2018 Tolosa Heritage Pinot Noir Edna Valley

2018 Tolosa Heritage Pinot Noir Edna Valley

TOLOSA

HERITAGE PINOT NOIR
EDNA VALLEY 2018

2018 Tolosa Heritage Pinot Noir Edna Valley
Tolosa Winery is part of the Alpha Omega Collective and specializes in Burgundian varieties grown in Edna Valley, California’s coolest AVA. The region’s transverse valley extends inland from the Pacific Ocean and funnels cold air and fog, creating an ideal environment for cool-climate varietals such as Pinot Noir. The Franciscan Mission of San Luis Obispo de Tolosa planted the first vines in the area and is the inspiration behind the winery’s name, paying homage to the hardworking farmers who pioneered the land.
 
Tolosa’s winemaker works to convey the distinct character of the wine, beginning in the vineyard with specially selected clones for each unique soil type, followed by gentle fermentation in stainless steel and oak barrels for a fine-tuned, integrated Pinot Noir. The 2018 vintage features earthy, herbal tones and bright red fruit aromatics, trademark characteristics of the Edna Valley AVA Pinots that elevate and delight the senses at a very fair price point.
 
TOLOSA
HERITAGE PINOT NOIR
EDNA VALLEY 2018
Retails at: $35
 
Your Price: $32
 
 
“Hearty aromas of black raspberry and muddled plum are lifted by sage and pepper on the ripe but clean nose of this bottling. There’s a pleasantly herbal kick to the palate, where the sagebrush aspects wrap around the dark-mulberry and wild-plum flavors. Rocky tannins give both structure and minerality.”
93 Points
2021 Sea Slopes Pinot Noir By Fort Ross Winery Sonoma Coast

2021 Sea Slopes Pinot Noir By Fort Ross Winery Sonoma Coast

SEA SLOPES

BY FORT ROSS WINERY
PINOT NOIR 2021
SONOMA COAST

2021 Sea Slopes Pinot Noir By Fort Ross Winery Sonoma Coast
Lester and Linda Schwartz purchased a section of forest straddling the edge of the Sonoma Coast in 1988, where wind-swept, foggy ridges overlook the Pacific. Experts advised against planting vines in this cool-climate area, claiming it was too risky for viticulture. Still, after six years of experimentation with different clones, rootstocks, and trellising systems, Lester and Linda produced their first vintage, proving the site’s ability to grow exceptional Burgundian varieties.
 
Jeff Pisoni, son of the legendary winemaker Gary Pisoni, joined the team in 2009, bringing his experience gained from growing up immersed in wine culture and his degree in Enology from the California State University Fresno. The 2021 growing season was drier than average, forcing the vines’ roots to dig deep into the earth for nutrients and water, resulting in very concentrated Pinot Noir fruit, with flavors carefully integrated by aging the wine in 80% neutral and 20% new French oak for nine months.
 
SEA SLOPES
BY FORT ROSS WINERY
PINOT NOIR 2021
SONOMA COAST
Retails at: $35
 
Your Price: $33
 
 
“The Sea Slopes Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2021 is a virtual basket of red fruits on the nose and palate, with bright and fresh red raspberries, red cherries, and ripe plum, along with violets, cola, and fresh sage. It has an excellent concentration of fruit on the finish, surrounded by slightly chalky tannins in its youth, which will soften over the next few months.”
92 Points
2019 Smith Wooton Melange Red Blend Napa Valley

2019 Smith Wooton Melange Red Blend Napa Valley

SMITH WOOTON

MELANGE RED BLEND
NAPA VALLEY 2019

2019 Smith Wooton Melange Red Blend Napa Valley
Croze Napa Valley’s boutique label, Smith Wooton, focuses on small vineyard sites farmed by meticulous and well-respected grape growers throughout Napa Valley. Winemaker Daniel Benton spends a lot of time in the vineyards and shares the same passion for the land as the growers he chooses to source fruit for his wines.
 
Each small parcel uniquely contributes to the whole picture, and Daniel recognizes each plot’s strengths and highlights those characteristics in the final wine. The Mélange is a red wine produced in a Right Bank Bordeaux Style, and the 2019 vintage is 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot aged 30 months in French oak. The wine is perfectly balanced, showy, and complex and drinks beautifully at this price level.
 
SMITH WOOTON
MELANGE RED BLEND
NAPA VALLEY 2019
Retails at: $55
 
 
Your Price: Insider Club Members Only
 
 
“The Smith Wooton Mélange 2019 is striking in the glass with a beautiful, brilliant deep ruby color that sets the stage for what is to come. The intriguing nose has sweet florals, cherry jolly-rancher candied fruit, with hints of mint and vanilla bean. The linear, penetrating palate is bright and flashy, with ripe red cherries, pomegranate juice, red currants, sage, and baking spices. The unique flavor components combine with an interesting saline minerality to give it an elegant complexity.”
92+ Points
2013 Relic Grenache Mount Veeder Napa Valley

2013 Relic Grenache Mount Veeder Napa Valley

RELIC

GRENACHE 2013
MOUNT VEEDER
NAPA VALLEY

2013 Relic Grenache Mount Veeder Napa Valley
Relic is a boutique wine project by Behrens & Hitchcock alumnus Mike Hirby and Schatzi Throckmorton that specializes in high-quality Bordeaux and Rhone varieties. The wines were made in Behren’s cellars for the first eight years of production, allowing Mike and Schatzi to focus on crafting the greatest wines possible without relying on financial investors.
 
Mike gained additional experience as the winemaker for Realm from 2002 to 2010. Together with Schatzi, the two share a limitless passion for creating wines that express the nuances of the vintage and their unique origin. The 2013 Grenache was sourced from shale and sandy soils on steep, south-facing slopes on Mount Veeder, giving perfectly ripe, juicy fruit with spicy undertones and an impressive capacity for aging.
 
RELIC
GRENACHE 2013
MOUNT VEEDER
NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $60
 
 
 
“The 2013 Grenache, from Paras Vineyard on Mt. Veeder, is deep, plush and bursting at the seams with intense red fleshed fruit. Succulent and beautifully layered, the Grenache oozes character. A hint of French oak shapes the finish in a racy, voluptuous Grenache that is an absolute joy to taste today. Drink 2016-2023.”
94 Points
2014 Kessler-Haak Estate Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills

2014 Kessler-Haak Estate Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills

KESSLER-HAAK

ESTATE PINOT NOIR
STA. RITA HILLS 2014

2014 Kessler-Haak Estate Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills
Steadfast on producing grapes capable of capturing the essence of Sta Rita Hills terroir, Kessler-Haak’s founders planted their vineyard in the northwest corner of the region in 2005. Within the next decade, as the vines came of age, their ability to bear fruit expressive of their origin caught the eye of Pinot-maverick Brian Loring, who began crafting Kessler-Haak Vineyard designated Pinot under his Loring label. 
 
Kessler-Haak’s team organically farms their 30 acres of Pinot Noir, striving for a harmonic co-existence amongst the vineyard’s vines, animals, and insects. The east-west orientation of the hills funnels sea breezes into the area, drastically cooling daytime temperatures, which helps maintain fresh acidity and allows the grapes a long hang-time to develop complex flavor compounds. The wine’s fresh acidity also allowed the 2014 vintage to age effortlessly, beautifully depicting the vintage and terroir; the wine is surprisingly dynamic and drinking beautifully right now.
 
KESSLER-HAAK
ESTATE PINOT NOIR
STA. RITA HILLS 2014
Retails at: $50
 
 
 
“This study of Clone 2A begins with big aromas of boysenberry jam, black tea and minty chocolate elements. There is decent weight to the palate, where rich and ripe flavors of blackberry meet with firm tannins and buoyant acidity. Dashes of star anise and all spice give further depth.”
93 Points
2020 Pascal Bouchard Chablis 'Le Classique' Burgundy

2020 Pascal Bouchard Chablis ‘Le Classique” Burgundy

PASCAL BOUCHARD

CHABLIS ‘LE CLASSIQUE’
BURGUNDY 2020

2020 Pascal Bouchard Chablis 'Le Classique' Burgundy
Located in the heart of Chablis, Pascal Bouchard is passionately committed to delivering the finest expression of Chardonnay from this world-renowned region. The winery is equipped with state-of-the-art stainless steel fermentation tanks, allowing vibrant fruit characteristics to highlight their wines.
 
Florent Denieuil has been making Pascal Bouchard wines for over 20 years and has an intimate knowledge of their vineyards. He vinifies individual plots separately to ensure each site’s terroir transfers transparently into the final wine. “Le Classic” is his homage to the traditional Chablisienne wines, arguably the purest expression of Chardonnay worldwide. The 2020 vintage showcases the region’s hallmark minerality, perfectly balanced with fruit intensity in this delightful Chablis.
 
PASCAL BOUCHARD
CHABLIS ‘LE CLASSIQUE’
BURGUNDY 2020
 
Your Price: $38
 
 
“The Pascal Bouchard 2020 “Le Classic” Chablis opens with intense aromas of jasmine, chamomile, lemon, white peach, nectarine, cantaloupe, and a wet chalk minerality. The palate is complex with flavors of green apple, passion fruit, green guava, and apricot. This wine is bright and delightful, with a depth of flavors that envelops your taste buds with hedonistic pleasure.”
94 Points
2019 Details Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County

2019 Details Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County

DETAILS

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
SONOMA COUNTY 2019

2019 Details Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County
Details Cabernet Sauvignon fuses sublime talent, assiduous fruit selection, and rigorous science in creating this value-focused beast, which hails from the Sonoma, Knights, and Alexander Valleys. Their team, led by Ryan Knoth, who previously worked under the tutelage of icons David Abreu, Michel Rolland, and Fredrik Johansson at Staglin, handpicks the fruit to precise analytics, conjuring optimized flavors and aromas.
 
Possessed in their blending of four of Bordeaux’s top five varietals; Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, and Petit Verdot, then adding Petite Sirah, Sinegal’s winemaking team’s obsessive attention to detail paid off. Their efforts result in an enchantingly divine wine that tastes otherworldly.
 
DETAILS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
SONOMA COUNTY 2019
Retails at: $50
 
 
 
“The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Details is stunning. Vibrant and explosive in the glass, the Details Cabernet shows just how compelling Cabernet can be beyond Napa Valley. Gravel, crushed rocks, menthol, licorice, plum and incense saturate the palate. This inky, structured Cabernet is one of the very finest Cabernets readers will find in its price point, or virtually any price point, for that matter. The 2019 is a blend from sites in Sonoma Valley, Alexander Valley and Knights Valley.”
96 Points
2016 Sequum Cabernet Sauvignon Kidd Ranch Napa Valley

2016 Sequum Cabernet Sauvignon Kidd Ranch Napa Valley

SEQUUM

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
KIDD RANCH
NAPA VALLEY 2016

2016 Sequum Cabernet Sauvignon Kidd Ranch Napa Valley
Paul Skinner has a Ph.D. in viticulture and soil science and consulted super-premium grape growing for decades before he began producing his wine in 2003, which is now blended and bottled at Pride Mountain Vineyards. He named the wine after a scientific term describing soil layers, and it turned out to be the perfect name for his wines as he combined his love for science with his passion for wine.
 
Paul matches different rootstocks to subtle changes in the soil composition and walks his Kidd Ranch Vineyard morning and evening to assess each vine, ensuring they are in optimum health. Paul’s hands-on approach and viticultural expertise results in his wines brilliantly depicting their unique terroir. His 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is a grand example, delivered in a pure, focused, and unforgettable style guaranteed to make you wish you had ordered more. 
 
SEQUUM
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
KIDD RANCH
NAPA VALLEY 2016
Retails at: $75
 
 
 
“The Sequum Kidd Ranch Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 begins with a complex nose that includes black cherry cola, sassafras, uncooked peppered steak, sweet violets, milk chocolate, Italian glove leather, and vanilla spice. The complexity continues on the palate with juicy black plums, wild blackberries, and kalamata olives, along with a savory quality that balances these characteristics. It is a beautiful wine with charisma and character that shines even brighter with every sip.”
94+ Points
2019 La Sirena Aviatrix Grenache El Dorado

2019 La Sirena Aviatrix Grenache El Dorado

LA SIRENA

AVIATRIX GRENACHE
EL DORADO 2019

2019 La Sirena Aviatrix Grenache El Dorado
Heidi Peterson Barrett is one of Napa Valley’s most celebrated and talented winemakers and has created some of Napa Valley’s most sought-after wines since the 1980s. Between her position as an independent winemaker at Dalla Valle in the late 1980s and developing a small project called Screaming Eagle soon afterward, Heidi’s career took flight as she earned five 100-point scores for her efforts within a few short years.
 
Heidi started La Sirena in 1994, and Aviatrix, a brand that’s an homage to her love of flight as a helicopter pilot, is a boutique line of small production wines she crafts with her distinguished expertise, unparalleled passion, and very adventurous spirit. The 2019 Grenache comes from El Dorado County, an area recognized for producing Rhône-style wines with incredible complexity and pure varietal character at a price point with sky-high appeal.
 
LA SIRENA
AVIATRIX GRENACHE
EL DORADO 2019
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“The 2019 La Sirena Aviatrix Grenache has a complex and intriguing nose with aromas of rosemary, lavender, peppercorns, red cherry, berry bramble, and cigar box. On the palate, flavors of cranberry, red plum, white pepper, and dried herbs are in a delicate balance with soft, ripe tannins and juicy acidity. This wine drinks best with a slight chill that allows the complex range of flavors dances into an elegant, lengthy finish.”
95 Points
 
2019 Heir Apparent Proprietary Red Cellar Selection Spring Mountain

2019 Heir Apparent Proprietary Red Cellar Selection Spring Mountain

HEIR APPARENT

PROPRIETARY RED
CELLAR SELECTION
SPRING MOUNTAIN 2019

2019 Heir Apparent Proprietary Red Cellar Selection Spring Mountain
Heir Apparent winemaker Dwight Bonewell is a master of assemblage who strives to create compelling wines from some of Napa Valley’s most coveted vineyards. His 2019 Cellar Selection Red Wine hails from the Spring Mountain AVA, a tiny region with around 20 different soil types that create a patchwork of unique terroirs that give the wines their signature supple, balanced tannins, deeply pronounced flavors, and enchanting elegance.
 
The 2019 growing season saw a long, warm summer with very few extreme heat spikes and a relatively mild finish with ample hang-time that preserved deep color, finesse, and a soft tannic structure. This small production of 390 cases is a harmonious blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon with a plush, silky mouthfeel, lengthy finish, and keen balance of bright fruit and lively acidity.
 
HEIR APPARENT
PROPRIETARY RED
CELLAR SELECTION
SPRING MOUNTAIN 2019
Retails at: $120
 
 
 
“The Heir Apparent Cellar Selection Spring Mountain District Red Wine 2019 has a bright, fresh nose and palate, including spiced red plums, fresh raspberries, hints of cinnamon and nutmeg, and light, elegant florals. The palate has a focus and concentration that combine with the fruit and spice elements that resolve into a fascinating, easy-drinking red blend that finishes with mouth-quenching fruits and berries.
92 Points