2016 Westwood Annadel Gap Estate Syrah

2016 Westwood Annadel Gap Vineyard Estate Syrah

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtSonomaSyrahUSA

WESTWOOD

2016 ESTATE SYRAH
ANNADEL GAP VINEYARD

2016 Westwood Annadel Gap Estate Syrah
Westwood spares no expense in both farming and winemaking, and the level of care is obvious in their wines. Their vineyard is one of a handful of Demeter-certified Biodynamic vineyards in North America, and Philippe Coderey, a legend in organic and biodynamic viticulture, farms it. Westwood’s winemaker is Philippe Melka, whose vast experience includes winemaking at Bryant Family, Quintessa, Hundred Acre, and Dominus. In a word, their Syrah is riveting, so don’t miss it. 
 
Westwood’s Estate Syrah arose from the cool, wind-swept Annadel Gap, located between Mt. Hood and Sonoma Mountain. The 2016 vintage is deep, rich, and profoundly layered with classic notes of smoked meats, bacon fat, ripe berries, and wildflowers. 
 
Philippe and his winemaking team paid attention to every detail and picked each clone at the pinnacle of ripeness, before being carefully sorted by hand and fermented in individual lots. The wine was gravity-fed into French oak barrels, where it spent the next 16 months developing on the lees.
 
WESTWOOD
2016 ESTATE SYRAH
ANNADEL GAP VINEYARD
Retails at: $82
 
 
 
“Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Syrah Annadel Gap Vineyard has evocative scents of warm black plums, wild blueberries, Sichuan pepper, smoked meats and violets. Full-bodied and packed with rich, ripe black fruit flavors, it has a firm backbone of rounded tannins and just enough freshness, culminating in a long peppery finish.” 91 Points
 
 
 
“Outstanding Syrah in a rich, complex style. It is full bodied, supple in texture, and intensely flavored (blackberry, black licorice, cedar, pepper, violet, cassis, toasty oak), with good balance and a very long finish. Lightly tannic, warrants aging. Great Value. ” Exceptional | Very Highly Recommended 5 Stars
 
 
 
“2016 was truly a phenomenal vintage and it delivered everything we love in a great Syrah from the Annadel Gap. With gorgeous notes of blackberries, freeze-dried blueberries, smoked meat, and a core of cherry liqueur. As the 2016 Westwood Estate Syrah continues to open, a juicy wash of salted violets, black pepper, and blueberry cedar linger for a long and complex finish.”
2017 Luke Goldschmidt Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

2017 Luke Goldschmidt Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $30 and underAlexander ValleyCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtSonomaUSA

LUKE GOLDSCHMIDT

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2017 ALEXANDER VALLEY

2017 Luke Goldschmidt Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Alexander Valley is celebrated for producing value Cabernets with a bold structure, mouth-quenching acidity, and intense dark fruits that are age-worthy and can be captivating on release. Nick Goldschmidt has produced some brilliant examples over the years, and he’s well-versed in the region, having made SIMI wines since the early 90s. Luke Goldschmidt is a partnership between Nick and his son Luke, and like his father, Luke has vast experience making wine all over the world from Chile, France, Spain, Argentina to New Zealand. At $22, this wine is rocking.
 
The 2017 vintage is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from low-vigor vines, yielding just 3.5 tons per acre of highly concentrated berries. The wine is deep and rich on the palate, and layered with red and black fruits, cocoa, cherry pipe tobacco, and dried herbs. 
 
Nick and Luke fermented this release in a combination of French, American, and Hungarian Oak barrels, which added compelling spice notes and vexations of toasty oak. Just like in previous Goldschmidt Cabernets, this beauty out-performs others at double its price.
 
LUKE GOLDSCHMIDT
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2017 ALEXANDER VALLEY
Retails at: $25
 
Your Price: $22
 
 
“Nicely focused red cherry and red raspberry aromas. Loaded with red berry fruit flavors with a touch of caramel, dark chocolate, and toasty oak. Full and well-structured from the long hang time. The texture is smooth and the mouth medium bodied. White pepper and spice in the finish with long and supple tannins.”
2018 Kanzler Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

2018 Kanzler Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

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

KANZLER

2018 PINOT NOIR
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

2018 Kanzler Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
Kanzler was first to plant grapes in the Sebastapol hills Southwest of the town of Sebastapol, where the well-drained Goldridge soils and fog blanket from the Pacific turned out to be ideal for Pinot Noir grapes. Their vineyard quickly caught the eye of Kosta Browne, who made a single-vineyard Pinot from their vineyard for nearly 20 consecutive vintages. Kanzler’s own 2018 Russian River Pinot is primarily Estate fruit and includes almost 25% fruit from Walker Station Vineyard, which was a source for Paul Hobbs for years. At $60, this is one of the finest domestic Pinot Noirs that I’ve tasted.
 
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. 
 
The 2018 Russian River Valley Pinot is from 65% Estate fruit, blended with sites sharing similar, and complementing qualities. The wine balances penetrating and remarkably detailed fruit with silky tannins and fresh acidity. It’s my go-to wine in the shop to grab to take to dinner, and one of my favorite Pinots that I’ve tasted this year.
 
KANZLER
2018 PINOT NOIR
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
 
Your Price: $59.99
 
 
“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.”
2015 La Sirena Pirate Treasured Proprietary Red

2015 La Sirena Pirate Treasured Proprietary Red

with No Comment $50-$60Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

LA SIRENA

PIRATE TREASURED
2015 PROPRIETARY RED

2015 La Sirena Pirate Treasured Proprietary Red
It pays to follow the wine brands owned by top winemakers, and La Sirena is Heidi Barrett’s Winery. Heidi is a world-class winemaker whose past and present clients include Amuse Bouche, Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle, Grace Family, Revana, Barbour, and many others. She crafts this brilliant seven varietal blend in a style that’s enchanting, deep, multilayered, fresh, and full of life. I know that once anybody tastes the 2015 and sees how great it’s showing, all remaining bottles will go into the drink.  
 
Wine doesn’t need an elegant label to be great. Pirate TreasuRed is a serious wine, made even better with Heidi’s connections for high-quality grapes, and her meticulous blending skills that make this wine very special. 
 
With seven varietals to work with, each plays an essential roll in the wine’s aromatics, structure, presence on the palate, and fruit components. The Cabernet Sauvignon provides structure, while Grenache contributes seductive fruits, and the Cabernet Franc adds power and definition, and the list goes on. 
 
LA SIRENA
PIRATE TREASURED
2015 PROPRIETARY RED
Retails at: $65
 
 
 
“The powerful 2015 vintage delivers a deep garnet colored wine with incredibly concentrated ripe aromatics of black fruits, leather and spice. Layers of fruit and oak are enticing on the palate and lead into a big, mouth-coating & dense wine that still maintains excellent balance among all elements. A blockbuster of a blend with well-rounded and complex flavors, richness and a long lingering finish. Flavors persist as does the texture of the wine. Extracted but not heavy, with moderate silky structural tannins. Really delicious – an impressive installment in our Pirate saga!”  Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Grenache, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, & Petite Sirah.
2014 Valdez Zinfandel St. Peter's Church

2014 Valdez Zinfandel St. Peter’s Church

with No Comment $30 and underAlexander ValleyKevin VogtSonomaUSAZinfandel

VALDEZ

2014 ZINFANDEL
ST. PETER’S CHURCH 

2014 Valdez Zinfandel St. Peter's Church
California Zinfandel comes in many different styles, ranging from intensely jammy to concentrated and brawny, over to linear, elegant, and balanced. Valdez falls in the brawny, solidly-built category with a deep core of fruit, unending depth, and escalating persistence. When we sold out of the winery’s value-priced Sonoma County Zin, we filled the void with their 2013 St Peter’s Church Vineyard, and now that that’s gone, here’s a chance to order their 2014 at a price that’s way too good to pass up… 
 
The Valdez family are some of California’s most sought after wine growers, farming for top producers like Aubert, Kistler, Paul Hobbs, and many others. Their St Peter’s Church Zinfandel is simply one of the best Zins produced in California, which is why their 2013 earned a spot on my top 5 wines list in 2018. 
 
Carved from one of Sonoma county’s most exceptional vintages, the 2014 Valdez St Peter’s Church Zinfandel hails from a 5-acre vineyard in Alexander Valley that’s planted to nearly century-old vines. At our price, this is one of the best Zins that I’ve tasted, period… 
 
VALDEZ
2014 ZINFANDEL
ST. PETER’S CHURCH
Retails at: $45
 
 
 
“This focused, penetrating zinfandel flaunts intense flavors and aromas of rich Bing cherries, concentrated cranberry, and black currants with hints of Spring flowers, bakers chocolate and black olives. The amazing balance of flavors makes your palate thirst for more after every sip of this beauty.”
2018 Forturne 1621 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2018 Fortune 1621 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $30 and underCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOak KnollUSA

FORTUNE 1621

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2018 NAPA VALLEY

2018 Forturne 1621 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
I love it when a family-owned winery has a break-out vintage that shows off their expert winemaking and excellent fruit sources. Fortune 1621 Cabernet is a staple in our shop’s value area, and their 2018 is an even higher level of quality, concentration, and balance. At under $30, you honestly do not want to miss the boat on this one. 
 
The 2018 release of the Fortune 1621 Cab is the handiwork of winemaker Brian Mox, who spent several vintages at Lewis Cellars, and he’s also the winemaker at Laird. The 2018 growing season was faultless and virtually uninterrupted by significant heat spikes. This environment provided a prolonged hang-time, allowing the fruit to accumulate intense flavor and complexity. 
 
Located in Oak Knoll, the vineyard benefits from the evening shadows of the Mayacamas Mountain range, where the micro-climate is one of the coolest in Napa Valley. It produces gorgeous fruit with incredible character, and the 2018 release is something special. At $30, it’s one of the best Cabs that I’ve tasted this year.
 
FORTUNE 1621
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2018 NAPA VALLEY
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
 
“Fresh nose of toasty oak, vanilla, blackberry, Bing cherry and touches of chocolate. The palate is full bodied with jammy fruit entry of ripe cherry, blackberry and hints of oak spice. Can be enjoyed on its own, but has enough structure and concentration to go with grilled meats.”
 
2018 Archery Summit Pinot Noir Dundee Hills Willamette Valley

2018 Archery Summit Pinot Noir Dundee Hills Willamette Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtOregonPinot NoirUSAWillamette Valley

ARCHERY SUMMIT

2018 PINOT NOIR
DUNDEE HILLS
WILLAMETTE VALLEY

2018 Archery Summit Pinot Noir Dundee Hills Willamette Valley
Pinot Noir is like a blank canvas, and more than any other grape I can think of, wherever it’s planted, it begins to reflect and channel the vineyard, land, and other environmental factors straight to the grapes, then to the glass. Pinot Noir from Oregon tends to have a distinct lushness of fruit and earthy characteristics that make it truly special. Archery Summit’s 2018 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir is a picture-perfect example, and it absolutely should be in the lineup for any Pinot lover. 
 
The 2018 Dundee Hills bottling is a compilation of fruit from Red Hills, Arcus, Summit View, Renegade Ridge, and Archer’s Edge Vineyard that offers a unique glimpse into Dundee Hills terroir, as well as the dynamic 2018 vintage. The winery was the brainchild of veteran winemaker Gary Andrus, who founded Pine Ridge in 1978.
 
The winemaking team fermented the 2018 vintage in a combination of oak barrels, concrete, and stainless steel open-top tanks, which contributed to the layered mouthfeel. On the palate, this release is rich with ripe red fruits, plum, and chocolate. Bullseye.
 
ARCHERY SUMMIT
2018 PINOT NOIR
DUNDEE HILLS
WILLAMETTE VALLEY
Retails at: $65
 
Your Price: $48
 
“This cuvée is the first to be released from each new vintage, and the most widely available. The 2018 marks the debut (from harvest to bottling) of winemaker Ian Burch, and it’s a promising one. Full bodied and open, this mixes ripe red and purple fruits, especially plums and cherries, with a touch of lightly minty chocolate. Delicious and ready for near-term enjoyment.” 91 Points
 
“Aromatically, the wine is boisterous and full of harmony, drawing on every fetching fragrance from the volcanic Red Hills. Equal parts rhubarb, clove, graham cracker, bay leaf, rose water, and carnation sync to provide a layered nose. On the palate, the wine shows fine, cocoa-like tannins with deep, marinated black currant flavors and a savory, dramatic finish. Flexing robust flavor while still offering restraint, this wine is a telling glimpse of a remarkable 2018 vintage.”
2018 Black Powder Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

2018 Black Powder Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet SauvignonHowell MountainKevin VogtNapaUSA

BLACK POWDER

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2018 HOWELL MOUNTAIN 

2018 Black Powder Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
With the average price of Howell Mountain Cabernet upwards of $150 per bottle, finding one at $40 will make just about anyone do a double-take. We found one, and the wine is dynamite. It’s everything that you’d expect from this iconic AVA and offers a blast of dark mountain berries, dominant focus, and towering structure. Occasionally, we’ll offer a wine that screams for you to stock-your-cellar, and this is undoubtedly one of them. This wine is ridiculously delicious now and will pay dividends in the cellar for 20 years if you can hang on to it that long…
 
Black Powder exploded from the Western Slopes of Howell Mountain at a staggering 2100 feet in elevation, where the vines produce potent berries. In 2018 mother nature helped guide them to the peak of perfection. 
 
This is a hot new project made by Bobby Moy, who passed the trial-by-fire in the wine industry mentoring under Thomas Rivers Brown. This 2018 is poised to blow-up all expectations of what you thought was possible for Howell Mountain Cabernet at a value price. 
 
BLACK POWDER
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2018 HOWELL MOUNTAIN
Retails at: $50
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“The Black Powder Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 is an absolutely delightful wine, starting with a lush nose of blackberries, black plums, violets, crushed granite and baking spices. The palate beautifully displays mixed berry cobbler, dark chocolate, espresso roast and fresh sage. This is a textbook version of a Howell Mountain Cab, with firm, slightly dusty tannins, focused fruit, complex minerals, and a long finish. While it is drinking better at this point than I would expect for a 2018 Howell Mountain Cab, I see potential for even greater depth and complexity with bottle age and and/or more time in the glass.” 93-95 Points
2017 O'Shaughnessy Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2017 O’Shaughnessy Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $70-$80Cabernet SauvignonHowell MountainKevin VogtMt VeederNapaOakvilleUSA

O’SHAUGHNESSY

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2017 NAPA VALLEY

2017 O'Shaughnessy Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
O’Shaughnessy is one of Napa Valley’s top Cabernet producers, and it’s rare for us to feature their wines because of their scarcity. They have machine-like consistency for producing focused, intensely flavored Cabernets with perfect balance. At $75, their Napa Valley Cabernet perfectly represents their powerful style, and as Jeb Dunnuck says, “It’s a terrific 2017 as well as a good value.”
 
O’Shaughnessy’s Napa Valley Cabernet is composed using all Estate fruit from the winery’s properties on Howell Mountain, Mount Veeder, and Oakville. The wine perfectly expresses Mountain terroir with Oakville elegance in a way that brings me back for more. 
 
Since their inception, O’Shaughnessy’s winemaker has been Sean Capiaux, whom you might know from his work at Peter Michael or his own brand Capiaux. He did a terrific job on the 2017 which has concentrated, supple dark fruits, fresh violets, and complex savory notes.
 
O’SHAUGHNESSY
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2017 NAPA VALLEY
 
Your Price: $75
 
 
 
“Moving to the reds, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley checks in as 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, and 5% Malbec that spent 20 months in 75% new French oak. Deep purple-colored with notes of blackcurrants, blueberries, smoked earth, white chocolate, and crushed violets, it’s medium to full-bodied, ripe, and sexy, with a core of sweet fruit. It’s a terrific 2017 as well as a good value.”  93 Points
 
“A very reserved and structured cabernet with red and dark berries, as well as cedary notes and a savory, iodine-like edge. The palate has a very balanced and composed feel with a sleek, focused edge to the fresh blackcurrant flavors. Drink or hold.” 93 Points
 
“O’Shaughnessy’s 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is a terrific choice for drinking now and over the next few years. Bright aromatics, plush fruit and silky tannins give the 2017 much of its immediate appeal. Sweet red cherry, plum, mint, spice, blood orange, and rose petal all meld together in this very pretty and engaging Cabernet; there is certainly plenty to like here. As always, the Napa Valley Cabernet is a blend of fruit from O’Shaughnessy’s Oakville, Howell Mountain and Mt. Veeder ranches.” 91 Points
2019 Laird Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley

2019 Laird Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtNapaSauvignon BlancUSA

LAIRD

2019 SAUVIGNON BLANC
NAPA VALLEY 

2019 Laird Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley
There are many different styles of Sauvignon Blanc, from brightly focused, to silky and rich, with everything in between. Laird’s 2019 falls into the brightly focused category, but what puts this wine over the top in terms of quality/value was the remarkably concentrated fruit. Laird has their choice of premium vineyards, as one of Napa Valley’s preeminent farming families, and for this wine, they undoubtedly chose right…
 
Laird’s 2019 Sauvignon Blanc emanates from the winery’s Big Ranch Estate Vineyard, which is also home to Mario Andretti’s winery. Here, the gravel and silty clay loam soils, combined with the San Pablo Bay cooling influences, are ideal for ripening Sauvignon Blanc. 
 
Winemaker Brian Mox fermented 15% of the grapes sur lie, and in neutral oak barrels. The balance was fermented in stainless steel tank, preserving the brightly focused fruit, and the combination of the two methods creates a beautiful tension on the palate that’s simply irresistible.
 
LAIRD
2019 SAUVIGNON BLANC
NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $30
 
Your Price: $26.99
 
“Inviting aromas of elderflower, passion fruit, melon, and Kefir lime lead the way to a medium-bodied white wine with a refreshing zing of bright acid, followed by flavors of white peach, Asian pear, and lemongrass. The well-balanced nature of this wine is evident in its soft, lingering finish.”