2014 Immortal Estate Slope Cabernet Sauvignon

2014 Immortal Estate Slope Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $70-$80Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

IMMORTAL ESTATE

2014 SLOPE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 

2014 Immortal Estate Slope Cabernet Sauvignon
On the West side of Spring Mountain, Immortal Estate is planted on a staggering 55-degree slope, making it one of the steepest hillside-vineyards in California. Initially named Hidden Ridge, the property produced 100 point wines under Tim Milos’ guidance. Tim gained invaluable experience while crafting stellar vintages of Opus One, Stag’s Leap, and Cliff Lede, and he’s the winemaker at Immortal Estate.
 
Vines grown on steep slopes can experience better air-flow, water drainage, and more sunlight, which combine to produce fully-developed and complexly flavored grapes. Immortal Estate is a perfect example and has more than 20 separate blocks with an elevation range of 1200-1700 feet, near Pride Mountain Vineyards. 
 
Tim selected harvest dates for each block based on taste, and the team meticulously sorted the grapes at the winery. They fermented the juice on the grape skins for up to 50 days, extracting depth, structure, and deep color. They then aged the wine for 28 months in French oak, and now with several years in the bottle, it’s rocking.
 
IMMORTAL ESTATE
2014 SLOPE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
 
Your Price: $75
 
 
“…the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Slope from the Hidden Ridge vineyard does not suffer in comparison with the extraordinary efforts of 2013. Still a barrel sample, its riveting richness, concentration, texture and density represent another legend in the making. Crème de cassis, licorice, blackberry, earthiness and spice are all present in this magnificent example of Cabernet Sauvignon that should age beautifully for 25-30+ years.”
95-97+ Points
 
“The Slope represents the many aspects, elevations and exposures of this remarkable hillside vineyard. Individual lots from across the property were selected and blended to produce this august cuvée. The wine is dense, ripe and powerful, an effusive vortex of blackberry, toast, brown sugar, allspice, cassis, dark chocolate, earl grey tea, mint, anise, sugar cookie, chai, and tarragon. The palate is massive, but the fruit is sweet, supple and creamy. It is an experience that will bring you to our mountain, for there is no other place like it.”
2018 Rochiolo Pinot Noir Estate, Russian River

2018 Rochiolo Pinot Noir Estate, Russian River

with No Comment $80-$90Kevin VogtPinot NoirRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

ROCHIOLI 

2018 PINOT NOIR 
ESTATE, RUSSIAN RIVER

2018 Rochiolo Pinot Noir Estate, Russian River
Rochioli is one of the most distinguished vineyards in North America, and it’s revered for producing powerful and vividly distinct berries. The family recognized the potential to grow world-class Burgundian varieties on their property early on. Their first release was named The Best Pinot Noir in America by the Wine Spectator, and decades later, the following for their brand is more robust than ever.
 
The 2018 Russian River Pinot Noir represents the essence and character of the entire Estate by intricately combining five of the winery’s coveted single-vineyards; Sweetwater, Little Hill, Big Hill, West Block, and East Block. 
 
Tom Rochioli’s winemaking philosophy of producing terroir-driven wines made with minimal intervention, and built on a foundation of superb fruit, helped make them one of the top producers in North America. The 2018 release is supremely balanced, concentrated, and powerfully focused.
 
ROCHIOLI 
2018 PINOT NOIR 
ESTATE, RUSSIAN RIVER
 
Your Price: $89.99
 
 
“This blockbuster wine is a single-vineyard blend of the winery’s best blocks, including 40% Sweetwater, 39% Little Hill, 12% Big Hill, 6% West Block and 3% East Block. Together, they find unison in spicy, woody and earthy tones of white pepper and tingling acidity. It delivers a powerful freshness followed by forest notes, black tea and baked strawberry.”
97 Points
 
“A good value in world-class Pinot Noir, the 2018 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley comes from a mix of the estate’s single vineyard and was 95% destemmed and brought up in French oak. It has a great red fruit-driven core as well as lots of floral and spice notes, medium body, great acidity, and no shortage of length on the finish. It’s great today and will shine for 7-8 years.”
94 Points
 
“The 2018 Pinot Noir Estate is such a pretty wine. Crushed red berries, rose petal, mint, spice and blood orange infuse the 2018 with tremendous character, especially at this level. A Pinot of precision and nuance, the 2018 Estate brilliantly shows the direction Tom Rochioli has taken his wines in recent years. Readers will find an especially compelling edition of the Estate in 2018.”
93 Points
 
“Powerful and pure-tasting, with underbrush accents and hints of white pepper to the dark currant and dried raspberry flavors. Cedary in the midpalate, with a long finish of dried beef and loamy notes. Drink now through 2025.”
93 Points
2018 Prisoner Wine Co. Cuttings Cabernet Sauvignon

2018 Prisoner Wine Co. Cuttings Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaSonomaSonoma MountainUSA

PRISONER WINE CO.

2018 CUTTINGS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 

2018 Prisoner Wine Co. Cuttings Cabernet Sauvignon
The inspiration for Cuttings Cabernet Sauvignon is grapevine cuttings cultivated on high-elevation vineyards transversing through some of California’s most sought-after regions. Revered for crafting unique blends unrestricted by tradition, Cuttings ownership, along with winemaker Chrissy Wittmann, built Cuttings around 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, enhanced with Petite Sirah, Syrah, and Zinfandel. The richly layered 2018 release has supple dark fruits, intriguing complexity, and at less than $50, is a substantial value.
 
Prisoner winemaker Chrissy Wittmann called on a diverse variety of clones and terroirs, primarily from hillside vineyards in Napa Valley, Sonoma, and Red Hills Appellation to create this masterpiece. She combined the deep, intense flavor of Cabernet Sauvignon with Petite Sirah, Syrah, and Zin’s structure and richness. 
 
This wine is the bigger, more masculine brother to the popular Prisoner Red blend, and Chrissy made it in an irresistibly plump, velvety style. The 2018 vintage spent 18 months in 40% new French oak barrels, and it’s stunning now… Right out of the bottle.
 
PRISONER WINE CO.
2018 CUTTINGS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Retails at: $55
 
Your Price: $45
 
 
“Deliciously smooth with flavors of blueberry, dark cherry, and cocoa. Aromas of fresh roasted coffee, black currant, vanilla bean, brown spice, and wild berries.”
2017 Balletto Zinfandel Russian River Valley

2017 Balletto Zinfandel Russian River Valley

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtRussian River ValleySonomaUSAZinfandel

BALLETTO 

2017 ZINFANDEL 
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY 

2017 Balletto Zinfandel Russian River Valley
Balletto Vineyards has intimate knowledge of their land, which stems from hand-tending each vine throughout the year. Their team has complete control of the vineyard and in the cellar, and they’re meticulous in every aspect. The fact that they own 700 acres of vines in Sonoma County and only keep the top 10% of their grapes for their Estate wines is palpable in your glass. At less than $30, their Russian River Zinfandel is bright, balanced, elegant in style. It drinks beautifully and is a serious value.
 
The 2017 Zinfandel was forged exclusively from the winery’s own BCD Vineyard located in the rolling hills leading up the Coastal mountain range. The vineyard’s proximity to the Pacific Ocean allows the fruit to develop slowly, resulting in full, complex flavors that perfectly reflect their origin. 
 
The winemaking team looks for the perfect balance of bright, forward fruit, along with deep, rich flavors of bigger-styled Zins. To achieve their signature style, they harvest at the pinnacle of ripeness and age the Zin for ten months in French and American oak barrels, which lend spice and structure to the wine, matching the inherent characteristics of the varietal.
 
BALLETTO 
2017 ZINFANDEL 
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
 
Your Price: $28
 
 
“Each year, Balletto produces a distinctly bright and aromatic Zinfandel. It’s part floral, part mixed black berry and part earth and savory spices that fill the background. It’s distinct and delicious and makes a solid statement about Zinfandel that’s grown in a cooler climate and made with the fine touch associated with Pinot Noir producers. The wine is rich with an integrated mid-palate weight that’s balanced with crisp acidity on the front and fine, cocoa-like tannins on the finish. The resulting wine is complete and balanced with the vibrant aromatic profile melding nicely with the flavors and texture of the wine.”
2019 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley One Liter Bottles

2019 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley One Liter Bottles

with No Comment $90-$100Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

CAYMUS

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2019 NAPA VALLEY
ONE LITER BOTTLES

2019 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley One Liter Bottles
Caymus Vineyards pioneered the art of crafting beautifully ripe Cabernet Sauvignon with velvety tannins that are almost impossible to detect. They achieve this through extended hang-time, a technique where the fruit is kept on the vine unusually long, allowing the berries to develop an attractive suppleness and perfectly mature flavors. At around $100, their Napa Cabernet in special 1-liter bottles delivers immense satisfaction.
 
The 2019 vintage was born from a compilation of strategically selected sites throughout Napa Valley. This wine remains a consistent model for the Caymus signature style because of the winery’s relationships and collaboration with their growers. 
 
The winery excelled in 2019, and this new release asserts enormous extract, followed by a compelling crescendo of sweet blue fruits, dark chocolate, and cassis. The best news is the 1 Liter Bottles contain 33% more wine than 750ML, which are a necessity in a vintage as great as this one.
 
CAYMUS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2019 NAPA VALLEY
ONE LITER BOTTLES
 
Your Price: $99.99
 
 
“Caymus has a signature style that is dark in color, with rich fruit and ripe, velvety tannins – as approachable in youth as in maturity. We farm Cabernet grapes in eight of Napa’s 16 sub-appellations, with diversification enabling us to make the best possible wine in a given year. This Cabernet offers layered, lush aromas and flavors, including cocoa, cassis and ripe dark berries.”
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 Reserve
Vista commands attention as the only Cabernet Sauvignon from Rutherford at $25. The 2018 release powerfully reflects the region’s dynamic complexity, superior elegance, and dusty tannins. The 2018 vintage magnifies these traits because it’s one of the best in the last decade. Now, with more time in the bottle, if you haven’t tasted one lately, I recommend you do. This extra time produced a richer, more opulent, complex Cabernet Sauvignon that will make anyone rethink what’s possible at this price level.
 
This 2018 offering originates from Rutherford’s Western side, where the soils and microclimate produce pristine, complex fruit. The Cabernet Sauvignon 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 deep, complex flavors. Vista’s 2018 Rutherford Reserve Cabernet perfectly reflects the vintage with a purity of fruit and a unique complexity that expands into mineral-laced black fruits, blue violets, iron, and Rutherford dust hints.
 
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
2018 Titus Cabernet Franc Napa Valley

2018 Titus Cabernet Franc Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet FrancKevin VogtNapaSaint HelenaUSA

TITUS

CABERNET FRANC
2018 NAPA VALLEY

2018 Titus Cabernet Franc Napa Valley
When a winemaker designs a winery solely for crafting his namesake wines, he sets himself up for complete control over every aspect of the process, and that’s when great things happen. Brothers Eric and Philip Titus believe the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. They meticulously blend their wines, creating complete wines with superior expressions of the variety, vintage, and region. The proof is in a glass of their Cabernet Franc, which also happens to be a remarkable value.
 
The 2018 Titus Cabernet Franc arose from two sites; Titus Estate in Saint Helena and Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard in South Napa. The cooler-climate South Napa site contributes brighter acid and structure, while the Saint Helena Vineyard adds power and intensity. 
 
Philip Titus is a seasoned winemaker revered for authoring Chappellet’s Pritchard Hill wines for nearly three decades and leaving countless World Class wines in his wake. He and his brother continually evolve their farming to further understand their unique land. Their passion for creating outstanding wines of great value and a sense of place is highly evident in this Cab Franc.
 
TITUS
CABERNET FRANC
2018 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $58
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
“The 2018 Titus Cabernet Franc is a wine filled with the elegance and grace that is indicative of the variety. Aromas of allspice, caraway, cranberry, strawberry jam, and violets lift out of the glass. The smooth entry is filled with notes of dark cherry, pomegranate, cinnamon, and baking spices as the wine glides across the palate. Mouth filling and smooth though the finish the tannins are finely developed with a light touch that leaves the wine lingering with toasty spices and anise. Enjoy through 2030.”
2018 Ridge Proprietary Red Lytton Springs

2018 Ridge Proprietary Red Lytton Springs

with No Comment $40-$50Dry Creek ValleyKevin VogtProprietary RedSonomaUSA

RIDGE

2018 PROPRIETARY RED
LYTTON SPRINGS

2018 Ridge Proprietary Red Lytton Springs
Ridge utilizes pre-Industrial winemaking techniques that were common in Bordeaux and California around the 19th Century. These methods involve fermenting with natural yeasts, winemaking decisions based on taste, and not adding any commercial enzymes or nutrients for extracting color, flavor, and tannins. It’s a philosophy that’s paid off, and when paired with historic vines, it creates wines of sensational quality. Their 2018 Lytton Springs is one of their best, and with double 96 point reviews, don’t miss it.
 
Lytton Springs vineyard was planted in the early 1900s, and the ancient Zinfandel Vines are interplanted with Petite Sirah, Carignane, Mourvèdre, and Grenache. Ridge produced their first vintage from Lytton Springs in 1972, and the consistency of character and quality of the fruit has been a hallmark of the site ever since. 
 
The 2018 vintage combines 72% Zinfandel balanced with Petite Sirah, Carignane, and Mourvedre. The wine has stunning depth and complexity that winemakers can’t replicate with younger vines.
 
RIDGE
2018 PROPRIETARY RED
LYTTON SPRINGS
 
Your Price: $45
 
 
“…The nose is lush and open, with aromas of aniseed, red and blue berries, blood orange and earth plus touches of tobacco leaf and dried flowers. The medium-bodied palate combines intense, powerful flavors with a more ethereal, silty structure, and it finishes with loads of juicy layers. It’s stunning straight from bottle but will have more to give with time in the cellar.”
96 Points
 
“The 2018 Lytton Springs is magnificent. Elegant, layered and so complete, the 2018 has a lot to offer, but it needs time to fully come together. Sweet red cherry, red plum, blood orange, spice, mint and rose petal open up in the glass. Bright acids and beams of tannin give the wine its vibrant energy. Readers should plan on cellaring the 2018 for at least a few years. Wow!”
96 Points
2016 Cornerstone Michael's Cuvee Napa Valley

2016 Cornerstone Michael’s Cuvee Napa Valley

with No Comment $50-$60Kevin VogtNapaOakvilleProprietary RedUSA

CORNERSTONE

MICHAEL’S CUVEE
2016 NAPA VALLEY

2016 Cornerstone Michael's Cuvee Napa Valley
A vineyard’s location is paramount for wine grapes and their winemaker’s ability to produce a great wine. To-Kalon Vineyard in Oakville consistently yields fruit with the potential to become a world-class wine. Notably, Oakville Station Vineyard consists of two plots, both walled by To-Kalon grapes. The site is farmed and owned by the University of California at Davis and plays a vital role in advancing the quality of grape growing. Few wineries have access to their grapes, but lucky for us, Cornerstone does, and they make just 200 cases.
 
Cornerstone’s 2016 Michael’s Cuvee balances the power of Cabernet Sauvignon, the plushness of Merlot, the intensity of Cabernet Franc and ties them in with Oakville’s notorious complexity. The wine has a deep, compelling style with rich fruits intermixed with spices, rocky minerals, and floral notes. 
 
Kari Auringer made this stunning wine, and Kari worked under Celia Welch at Cornerstone and contributed to the fame of some of the Napa Valley’s most luminous names, including Scarecrow, Keever, Kelly Fleming, and Corra, to name just a few.
 
CORNERSTONE
MICHAEL’S CUVEE
2016 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $95
 
 
 
“The 2016 Cornerstone Michael’s Cuvée 2016 begins with a penetrating nose of wild mixed berries, crushed stone, pipe tobacco, earthy mushrooms, sweet florals, and wood spice. The palate is focused, concentrated, and linear styled, with juicy red and black berries, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking spices, and freshly turned earth. The palate has crushed velvet tannins, outstanding length, and a fantastic balance of flavors on the finish. It drinks beautifully now and will improve over the next decade.”
94 Points
2017 La Ferme Du Mont Chateauneuf-Du-Pape Rogue Vendange

2017 La Ferme Du Mont Chateauneuf-Du-Pape Rogue Vendange

with No Comment $40-$50Cotes du RhoneKevin VogtRhone ValleyRhone ValleyUSA

LA FERME DU MONT

CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE ROUGE
2017 VENDANGE 

2017 La Ferme Du Mont Chateauneuf-Du-Pape Rogue Vendange
Stéphane Vedeau is a young, energetic winemaker whom Robert Parker writes is “seriously talented” and “quickly emerging as a star of the southern Rhone.” He believes in gentle winemaking and extended macerations at low alcohol levels, which result in palpably elegant wines. My first impression and initial tasting notes when tasting his 2017 were “killer focus, incredible fruit, spice, and love at first taste.”
 
La Ferme du Mont farms their Chateauneuf-du-Pape vineyards biodynamically. This bottling combines 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, and 10% Mourvèdre made in a vibrant, highly-focused style that’s so well-balanced that the alcohol is nearly imperceptible.
 
Stéphane is a 3rd generation winemaker whose passion for sustainable, harmonious winemaking and the Grenache variety is evident in his wines. At less than $50, you have to try this one.
 
LA FERME DU MONT
CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE ROUGE
2017 VENDANGE
 
Your Price: $46
 
 
“The 2017 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vendange has a concentrated, medium to full-bodied style as well as some exotic, sappy herbs, and spring flower aromas and flavors. Leading with more dark fruit, it gains depth and richness with time in the glass and will certainly be an outstanding wine.”
91-93 Points
 
“Tasted blind. Reductive nose, petillant palate and while the red fruit is very attractive and ripe, the balance is still raw. The purity and persistence of that gorgeous red fruit indicates great quality here, so there should be lots more to come.”
17+/20