2017 Hunter Glenn Napa Valley Proprietary Red

2017 Hunter Glenn Napa Valley Proprietary Red

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

HUNTER GLENN

PROPRIETARY RED
2017 NAPA VALLEY

2017 Hunter Glenn Napa Valley Proprietary RedWith roots in Sonoma County and a shop in Yountville, we meet our fair share of farmers that produce a small amount of their own wine… So when Jeffrey Shifflett, Jr. pulled up to our weekly tasting in his farm truck, we were looking forward to trying the wines. When he placed them on the table, the sleek packaging was a bit of a surprise, but when the wines hit the glass, we realized that he wasn’t just a farmer, but an incredibly gifted winemaker.

The Shifflett family’s ranch neighbors icons Dominus and Trethefen, and the vines lie in the shadow the Mayacamas Mountain range, in an area that has a micro-climate that’s cooler than further up Valley. The 2017 proprietary red was built around a core of Cabernet Sauvignon that’s enhanced with Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

Based on the sheer quality of the wine, we knew Jeff must have mentored under some outstanding winemakers. As it turns out, Jeff worked harvest in Australia before spending time at both Cakebread and Elyse wineries. At $40, I guarantee you’ll be stunned by the quality…

HUNTER GLENN
PROPRIETARY RED
2017 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $45

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“In the glass the wine showcases our signature color, dark ruby, like polished Garnet. Aromas of cedar, baking spices and vanilla hint at the restrained use of oak, followed by cherries and sarsaparilla. The first sip bursts with red fruit, cherry cola, and hints of violet. Subtle tannins integrate with fruit on the palate, leading to a long and pleasing finish.” 90 Cases Produced

2016 Red Mare Dutton Ranch Vineyard Russian River Valley Chardonnay

2016 Red Mare Dutton Ranch Vineyard Russian River Valley Chardonnay

with No Comment $30-$40ChardonnayKevin VogtRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

RED MARE

2016 CHARDONNAY
DUTTON RANCH VINEYARD
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

2016 Red Mare Dutton Ranch Vineyard Russian River Valley ChardonnayMy favorite wines are those that illuminate the best qualities and characteristics of the vineyard and vintage foremost over any winemaker’s unique style. Anne Vawter, who’s experience includes working alongside Heidi Barrett as the assistant winemaker at Paradigm for years, did a perfect job giving this Chardonnay from the iconic Dutton Ranch vineyard a bright, beautiful voice. At $48, it’s an absolute steal, but at $36, I would saddle up and secure a case (or two) before this one rides off into the sunset.
 
Red Mare sources their Chardonnay from the famed Dutton Ranch Vineyard located in the Russian River Valley, and fans of Kistler, Patz & Hall, & DuMOL likely recognize this iconic site. On the palate, the wine is plump without being heavy, and offers a kaleidoscope of Granny Smith apple, honeyed pair, pressed lemon and subtle spice.
 
The 2016 is fresh and lively, appealing to anyone looking for a balanced, site-specific wine, but with just enough richness to satisfy fans of a more powerful, California style Chardonnay.
 
RED MARE
2016 CHARDONNAY
DUTTON RANCH VINEYARD
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
Retails at: $48
 
Your Price: $36
use code mare36
 
Winery Notes: “Honey, dried hay, and poached pear come together to create a very complex and interesting nose. Stewed apple and freshly rained-on gravel increase the autumnal associations with this wine. In the mouth this wine has a bright, clean entry with a zesty acidity leading through to notes of brioche and stone fruits, finally finishing with a hint of warmth that leads to a round, voluminous and clean finish.”
2015 Cherry Pie Stanly Ranch Pinot Noir

2015 Cherry Pie Stanly Ranch Pinot Noir

with No Comment $40-$50CarnerosKevin VogtNapaPinot NoirUSA

CHERRY PIE

2015 PINOT NOIR
STANLY RANCH

2015 Cherry Pie Stanly Ranch Pinot Noir
After dominating one varietal for more than a decade, the natural progression is to begin a new challenge and conquer that too. Jayson Woodbridge did just that. His Hundred Acre Cabernets reign as one of the top Cult wines in Napa for over a decade, and choosing Pinot Noir as a challenge, he sourced from the iconic Stanly Ranch Vineyard in Carneros. The 2015 vintage is loaded with concentrated cherry fruit, wild rhubarb, and subtle spice, and with a 95 Point Score from Tasting Panel Magazine, now is the perfect time to try it.  
 
Judge Stanly planted the original Stanly Ranch Vineyard in the 1800s, but since being replanted in 2001, it’s been a source for COHO, Saintsbury, and others. The well-drained Haire-loam soils, rolling hills, and coastal influences are ideal for ripening Pinot Noir to the pinnacle of perfection. 
 
Cherry Pie made the 2015 vintage in a dense style, layered with seductive red fruits, intriguing spices, and subtle floral notes. Each small-block was micro-lot fermented to isolate the individual flavors and aromas, and the wine is aged sur lie for the entire process, which contributes to the depth of flavor. 
 
CHERRY PIE
2015 PINOT NOIR
STANLY RANCH
Retails at: $50
 
Your Price: $45
 
“Stanly Ranch, the easternmost vineyard on the Napa Valley side of Carneros, has proven itself as ideal ground for Pinot Noir for more than 70 years, thanks to its well-drained clayloam soils, gentle slopes, and cool San Pablo Bay breezes.This French oak-aged red offers cinnamon- and nutmeg-spiced rose-petal aromatics and ahint of forest floor. Mocha-tinged soild and strawberry jam fill the mouth with flavor alongside generous notes of tomato leaf, cranberry, and tobacco. Pretty, feminine, and bright.” 95 Points
2017 Gamba Starr Ranch Road Zinfandel

2017 Gamba Starr Road Ranch Zinfandel

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtRussian River ValleySonomaUSAZinfandel

GAMBA 

2017 ZINFANDEL
STARR ROAD RANCH

2017 Gamba Starr Ranch Road Zinfandel
Over the years, We’ve offered some of the best brands out there, but few have developed the kind of love affair that Gamba has. It’s their undeviating style of matching fruit intensity with old vine depth and balance, and then delivering it all with immaculate detail that’s made them so beloved. Each release is a joy to behold…
 
Gamba birthed the Starr Road Ranch Zin from an organically farmed vineyard planted in 1920. The ancient vines have relied on winter rains as their sole source of irrigation for over 95 years, and they yield just 1.5 tons per acre of strikingly intense, concentrated, pristinely focused fruit. 
 
The 2017 is hugely appealing, with intense raspberry, sweet plum, briery cherry, and cracked black pepper. This vintage is rocking right now and will continue to provide copious amounts of enjoyment over the next decade.
 
GAMBA 
2017 ZINFANDEL
STARR ROAD RANCH
Retails at: $52
 
 
 
 “…. the 2017 Zinfandel Starr Road Ranch Old Vine is similarly colored and offers a sweet plum, blueberries, sandalwood, and spice-driven bouquet. This carries to a medium-bodied, elegant, silky Zinfandel that has loads of character, as well as length. Aged 16 months in 40% new American oak, it’s going to keep nicely for upwards of a decade.” 91 Points
2016 Hill Family Barrel Blend Napa Valley Proprietary Red

2016 Hill Family Barrel Blend Napa Valley Proprietary Red

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

HILL FAMILY

BARREL BLEND
2016 NAPA VALLEY

2016 Hill Family Barrel Blend Napa Valley Proprietary Red
One of the key elements that I look for in a wine is complexity, and Hill Family’s Barrel Blend has that and more. It’s a blend of nearly a dozen grape varieties and encompasses eight unique vineyards. Of course, complexity isn’t anything without balance. Fortunately for us, the blend was constructed by winemaker Alison Green Doran who worked under Andre Tchelistcheff at her father’s Simi winery and was also the winemaker at Lewis Cellars. It’s remarkably balanced and a stunning value at under $30.
 
Alison constructed the 2016 Barrel Blend around a core of 41% Merlot that’s heightened with ten other varieties. Each varietal plays harmoniously on the palate and fills in where others fall short, adding layers of flavors, textures, and aromas to the final blend. 
 
The winemaking team carved this 2016 vintage red from eight carefully chosen vineyards ranging from the valley floor to 1,200 feet elevation, and it comes from a vintage that the Wine Spectator ranks as the best since 1997. If you’re on the lookout for a charming, individualistic, complex red that won’t break the bank, this one is for you.
 
HILL FAMILY
BARREL BLEND
2016 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at $32
 
Your Price: $29.99 
 
“Coming from multiple vineyards in the valley and mostly Merlot, the 2016 Barrel Blend offers loads of kirsch and blackberry fruits as well as complex spice and tobacco characteristics. It’s forward, charming, and straight-up delicious, and ideal for drinking over the coming 8-10 years.” 89 Points
 
“Hill Family’s 2016 Merlot-based Barrel Blend is big, juicy and full of up-front appeal. I would prefer to drink it on the early side in order to get the most out of the wine’s succulence and vibrant, racy fruit.”  89 Points
2016 Westwood Estate Annadel Gap Pinot Noir

2016 Westwood Estate Annadel Gap Pinot Noir

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

WESTWOOD

ESTATE PINOT NOIR
2016 ANNADEL GAP 

2016 Westwood Estate Annadel Gap Pinot Noir
When a winery farms their vineyard biodynamically, and the site is ideally suited for Pinot Noir, AND they hire a world-class winemaker to help achieve their goal, great things happen. Westwood’s winemaker is Philippe Melka, whose vast experience includes winemaking at Bryant Family, Quintessa, Hundred Acre, and Dominus. At around $40, this Pinot absolutely should not be missed.
 
Westwood’s Estate Pinot Noir arose from the cool, wind-swept Annadel Gap, located between Mt. Hood and Sonoma Mountain. The 2016 vintage is remarkably individualistic and laces together some of the top Pinot clones, including Calera, Pommard, 777, and Martini. 
 
Philippe and his winemaking team pay attention to every detail, and picked each clone at the pinnacle of ripeness, before being carefully sorted by hand and fermented individually. The wine was gravity-fed into French oak barrels, where it spent the next 16 months developing on the lees. The result is stunning.
 
WESTWOOD
ESTATE PINOT NOIR
2016 ANNADEL GAP
Retails at: $48
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
“This exuberant wine from the estate site offers rich tones of forest floor and black tea. The palate brings wild strawberry, boysenberry and dried herb tones that veer into an intriguing note of white pepper on the finish.” 93 Points, Editors’ Choice
2018 Capture Tradition Sauvignon Blanc

2018 Capture Tradition Sauvignon Blanc

with No Comment $30 and underAlexander ValleyKevin VogtSauvignon BlancSonomaUSA

CAPTURE

2018 TRADITION
SAUVIGNON BLANC

 

2018 Capture Tradition Sauvignon BlancCapture seized our attention more than a decade ago with their very first vintage, and we knew immediately that the brand was something special. At the time, the late Denis Malbec was the winemaker, and today they’re crafted by Winemaster Graham Weerts, who has extensive winemaking experience throughout Bordeaux and South Africa, as well as Stonestreet and Arrowood wineries in Sonoma County.
 
Capture Sauvignon Blanc has always stayed true to its traditions of crafting a Bordeaux-style Sauvignon Blanc that’s balanced, pure, rounded, and loaded with detailed stone fruits and earthy minerals.  
 
The winery’s decision to ferment in stainless steel and age the wine for ten months sur lie further highlights the purity of the fruit. The resulting wine is palate refreshing with finely sculpted flavors and energy. I highly recommend a case while supplies last.
 
CAPTURE
2018 TRADITION
SAUVIGNON BLANC
 
Your Price: $25
 
“Bordeaux-like with its crisp citrus, lemon, and white flower bouquet, the 2018 Sauvignon Blanc Tradition is medium-bodied, vibrant and pure on the palate, with beautiful purity and freshness. It’s impeccably made and well worth drinking…” 91 Points
 
“The 2018 Sauvignon Blanc Tradition comes 76% from Alexander Valley and 24% from Lake County, made in stainless steel with lees stirring. It offers gregarious scents of tarragon, chive and mown grass with kiwi, gooseberry, white peaches, flint and lychee notes. The palate is light-bodied and lively with pure fruits, bright acidity and a long, refreshing finish.”  90 Points
2017 Vista Rutherford Proprietary Red Blend

2017 Vista Rutherford Proprietary Red Blend

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtNapaProprietary RedRutherfordUSA

VISTA

2017 RUTHERFORD
PROPRIETARY RED

 
2017 Vista Rutherford Proprietary Red Blend
Being part of a wine brand that’s shattering records and has everybody talking is a great feeling, and VISTA has inspired more gushing comments and endless re-orders than any wine that we’ve featured, period. This wine is a $23 Rutherford Blend that tastes like it should cost many times its price, and if you haven’t opened one lately, I bet you’ll be shocked by how great it is now. We bought every bottle available and we’re now nearly out of the 2017 vintage, so this will likely be the last opportunity to stock up on this record-setting red.  
 
The 2017 originates from Rutherford, an area long celebrated for its exceptional terroir and dusty tannins, this wine embodies many of the hallmarks that I look for in Rutherford Cabernet. The blend is predominately Cabernet Sauvignon, heightened with Merlot and Cabernet Franc, and the 2017 vintage saturates your palate in seductive red berries laced with dried lavender, red currants, iron, and Rutherford dust. 
 
The unparalleled value and unrestrained demand for this wine has been solely due to its vastly overdelivering and mimicking many of the same qualities that you’d expect in much higher-end Rutherford wines. The focused, penetrating red fruits, superb richness and classic Rutherford dust characteristics make it irresistible, and unexpectedly great for this modest price.
 

VISTA
2017 RUTHERFORD
PROPRIETARY RED

Your Price: $23
 
 
“Scintillating aromas of fresh blackberries, tart red currants, cocoa powder and vanilla spice. The palate is dense, rich and powerful with a beautiful combination of bright red fruit characteristics that perfectly intertwine with deep black fruits including blueberry compote, crushed black raspberries, ripe red plum, baking spices and bittersweet chocolate. Intense and penetrating, this wine displays concentrated, powerful fruit with a gorgeous center core that finishes with a long, focused finish and slightly dusty tannins.”  92-95 Points Kevin M. Vogt, Master Sommelier
2016 Ramey Napa Valley Claret

2016 Ramey Napa Valley Claret

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

RAMEY

2016 CLARET
NAPA VALLEY2016 Ramey Napa Valley Claret

When one of the greatest American winemakers, with 40 years experience and more accomplishments than we can list, releases his version of a Claret style blend that’s made with a goal of exemplifying the best of qualities of Napa Valley terroir in a given vintage, I pay close attention… When that particular vintage ranks as the highest rated since 1997, according to the Wine Spectator Vintage Report, you might as well skip down to the order button.

Claret is a British term used to describe a red blend made from the top 5 most classic Bordeaux varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Ramey’s 2016 Claret includes 4 of the top 5 Bordeaux grapes, forged from a vast selection of Appellations in Napa Valley.

David Ramey is one of the great pioneers in the California wine industry, and throughout his career, he’s helped put many iconic wineries on the map including Dominus, Rudd Estate and Jericho Canyon. His Napa Valley Claret is made in a round, supple style that’s abundantly complex, deep and layered. With solid scores from many of the top critics in the Country, I wouldn’t hesitate to secure your case.

RAMEY
2016 CLARET
NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $42

Your Price: $39.99

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Wine Enthusiast: “This blends a majority of Cabernet Sauvignon with 26% Merlot, 12% Malbec, 8% Syrah and 2% Petit Verdot. Together, they interweave into a cohesive whole of clove, black pepper and meaty intensity and integrated oak. Soft and round on the palate, it pleases at an unbelievable price.” 92 Points

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate: “…Medium to deep ruby-purple, it offers aromas of bay leaf, sage brush, cardamom, anise and clove with mint chocolate, underbrush, blackberries and blackcurrants. It’s medium to full-bodied, rounded and easygoing in the mouth, with gentle, grainy tannins and great freshness to lift the finish. It would be all too easy to glug a bottle of this “luncheon Cab,” as David Ramey calls it.” 91 Points

Jeb Dunnuck: “This medium-bodied, silky, nicely textured red offers notes of ripe black cherries, currants, and assorted tobacco and herbal notes, and it’s textured and balanced. Drink it over the coming decade.” 90 Points

2015 Laird Ghost Ranch Pinot Noir

2017 Laird Ghost Ranch Pinot Noir

with No Comment $40-$50CarnerosKevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaUSA

LAIRD 

2017 PINOT NOIR
GHOST RANCH 

2015 Laird Ghost Ranch Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is remarkably versatile, and stylistically it can be crafted in more ways than just about any other varietal, ranging from light, bright and elegant, to deep, rich and opulent, and of course, everything in-between. Laird’s Single-Vineyard Pinot from Ghost Ranch definitely lives on the full-bodied end of the spectrum, and beautifully reflects that style.
 
Ghost Ranch is a stunning 9 acre vineyard located on the Sonoma side of Carneros. The site got its name from vineyard workers that had reported seeing children between the rows of vines, and when approached, they would vanish.
 
The winery has always attracted expert winemakers, and they’re currently made by Brian Mox whom previously consulted for both Lewis and Etude.
 
The 2017 is an idyllic example of a deep, full-bodied, and lavish Pinot Noir that doesn’t give an inch in terms of balance. So, if you enjoy Big Pinots, the scariest thing about Laird’s Ghost Ranch Pinot would be missing out on a case.   
 
LAIRD 
2017 PINOT NOIR
GHOST RANCH
Retails at:  $48.00/btl
 
Your Price: $43/btl
 
Tasting Notes: “The Laird Ghost Ranch Pinot Noir 2017 is a rich, supple wine with bright acidity along with a lush, satiny mouthfeel. It begins with ripe boysenberry, cherry cola and baking spices, with a hint of sweet vanilla. The finish is penetrating and long, with an overall balance that draws you back in, sip after sip…” 93 Points, Kevin M. Vogt, Master Sommelier