2020 Macauley Old Vine Zinfandel Napa Valley

2020 Macauley Old Vine Zinfandel Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtNapaOld Vine ZinfandelUSA

MACAULEY

OLD VINE ZINFANDEL
NAPA VALLEY 2020

2020 Macauley Old Vine Zinfandel Napa Valley
Ann Macauley Watson founded the Macauley winery in the early 1980s; her son Mac now runs the estate, working closely with his childhood friend Kirk Venge. Mac and Kirk share the same winemaking philosophy, aiming to create wines with depth and a range of complexity directly related to each site’s specific terroir, which means sourcing the best fruit from the best vineyards in Napa.
 
Macauley’s 2020 Old Vine Zinfandel arose from ancient vines averaging 115 years old from historic vineyards throughout Napa Valley, including Korte Ranch, Kenefick Ranch, and Luvisi. The old vines limit yields, resulting in fruit with concentrated and complex flavors, giving the best qualities of the variety and providing the Macauley signature flavor profile. 
 
MACAULEY
OLD VINE ZINFANDEL
NAPA VALLEY 2020
Retails at: $55
 
 
 
“The Macauley 2020 Old Vine Zinfandel is a spice rack of aromas beginning with cinnamon, clove, sweet tobacco, and cedar with sweet fruit notes of black raspberry and strawberry. On the palate, the wine has bold flavors of ripe berries, vanilla, baking spices, and roasted hazelnuts that glide into a smooth, rich finish.”
93 Points
2018 Anthem Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder

2018 Anthem Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder

with No Comment $70-$80Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtMt VeederNapaUSA

ANTHEM 

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
MOUNT VEEDER 2018

2018 Anthem Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder
Julie and Justin Arbuckle founded Anthem to produce hedonistically rich, powerful wines from intensely concentrated mountain fruit. After interviewing over 100 applicants, they chose Jeff Ames as their winemaker because of his experience working for Thomas Rivers Brown as his assistant winemaker at Outpost and Schrader, as well as winemaker TOR and Rudius. One taste and you will know that Jeff was a brilliant choice, and at under $100, this is a candidate for the best Cab in Napa Valley.
 
Anthem’s estate on Mount Veeder remains relatively cool, even on the warmest summer afternoons, due to its elevation and sea breezes from the nearby San Pablo Bay. In the 2018 vintage, the weather was more temperate than usual and produced grapes with intense flavor, elegant structure, and finely integrated tannins. Jeff made the resulting harvest into this outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon that’s unbelievably delicious now, with a capacity to age in the cellar for more than 20 years.
 
ANTHEM 
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
MOUNT VEEDER 2018
Retails at: $130
 
 
 
“Structured, with grip and length, this wine is ripe and rich in style with tremendous tannins. Chalky in texture, it provides layers of cassis, vanilla and clove, with the mountain appellation’s signature earthiness and herbal underrates. This will do well to cellar; enjoy best from 2028–2038.”
95 Points ‘Cellar Selection’
2019 The Crane Assembly Disciples Red Blend Napa Valley

2019 The Crane Assembly Disciples Red Blend Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

THE CRANE ASSEMBLY

DISCIPLES RED BLEND
NAPA VALLEY 2019

2019 The Crane Assembly Disciples Red Blend Napa Valley
George Beldon Crane planted the historic eight-acre GB Crane Vineyard South of St. Helena in 1885, making it one of the first vineyards planted in Napa Valley. Fast forward nearly 140 years, and the site still produces remarkable fruit. Crane initially planted the vineyard as a traditional field blend with Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignan, Alicante Bouschet, Mourvèdre, and Valdiguie, which was common during that era. 
 
With a few new plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot added to the mix, the Disciples Red Blend represents a uniquely-American style of red wine. The blend for the 2019 vintage consists of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Charbono, Merlot, Syrah, Grenache, and Cabernet Sauvignon, presented in a bold, rich, and memorable style. 
 
THE CRANE ASSEMBLY
DISCIPLES RED BLEND
NAPA VALLEY 2019
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
“Pouring a vivid cardinal into the glass, the 2019 Disciples is replete with aromas of cranberry compote, Rainier cherry, Staedtler graphite pencil and Mendocino forest floor – the combination of redwoods, sorels, sun and ocean spray. Upon entry, the wine exudes a bright and lively character with notes of ripe raspberry, red fruits and subtle toasted aok. The wine closes at length with soft fine tannins and an inviting hint of vanilla.
NV Decoy Brut Rose California

NV Decoy Brut Rose California

with No Comment $30 and underChampagne/SparklingKevin VogtUSA

DECOY

BRUT ROSÉ
CALIFORNIA NV

NV Decoy Brut Rose California
Dan and Margaret Duckhorn, founders of Duckhorn Vineyards, established Decoy as a value-focused brand in 1985. Duckhorn has a reputation in Napa Valley for producing memorable wines of the utmost quality. Decoy comes from a mix of Duckhorn estate vineyards and other top growers, seeing the same meticulous treatments as their prized, family-named wines. 
 
Acclaimed winemaker Dana Epperson is an expert with multiple grape varieties, using her intuition to create the Decoy Sparkling Rosé into a sensational delight. This wine spent a year en tirage before being disgorged, meaning it spent time with the lees in the bottle and developed more complex and sophisticated aromas and flavors that are readily enjoyable immediately upon release.
 
DECOY
BRUT ROSÉ
CALIFORNIA NV
Retails at: $35
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“The Decoy Brut Rosé Sparkling Wine opens with fruity notes of strawberry, lime zest, kiwi, and golden raisin. On the palate, the wine has bright flavors of white cherry, green guava, and berries and cream with a hint of raw almond. The fresh acidity perfectly balances the juicy fruit flavors and finishes with an invigorating freshness.”
93 Points
2019 Silverado Merlot Mt Geroge Vineyard Coombsville Napa Valley

2019 Silverado Merlot Mt Geroge Vineyard Coombsville Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50CoombsvilleKevin VogtMerlotNapaUSA

SILVERADO 

MERLOT 2019
MT GEROGE VINEYARD
COOMBSVILLE NAPA VALLEY

2019 Silverado Merlot Mt Geroge Vineyard Coombsville Napa Valley
Silverado Vineyards was founded in 1981 by Ron and Diane Miller and her mother, Lillian Disney, who was married to Walt Disney before his death. Silverado lies in the heart of Stags Leap District and today sustainably farms more than 300 acres to produce and bottle single-vineyard Cabernet, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Chardonnay, and several other varieties. The winery came under new ownership in 2022 by Bill and Carol Foley, who own around thirty successful wine brands, including Merus, Lancaster, Kuleto, and Foley Estate, and aim to keep the founders’ vision of Silverado Vineyards alive.
 
The Mt George Vineyard is the site of one of the first Napa Valley vineyard plantings in 1868, and the current Merlot plantings from 1989 and 1990 thrive on the well-drained, gravelly slopes of the ancient volcano. The characteristics of a cooler climate are apparent in this wine, which offers intense fruit flavors, spice, and deep color typical of the vineyard. The 2019 vintage yielded superior fruit quality with a friendly approachability and the structure necessary for cellaring. Our panel was thrilled by the wine’s impressive quality and agreed with James Suckling that it’s a hard wine to put down.
 
SILVERADO 
MERLOT 2019
MT GEROGE VINEYARD
COOMBSVILLE NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $65
 
Your Price: $45
 
 
“Aromas of pine, plum and redcurrant. Medium-bodied with fresh, mineral character and silky tannins. Bright and cool on the palate. Balanced and juicy. So approachable and delicious that it’s hard to put down. Drink now.”
93 Points
2018 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2018 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

SILVER OAK

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2018

2018 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Silver Oak began in a dairy barn in 1972 with a patriotic vision between two friends who wanted to vinify California Cabernet Sauvignon aged in American oak that could stand the test of time. The winery’s popularity grew immensely over the next few decades, becoming one of the most consistent, high-quality domestic producers, delivering its distinctive style with vanilla, dill, sweet black fruits, and savory spice.
 
The Napa Valley bottling is a Cabernet Sauvignon dominant blend incorporating other Bordeaux varietals that changes slightly with each season’s conditions and is blended before Silver Oak’s signature aging regimen of 24 months in American oak to ensure a more unified maturation. The winery ages the wines an additional 24 months in the bottle before release, and the 2018 vintage produced wines with focused intensity, exquisite balance, and elegant flavors that have just begun to show off the phenomenal vintage and will continue to develop with age.
 
SILVER OAK
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2018
 
Your Price: $175
 
 
“The 2018 Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is ruby in color with notes of strawberry, fresh carnation, black pepper and vanilla. is wine builds in strength and body across the mid-palate with a blackberry character on the finish and bright cherry return.With integrated tannins, it’s expressive yet luxurious with an even, balanced finish. Given proper cellaring conditions, this wine will continue to improve through 2043.”
2021 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Sonoma County

2021 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Sonoma County

with No Comment $60-$70Kevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaSonoma ValleyUSA

WILLIAMS SELYEM

PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COUNTY 2021

2021 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Sonoma County
Burt Williams and Ed Selyem had an affinity for Burgundy that neither of them could afford, so in the early 1970s, the two set out to make their own Pinot Noir. The goal was to produce wines for themselves; however, Burt nor Ed realized at the time that they were setting the standards for American Pinot Noir. Williams Selyem began with fruit purchased from growers with a simple handshake agreement, and 35 years later, those agreements are still in place and hold a testament to the loyal relationships Burt and Ed created. In 2009, their 2007 Litton Estate Pinot Noir was awarded a 100-Point score by Wine Enthusiast, making it the first California Pinot Noir with a perfect score. 
 
The 2021 Sonoma County Pinot Noir has stunning, pristinely balanced fruit quality from Drake Estate, Klopp, MacGregor, Putnam, Olivet Lane, and Starkey Vineyards. Despite the difficult beginning of the growing season, the vintage commenced with ideal temperatures and slightly below-average yields combined with exceptional fruit quality and vivacity, finely layered flavors, and site specificity.
 
WILLIAMS SELYEM
PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COUNTY 2021
 
Your Price: $65
 
 
“Layered and complex, the Sonoma County Pinot Noir offers strawberry and cherry fruit notes with hints of oolong tea. Clove and wood spices add further depth and intrigue. Sourced from many parts of the Russian River Valley and the Coast, this wine offers a broad brushstroke of the beauty of our diverse fruit sources. Red fruits on the palate with citrus peel undertones overlay onto the supple tannin structure that is refined and elegant.”
2021 AXR Proprietary Red Napa Valley

2021 AXR Proprietary Red Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

AXR

PROPRIETARY RED
NAPA VALLEY 2021

2021 AXR Proprietary Red Napa Valley
AXR’s estate is a historic property founded over 130 years ago that has been a brewery, restaurant, inn, winery, and saloon, and it today once again a winery that celebrates its decorated past. Sitting at the base of the Mayacamas range, the sedimentary soils in the vineyards are the result of thousands of years of runoff that provides wines with incredible depth and character.
 
Winemaker Jean Hoefliger draws on his experience working in the cellars at Chateau Carbonnieux and Chateau Lynch-Bages in Bordeaux, bringing a Grand Cru Classé style to his Napa Valley wines. The 2021 Proprietary Red Blend is a classic Left Bank style with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot that is rich, juicy, and approachable and will improve with time in the bottle.
 
AXR
PROPRIETARY RED
NAPA VALLEY 2021
Retails at: $65
 
Your Price: $48
 
 
“The AXR 2021 Napa Valley Proprietary Red is powerful, with concentrated aromas of black cherry, plum, cassis, allspice, and cedar. On the palate, the wine has rich flavors of blackberry, blueberry yogurt, and black tea leaves with chewy tannins and fresh acidity. This wine is youthful and vibrant, and with a few more years in the bottle, it will begin to unfold its inner layers of complexity.”
95 Points
2021 Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills

2021 Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills

with No Comment $30-$40Central CoastChardonnaySanta BarbaraSanta Rita HillsUSA

BREWER-CLIFTON

CHARDONNAY 2021
STA. RITA HILLS

2021 Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills
Greg Brewer founded Brewer-Clifton in 1996 to showcase the unique geographic, geologic, and climate of the Santa Rita Hills appellation in Santa Barbara County. He began vinification training in 1991 at Santa Barbara Winery, and through his work at Brewer-Clifton, Melville, and Diatom wineries, Greg proved without any doubt that Sta. Rita Hills is a world-class wine-growing region, and in 2020 he was named winemaker-of-the-year by Wine Enthusiast. 
 
Sta. Rita Hills is one of the coolest grape-growing regions on the west coast, providing fruit with purity and a firm structure that’s the calling card of Brewer-Clifton wines. The 2021 Chardonnay was whole-cluster fermented in neutral barrels to achieve a harmonious balance between the terroir-specific minerality and bright fruit flavors, keeping the focus fresh and clear.
 
BREWER-CLIFTON
CHARDONNAY 2021
STA. RITA HILLS
Retails at: $40
 
Your Price: $36
 
 
“The Brewer-Clifton 2021 Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay opens with fresh notes of honeysuckle, apricot, pineapple, brioche, and beeswax. Flavors of peach, nectarine, lemon poppy seed muffin, and roasted almond are complemented by a vibrant acidity on the palate. The wine is elegantly textured, and the soft mouthfeel lingers into the finish.”
93-94 Points

2019 Chapellet Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $80-$90Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

CHAPPELLET

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2019

Donn Chappellet dreamed of making Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that would rival First Growths of Bordeaux. In 1967, with the advice of André Tchelistcheff, he and his wife Molly established Chappellet and were some of the first to plant vines on Pritchard Hill. Their vineyard ranges 800 to 1,800 feet in elevation and reaps critical acclaim, even being called “Napa Valley’s Rodeo Drive” and “Napa Valley’s Grand Cru.”
 
The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon has been their flagship wine for over 50 years, laying a foundation for structured, mountain fruit with concentrated varietal character lending years of longevity. The 2019 growing season yielded Cabernet Sauvignon with seductive aromatics, radiant energy, and supple tannins that glide into a long finish and a lasting impression.
 
CHAPPELLET
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2019
 
Your Price: $89.99
 
 
“This is very complex, with blackcurrants, tobacco and cedar. Some sandalwood and terra-cotta, too. Medium-to full-bodied with ultra-fine tannins that are creamy-textured and so long and pure. Attractive and complex. 77% cabernet sauvignon with petit verdot, malbec and merlot. So good now to drink, but will age beautifully. Drink or hold.”
95 Points