2017 Maroon Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Coombsville Napa Valley

2017 Maroon Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Coombsville Napa Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet SauvignonCoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaUSA

MAROON

2017 RESERVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON    
COOMBSVILLE, NAPA VALLEY

2017 Maroon Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Coombsville Napa Valley
Pursuing his passion for agriculture, Paul Maroon acquired 37 acres in Coombsville 20 years ago, selling fruit to some of Napa Valley’s top wineries before realizing the full potential of his Estate in 2009 and producing his first vintage under his moniker. Today, Maroon’s team focuses on raising 100% single-varietal wines crafted to balance power and finesse, allowing their exceptional vineyard prominence. Their simplistic approach is ideal for their Estate’s gravelly loam soils and cool climate, naturally encouraging balanced flavors. 
 
Coombsville is cooler than much of Napa, which was a significant advantage in 2017 with a slight heatwave at the end of the growing season; however, Maroon’s vineyards were nearly unaffected and continued to ripen slowly and evenly. The wine was aged 30 months in 1/3 new French oak barrels and 2/3 neutral barrels, emphasizing the gorgeous fruit character with incredible depth and layers of flavor. At our price, Maroon Cabernet has developed an immense following that’s ever-increasing, unpretentiously delivering exceptional quality, seldom available at this price.
 
MAROON
2017 RESERVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON    
COOMBSVILLE, NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $100
 
 
 
The Maroon Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 starts with a penetrating nose of bing cherries, black currants, tobacco leaves, vanilla hints, and crushed slate. The gorgeous fruit is compact and penetrating on the palate with concentrated red currants, blackberries, and black plums, combined with rocky minerals and wood spice. It has bright, fresh flavors with intense fruit and a long, powerful finish, wrapped in velvety tannins.”
94 Points
2019 AXR Proprietary Red Napa Valley

2019 AXR Proprietary Red Napa Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedSaint HelenaUSA

AXR

PROPRIETARY RED
NAPA VALLEY 2019

2019 AXR Proprietary Red Napa Valley
If vines could speak, AXR’s historic St. Helena estate’s vines would have stories as juicy as their fruit, chronicled for 134 years as the property transitioned from a brewery, restaurant, inn, saloon, and winery, including having one of the first female winemakers in California in 1886. Today the winery celebrates Napa’s progress and innovation, helping elevate the valley’s name to the high-quality standing wine lovers worldwide seek.
 
Winemaker Jean Hoefliger draws on his experiences working in the cellars at Chateau Carbonnieux and Chateau Lynch-Bages in Bordeaux, bringing a Grand Cru Classé prestige to his Napa Valley masterpieces. This Proprietary Red Blend is a classic Left Bank style with 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, but for a much friendlier price than a comparable quality French Bordeaux. The 2019 vintage is rocking right now and will continue to improve over the next decade or more.
 
AXR
PROPRIETARY RED
NAPA VALLEY 2019
Retails at: $65
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“An aromatic red with notes of ripe cassis and blackberries, flowers, chocolate and cigar box. Full body, an array of plush, polished tannins and juicy, delicious fruit. Long finish. 90% cabernet sauvignon, 5% cabernet franc, 4% merlot and 1% petit verdot…”
95 Points
2016 Ceres Central Otago Pinot Noir Inlet Vineyard

2016 Ceres Central Otago Pinot Noir Inlet Vineyard

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtNew ZealandPinot Noir

CERES

CENTRAL OTAGO PINOT NOIR
INLET VINEYARD 2016

2016 Ceres Central Otago Pinot Noir Inlet Vineyard
Ceres is the Roman Goddess of agriculture and rumored for saving humans from famine by teaching them to plant wheat, making her a principal figure in life, birth, and growth. Brothers James and Matt Dicey created this wine with Ceres in mind, combining eco-friendly farming and minimalistic techniques in the winery, resulting in remarkably balanced Pinot Noir that vividly depicts its origin.
 
Central Otago is the world’s most southerly region covering a wide range of complex soils, including schist, clay, loam, and sand, producing some of the New World’s most exciting Pinot Noirs. Pinots from this region are inspiring because they entertain the needs of Burgundy lovers while also tickling the interests of Russian River Valley enthusiasts with soft tannins, intense fruit density, and earthy complexity. Here’s a brilliant example of just how great they can be.
 
CERES
CENTRAL OTAGO PINOT NOIR
INLET VINEYARD 2016
Retails at: $50
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“Fragrant notions of redcurrant and thyme on the nose continue with a streamlined, channeled energy along the palate. Freshness and drive are the hallmarks. The pure nature of the fruit shines through with brightness and verve, unburdened by any new oak. Drinking Window 2020 – 2035.”
93 Points
2020 Emeritus Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

2020 Emeritus Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtPinot NoirRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

EMERITUS

PINOT NOIR 2020
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

2020 Emeritus Pinot Noir Russian River Valley
Emeritus proprietors favor wines with balance and vineyard character over those with intensity and varietal character alone, following a Burgundian philosophy where the grape acts as a vector for translating the terroir in a glass. It is essential to Emeritus to be an estate winery because they believe that winemaking begins in the vineyard, and having complete control over their land is ideal for cultivating the vines to their pinnacle of potential.
 
All vineyards are dry-farmed, forcing the vines to dig deep into the earth, searching for nutrients and water and enhancing the overall complexity and minerality of the wines. The 2020 Emeritus Russian River Pinot Noir is a blend of Emeritus’ estate vineyards planted in coveted the Goldridge soils of the Green and Russian River Valleys, and at $40 is a serious contender of ultimate quality.
 
EMERITUS
PINOT NOIR 2020
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“The Emeritus Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2020 begins with a deep, rich nose of ripe boysenberries, cola bean, violets, and fresh mushrooms. The palate is bright, fresh, and concentrated, with complementary flavors of medium intensity. It has mouth-quenching acidity and an elegant, long finish. This bottling drinks beautifully now but will put on even more weight and body over the next couple of years.”
92 Points
2018 Grand Napa Master Red Napa Valley

2018 Grand Napa Master Red Napa Valley

with No Comment $30-$40CoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaProprietary RedSaint HelenaUSA

GRAND NAPA 

MASTER RED
NAPA VALLEY 2018

2018 Grand Napa Master Red Napa Valley
Grand Napa Vineyards in Rutherford produces full-bodied wines with depth, character, and balance from select vineyards that give fruit with powerful concentration and plush tannins. Winemaker Dwight Bonewell is involved in the vineyards and the winery, ensuring that only the best fruit is harvested and sorted by hand before coaxing each vineyard’s unique character into its purest expression.
 
The Master Red is a tribute to the early award-winning Bordeaux style blends from Napa, combining 55% Cabernet Sauvignon with almost equal parts Merlot and Malbec, all grown in Coombsville and Saint Helena, attributing complexity from cooler and warmer parts of the Valley. 2018 is an exquisite vintage due to ideal growing conditions without any significant heatwaves, allowing to wine to be delicately layered with complex aromas and flavors that would make the early wines of Napa genuinely proud.
 
GRAND NAPA 
MASTER RED
NAPA VALLEY 2018
Retails at: $90
 
Your Price: $36
 
 
“Loads of black cherries, currants, tobacco leaf, chocolate, and spring flower notes emerge from the 2018 Master Red. A medium to full-bodied, lightly textured blend with integrated tannins and a clean, classy finish, I’d be thrilled to drink bottles any time over the coming 10-15 years.” 
92 Points
 
“Savory aromas of dried mushroom and oyster shell on the nose, layered with dried blackcurrant and tobacco. It’s medium- to full-bodied with sleek, integrated tannins. Flavorful with a juicy, savory finish. Try from 2021.” 
92 Points
2018 Bruliam Pinot Noir Soberanes Vineyard Santa Lucia Highland

220126 2018 Bruliam Pinot Noir Soberanes Vineyard Santa Lucia Highland

with No Comment $30-$40Central CoastKevin VogtMontereyPinot NoirSanta Lucia HighlandsUSA

BRULIAM

2018 PINOT NOIR
SOBERANES VINEYARD
SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS

2018 Bruliam Pinot Noir Soberanes Vineyard Santa Lucia Highland
Medical doctor-turned-winemaker Kerith Overstreet is the genius behind Bruliam, and it’s her intricate attention to detail that brings her wines energy and life. Bruliam Wines is a boutique winery producing around 1000 cases annually of single-vineyard Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, and Chardonnay from some of California’s most celebrated vineyards.
 
Kerith’s relationships with many renowned growers secure her allocations of some of the highest quality fruit in California, hence her single-vineyard Pinot Noir from Soberanes Vineyard, the latest site developed by the Pisoni & Franscioni families. The character of Soberanes shines brilliantly in this wine with its captivating, majestic balance of complex aromas and flavors; the wine is a real over-achiever at this price.
 
BRULIAM
2018 PINOT NOIR
SOBERANES VINEYARD
SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS
Retails at: $55
 
 
 
“Dark, bright-rimmed red. Spice-tinged red fruits, incense and floral qualities on the perfumed nose, along with a building mineral topnote. Juicy and energetic on the palate, offering vibrant raspberry and cherry, rose pastille and exotic spice flavors that show fine delineation and appealing sweetness. Deeply flavored but graceful as well, finishing on a gently tannic note, with strong, red-fruit- and spice-driven tenacity.”
93 Points
2018 Recoltant Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2018 Recoltant Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

RECOLTANT

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2018 NAPA VALLEY

2018 Recoltant Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Récoltant is a French term for a farmer who grows and harvests their fruit, intent on selling it to top winemakers who will represent the fruit in its purest form. Inspired by this, Recoltant Napa Valley Cabernet is sourced from some of the most revered landscapes in the region, rooting itself in a time and place that’s true of its terroir.
 
Authored by Julien Fayard, Récoltant celebrates Napa Valley’s farmers, crafted with the same standards of excellence Julien practiced while he was Director of Winemaking for Philippe Melka at elite Napa Valley producers like Lail, Gemstone, Hundred Acre, and Mastery. The 2018 vintage delivers intense complexity of aromas and flavors, offering unmatched quality and pedigree at $40.
 
RECOLTANT
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2018 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $60
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“The Recoltant Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 mimics sibling wines Purlieu and Le Pich in many ways. It is inky black in color, with a nose of mixed black berries, black currants, glove leather, and rose petal. On the palate, the wine is deep and rich with flavors of blackberry cobbler, kitchen spice, and grandma’s pie crust combined with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg. Winemaker Julian Fayard’s genius shines through because even with all of these powerful characteristics, this wine is not the least bit cloying or overly heavy.”
94 Points
 
“Medium ruby-purple, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley opens with classic aromas of cassis, cedar, cigar box and bright touches of mint chocolate and red cherries. The palate is medium-bodied with pure, restrained fruits, a finely grainy texture, integrated freshness and a long, mineral-driven finish. I love this classy, mineral-laced Cabernet Sauvignon from winemaker Julien Fayard.”
92 Points
2018 Vermillion Red Blend California

2018 Vermillion Red Blend California

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtProprietary RedUSA

VERMILLION

2018 RED BLEND
CALIFORNIA

2018 Vermillion Red Blend California
Helen Keplinger is among winemaking royalty in Napa Valley, with many of her devoted followers more than willing to pay into the triple digits for one of her prized bottles. After Helen graduated from UC Davis’ MS program in Enology, she worked with many fine winemakers, including Heidi Barrett, Kathy Joseph, Michel Rolland, and David Abreu, fine-tuning her skills before creating a 100 Point wine under the Carte Blanche label.
 
Helen has been on the cover of Wine Spectator and been honored as one of Food & Wine magazine’s winemakers of the year, and her 2018 Vermillion Red Wine is an absolute gem that lives up to its expectations. The wine is a blend of 50% Grenache, 19% Syrah, 12% Mourvèdre, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petite Sirah, 4% Petit Verdot offering a wide range of complexity and supreme drinkability for an unreal price of $32 a bottle.
 
VERMILLION
2018 RED BLEND
CALIFORNIA
Retails at: $35
 
Your Price: $32
 
 
“The 2018 Vermillion is a blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon (with a few other varieties in there as well) and comes mostly from Sonoma (69%) yet with 31% from the Sierra Foothills. Made by Helen Keplinger, it has a beautiful perfume of raspberry and strawberry fruits as well as notes of white pepper and flowers. It’s ripe, seamless, and plush on the palate, with lots of Grenache sexiness, yet it stays nicely balanced and has fine tannins, all making for a beautiful wine well worth seeking out.”
92 Points
Purecru Brut Rose Cuvee XXI California

Purecru Brut Rose Cuvee XXI California

with No Comment $30-$40Champagne/SparklingKevin VogtLodiUSA

PURECRU

BRUT ROSÉ
CUVEE XXI CALIFORNIA

Purecru Brut Rose Cuvee XXI California
Mitch Cosentino is a seasoned winemaker with nearly a half-century of experience, placing him in the top tier of knowledge in California wine production; however, he hasn’t released a sparkling wine since the mid-1980s until now. In true “Mitch” fashion, he created this masterpiece using a single-stream fermentation in which, midway through fermentation, he transferred the partially fermented juice into a custom pressure-controlled tank, resulting in a wine with remarkable fruit intensity, balance, and freshness.
 
This closed system allowed him to rack and bottle the wine without loss of effervescence, eliminating the need for dosage used in the traditional method. Arising from the stellar 2021 vintage and created from 100% Sangiovese fruit from the Mohr-Fry Ranch Vineyard in Lodi, PureCru Brut Rosé releases a sensational bouquet of aromas and flavors unique to the spicy, seductive Sangiovese variety brought forward by the single-stream fermentation. This wine is guaranteed to be one of the first bottles emptied and most talked-about wines anytime it’s served.
 
PURECRU
BRUT ROSÉ
CUVEE XXI CALIFORNIA
 
Your Price: $36
 
 
“The PureCru Brut Rosé XXI opens with an abundance of bright aromas beginning with jasmine, lime zest, wild strawberries, raspberries, lychee, passion fruit, pomegranate, and lemongrass. The aromas carry over onto the palate bursting with intensity and zesty fruit flavors accented by fresh acidity and a creamy effervescence. The finish is long and delightful as it slowly fades away, causing you to crave sip after sip.”
96 Points
2019 Sans Liege Co-Ferment The Offering

2019 Sans Liege Co-Ferment The Offering

with No Comment $30-$40Central CoastKevin VogtPaso RoblesProprietary RedSanta BarbaraUSA

SANS LIEGE

2019 CO-FERMENT
THE OFFERING

2019 Sans Liege Co-Ferment The Offering

Sans Liege’s winemaker Curt Schalchin has an affinity for wines of the Southern Rhône because of their kaleidoscope of complex aromas and flavors. Relying on his intuition, he prudently monitors his vineyard’s unique microclimates from Paso Robles to Solvang, seeking finesse, distinct terroir, and unrestrained character. 

The winery describes The Offering as a quest for independence, giving an homage to the Southern Rhone but made with the freedoms of New World winemaking. The Offering Co-Ferment is a small side production with the same recipe as its sister wine with 30% whole cluster Grenache, destemmed Syrah with 25% of the stems returned, and 100% destemmed Mourvèdre. The critical difference is that all grapes were fermented together in the same vessel giving a heightened integration of the three varietals, resulting in a superior version of the same blend that everyone on our tasting panel wants to buy.

 

SANS LIEGE
2019 CO-FERMENT
THE OFFERING

Your Price: $32

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“The 2019 Sans Liege The Offering Co-Ferment is something extraordinary. The moment our tasting panel tried it, we all wanted to buy some. Its compelling nose is deep, exotic, and a little spicy, with wild currants, jasmine tea, cold charcuterie, and dried English rose petals. The complimentary palate follows with an untamed tension between the primary and secondary flavors, revealing very concentrated and focused fruits that carry an incredible freshness, surrounded by a supporting cast of flavors that beautifully carry it through a long, complex finish. What a delightful find.”

94 Points