2016 Spence Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

2016 Spence Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonHowell MountainKevin VogtNapaUSA

SPENCE

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
HOWELL MOUNTAIN 2016

2016 Spence Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
Spence’s proprietors lived on Howell Mountain for years before restoring a neglected vineyard on their property, patiently learning the dynamic characteristics of their particular location. The vineyard is positioned near a canyon that benefits from consistent breezes, thickening the grape skins and contributing deep color and flavor intensity as the roots dig deep into the red volcanic soil.
 
This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon is a powerfully expressive, beautifully balanced wine that represents Howell Mountain’s exceptional growing environment with grace and elegance. The noteworthy 2016 vintage is already a splendor in the glass and leaves a lasting impression as the nuances and flavors unfold in a long, supple finish.
 
SPENCE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
HOWELL MOUNTAIN 2016
Retails at: $125
 
 
 
“The 2016 Spence Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon opens with a pronounced intensity of aromas such as violets, cassis, black tea, black cherry, cedar, and volcanic rock. On the palate, the wine exudes flavors of plum, blueberry compote, cocoa, and nutmeg in a perfect balance between fruit ripeness and refreshing acidity. The deep complexity of flavors contributes to a long, layered finish that is a sensory delight from start to finish. Don’t hesitate to open this bottle tonight, but patience will be rewarded for those who choose to cellar this precious wine.”
97 Points
2018 Beaulieu Vineyards Georges De Latour Private Reserve

2018 Beaulieu Vineyards Georges De Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaRutherfordUSA

BEAULIEU VINEYARDS

GEORGES DE LATOUR
PRIVATE RESERVE 2018
CABERNET SAUVIGNON

2018 Beaulieu Vineyards Georges De Latour Private Reserve
Few wines in the Napa Valley have the same historical prestige as Beaulieu Vineyard’s Georges de Latour Private Reserve, setting the benchmark for Napa Cabernet Sauvignon for over 80 years. André Tchelistcheff didn’t know it at the time, but his talented winemaking helped create one of the most collected American wines and one of the first true “cult” Cabernets in the New World.
 
André coined the term “Rutherford dust” because of the unique aroma that gives wines a provenance that can’t be matched anywhere else in the world. The 2018 release is an elegantly structured wine with layers of complexity and finely integrated tannins that create a solid backbone for aging, making it a fine addition to any collector’s cellar. As a side note, former BV winemaker for 27 years, Joel Aiken, is part of our weekly tasting panel, and his insight is invaluable.
 
BEAULIEU VINEYARDS
GEORGES DE LATOUR
PRIVATE RESERVE 2018
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Retails at: $145
 
Your Price: $139.99
 
 
“The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve is fabulous. Inky, rich and explosive, the 2018 is a fine addition to the lineage of one of Napa Valley’s most historic wines. Inky red fruit, chocolate, leather and licorice all open in the glass. Aeration brings out floral top notes, raspberry and a hint of blood orange. There is plenty of depth, but the tannins are finer than they were a few years ago. Shorter time on the skins and a reduction in barrel fermentations really allow the pedigree of these Rutherford sites to come through. The 2018 is sensational.”
98 Points
 
“Blackberry, blackcurrant and mint with some sage and crushed-stone undertones. Full-bodied with chewy tannins that are in-check and nicely polished. Smoke, toasted oak and bark at the end, complementing the fresh yet ripe fruit. Drink after 2024.”
98 Points
 
“The famous wine lives up to its historic promise in this wonderfully complex and structured vintage, the wine showing an abundance of tension and youthful grip. Earthy in dried herb, cedar and sage, it shares notes of black currant, cassis and forest within a textured and brightly layered foundation of elegant ageablity. Enjoy best from 2028–2038.”
97 Points, Cellar Selection
2017 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2017 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

SILVER OAK

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
NAPA VALLEY 2017

2017 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Silver Oak is one of the most consistent, high-quality producers of Cabernet Sauvignon domestically, continuously delivering in their distinctive style of age-worthy Cabernets with extravagant levels of sweet black fruits, vanilla, and savory elements. The winery was born out of a dairy barn in 1972, and to this day, Silver Oak’s driving philosophy behind the wines is that their best bottle of wine is yet to be made, which is hard to imagine if you’ve ever enjoyed their wines over the years.
 
The overall blend of the wine changes with each season’s conditions, and the 2017 vintage combines just over 80% Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec. Silver Oak’s distinctive style comes by aging their Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon for an impressive 24 months in American oak barrels and two more years in the bottle before release. The extended barrel aging and time in the bottle results in a wine with beautifully integrated flavors that’s ready to drink now and will stand the test of time.
 
SILVER OAK
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
NAPA VALLEY 2017
 
Your Price: $139.99
 
 
“Our 2017 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is ruby in color with notes of blackberry, blueberry, roasted coffee beans, coriander and a hint of nutmeg. Smooth upon entry, this wine is broad and plush on the mid-palate. It has an elegant density throughout and a long, generous finish. Given proper cellaring conditions, this wine will show beautifully through 2041.”
2015 Heitz Cellar Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

2015 Heitz Cellar Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA

HEITZ CELLAR

MARTHA’S VINEYARD
2015 CABERNET SAUVIGNON

2015 Heitz Cellar Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
Martha’s Vineyard is one of the most prized vineyards in all of Napa Valley, boasting some of the New World’s longest-lasting, alluring Cabernet Sauvignons, capable of 100 point scores. Heitz has had a contract with Martha’s Vineyard since 1966, after Tom and Martha May, founders of Martha’s Vineyard, tasted Heitz Cabernet and were so impressed with the quality, they sealed a deal with their precious fruit.
 
Located on Oakville Bench bordering To-Kalon and below Harlan and BOND wineries, Martha’s Vineyard is fringed with eucalyptus trees believed to be the source of the wine’s signature minty, menthol character that makes it so memorable. The 2015 release is powerfully complex and loaded with the Vineyard’s hallmark savory undertones and is an absolute classic.
 
HEITZ CELLAR
MARTHA’S VINEYARD
2015 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
 
Your Price: $260
 
 
“Enticing, with the frankly ripe profile of the vintage showing off in a display of slightly exotic plum and blackberry coulis flavors, while dark licorice, menthol and sassafras notes course through. Sweet spice accents sparkle through the finish, revealing a lingering hint of singed juniper. The long finish features rippling acidity…” 
95 Points
2019 Dakota Shy Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2019 Dakota Shy Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

DAKOTA SHY

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2019 NAPA VALLEY

2019 Dakota Shy Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Dakota Shy founder, Todd Newman, was raised outside of the small farming town of Minot, North Dakota, where from a very young age understood the meaning behind a long, hard day of work. Discovering his passion for wine at 22 years old while working at a Michelin starred restaurant in Napa Valley, Todd came to work for Revana Family Vineyards, where he met assistant winemaker Tom Garrett.
 
With access to some of the most prestigious vineyards and several years of working under some of Napa Valley’s biggest winemaking legends, Newman and Garrett partnered to found Dakota Shy. Named to represent the balance between the strength and humility of winemaking, the two have reached their shared goal of producing wine to rival the best of what Napa Valley has to offer, producing truly exceptional and profound Cabernet Sauvignon.
 
DAKOTA SHY
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2019 NAPA VALLEY
 
Your Price: $110
 
 
“The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is soft, pliant and wonderfully inviting, with terrific energy that adds brightness to the red/purplish berry fruit, spice and rose petal flavors. This mid-weight, vibrant Cabernet is a terrific introduction to the year.”
90-92 Points
2017 Beaulieu Vineyards Georges De Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

2017 Beaulieu Vineyards Georges De Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaRutherfordUSA

BEAULIEU VINEYARDS

GEORGES DE LATOUR
2017 PRIVATE RESERVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON

2017 Beaulieu Vineyards Georges De Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
A wine of grand distinction, BV’s Georges De Latour Cabernet is a liquid legacy epitomizing Rutherford’s distinctive terroir with a transpicuous window into the fragrance of Rutherford and deep connection to the area’s roots. Paid homage by winemaking and fruit selection of the highest level that and even after 80 vintages the wine is as solid as ever. This 2017 offers a choreographed union of power and grace, and with double high-90s reviews, it’s a joy to behold. 
 
Beaulieu Vineyards is a timeless classic, embodying every trait that makes Rutherford so wondrous. Created from vines planted in the early 1900s, George de Latour’s first vintage was in 1936, released in 1940 to honor the winery founder’s passing. 
 
Under the guidance of one of the world’s most iconic winemakers, Andre Tchelistcheff, BV built on a reputation of excellence and achievements. Composed inside the winery’s new state-of-the-art facility, Georges de Latour perfectly balances time-honored traditions with modern technologies.
 
Fun side note, friend and former head winemaker at BV (27 years there) Joel Aiken tastes with us on our tasting panel each week.
 
BEAULIEU VINEYARDS
GEORGES DE LATOUR
2017 PRIVATE RESERVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Retails at: $145
 
Your Price: $125
 
 
“This is one of the most balanced Georges de Latour, offering currants, minerals, fresh herbs and spices. It’s full-bodied with very fine tannins. Long and focused. Subtle and complex. Very elegant and refined in the end. Reminds me of classic, old vintages from the 1960s and 1970s. Drink or hold.”
97 Points
2016 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

2016 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtMt VeederNapaOakvilleSaint HelenaUSA

BERINGER

2016 PRIVATE RESERVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 

2016 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
The remarkable vineyards combined to form Beringer’s flagship Private Reserve Cabernet are so expressive and profound that the winemaking team can take a minimalist approach to production, allowing these incredible vines to shine. The wine is, at its core, a blend of Pauli, Steinhauer, and Bancroft Ranch vineyards atop Howell Mountain, providing the unmatched power, enormous structure, and richness of the wine. They completed it with fruit from Oakville, St Helena, Spring Mountain, and Mount Veeder, which round out the stunningly complex blend. 
 
Mark Beringer not only vinifies each renowned site individually, but he also ages them separately for a full 20 months before making the barrel selection. He does this to allow each vineyard to express the depth of its unique terroir fully.
 
Beringer is California’s oldest continually operating winery, and they’re the only winery in history to have both a red and white wine honored as the #1 wine on the Wine Spectator Top 100. The 2016 release is as James Suckling writes, “Breathtaking” and worthy of the 99 point score.
 
BERINGER
2016 PRIVATE RESERVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Retails at: $170
 
Your Price: $150
 
 
“Breathtaking. Exceptional integration of super ripe blackberries and the very finest oak. The tannins build up beautifully, forming wave upon wave as the wine flows across the palate. Then the wave breaks on your palate and shoots way out at the finish, so that you wonder where it will end and normal life begin again. Needs time to soften, but this is so, so good…”
99 Points
 
“… the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve shows the vintage beautifully and is more pure, classic, and elegant. Notes of crème de cassis, graphite, lead pencil shavings, and freshly crushed rocks give way to a medium to full-bodied, seamless Cabernet that has remarkable purity of fruit and impeccable balance…”
97+ Points
 
“… the deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve sings of crème de cassis, kirsch, blackberry preserves and blueberry pie, with loads of chocolate box, floral and baking spices hints. Full-bodied with a firm, chewy frame and loads of savory accents, it delivers a long, multilayered finish…”
95 Points
2015 The Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Estate

2015 The Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Estate

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA

THE VINEYARD HOUSE

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2015 OAKVILLE ESTATE 

2015 The Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Estate
The Vineyard House is my go-to recommendation for anyone looking for $500 quality in Cabernet, but at a price that’s less than half that. Surrounding their Estate Vineyard are properties owned by Harlan Estate, Promontory, and Futo, which garner around $500 to $1600 per bottle. Jeremy Nickel owns the winery, and the brand is a tribute to his late father, Gil Nickel, of Far Niente and Nickel & Nickel wineries. The wine is under-the-radar, for now, but based upon the extreme quality inside the bottle and pedigree of the land, the brand will likely be a future cult wine.
 
Jeremy’s property is elevated above the benchlands of Oakville, overlooking To-Kalon and Martha’s Vineyards. The vines are grown in volcanic and sedimentary bedrock and produce fruit with superior concentration, power, and depth. 
 
This stunning wine emerges from one of Napa Valley’s top vintages, which the Wine Spectator describes as producing “significantly lower yields…Quality is high.” After developing for 24 months in oak, this remarkable wine expresses everything that I look forward to in upper echelon Oakville Cabernet. Still, we priced it at less than half of what you’d expect. 
 
THE VINEYARD HOUSE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2015 OAKVILLE ESTATE
Retails at: $225
 
 
 
“The Vineyard House Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 is picture-perfect. Of all the Cabernet Sauvignons I taste every year, The Vineyard House always stands out as one of the best-of-the-best Napa Cabernets that could easily challenge any contender. It’s powerfully brooding, with a linear element that makes it incredibly complex and seamless, along with remarkable purity. It is a towering wine with a mouth-watering combination of wild Burgundy plums, crushed mountain blackberries, smooth blue fruits, and elegant florals. It has a defined presence on your palate, but with all elements perfectly in place. The finish stays on your palate long enough to evolve as it slowly expands, then tapers for over a minute. It’s simply a delight to behold, and you can enjoy it now and over the next couple of decades.”
97 Points
 
“Our 2015 Cab is a case study of power & balance. This reddish-purple wine displays concentrated aromas of blackcurrants, blackberries, redcurrants, crème de cassis, violets, rosehips, tobacco leaf, forest floor, and pencil lead. Its seamless tannic structure and bright acidity will provide the stuffing for great longevity in your cellar. Patience will pay off in dividends, but our extended barrel aging adds a supple nature to the wine allowing for accessibility in its youth. The 2015 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon will not disappoint with its polished but intense personality.”
2016 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2016 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

SILVER OAK

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2016 NAPA VALLEY

2016 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Silver Oak is consistent in its distinctive style of crafting age-worthy Cabernets with extravagant levels of sweet black fruits, vanilla, and savory elements. In exceptional years like 2016, those qualities become even more powerful and pronounced. The brand has dominated the space for high-quality domestic Cabernet Sauvignon over the past four decades, and their 2016 Napa release is among their finest.
 
This wine hails from the remarkable 2016 vintage, which the Wine Spectator ranks as the highest-rated vintage for Napa Valley Cabernet since 1997. The vintage produced powerful wines with superb intensity, balance, and fully-developed favors. 
 
Silver Oak’s distinct style comes by aging their Napa Valley Cabernet for an impressive 24 months in American oak barrels and two more years in the bottle before release. The extended barrel aging and time in the bottle results in a wine with beautifully integrated flavors that’s ready to drink now and will stand the test of time. 
 
SILVER OAK
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2016 NAPA VALLEY
 
Your Price: $125
 
 
“Deep ruby in color, the 2016 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is an opulent wine with notes of cassis, ripe raspberry, toasted coconut and shiitake mushroom. This wine has a rich entry, depth through the mid-palate, great structure without being heavy and exceptional length on the finish. Fresh cherry flavors balanced with floral notes and a subtle hint of black pepper add a beautiful complexity. Plush tannins lend to its ageworthiness. Given proper cellaring conditions, this wine will show beautifully through 2040.”
2017 Altagracia Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

2017 Altagracia Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonCalistogaKevin VogtNapaUSA

ALTAGRACIA

2017 EISELE VINEYARD
CABERNET SAUVIGNON

2017 Altagracia Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
The Eisele Vineyard dates back to the 1880s and is one of the New World’s great terroirs. The site was made famous by the Araujos in the 1990s through 2013 when Chateau Latour purchased it. Today, they farm the vineyard organically and biodynamically, and the new owners aim to make singular wines of the highest caliber. The wines invariably express remarkable depth, elegance, longevity, and balance. At around a quarter of their top Eisele Vineyard Cabernet’s price, Altagracia offers a beautiful introduction to this magical Estate.
 
At Eisele Vineyard, winemaking takes a back seat to terroir, allowing the vineyard to express its most clear voice. There is no signature style to their winemaking, yet their team is precise, uncompromising, natural, and honest in their approach, and all of this is highly transparent in their wines. 
 
The vineyard sits at the Eastern edge of Calistoga, at the Palisade Mountain Range base, where an ancient creekbed that bisects the Estate spread an alluvial fan of cobbly volcanic soils that make this site unique. The vines there produce small berries of thick-skinned, intensely flavored grapes. 
 
ALTAGRACIA
2017 EISELE VINEYARD
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
 
Your Price: $135
 
 
“Blackberry and tile aromas with tobacco and spice. Some chocolate, too. Medium to full body and firm, velvety tannins that show a juicy finish. Fine yet dusty tannins. Rich for the vintage. Delicious now or hold.”
94 Points
 
“… Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Altagracia leaps from the glass, offering bold, expressive notes of blackberry pie, Black Forest cake and warm cassis with hints of garrigue, mossy tree bark, dusty soil and black pepper plus a fragrant waft of cinnamon stick. Medium to full-bodied, the palate offers a great core of rich, spicy black fruit preserves, framed with firm, chewy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing earthy.”
93 Points
 
“The 2017 Altagracia is closer to its brother the Eisele Vineyard Cabernet than ever. The nose is floral and delicate at first, opening with a whiff of laurel, musk and patchouli. The mouthfeel is generous and ample with spicy notes of cumin and turmeric. The tannins are fine and chiseled, revealed by a gentle hand on extraction in the cellar. Notes of mocha, espresso and graphite linger on the palate while the fruit breaks out in the finish with fresh fig and black currant, reminding us of the tiny berries that were the signature of the 2017 vintage.”