2018 Robert Biale Black Chicken Zinfandel Napa Valley

2018 Robert Biale Black Chicken Zinfandel Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtNapaReviewUSAZinfandel

ROBERT BIALE

BLACK CHICKEN ZINFANDEL
2018 NAPA VALLEY

2018 Robert Biale Black Chicken Zinfandel Napa Valley

 
The Biale family has deep roots in Napa Valley agriculture, and their flagship Black Chicken Zinfandel is an absolute classic. The story of how the wine got its name is as rich and intriguing as the wine itself. In the 1940s, the Biale’s were also poultry farmers, but had a multiparty phone line. To stay incognito with their wine sales, customers would call and ask for a dozen eggs and a Gallo Nero or Black Chicken, which was the code-word for a jug of Aldo Biale’s homemade Zin. Fast-forward some 80 years later, and Black Chicken Zinfandel has a rock solid reputation for its relentless quality.
 
The Biale’s source the iconic Black Chicken Zinfandel grapes from the same vineyard that they’ve farmed for generations. This vineyard is in Napa Valley’s Oak Knoll district, where the complex soils and a micro-climate that’s one of the coolest in Napa Valley produces gorgeous fruit with incredible character.  
 
The 2018 vintage was a faultless growing season, that was virtually uninterrupted by significant heat spikes, providing a prolonged hang-time, allowing the fruit to accumulate intense flavor and complexity. The resulting wine is penetrating, deep and supple, with laser definition and a mouth-quenching elegance that’s a hallmark for the wine. 
 
ROBERT BIALE
BLACK CHICKEN ZINFANDEL
2018 NAPA VALLEY
  
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
 
 “… The nose is full of vibrant black cherries, raspberries, cinnamon, white cake, fresh purple flowers, and subtle dried herbs. The entry is bright and gives way to supple, round tannins with a kiss of toasted oak. The lovely finish is the signature of this elegant and remarkably balanced Zinfandel.”
2018 Vista Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Reserve

2018 Vista Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Reserve

with No Comment $30 and underCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaRutherfordUSA

VISTA

RUTHERFORD RESERVE
2018 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 

2018 Vista Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford ReserveFollowing up on Vista 2017, our most successful wine of all time, there’s only one direction for us to go, and that’s up… Up in terms of concentration, quality, and length of finish, and up in terms of value for the region. How many Reserve Rutherford Cabernets can you list at $25/btl? I can’t think of another one. In the 2018 vintage, there was enough Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon available to label this vintage a Cabernet instead of a blend, and the wine powerfully reflects this. If you’re looking for a wine that tastes like it should be at least double the price, this is it…

This 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon originates from Rutherford’s Western side, where the soils and microclimate produce pristine, complex fruit. The Cabernet is clone 337, a clone often used in cult wines, and it’s balanced with 15% Oakville Cabernet Franc and 6% Rutherford Merlot. 
 
In the 2018 vintage, Mother Nature gifted the valley with a long, trouble-free growing season that allowed the grapes more time on the vines to develop more profound, complex flavors. Vista’s 2018 Reserve Cabernet perfectly reflects the vintage with a purity of fruit and striking complexity that expands into mineral-laced black fruits, blue violets, iron, and hints of Rutherford dust.
 
VISTA
RUTHERFORD RESERVE
2018 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
 
Your Price: $25
 
 
 
“The Vista Reserve Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 has a gorgeous, powerful nose of blackberry pie filling, French lavender, sweet vanilla and brioche. On the palate, this opulent beauty is rich and concentrated, with a core of focused fruits and flavors including mountain blackberries, red plums, ripe blueberries, menthol, vanilla spice, and dark chocolate, all supported by fine grained fruit tannins. It is amazingly ready-to-drink now, but has the structure to cellar for a decade.” 
95 Points, Kevin M. Vogt, Master Sommelier
2016 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

2016 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

with No Comment $70-$80Alexander ValleyCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtSonomaUSA

SILVER OAK

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2016 ALEXANDER VALLEY 

2016 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander ValleySilver Oak has dominated the space for high-quality domestic American oak-aged Cabernet Sauvignon over the past four decades. They’re one of the most recognizable names across the globe in premium level Cabernet Sauvignon from the New World, and the upcoming release of the 2016 vintage epitomizes the distinctive Silver Oak style that’s made them so revered.  

Lauded as one of the original Cult Cabernet Sauvignons in the New World, Silver Oak carved out a category with their distinctive style. It’s hard to argue with the results which resonate deeply within their fan base. In a stellar vintage like 2016, many of those qualities that make Silver Oak so distinctive become even more enhanced. 
 
Arriving from the remarkable 2016 growing season, Silver Oak aged this vintage for 24 months in American white oak barrels before spending more than a year in the bottle. The 2016 brims with concentrated dark fruits, vanilla, crushed herbs, fresh dill, and Kalamata olives. 
 
SILVER OAK
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2016 ALEXANDER VALLEY
 
 
 
 
“Our 2016 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is ruby in color with a magenta rim. It has an enticing nose of cassis, blackberry, vanilla, sage and spearmint. Upon entry, this wine builds from potpourri and bramble to a bright pop of raspberry on the mid-palate. A juicy finish with chewy tannins and a medium length, it will provide drinking pleasure through 2042 with proper cellaring.”
2018 Brevity Pinot Noir Mission Ranch Vineyard Monerey County

2018 Brevity Pinot Noir Mission Ranch Vineyard Monerey County

with No Comment $30 and underArroyo SecoKevin VogtMontereyPinot NoirUSA

BREVITY

2018 PINOT NOIR
MISSION RANCH VINEYARD
MONTEREY COUNTY 

2018 Brevity Pinot Noir Mission Ranch Vineyard Monerey County

 
Comparing Monterey to all of the top growing regions for Pinot Noir in California, their growing area stands out for producing wines with the most forward, succulent fruit. The best will perfectly balance lush fruit, minerality and bright acidity in a way that’s both refreshing and exhilarating to taste. Brevity is a stunning example and at $24, the brevity of this offer requires swift action. 
 
Brevity is a brand new project made by Bobby Moy, who got his feet wet in the wine industry mentoring under Thomas Rivers Brown. They source their Pinot from the Mission Ranch Vineyard, which is the oldest commercial vineyard in the Arroyo Seco AVA. The area is defined by its unique geography resulting from the Arroyo Seco River and its influence from the Pacific Ocean.
 
The 2018 vintage combines three iconic Pinot Noir clones, offering the powerful dark fruits and structure of Pommard, the richness and expressive fragrance of 777, and the concentrated cherry and bright acidity of 115. At $24, I’m getting a case.
 
BREVITY
2018 PINOT NOIR
MISSION RANCH VINEYARD
MONTEREY COUNTY 
Retails at: $28
 
Your Price: $24
 
 
 
“The Brevity Mission Ranch Vineyard Monterey Pinot Noir 2018 is a shimmering ruby color in the glass and begins with a nose of bright red fruits, elegant florals, cola, chalk, and light spice. The palate is medium-bodied yet lush, with cherry liqueur, red raspberries, black tea, cola bean, and hints of vanilla. There is a silky elegance to it that keeps you coming back for more.” 91 Points
2017 Halcon Alturas Syrah Yorkville Highlands

2017 Halcón Alturas Syrah Yorkville Highlands

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtNapaSyrahUSA

HALCÓN

2017 ALTURAS SYRAH
YORKVILLE HIGHLANDS 

2017 Halcon Alturas Syrah Yorkville HighlandsHalcón is a rising star in Anderson Valley, crafted by Scott Shapley who’s also the winemaker at ROAR. The vineyard was planted without the slightest compromise at an altitude of 2,500 feet, and the densely planted vines grown in heavily metamorphosed sandstone, fractured shale, and quartz-rich rock produce brilliant quality fruit. One taste of their 94pt Syrah at our price will tell you all you need to know…

Halcón Estate Vineyard is one of the highest elevation vineyards in California. It’s densely planted to heritage selections from Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie. Their Syrah 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 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.
 
HALCÓN
2017 ALTURAS SYRAH
YORKVILLE HIGHLANDS 
 
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
2017 Hirsch Pinot Noir San Andreas Fault

2017 Hirsch Pinot Noir San Andreas Fault

with No Comment $40-$50Fort Ross SeaviewKevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaUSA

HIRSCH

2017 PINOT NOIR
SAN ANDREAS FAULT

2017 Hirsch Pinot Noir San Andreas FaultHirsch Vineyards overlooks the Pacific Ocean and sits within the highly-revered Fort Ross Seaview AVA, where icons Marcassin, Peter Michael, and Pahlmeyer all source fruit. The vineyard produces some of the most powerfully concentrated, distinct, and complexly flavored Pinot Noir grapes in all of California. Simply put, Hirsch is one of those rare wines that you remember for months or even years after tasting…  

Similar to Burgundy, Hirsch Vineyard has 67 individual blocks, each corresponding with soil and terroir changes created by the nearby San Andreas Fault. This beauty is the winery’s flagship wine, and in the 2017 vintage, it encompasses 28 separate blocks within the Estate and is an extraordinary representation of their property. 
 
The 2017 vintage of San Andreas Fault has super-concentrated red and blue fruits, intense pomegranate, raspberry tea, and sea minerals. At $50, this is Grand Cru quality California Pinot Noir that’s brilliant now and will cellar for at least another decade. 
 
HIRSCH
2017 PINOT NOIR
SAN ANDREAS FAULT
Retails at: $60
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
“A homage to the great fault line near Hirsch, this pinot has a brambly, rich array of red cherries and some blue-fruit notes with fresh, sappy, forest aromas, too. The palate has plenty of punchy tannin and forthright, fresh, unwavering drive.” 
93 Points
 
 
 
“… Pale to medium ruby, the 2017 Pinot Noir San Andreas Fault has a delicately played nose with touches of cinnamon stick, dried leaves, perfumed earth and a mineral vein plus rose petal perfume, red berries and black fruit sparks. The palate is light to medium-bodied with delicate intensity and well-balanced fruit and earth character, knit by grainy tannins and juicy freshness, finishing long and nuanced”  92 Points
2016 Matias Chardonnay Rosella's Vineyard

2016 Matias Chardonnay Rosella’s Vineyard

with No Comment $30 and underChardonnayKevin VogtMontereySanta Lucia HighlandsUSA

MATIAS 

2016 CHARDONNAY
ROSELLA’S VINEYARD

2016 Matias Chardonnay Rosella's VineyardHow much would you expect to pay for a Chardonnay from one of the top vineyards in California? Chardonnays from Rosella’s Vineyard average around $50 per bottle, and producers like ROAR, Saxon Brown, and Loring all make Chardonnays from it. Matias perfectly articulates the vineyard’s best qualities, and at $55, the quality is ridiculously high. Of course, few other California Chardonnays can compete.  

Rosella’s vineyard was planted by Gary Franscioni, who’s one of California’s most distinguished growers, having also partnered in iconic sites like Pisoni, Garys’, Sierra Mar and Soberanes. Rosella’s vineyard sits on the Santa Lucia Mountain Range benchlands, and they chose it for its healthy maritime influenced climate and Arroyo Seco sandy loam soils. 
 
Dan Fitzgerald, who got his start working at Williams-Selyem authored this stunning California Chardonnay. The style is unabashedly Californian with super-rich, opulent flavors that span buttered pineapple, candied ginger, lemon meringue, and bright acidity.
 
MATIAS 
2016 CHARDONNAY
ROSELLA’S VINEYARD
Retails at: $55
 
 
 
 
 
“The 2016 Matias Rosella’s Chardonnay offers vivid aromas of green apples, sweet passionfruit, dried flowers and liquid minerals. The palate is full, rich and sultry with flavors of candied pineapple, exotic tropical fruits, key lime pie, butterscotch and sweet vanilla, without being heavy or flabby. These flavors and aromas combine to lead to a very long, balanced, mouth quenching finish.” 94 Points, Kevin M. Vogt, Master Sommelier
2016 Works and Days Pinot Noir Hill Justice Vineyard Sonoma County

2016 Works and Days Pinot Noir Hill Justice Vineyard Sonoma County

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaSonoma MountainUSA

WORKS AND DAYS

2016 PINOT NOIR
HILL JUSTICE VINEYARD
SONOMA COUNTY

2016 Works and Days Pinot Noir Hill Justice Vineyard Sonoma CountyI often hear about a winemaker’s hands-off approach to winemaking, but one of many things that struck me about Cabell Coursey’s winemaking is his hands-on approach. He believes that the more time spent in the vineyard directly results in better wine. He also picks early and ferments longer, which is a technique that he learned in Burgundy, and it creates balanced wines with fruit, acidity, and tannin. Once you taste it, I’m confident that it’s a wine that you’ll want to enjoy a lot more of in the future. 

Inspired by Burgundy, Cabell learned winemaking from the University of Burgundy in Dijon, France. Then he honed his skills in New Zealand and the Willamette Valley before working at iconic producers DuMOL and Kosta Browne.
 
The Hill Justice Vineyard is perched at 1100 feet on Sonoma Mountain, and the rocky, red-soils are rich in clay and produce exceptional quality fruit. The Swiss clonal selection is rare in California but thrives in the extreme environment. If you love Pinot Noir, you should try this beauty before its days are done.
 
WORKS AND DAYS
2016 PINOT NOIR
HILL JUSTICE VINEYARD
SONOMA COUNTY
Retails at: $65
 
 
 
 
 
“Lavender aromatics accent a delicately built body that develops intensity as it opens. Asian spice, white pepper and toasted oak burnish on the palate before settling into a soft rounded finish of dark cherry.” 91 Points
2017 Mike and Molly Zinfandel R.W. Moore Vineyard

2017 Mike and Molly Zinfandel R.W. Moore Vineyard

with No Comment $30-$40CoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaUSAZinfandel

MIKE AND MOLLY

2017 ZINFANDEL
R.W. MOORE VINEYARD

2017 Mike and Molly Zinfandel R.W. Moore VineyardThe only thing deeper than the roots of the ancient vines in the 1905 planted R.W. Moore Vineyard, is the combined family ties in the Napa Valley wine industry of Mike & Molly Hendry. Mike’s grandparents purchased 120 acres at the base of Mount Veeder in the 1930s, where the Hendry Winery sits today, and Molly grew up visiting her uncle Bill at his R.W. Moore Vineyard, which Turley and Biale fans recognize. 

The historic R.W. Moore Vineyard is located in Napa Valley’s highly acclaimed Coombsville region and is an entirely dry-farmed vineyard, where winter rains are the sole source of irrigation. The vines are a field blend of approximately 95% Zinfandel intermixed with Petite Sirah, Carignane, Mourvedre, and Mourtaou. 
 
The wine team made the 2017 vintage in a richly elegant, enchanting style that envelopes your palate in plush dark fruits, satiny tannins, and compelling spice notes. At $36, this Old Vine Zinfandel is an absolute joy.
 
MIKE AND MOLLY
2017 ZINFANDEL
R.W. MOORE VINEYARD
Retails at: $40
 
 
 
 
“This graceful wine is aged in French oak, one-third of it new. Brambly, rich red fruit remains lifted and structured on the palate, alongside a grip of baking spice, black pepper and leather.” 91 Points
 
 
 
“A blend of 95% Zinfandel and 1% each of Petite Sirah, Carignan and Mourvèdre as well as 2% of the rare Cabernet Pfeffer. In some years it shows red fruits like raspberry and cherry; in others, dark fruits like black cherries and blackberries. The vines are dry-farmed, giving small, peppery, intense berries. Drinking Window 2020 – 2028” 91 Points
2016 Pavi Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2016 Pavi Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $50-$60Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleRutherfordSpring MountainUSA

PAVI

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2016 NAPA VALLEY 

2016 Pavi Cabernet Sauvignon Napa ValleyPavi means lightning, and their new 2016 Napa Cabernet precisely reflects that. The 2016 vintage has a regal presence on the palate that’s defined by lush fruit and superior richness. Renown winemaker Rob Lawson owns the winery, and throughout his career, Rob helped craft some of the top brands produced at Napa Wine Company while he was GM. He’s also responsible for helping shape the 2007 Kapcscandy Grand Vin, which scored a perfect 100 point score from Robert Parker.   

Pavi’s 2016 release combines high-quality grapes from Rutherford, Oakville, and Spring Mountain AVAs. The Rutherford vineyard is on the Southeastern end of the AVA, just South of Caymus, and the Oakville fruit comes from the center of Oakville.
 
The final blend is 97% Cabernet Sauvignon along with 3% Petite Verdot, which contributes to the lush, dark fruit. The only downside is there were only 150 cases of this beauty produced, and at this price, you might want to strike quickly…
 
PAVI
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2016 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $85
 
 
“This is a lush, full-bodied wine, rich and bright with dark-fruit flavors and floral aromas. The intense flavors of black cherry, peppery spice, and cocoa come together in a balanced wine that is a perfect complement to savory grilled and braised meats, mushroom pizza and the perfect hamburger”