2020 Jayson by Pahlmeyer Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2020 Jayson by Pahlmeyer Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $90-$100Atlas PeakCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

JAYSON BY PAHLMEYER

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2020

2020 Jayson by Pahlmeyer Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Jason Pahlmeyer was drawn to the rugged terroir of Atlas Peak over 35 years ago to grow grapes with the intense concentration and soulful structure that comes from mountain-grown fruit. His wines became an instant success, and over the years, Pahlmeyer Winery has attracted some of California’s most accomplished winemakers, beginning with Randy Dunn in the inaugural 1986 vintage, followed by Bob Levy of Harlan Estate and Helen Turley, with Katie Vogt taking the reins in 2019.
 
Notably, in the 2020 vintage, the small crop of estate Cabernet Sauvignon typically intended for their flagship wine, Pahlmeyer Red ($240 retail), went into this year’s Jayson Cabernet Sauvignon. Due to the limited yield, winemaker Katie Vogt decided not to produce Pahlmeyer Red and, instead, create a wine with exceptional character and undeniable prestige for a fraction of the price.
 
JAYSON BY PAHLMEYER
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2020
 
 
 
“Aromas of blackcurrant, sliced plum, coriander and cardamom. Full-bodied with silky tannins. Nicely concentrated, without being overblown. Sweet spice and black fruit wash over the palate, with some black-tea notes coming through as well. I like the subtlety here. Drink or hold.”
93 Points
2021 Silver Ghost Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2021 Silver Ghost Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

SILVER GHOST 

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
NAPA VALLEY 2021

2021 Silver Ghost Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Proprietor and winemaker of Silver Ghost, Weston Eidson, attended graduate school in the UK, leading him to discover some of Europe’s most extraordinary wine-growing regions and inspiring his journey into wine. Weston also explored South Africa and Chile before landing in Napa Valley, where he met Jason Moore of Modus Operandi and learned valuable skills working the 2012 harvest. He’s since learned from his mentor, Russell Bevan.
 
Weston’s great-grandfather John Montagu was an automobile pioneer with connections to Charles Rolls and Henry Royce. Silver Ghost pays homage to his favorite vehicle, the 1909 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, and like the classic car, this Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant red wine displays nuanced characteristics and authenticity from a dedicated winemaking team and fruit from Napa’s finest vineyards.
 
The 2021 release is 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, enhanced with Merlot, and Petite Verdot, aged 22 months in French oak barrels, resulting in a supple and powerful Cabernet that’s not only ready-to-drink now but will continue to develop additional complexity with age.
 
SILVER GHOST 
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
NAPA VALLEY 2021
Retails at: $45
 
 
 
Ripe, dark-fruited character with vanilla, licorice, walnuts and moist earth. Medium- to full-bodied with supple tannins. Juicy and sleek with a flavorful finish. Drink or hold.”
92 Points
2019 Saracina Old Soul Red Mendocino County

2019 Saracina Old Soul Red Mendocino County

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtMendocinoMendocino RidgeProprietary RedUSA

SARACINA

OLD SOUL RED
MENDOCINO COUNTY 2019

2019 Saracina Old Soul Red Mendocino County
Saracina Vineyards thrives at the southern end of Mendocino County along the foothills of the Mayacamas range and the headwaters of the Russian River, in an area that prizes sustainable viticulture. Mendocino has the most significant percentage of certified organic grape growers, and most producers are less interested in building extravagant tasting rooms, focusing instead on naturally crafting exceptional wines that express the region’s identity.
 
Saracina was founded in 2001, and in 2018, the Taub family purchased the property and took over as proud stewards of the vineyards. Their team studies the differences in each microclimate with extensive soil analysis and rootstock matching to ensure each vine planted thrives to the fullest extent. 
 
The Old Soul red is a field blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignane, and Malbec that changes slightly with each vintage to give the best expression of the growing season. The 2019 vintage was aged in a combination of American and French oak with only 10% new barrels allowing a gentle integration of flavor complexity while retaining a sense of place.
 
SARACINA
OLD SOUL RED
MENDOCINO COUNTY 2019
 
 
 
“This is a rich, full-bodied red blend. Integrated aromas and flavors of boysenberry, marionberry, black and red plum, bramble, chocolate, vanilla, toasted oak and anise greet the nose and palate. Ripe, plush tannins coat the mouth and are well-matched by the ripe nature of the fruits. Acidity adds a line of freshness right down the center.”
93 Points
2019 Sixteen By Twenty Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

2019 Sixteen By Twenty Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

with No Comment $30 and underChardonnayKevin VogtSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

SIXTEEN by TWENTY

CHARDONNAY 2019
SONOMA COAST

2019 Sixteen By Twenty Chardonnay Sonoma Coast
Sixteen by Twenty Winery is named after an artist’s most common canvas dimension because it provides ideal balance, aligning with their wines’ guiding philosophy. Self-taught viticulturist David Dunphy and his wife Karen purchased their first parcel in Napa Valley in 2004. Today, they own 15 acres of vineyard land scattered throughout the valley, ranging from Howell Mountain to Coombsville.
 
As artists, David and Karen apply the precision of a 16×20 canvas philosophy to each wine in their portfolio, focusing on small productions from selected vineyard sites that are tended to by hand by the vineyard team. The Sonoma Coast AVA gives Chardonnay a distinct minerality, ripe fruits, and fresh acidity due to the oceanic influence, and the 2019 production portrays a beautiful balance of opulence and finesse while retaining its coastal roots with minerality and bright acidity. 
 
SIXTEEN by TWENTY
CHARDONNAY 2019
SONOMA COAST
Retails at: $60
 
 
 
“The Sixteen by Twenty 2019 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay opens with aromas of ripe peach, melon, roasted almonds, cinnamon, and toasted bread. On the palate, the wine has flavors of apricot, Werther’s Original candies, roasted marshmallow, and fresh minerality. The wine has a creamy texture balanced by acidity and a bright, pleasant finish.”
94 Points
2019 Ehlers Estate 1886 Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena

2019 Ehlers Estate 1886 Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaSt. HelenaUSA

EHLERS ESTATE

1886 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
ST. HELENA 2019

2019 Ehlers Estate 1886 Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena
Established in 1886, Ehlers Estate, located in one of Napa’s most elite neighborhoods, sits in the narrowest part of the Valley, where moderating sea breezes ensure a slow and even ripening. 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. 
 
Ehlers winemaker Laura Díaz Muñoz carefully tastes through every barrel and selects the best for the winery’s flagship wine, 1886, which honors the completion year of the historic stone winery. The 2019 release is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from a near-perfect vintage and was aged for 22 months in French oak and is a prime example of the Estate vineyards and the dedication of Ehlers’ passionate team. 
 
Flanked by vineyards like AXR and nearby Vineyard 29 Aida, whose top Cabs soar North of $250, Ehlers 1886 stands out as a value for the neighborhood, delivering outrageous quality. 
 
EHLERS ESTATE
1886 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
ST. HELENA 2019
 
 
 
“This rich, concentrated and relaxed wine wraps supersoft tannins around plump black cherries, blueberries and dark chocolate. It is saturated with fruit and subtle oak spices that taste complex and luxurious. Enjoyable to drink now through at least 2030.”
95 Points
2019 Joseph Jewell Pinot Noir Hallberg Vineyard Russian River Valley

2019 Joseph Jewell Pinot Noir Hallberg Vineyard Russian River Valley

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

JOSEPH JEWELL

PINOT NOIR 2019
HALLBERG VINEYARD
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

2019 Joseph Jewell Pinot Noir Hallberg Vineyard Russian River Valley
Adrian Jewell grew up in Northern California’s cold, foggy climate, believing that sites with cooler microclimates along the North Coast can grow California’s best Pinot Noirs. Adrian is the owner and winemaker of Joseph Jewell wines, and his goal is to make wines that bring people together with approachability, balance, and natural varietal character derived from small, independently owned, and sustainably farmed vineyards.
 
The Hallberg Vineyard in the Russian River Valley is known for its dry-farmed Gold Ridge soils that encourage deep root propagation in search of water and nutrients, giving fruit with increased depth and complexity of flavors. Joseph Jewell began working with the vineyard in 2010 and has released a single-vineyard designation ever since. His 2019 continues to share the legacy of the vineyard’s distinct earthy and spicy fruit with an impressive depth of flavors. 
 
Side Note: Our tasting panel tried this wine earlier this year, and at the time, it was a bit closed and didn’t make our selection. We tasted it again recently, and it had blossomed into an outstanding representation of Hallberg Vineyard and a truly memorable wine. At our price of $42, it’s one of my favorite Pinots in the shop. 
 
JOSEPH JEWELL
PINOT NOIR 2019
HALLBERG VINEYARD
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
Retails at: $65
 
 
 
“This wine offers a deep, dark-fruit profile of great flavor and texture, with a soft, supple approach to tannin and well-integrated oak. Dark cherry is accented in dried herb, baking spice and forest, expansive on the palate throughout.”
90 Points
2019 Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder

2019 Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtMt VeederNapaUSA

MT. BRAVE

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
MT. VEEDER 2019

2019 Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder
Chris Carpenter is a master at harnessing the power of mountain-grown fruit, gaining a complete understanding of the challenging viticulture crafting legendary vintages at Lokoya and Cardinale. Chris began Mt. Brave on the slopes of Mount Veeder in 2007, unable to resist the temptation to produce wines from a different mountainside with thin, rocky soils and 30-degree slopes at varying angles. This unique topography creates several different microclimates that enjoy temperatures ten to fifteen degrees cooler than the Valley floor.
 
The eastward-facing Mt. Brave vineyard receives a significant maritime influence from the chilly San Pablo Bay, resulting in fruit with tiny, concentrated berries full of flavor and structural components, allowing the wine to age for several years. 
 
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is powerful and focused with fine tannins and fresh acidity that will aid in graceful maturation, slowly revealing the wine’s true nature over time.
 
MT. BRAVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
MT. VEEDER 2019
 
 
 
“Showcasing the lovely freshness of high-elevation Mt Veeder grapes. Vivid boysenberry and mulberry fruits give way to mountain herbs, dusty minerals and rich toasty cedar. A compact wine revealing black-fruited flavours and savoury herbal nuances alongside sculpted tannins that are pixelated and mouthcoating. An impressively long finish of iron shavings, baked agave and dried chaparral.”
97 Points
2018 Coho Pinot Noir Stanly Ranch Vineyard Los Carneros

2018 Coho Pinot Noir Stanly Ranch Vineyard Los Carneros

with No Comment $30 and underCarnerosKevin VogtNapaPinot NoirUSA

COHO

PINOT NOIR
STANLY RANCH VINEYARD
LOS CARNEROS 2018

2018 Coho Pinot Noir Stanly Ranch Vineyard Los Carneros
COHO Wines was founded in 2002 by Gary Lipp, following principles he learned from his 35 years of experience working in multiple aspects of wine production. To help achieve his goal of crafting powerful yet perfectly balanced wines, Gary hired renowned winemaker Phillip Titus, who has been with Chappellet for nearly three decades and producing award-winning wines.
 
The Stanly Ranch Vineyard is the easternmost vineyard on the Napa side of the Los Carneros AVA, first planted in 1870 and supplied Louis Martini with fruit leading up to his purchase of 200 acres of the site in 1942. COHO has produced a Stanly Ranch Pinot Noir since their inaugural vintage, and the 2018 release is a blend of Pommard clones, planted in 1970, and younger Dijon clones, giving a vast array of complexity from Napa’s cooler, southern edge near the San Pablo Bay.
 
Sadly, this is Coho’s final vintage. We hate seeing them go, as their wines have always over-delivered with substantial quality and value, making them a favorite among many of our customers. 
 
COHO
PINOT NOIR
STANLY RANCH VINEYARD
LOS CARNEROS 2018
Retails at: $45
 
 
 
“Notes of raspberries, strawberries, baking spices and dried flowers. Medium-bodied with plush tannins. Juicy and fruity with floral and spicy character on the finish. Rich and layered. Drink or hold.”
92 Points
2021 Vineyard 36 Foundation Red Napa Valley

2021 Vineyard 36 Foundation Red Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOak KnollOakvilleProprietary RedRutherfordUSA

VINEYARD 36 

FOUNDATION RED
NAPA VALLEY 2021

2021 Vineyard 36 Foundation Red Napa Valley
Professional hockey players Tim Gleason and Cam Ward teamed up with their friend Jason Earnest to create Vineyard 36 out of the group’s shared vision and a common goal to produce wines that express the diversity of Napa Valley. Keith Emerson joined as the Director of Winemaking in 2017, ironically having run programs for ultra-premium custom crush clientele for Vineyard 29 since 2005 at their state-of-the-art gravity-flow facility, bringing two decades of winemaking expertise and experience.
 
The Foundation pays tribute to Tim and Cam’s careers in hockey with an ice rink-shaped oval with faint skate marks. The Roman numeral III in the center represents the bond and friendship between the three friends. The 2021 vintage comprises 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot, sourced from Oakville, Oak Knoll, and Rutherford, giving a complete, balanced Napa red wine with power and definition. 
 
The Cabernet comes from one of Rutherford’s best-known vineyards, but non-disclosure agreements prevent me from telling you which one. 
 
VINEYARD 36 
FOUNDATION RED
NAPA VALLEY 2021
Retails at: $55
 
 
 
“The Vineyard 36 Foundation Napa Red 2021 begins with a bright nose with wild berries, marzipan, white rose, and spearmint hints. The lush palate continues with concentrated candied cherries, penetrating sweet boysenberries, leading to a lengthy finish with a nice balance between the ripe fruits and complexity, combined with slightly chalky/satiny tannins that will continue to unfurl in the future.” 
94 Points
2019 Eco Terreno Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

2019 Eco Terreno Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

with No Comment $30 and underAlexander ValleyCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtSonomaUSA

ECO TERRENO

CABERNET SAUVIGNON  
ALEXANDER VALLEY 2019

2019 Eco Terreno Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley
Eco Terreno is a certified biodynamic and organic farm that uses modern techniques to strengthen and restore the soils within the vineyards to their original state. The winery’s sustainably farmed vines and founder Mark Lyons’ years of experience as the lead winemaker for Sebastiani Vineyards result in these sensational bottles.
 
The winery receives coastal fog through the Petaluma Gap each evening, blanketing the vineyards throughout the night into the morning. This helps to preserve acidity and freshness in the grapes, resulting in a balanced and polished Cabernet Sauvignon.
 
The 2019 growing season was nearly perfect for Alexander Valley, and it shows in this incredible value at this price.
 
ECO TERRENO
CABERNET SAUVIGNON  
ALEXANDER VALLEY 2019
Retails at: $32
 
 
 
“The Eco Terreno 2019 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has signature notes of earth and minerality with violet, blackberry, plum, cassis, crushed graham crackers, and black olives. On the palate, the wine has soft tannins and a smooth texture with flavors of black cherry, blueberry, mushroom, baking spices, and cocoa powder. The wine has a silky finish with a structure that should age well over the next decade.”
96 Points