also the founders of the Leducq Foundation for Cardiovascular Research.

Mike Wolf, one of the leading viticulture experts in Napa Valley, whose past and present clients include To Kalon, Scarecrow, and Vine Hill Ranch, manages the vineyard. The Jean Leducq Cabernet Sauvignon comes from a single block on the estate and pays tribute to founder Jean Leducq’s legacy and strong work ethic.

The 2021 is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, and though young, it is powerfully seductive on the first sip and takes your palate on a rollercoaster ride of flavor complexity, ending in a long, smooth finish with a lasting impression.

EHLERS ESTATE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
JEAN LEDUCQ
ST. HELENA 2021

Your Price: $125

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“The Ehlers Estate 2021 Leducq Cabernet Sauvignon has incredible depth and opens with aromas of volcanic rocks, petrichor, bergamot, boysenberry, melted chocolate, and cigar box. On the palate, the wine has flavors of black cherry, blackberry, baking spices, and dusty minerality. The wine has a robust flavor intensity with a long finish that carries on and on with a silky texture. This wine is outstanding now and will improve with a few years of age if you can stand to hold onto it that long.”

97 Points

2022 DuMol Pinot Noir Wester Reach Russian River Valley

2022 DuMol Pinot Noir Wester Reach Russian River Valley

with No Comment $70-$80Kevin VogtPinot NoirRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

DuMOL

PINOT NOIR
WESTER REACH 2022
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

2022 DuMol Pinot Noir Wester Reach Russian River Valley

DuMOL’s Wester Reach Pinot Noir embodies nearly thirty years of expertise, dedication, and commitment to capturing the Russian River Valley’s most striking characteristics. The winery, founded in 1996, focuses on crafting supremely balanced wines true to their varietal, region, and terroir. 

DuMOL’s Wester Reach Pinot Noir intertwines fruit from DuMOL Estate, Hanna, Dutton Ranch, Flax, and Placida Vineyards, highlighting the Russian River Valley’s most defining attributes.

The 2022 release exudes balance and sophistication, powered by vibrant red fruit, subtle earthy nuances, wildflowers, and silky textures that genuinely reflect the region’s hallmarks, leaving your taste buds yearning for another sip.

DuMOL
PINOT NOIR
WESTER REACH 2022
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

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“The 2022 DuMOL Wester Reach Russian River Valley Pinot Noir begins with a bright, rich, sultry nose with powerful ripe cherries, strawberry preserves, crushed rocks, cola bean, shiitake mushrooms, wild white rose petals, and pie spices. The palate is focused, linear, layered, and concentrated with pomegranate, mandarin peel, pie cherries, boysenberries, and nutmeg. While bright and fresh as Pinot Noir should be, it also has a savory character that balances the intense fruit, leading to a long, powerful finish. I can’t wait to drink more…”

96 Points

2021 Harvey & Harriet Red Blend San Luis Obispo

2021 Harvey & Harriet Red Blend San Luis Obispo

with No Comment $30 and underCentral CoastKevin VogtPaso RoblesProprietary RedUSA

HARVEY & HARRIET

RED BLEND 2021
SAN LUIS OBISPO

2021 Harvey & Harriet Red Blend San Luis Obispo

In each vintage since its creation, the Harvey & Harriet Red from Paso Robles impresses critics and consumers alike with its remarkable depth of flavor and harmonious marriage of classic varieties at a very modest price. Eric Jensen, Booker Vineyard’s founder and winemaker, was named the 2022 Paso Robles Wine Industry Person of the Year for his years of passionate winemaking, outstanding leadership, and vision.

The Harvey and Harriet brand is a tribute to Eric’s parents, who loved wine but most likely couldn’t afford today’s upper-echelon wines. Still, this bottling consistently offers superior quality at an incredible value. 

The 2021 release delivers depth of flavor, balanced tannins, and a rich tapestry of fruit and earthy notes, and its complex yet approachable profile makes it a standout.

HARVEY & HARRIET
RED BLEND 2021
SAN LUIS OBISPO

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“…a smoking good blend based on Bordeaux varieties that tastes like it costs three times the price. Cassis, graphite, violets, and classy oak define the aromatics, and it’s beautifully balanced, medium to full-bodied, has a ripe, layered mouthfeel, and a great finish. Don’t miss this crazy value in Bordeaux blends from California!”

93 Points

2019 Pope Valley Winery Proprietary Red Napa Valley

2019 Pope Valley Winery Proprietary Red Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtNapaPope ValleyProprietary RedUSA

POPE VALLEY WINERY

PROPRIETARY RED
NAPA VALLEY 2019

2019 Pope Valley Winery Proprietary Red Napa Valley

Nestled in the northeastern hills beyond Howell Mountain in a quiet part of Napa Valley, Pope Valley Winery owns and farms eighty acres of premium vines. The winery’s pair of estate vineyards yield outstanding wines that embody the distinct qualities of the Pope Valley AVA. Each meticulously crafted wine adheres to the highest standards of winemaking excellence, placing them in a league that would typically command triple-digit prices among other Napa Valley wines.

The Director of Winemaking, Jean Hoefliger, works closely with Winemaker Greg Fitzgerald, combining their extensive expertise, passion, and inherent skill to craft top-tier wines, elevating the winery to a world-class standard. 

The 2019 Proprietary Red Wine is 84% Merlot and 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, both sourced from the Eakle Ranch Estate, giving the vineyard’s signature complexity from its Pleasanton loam and Bressa-Dibble soils that produce wines with distinctive, expressive character.

POPE VALLEY WINERY
PROPRIETARY RED
NAPA VALLEY 2019
Retails at: $48

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“The Pope Valley Vineyards Proprietary Red 2019 begins with a ripe nose of dark fruits, chocolate, sweet florals, and a touch of pie spice. The palate continues with wild blackberries, ripe cherries, a hint of vanilla, pencil lead, and dried herbs. The balance of sweet, ripe fruits balances savory characteristics that add to the complexity and depth. This wine finishes with a moderately long finish that will pair beautifully with smoked or grilled meats.

92 Points

 

2018 Blankiet Prince Of Hearts Proprietary Red Napa Valley

2018 Blankiet Prince Of Hearts Proprietary Red Napa Valley

with No Comment $100 and overKevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSAYountville

BLANKIET

PRINCE OF HEARTS 
PROPRIETARY RED
NAPA VALLEY 2018

2018 Blankiet Prince Of Hearts Proprietary Red Napa Valley

Blankiet Estate was established in 1996 after Claude and Katherine Blankiet seized the opportunity to acquire an untouched hillside parcel behind Dominus’ Napanook vineyard in Yountville. The location boasts a cooler-climate terroir compared to other areas in Napa Valley, thanks to its eastward orientation, featuring radiant sunny mornings and refreshing, shaded afternoons, preserving the natural acidity and resulting in impeccably balanced, concentrated fruit.

The Prince of Hearts features a Bordeaux-style blend composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, referred to by Antonio Galloni and Robert Parker as one of Napa Valley’s top “Super-Seconds,” listed in the same category as Screaming Eagle’s “Second Flight” and Harlan’s “The Maiden.” 

All estate fruit, the 2018 release epitomizes the glorious vintage as it’s beginning to show off some seriously sophisticated character and super-premium fruit quality. The wine is showing so good right now; it’ll make you feel like royalty when you taste it. 

BLANKIET
PRINCE OF HEARTS 
PROPRIETARY RED
NAPA VALLEY 2018

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“Checking in as close to an even split of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, with around 1% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, the 2018 Prince Of Hearts Red offers a stunning, Bordeaux-like nose of red and black currants, new leather, lead pencil, graphite, and bouquet garni. With medium to full-bodied richness, a seamless, elegant texture, classy background oak, and a great finish, this head turner has plenty of richness, yet it’s the balance, purity, and texture that keep you coming back to the glass. Bravo!”

97 Points

2019 Erikson & Caradin Archer & Thorn Proprietary Red Napa Valley

2019 Erikson & Caradin Archer & Thorn Proprietary Red Napa Valley

with No Comment $30 and underCalistogaKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSAYountville

ERIKSON & CARADIN

ARCHER & THORN
PROPRIETARY RED
NAPA VALLEY 2019

2019 Erikson & Caradin Archer & Thorn Proprietary Red Napa Valley

Erikson & Caradin proprietors are keenly aware that soil, elevation, and climate play crucial roles in fine wine production; however, expertise and ambition can take wine to the next level. Erikson & Caradin began in 2013, selling their small production to friends, and continue to remain craft-focused, with only around fifty barrels produced across eight different designations.

Their specialty is producing terroir-driven wines, which aligns with winemaker Kevin Morrisey’s skillset after interning at Chateau Petrus in Bordeaux before Stags’ Leap Winery, Etude, and Ehlers Estate. 

Based around a core of Cabernet Sauvignon, balanced with Merlot and Petite Sirah, the winery’s 2019 Archer & Thorn Proprietary Red, from Calistoga, Yountville, and Oakville, captures the essence of Napa Valley, delivered with penetrating fruit framed by firm tannins and remarkable balance. 

At $90, this wine earned well-deserved scores, but at $30, I’ll let you decide…

ERIKSON & CARADIN
ARCHER & THORN
PROPRIETARY RED
NAPA VALLEY 2019
Retails at: $90

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“Aromas of black cherries, plums, fresh herbs and fresh mint. Medium-to full-bodied with velvety tannins. Succulent black fruit with light dried-citrus character. Earthy herbal notes as well. Best after 2025.”

93 Points

2021 Marietta Angeli Zinfandel Alexander Valley Estate

2021 Marietta Angeli Zinfandel Alexander Valley Estate

with No Comment $40-$50Alexander ValleyKevin VogtSonomaUSAZinfandel

MARIETTA

ANGELI ZINFANDEL 2021
ALEXANDER VALLEY ESTATE

2021 Marietta Angeli Zinfandel Alexander Valley Estate

A pioneer in crafting high-quality California Zinfandel, Chris Bilbro established Marietta in the late 1970s, collaborating closely with his sons, Scot and Jake. In 2012, Scot and Jake took over the winery, carrying on their father’s legacy of producing exceptionally balanced, varietally expressive Zinfandels.

For decades, the Bilbro family meticulously sourced top-quality fruit from trusted local growers, fostering connections that eventually led to the co-ownership of some vineyards. The Angeli Zinfandel, for instance, draws its unique character from vineyards nestled at the entrance of a narrow canyon, where gravel channels interweave with terraced hillsides, shaping the land’s distinctive terroir.

The 2021 Angeli Zinfandel belongs to the Estate Series, a collection celebrating the winery’s deep-rooted connection to the land. This exceptional vintage was aged for 15 months in neutral barrels, seamlessly blending with a touch of Petite Sirah and Syrah for added spice and complexity.

MARIETTA
ANGELI ZINFANDEL 2021
ALEXANDER VALLEY ESTATE

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“…a gorgeous Angeli in 2021 that is incredibly expressive and perfumed. Blueberry, boysenberry and blackberry give way to wafts of graphite, gobs of violet and even touches of tangerine. The medium to full-bodied palate explodes with concentrated fruit and expansive layers of floral perfume and spice. It has a powdery frame, bursts of mouthwatering acidity and a very long, nuanced finish.”

96 Points

2020 Domaine Eden Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains

2020 Domaine Eden Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains

with No Comment $30-$40Central CoastKevin VogtPinot NoirSanta CruzSanta Cruz MountainsUSA

DOMAINE EDEN

PINOT NOIR 2020
SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS

2020 Domaine Eden Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains

One of Santa Cruz Mountains’ most esteemed producers, Domaine Eden, was modeled after Mount Eden Vineyards and specializes in crafting exceptional Pinot Noir from a selection of Dijon clones 777, 667, and 828, alongside historical California clones like Mount Eden, Calera, and Swan.

Nestled in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the winery thrives in a cool climate with diverse soils ideally suited for nurturing Burgundian varieties. The vineyard team adheres to rigorous sustainable farming practices, yielding limited yet intensely concentrated fruit that embodies the region’s identity. 

With a commitment to purity and site expression, the wines of Domaine Eden undergo fermentation with indigenous yeast, remaining unfined and unfiltered. The 2020 vintage emerges as a standout expression, capturing the region’s essence and delivering a beautifully harmonious fusion of fruit, earth, and minerality.

DOMAINE EDEN
PINOT NOIR 2020
SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS
Retails at: $45

Your Price: $39.99

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“Fresh, with raspberry, damson plum and blood orange notes, carried by finely beaded acidity and backed by rooibos tea and savory notes through the lively finish. Shows taut underlying grip too, giving this a touch of old school. Drink now through 2030.”

91 Points

2022 Zialena Sauvignon Blanc Geyserville

2022 Zialena Sauvignon Blanc Geyserville

with No Comment $30-$40Alexander ValleyKevin VogtSauvignon BlancSonomaUSA

ZIALENA

SAUVIGNON BLANC
GEYSERVILLE 2022

2022 Zialena Sauvignon Blanc Geyserville

Our tasting panel was immediately enamored by this wine and wondered how we’d never heard of it before. The winery sits on a 120-acre property in Alexander Valley that dates back to the early 1900s when Giuseppe Mazzoni immigrated from Carrara, Italy, and became a grape farmer and winemaker after joining the Italian Swiss Colony. 

The vineyards are situated in a prime location with exceptional terroir, including a combination of soil types, microclimates, and elevation changes that contribute to the unique characteristics found in Zialena wines.

The Winery is committed to sustainable farming practices and employs environmentally friendly methods in the vineyards, focusing on handcrafted, small-lot production wines. The 2022 Sauvignon Blanc is the second vintage fermented in custom concrete eggs using the egg’s natural convection to stir the lees and create an elegant structure with a soft texture and ultimate concentrated flavor complexity.

ZIALENA
SAUVIGNON BLANC
GEYSERVILLE 2022

Your Price: $38

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“The Zialena 2022 Geyserville Sauvignon Blanc opens with beautiful aromatics, including elderflower, gardenia, ripe citrus and tropical fruits, and a creamy lemon custard. On the palate, the wine has zippy acidity balanced with concentrated flavors of Meyer lemon, grapefruit, passion fruit, melon, and wet stone minerality. The wine has a touch of creaminess on the mouthfeel and a long, dynamic finish.”

94 Point

2021 Vista Atlas Peak Reserve Red Blend

2021 Vista Atlas Peak Reserve Red Blend

with No Comment $30 and underAtlas PeakKevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

VISTA

ATLAS PEAK RESERVE
RED BLEND 2021

2021 Vista Atlas Peak Reserve Red Blend

Back and better than ever before, Vista’s 2021 Atlas Peak Reserve Red Blend is another paradigm-shifter for superior quality, value-priced Mountain wines. This stunner has the concentration, depth, complexity, and balance you’d expect from an exceptional $50+ Napa wine, but at $25, it’s almost unfathomable how great it is for this low price.

Harvested at 2,000 feet elevation on Atlas Peak, Vista’s 2021 Reserve Blend was wrought from the rocky red Aiken soils that perfectly display the deep, concentrated flavors that make this region famous.

Predominately Cabernet Sauvignon at 61%, balanced with Merlot and Malbec, the 2021 vintage has the power of a thoroughbred, tamed by the skilled hand of winemaker Grant Long Jr, whom you might know from Aonair, Reverie II, Steps, and James Joseph. If you’re looking for a fabulous wine that tastes like it should be double or triple the price, look no further.

VISTA
ATLAS PEAK RESERVE
RED BLEND 2021

Your Price: $25

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“Unparalleled in their ability to create rich, powerful, high-quality Napa Valley wines at an exceptionally low price, Vista continues to raise the bar with the release of their 2021 Reserve Atlas Peak Red Blend. This beautiful creation begins with a vibrant nose, including crushed Blackberries, blueberry cobbler, lavender, and hints of wood spice. The powerful palate continues with concentrated red currants, mixed berry compote, Bing cherries, pipe tobacco, saline minerality, and cocoa powder. The firm volcanic mountain structure beautifully balances the intense fruit with a style, grace, and energy, leading to a long finish that simply satisfies.”

95 Points