2018 Heir Apparent Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain

2018 Heir Apparent Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonSpring MountainUSA

HEIR APPARENT

2018 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
SPRING MOUNTAIN

2018 Heir Apparent Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain
Heir Apparent winemaker Dwight Bonewell is known for his mastery of assemblage, creating luxury-style Napa Cabernet Sauvignons from some of the valley’s best vineyards. This wine hails from the Spring Mountain District, a region of small vineyards split by springs and streams, with 20 different soil types creating a patchwork of different terroirs, contributing to an extensive range of complexity in concentrated mountain fruit.
 
There are only 1000 acres planted within the Spring Mountain District appellation’s 8,600, but the wines from the area are recognized worldwide for their signature supple, balanced tannins and deeply pronounced flavors. 2018 was a cooler vintage, providing longer hang-time, allowing more significant flavor development that transformed this wine into a vast kaleidoscope of fruit, earth, spice, minerals, and much more that you don’t want to miss!
 
HEIR APPARENT
2018 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
SPRING MOUNTAIN
Retails at: $165
 
 
 
The 2018 Heir Apparent Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon begins with aromas of Marionberry pie, mint, bay leaf, cassis, and brown sugar. On the palate, the wine is rich with flavors of blackberries, cassis, and hot cocoa with soft, delicate tannins that lead into a long, elegant finish. This wine is perfect for sipping in front of a warm fireplace with a special person.”
94 Points
2019 My Favorite Neighbor Cabernet Sauvignon San Luis Obispo

2019 My Favorite Neighbor Cabernet Sauvignon San Luis Obispo

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonCentral CoastKevin VogtPaso RoblesUSA

MY FAVORITE NEIGHBOR

2019 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
SAN LUIS OBISPO

2019 My Favorite Neighbor Cabernet Sauvignon San Luis Obispo
Turning heads with consecutive vintages earning mid 90 point scores, Eric Jensen of My Favorite Neighbor created an ideal combination of perfectly ripe fruit, flavor intensity, and lavish textures, giving some of the best $50 Cabernets anywhere a run for their money. As a homage, he created this Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend from exceptional vineyards around Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, and Edna Valley, crafted to deliver unreal quality and shake up domestic Cab in this price range.
 
Eric is dedicated to growing fruit for some of the best wineries in Paso Robles, gaining experience along the way from neighboring farmers and vintners, particularly from his original favorite neighbor, Stephan Asseo of L’Aventure Winery. Farming is life for him, and the farmers he works with all share the common goal of growing the best fruit possible using organic or biodynamic practices, coaxing the vines to perform at their ultimate best. The results are simply stunning, and with the new 95 point score, don’t hesitate to secure yours.
 
MY FAVORITE NEIGHBOR
2019 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
SAN LUIS OBISPO
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
“The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is more elegant and focused, with medium to full-bodied aromas and flavors of cassis, redcurrants, green tobacco, and cedary spice. I love its texture, it has ripe, polished tannins, plenty of sweet fruit, and a great, great finish, all while staying in a relatively compact, and again, elegant package. As I’ve written in the past, it would cost three to four times the price from Napa. It’s worth noting the change in appellation from Paso Robles to San Luis Obispo County, which probably allows for a wider range of fruit.”
95 Points
 
“2019 My Favorite Neighbor is deeply aromatic with incense, ripe black plums, blackcurrants, and chocolate-covered cherries. The wine has a rich, decadent mouthfeel with voluminous flavors of blueberry crumble, mocha, and butterscotch. The wine has an edgy minerality, like wet stones after a rainstorm, enhanced by the soft, chalky tannins, finishing with a succulent, velvety texture. Drink now until 2031.”
94 Points
2020 Luli Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills

2020 Luli Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills

with No Comment $30 and underCentral CoastKevin VogtPinot NoirSanta Rita HillsUSA

LULI

2020 PINOT NOIR
SANTA RITA HILLS

2020 Luli Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills
Seeking to create a new line of handcrafted wines from top-notch fruit at affordable prices, Luli was launched in 2007 by the combined knowledge, skills, and experience of Master Sommelier Sara Floyd, vineyard manager Mark Pisoni, and winemaker Jeff Pisoni. The Pisoni brothers grew up farming in the Santa Lucia Highlands with their father Gary, one of California’s most respected growers, sourcing fruit for Luli from vineyards in or near the same land they call home.
 
Wine is life for Sara and the Pisoni brothers, so the desire to bring family and friends together to swirl a glass of fine wine for a reasonable price is a passion for all three. Possibly one of the best winemaking teams in history, this successful partnership illustrates the talents and strengths of three different masterminds in each vintage and every glass poured.
 
LULI
2020 PINOT NOIR
SANTA RITA HILLS
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“The 2020 Luli Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir begins with an intriguing nose that includes fresh strawberries, English rose petals, cotton candy, and Autumn baking spices. The palate mimics these traits, adding cherry cola, red plums, liquid minerals, and a bright freshness combined with a supple texture that beautifully rounds this wine out. Drink it now, and over the next six to eight years.”
92 Points
2017 Enos Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County

2017 Enos Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County

with No Comment $30 and underCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtSonomaSonoma ValleyUSA

ENOS

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2017 SONOMA COUNTY

2017 Enos Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County
Carved from the steepest section of Totem Ridge Vineyard across from Peter Michael Winery, Enos Cabernet Sauvignon delivers substantial value. The site’s rocky, well-drained soils are ideally suited for ripening Cabernet Sauvignon and are planted to clone 337, the backbone of many cult Cabernets. The vineyard yields just 2 tons per acre of intensely flavored berries. 
 
This wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon crafted in a focused, savory style, medium in body, and packed with remarkable complexity and balance uncommon at this price level. At under $20, this is simply one of the best values in our shop.
 
ENOS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2017 SONOMA COUNTY
Retails at: $24
 
Your Price: $19.99
 
 
“The Enos Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 begins with a perfumed nose of bright red and deep black berries, Spring flowers and a hint of vanilla. The palate is smooth and supple with a seamless, easy drinking style that includes black plum, blueberries, red currants and spice. This is a beautiful wine at an amazing value that will drink great over the next 4-6 years.”
90 Points
2016 Blanket Prince Of Hearts Proprietary Red

2016 Blanket Prince Of Hearts Proprietary Red

with No Comment $90-$100Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

BLANKIET

PRINCE OF HEARTS 
2016 PROPRIETARY RED

2016 Blanket Prince Of Hearts Proprietary Red
In 1996, Claude and Katherine Blankiet had the opportunity to view an undeveloped hillside property behind Dominus’ Napanook vineyard and purchased the site without hesitation, naming it Paradise Hills. The vineyard experiences a cooler terroir than other parts of Napa Valley due to its eastern exposure with bright sunny mornings and cool, shady afternoons, preserving natural acidity as temperatures rise later in the day, producing exquisitely balanced, focused fruit.
 
Viticulturist David Abreu and winemaker Helen Turley extensively studied the different soil compositions in the vineyard, dividing it into four distinct blocks with strategically selected rootstocks and clonal varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. The 96 point 2016 Prince of Hearts captures the essence of this top estate, presented with a supple mouthfeel and exceptional balance made possible by the site’s complex terroir and the wine team’s diligence in the vineyard and cellar.
 
BLANKIET
PRINCE OF HEARTS 
2016 PROPRIETARY RED
 
Your Price: $99.99
 
 
“…another seamless, elegant wine from the estate that has remarkable complexity in its sandalwood, spice box, chocolate, and cassis and blueberry-like fruits. Hitting the palate with full-bodied richness, a seamless texture, and ultra-fine tannins, it can be drunk today or cellared for 15+ years. It’s another beautiful wine from this team that has both power and finesse.”
96 Points
 
 
2017 Leto Cabernet Franc Mount Veeder

2017 Leto Cabernet Franc Mount Veeder

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet FrancKevin VogtMt VeederNapaUSA

LETO

CABERNET FRANC
2017 MOUNT VEEDER

2017 Leto Cabernet Franc Mount Veeder
Leto Cellars matches entrepreneurial determination for crafting limited amounts of superior quality wines with hard work that’s intensified with knowledge and more than 50 years of experience. Their 50 case production of Mount Veeder Cabernet Franc exemplifies Brad Warner’s ability to identify exceptional vineyards and transform the fruit into a varietally sound, memorable masterpiece, offering uncanny value. 
 
Brad sourced his Cabernet Franc from a single-vineyard perched at 1,100 feet elevation on Mount Veeder, chosen for its volcanic soils and low yields of concentrated fruit with intense flavor. Mt Veeder is the coolest Mountain in Napa, which allows the grapes a longer hang-time so they can develop into something majestic. With a production of only 50 cases, you might want to keep this one secret, at least until you get your case!
 
LETO
CABERNET FRANC
2017 MOUNT VEEDER
Retails at: $78
 
 
 
“The 2017 Leto Cabernet Franc is a beautiful, classic style that opens with aromas of red currants, black raspberries, fresh florals, bramble, crushed rocks, sage, and a hint of white pepper. The palate is fresh and complex with wild blackberries, dried herbs, baking spices, vanilla, and toast, all perfectly balanced by the wine’s crisp, mountain acidity. The finish is long and savory, with soft, integrated tannins that provide an excellent structure for aging but are also pleasant in the wine’s youth.”
94 Points
2018 Lancaster Winemakers Cuvee Alexander Valley

2018 Lancaster Winemakers Cuvee Alexander Valley

with No Comment $60-$70Alexander ValleyKevin VogtProprietary RedSonomaUSA

LANCASTER

2018 WINEMAKER’S CUVEE 
ALEXANDER VALLEY

2018 Lancaster Winemakers Cuvee Alexander Valley
Millions of years ago, volcanic and seismic activity shaped much of Alexander Valley, leaving the area with dozens of unique soil types and microclimates, proven to produce savory and delicious Bordeaux-style blends. Lancaster’s hillside estate soils are nutrient deficient, forcing the vine to concentrate more on survival and less on green leaf growth, ideal for growing grapes with distinct character and varietal expression.
 
Each vintage brings opportunities to learn and improve, so viticulturist Brian Malone and winemaker David Drake work closely to monitor small vineyard changes with satellite mapping and climatic analysis from vineyard weather stations. Every vineyard block is evaluated for each microclimate’s most superior clones and rootstocks, producing wines that boast robust flavors and compete with some of Napa Valley’s finest red wines. 
 
LANCASTER
2018 WINEMAKER’S CUVEE 
ALEXANDER VALLEY
Retails at: $85
 
Your Price: $69.99
 
 
“The 2018 Winemaker’s Cuvee is a blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec. Medium ruby, it has pretty scents of Morello cherries, cigar box, lavender and pencil shavings. The full-bodied palate is approachable straight from the bottle, with grainy tannins, refreshing acidity and a long, mineral-laced finish.” 
93 Points
2018 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon One Point Five

2018 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon One Point Five

with No Comment $90-$100Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaStags LeapUSA

SHAFER

2018 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
ONE POINT FIVE 

2018 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon One Point Five
John Shafer began making wine in 1978 and was eager for his son Doug to join him as the lead winemaker, but Doug turned him down two or three times before finally agreeing to a partnership in 1983, which they refer to as the “generation and a half” or One Point Five. The father-son team spent the last 35 years overseeing the production of their Stags Leap wines, which rank among the best in the valley and embody their passion for the district.
 
Sourced from Borderline and Shafer’s Hillside Estate vineyards, known for producing small berries with structure and depth of flavors, One Point Five represents the quintessence of the region. The wine is a worldwide favorite that’s perennially high scoring and beloved for having seamlessly soft tannins and a luscious mouthfeel that’s enjoyable today and suitable to age for a decade.
 
SHAFER
2018 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
ONE POINT FIVE 
 
Your Price: $99.99
 
 
“This is a muscular wine with a velvety backdrop—classic for the vintage and appellation. Silky tannins glide across a foundation of turned earth, crushed rock, clove and tobacco. The wine is hugely structured and grand. Dark plum, cherry and mocha flavors round out the profile….”
97 Points, “Cellar Selection”
 
“This has a deliciously ripe and perfumed nose of blueberries, cloves, potpourri and gravel. It’s full-bodied with firm, chewy tannins and fresh acidity. Creamy and elegant with a driven, focused finish. Cooler and more refined at the end…”
95 Points
 
“The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon One Point Five (100% Cabernet Sauvignon) might be the finest vintage to date. Dense purple-hued, with a thrilling nose of blue and black fruits as well as graphite and crushed stone, it’s medium to full-bodied and has a wonderfully pure, elegant texture, ample underlying tannins, and a great finish. It shows the more focused, elegant, yet structured style of the vintage to a T.”
95 Points
2016 Marimar Estate Pinot Noir Metodo Antiguo

2016 Marimar Estate Pinot Noir Metodo Antiguo

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

MARIMAR ESTATE

2016 PINOT NOIR
METODO ANTIGUO

2016 Marimar Estate Pinot Noir Metodo Antiguo
Marimar Torres, of the renowned Familia Torres winemaking family in Spain, immersed herself in the wine business early, bringing an old-world, quality-minded approach to her Sonoma-based estate. Método Antiguo, which translates to “Old Method,” refers to the original way of making wine with whole cluster fermentation that is still used today by many of Burgundy’s top estates as a stylistic tool for increased savory complexity, textural qualities, and tannin structure.
 
Doña Margarita Vineyard is planted at high density, creating increased competition amongst the vines, slowing vigor, and deeply concentrating flavors, later enhanced by whole cluster fermentation. The inclusion of stems during vinification adds gentle tannins, improving the structure, adding heady freshness to the aromatics, which is particularly complementary to Pinot Noir, and this one is drinking beautifully.
 
MARIMAR ESTATE
2016 PINOT NOIR
METODO ANTIGUO
Retails at: $64
 
 
 
“The Marimar Estate Doña Margarita Vineyard Metodo Antiguo Pinot Noir 2016 has an intriguing nose which includes candied strawberries, cherry cola, dried mushrooms, baking spices, fresh thyme, and violets. On the palate, it has fresh mixed berries, saline with a unique savory note, and a clean, minerally component. The finish is balanced and bright, with elegance and finesse.”
92 Points
2017 Raoul Gautherin Grand Cru Chablis Les Clos

2017 Raoul Gautherin Grand Cru Chablis Les Clos

with No Comment $80-$90BurgandyChablisChardonnayKevin VogtUSA

RAOUL GAUTHERIN

GRAND CRU CHABLIS
2017 LES CLOS

2017 Raoul Gautherin Grand Cru Chablis Les Clos
Chablis exemplifies the purest expression of Chardonnay through minimal intervention in the vineyard and winery, the use of natural yeasts, and the limited use of oak, prioritizing the delicate nuances of flavor. Adrien Gautherin of Domaine Raoul Gautherin vinifies his Grand Cru Chablis Les Clos in tanks and ages it in old barrels, creating a wine with incredible aging potential. 
 
Grand Cru vineyards in Chablis are grown in 160 million-year-old sedimentary limestone-rich clay, known as Kimmeridgian marl, famous for giving wines with vibrant character, racy acidity, and a zesty mineral component. These world-class Chardonnays begin showing their spectacular depth and charm after three to four years, which is where this one is right now, and with only 120 cases produced, don’t hesitate to secure yours.
 
RAOUL GAUTHERIN
GRAND CRU CHABLIS
2017 LES CLOS
Retails at: $100
 
Your Price: $89
 
 
“The 2017 Raoul Gautherin & Fils Grand Cru Chablis Les Clos has an exquisite nose with aromas of honeysuckle, white blossoms, green apples, white peaches, and brioche. The flavors on the palate are reminiscent of a butter pecan ice cream, coating the palate in a creamy mouthfeel but finishing on a crisp note with the wine’s natural acidity. This wine can be enjoyed now but will really shine after laying down in the cellar for a few more years.”
93 Points