2017 Vik Milla Cala Proprietary Red

2017 Vik Milla Cala Proprietary Red

with No Comment $30-$40ChileKevin VogtProprietary Red

VIK

2017 MILLA CALA
PROPRIETARY RED

2017 Vik Milla Cala Proprietary Red
Alex and Carrie Vik spent two years seeking out the most exceptional vine-growing terroirs in Chile with the potential to create the world’s best wines. In the Millahue Valley near the foothills of the Andes, named “Lugar de Oro” or “Golden Place” by the native Mapuche people, the Vik’s found their prime location, planting vineyards on the rolling landscape with several microclimates offering a diverse range of complexity.
 
Christian Vallejo oversees the vineyards and winemaking and insists on handpicking the harvest and using natural yeasts before fermenting in a combination of new and used French oak barrels. The 2017 Milla Cala is 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Carmenere, 11% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Syrah and was the highest-scoring Chilean wine on Wine Enthusiast’s best wines of 2021, helping the Vik’s achieve their goal of making the finest Chilean wine.
 
VIK
2017 MILLA CALA
PROPRIETARY RED
Retails at: $45
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“This is really so delicious with spice, tile, light chocolate and juicy berries. Medium to full body. Wonderful intensity and brightness. Delicious with so much energy. No new wood here. All about balance and drinkability. A blend of 59% cabernet sauvignon, 15% cabernet franc, 5% syrah, 19% carmenere and 2% merlot. Drink now.”
94 Points
 
“Briary blackberry and cassis aromas include familiar Chilean notes of eucalyptus and juniper. This Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blend is ripe and creamy in feel, with generous flavors of brown sugar, herbs, blackberry, cassis, coffee and chocolate. The finish is chewy and rich. Drink now–2025.”
93 Points, #73 Top 100 Cellar Selections 2021
2019 Baxter Chardonnay Oppenlander Vineyard

2019 Baxter Chardonnay Oppenlander Vineyard

with No Comment $30-$40ChardonnayKevin VogtMendocinoUSA

BAXTER

OPPENLANDER VINEYARD
CHARDONNAY 2019

2019 Baxter Chardonnay Oppenlander Vineyard
Philip Baxter gained inspiration for winemaking as a young boy working alongside his father, an influential figure and a supporter of his endeavors. After attending UC Davis, Phil took an internship in Burgundy. In France, he contributed to wine production from more than 30 vineyards ranging from village level to Grand Cru, developing French-winemaking techniques he would later bring to California.
 
Baxter wines are exclusively handmade, benefiting from Philip’s 17 years of experience and gentle, traditional French techniques that celebrate the varietal and the terroir. The grapes came from a small block on the Oppenlander vineyard. They were harvested by hand, fermented in neutral French oak, and aged on the lees for 12 months, adding body to the fresh, pure fruit flavors for a domestic Chablisienne-style Chardonnay that’ll rock your world when you try it.
 
BAXTER
OPPENLANDER VINEYARD
CHARDONNAY 2019
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“The 2019 Baxter Oppenlander Chardonnay has an alluring nose opening with chamomile, orange zest, green apple, Meyer lemon, brioche, vanilla ice cream, and crushed rocks. The aromas transfer to the palate with the added complexity of white peach, apricot, and nectarine with a hint of freshly baked brioche. The bright acidity complements the zesty minerality and crisp fruit flavors that portray elegance in a glass and varietal purity.”
94 Points
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
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
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
2017 Patz & Hall Chardonnay Duttin Ranch Vineyard

2017 Patz & Hall Chardonnay Duttin Ranch Vineyard

with No Comment $30-$40ChardonnayKevin VogtSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

PATZ & HALL

2017 CHARDONNAY
DUTTON RANCH VINEYARD

2017 Patz & Hall Chardonnay Duttin Ranch Vineyard
James Hall and Donald Patz were colleagues at Flora Springs Winery before realizing they had shared passion for wines with a sense of place and character, and so they built a friendship around their love for small lot wine production. In 1988 Patz & Hall was founded by Donald and Heather Patz, James Hall, and Anne Moses, and has since maintained a solid reputation of excellence, consistently producing brilliant wines from some of Sonoma’s most well-renowned vineyards and growers.
 
The Dutton Ranch vineyard is home to some of the oldest Chardonnay vines in western Sonoma County, with partial dry farming producing intensely concentrated berries. The 2017 Dutton Ranch Chardonnay is a blend of five clones- Hyde-Wente, Robert Young, Rued, UC Davis Clone 4, and Spring Mountain, aged in 35% new Burgundian French oak giving the wine some spice while allowing the fruit shine.
 
PATZ & HALL
2017 CHARDONNAY
DUTTON RANCH VINEYARD
Retails at: $48
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
 
“From the Russian River, the 2017 Chardonnay Dutton Ranch is a step up and has more intensity and depth, with a rocking bouquet of honey stone fruits, brioche, toasted hazelnuts, and crushed stone. Rich, medium to full-bodied, and beautifully balanced, with bright acidity, it has a kiss of background oak but is a seriously good, layered effort that will cruise for 5-7 years, probably longer.”
96 Points
2018 Tinto Arzuaga Crianza Ribera Del Duero

2018 Tinto Arzuaga Crianza Ribera Del Duero

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtSpainTempranillo

TINTO ARZUAGA

2018 CRIANZA
RIBERA DEL DUERO

2018 Tinto Arzuaga Crianza Ribera Del Duero
Located next door to Vega Sicilia, one of Spain’s foremost producers, Arzuaga Winery sits in the heart of the Ribera del Duero DO. The geography is a warm, inland region along the Duero River, more recently gaining recognition for its bold Tempranillo-based wines. The family intimately connects with the land and maintains the vineyard’s biodiversity by farming sustainably and peacefully coexisting amongst flora and fauna. 
 
The care taken in the vineyard is the first and most crucial step before many others for quality wine production because it’s impossible to make outstanding wine without healthy, high-quality grapes. The 2018 Crianza is 95% Tempranillo with 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and scored 97 points from the Decanter World Wine Awards, and for less than $40, this wine is an absolute treasure to behold.
 
TINTO ARZUAGA
2018 CRIANZA
RIBERA DEL DUERO
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“The bouquet is full of fragrant black fruits, cinnamon, cumin and Frankincense, the palate beautifully fleshy and textured, carrying cigar box, vanilla, blueberry and silky tannins through to a lingering, richly-fruited, finish. Such refined elegance! Outstanding.”
97 Points
2017 Frisson Cabernet Sauvignon Alluvium Coombsville

2017 Frisson Cabernet Sauvignon Alluvium Coombsville

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet SauvignonCoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaUSA

FRISSON

2017 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
ALLUVIUM COOMBSVILLE

2017 Frisson Cabernet Sauvignon Alluvium Coombsville
Frisson is a French word defined by a sudden feeling of excitement or thrill; Taking inspiration from this, Frisson Cabernet is mindfully crafted in a magnetic style, awakening your senses with intensely compelling characteristics, drawing you in with soul-stirring energy. The winery’s Alluvium Coombsville Cabernet whispers the region’s spirit with persuasive power and polished confidence, leaving a positive impression at its $115 retail price and a frisson at $36.
 
Focusing on revealing Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley’s leading sub-appellations most dynamic features, Frisson proprietors drew on Coombsville’s gravelly loam soils and cooler climate that naturally encourages balanced fruit in creating this masterpiece. This wine embodies the proprietor’s mission of creating boutique wines from grapes grown in superior terroir, transforming them into balanced wine with a sense of place. Frisson offers exceptional value at our Customer Appreciation Week Price.
 
FRISSON
2017 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
ALLUVIUM COOMBSVILLE
Retails at: $115
 
 
 
“Frisson’s 2017 Alluvium Coombsville Cabernet is striking in the glass with a deep, brooding, inky-purple color. This full-throttle wine begins with a powerful nose that includes very ripe dried plums, dried cherries, black currants, dried herbs, Asian spices, light florals, and bramble. The intense palate has concentrated black fruits with black plums, black cherries, vanilla hints, and exotic spice. This is certainly no cocktail wine, and it begs to be enjoyed with food. I had it with orange-barbecue glazed pork, and it was delightful.”
91 points
2018 Domaine Santa Duc Gigondas Aux Lieux-Dits

2018 Domaine Santa Duc Gigondas Aux Lieux-Dits

with No Comment $30-$40Cotes du RhoneFranceKevin VogtRhone ValleyRhone Valley

DOMAINE SANTA DUC

2018 GIGONDAS
AUX LIEUX-DITS

2018 Domaine Santa Duc Gigondas Aux Lieux-Dits
Domaine Santa Duc embodies the cumulative knowledge, heart, and experiences of six generations, each contributing to the wine’s signature, becoming a permanent part of their evolving story. Aux Lieux-Dits is a blend of eight unique parcels of Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, and Cinsault, farmed biodynamically, bringing out the purest essence of Gigondas terroir.
 
Meticulous in every aspect of production, Domaine Santa Duc’s team handpicks and hand-sorts the grapes, feeding them into stainless-steel thermoregulated vats by gravity, ensuring the quality of each berry remains intact. Aging takes place in 3600-liter Stockinger oak foudres and 800-liter terra-cotta amphorae, emphasizing the wine’s fruit and spice characteristics, creating an ethereal mouthfeel and tantalizing finish that’s profoundly memorable, vastly overdelivering at this value price.
 
DOMAINE SANTA DUC
2018 GIGONDAS
AUX LIEUX-DITS
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“….Black-cherry and mulberry flavors are ripe but briskly balanced by a dazzling mineral freshness and salty, chalky finish. Fruity yet shaded by subtle kisses of charcuterie and dried earth, it’s a complex, hedonistic wine that’s at peak now through 2030. Made from organic and biodynamic grapes.”
94 Points
 
“Discreetly floral with blueberry and liquorice – rounded and juicy. A discrete style of wine, but it’s well balanced and has a sense of drinkability. There’s a nice sense of tannic finesse and it has good sense of direction and focus. Firm and well balanced, without excesses. Eight different plots around Gigondas, biodynamically farmed, partly destemmed. Drinking Window 2021 – 2027.”
94 Points
 
“Ripe but understated style, with a mix of Damson plum, black cherry and blackberry fruit flavors mixed with wood spice and black tea notes. Stylish, pure finish. Drink now through 2033…”
93 Points