Tonti 2014 Reserve Old Vine Zinfandel Russian River Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtNapaOld Vine ZinfandelRussian River ValleyUSA
TONTI

2014 RESERVE
OLD VINE ZINFANDEL
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
 
Have you ever wondered what makes Old Vine wines unique?  There are two defining factors that when combined, become even more powerful.  Like humans, as vines age their circulation becomes weaker which results in smaller berries and more focused and concentrated flavors.  Older vines also have deeper root systems, which increases the complexity in the wine.  Perfectly expressing what Old Vines are about, Tonti’s 2014 Russian River Zinfandel is the delicious result of two ancient vineyards planted in the early 1900’s.  Remarkably hedonistic, the 2014 saturates your palate with a full gamut of red, blue and black fruits, exotic spices, mixed chocolates and round, plush tannins.  With Gus Gamba as their consulting winemaker, Tonti is producing an extremely high-level Zinfandel, and at retail of $49.00/btl it’s well worth the price of admission….
 
Earning a Double Gold at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, as well as 94 Points from tastings. com, this wine exhibits all the qualities that I look for in Old Vine Zinfandel.  Housed for 18 months in American oak barrels and from a vintage that’s becoming increasingly recognized for it’s superior quality, grab a case while you can. 
 
TONTI
2014 RESERVE
OLD VINE ZINFANDEL
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
Retails at:  $49.00/btl
 
+ Ground Shipping Included on ANY Full or Mixed 15-Pack
(Upgrade your 15-Pack to UPS 3-DAY AIR for $39, Available in select States)
 
Winery Notes: “...Deep purple color. Rustic, fruity aromas of wild raspberry Danish, iron rich soil, menthol, and touch of pepper with a slightly chewy, fruity sweet medium body and an intriguing, medium-long sun dried raspberries, sun dried tomatoes, sweet basil, and milk chocolate bar and terracotta finish with firm chewy tannins and light oak. A spot on zinfandel, rich and juicy with good tannins and structure. Organically Dry Farmed”
 
Customers that enjoy Tonti’s Reserve Zinfandel, may also enjoy these two terrific Zins…
CARLISLE 
2015 ZINFANDEL
CARLISLE VINEYARD 
Your Price: $47.99/btl
 
 
From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, “…This is another killer wine, as it is always one of the top wines in his extensive and impressive portfolio. The alcohol is 15.3%, but that’s a minor component to this big, juicy, succulent, in-your-face, dramatic Zinfandel that boasts raspberry, black cherry, strawberry, licorice, tar, earth and roasted Provençal herbs. ….” 90-93 Points
GAMBA
2015 ZINFANDEL
STARR ROAD RANCH
Retails at:  $49.00/btl
 
Fashioned from an organically farmed vineyard planted in 1920, the ancient vines have relied on winter rains as their sole source of irrigation for over 95 years.  Yielding just 1.5 tons per acre of strikingly intense, concentrated, pristinely focused fruit, the 2015 exhibits all the qualities that I look for in Old Vine Zinfandel.

Walter Hansel 2015 Estate Pinot Noir & 2014 Cahill Lane Chardonnay

with No Comment $30-$40ChardonnayKevin VogtNapaPinot NoirRussian River ValleyUSA
WALTER HANSEL
2015 ESTATE PINOT NOIR

2014 CAHILL LANE CHARDONNAY
Like sitting front-and-center at the grand opera, and instead of string, woodwind and percussions vibrating throughout, penetrating flavors permeate your palate, hitting every note along the way with perfect clarity.  Consistently rated in the mid 90’s, and with each performance like a sold-out show, and yet the ticket price has remained almost unchanged over the past decade… Walter Hansel voices the best of the Russian River Valley, and Robert Parker writes that they’re “… consistently terrific wines… realistically priced… consumers couldn’t have a better friend than proprietor Stephen Hansel.”
Originating from famous clones, strategically planted to specific areas of Walter Hansel’s Estate Vineyard, the new releases are hitting the high notes that you wouldn’t think possible at this price level…

 

WALTER HANSEL
2014 CHARDONNAY
CAHILL LANE
Your Price: $34.99/btl
From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, “The 2014 Chardonnay Cahill Lane emerges 100% from the Old Wente clone. This is in heavy clay and fertile Goldridge soils and cropped in by at least 30% to improve concentration. This wine, which is less intense than his other Chardonnays, offers notes of lime and other citrus, with crisp acidity…” 
92 Points
WALTER HANSEL
2015 PINOT NOIR
ESTATE VINEYARD
Your Price: $37.99/btl
From Vinous, “The 2015 Pinot Noir The Estate Vineyard boasts off the charts intensity, richness and texture. Soaring aromatics and a core of dark red and bluish fruit are front and center. Racy and voluptuous to the core, the Estate captures all the intensity of this vintage. This is a dazzling Pinot from Stephen Hansel, not to mention one of the best values readers will find.”
94 Points

Pop 300 2016 Oakville Proprietary White

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtNapaOakvilleProprietary WhiteUSA
POP 300

2016 OAKVILLE
PROPRIETARY WHITE
POP 300 is the direct result of growing up in a small town surrounded by legendary farmers and winemakers.  It’s well known that Oakville produces some of the best Cabernet Sauvignon fruit in the world, but there are also other varietals grown in Oakville, you just have to know someone to find them…  This is a truly unique, six barrel production white blend by Luke Russ, who’s day job is the Commercial Director at O’Shaughnessey Winery.  It was built around a core Chardonnay and enhanced with Rhone varietals, and pops ebulliently out of the glass with a fireworks display of honeydew melon, Bosc Pear, lemon grass, ginger and banana cream pie.  At under forty per bottle, you really should try some of this…
POP 300 isn’t the only winery playing on the tension between Chardonnay and Rhone varietals.  Orin Swift’s Mannequin and Prisoner Wine Company’s Blindfold are a couple prime examples.  Manfred Krankl  at Sine qu Non has also mastered this type of blend, but POP 300 might be the only one doing this exclusively from Oakville fruit.  Made even more intriguing during the fermentation process where the wine was fermented in a combination of Stainless Steel and French oak.  If you’re searching for a dynamic white that not only pop’s with flavor, but won’t blow up your wine budget, this is it.
POP 300
2016 OAKVILLE
PROPRIETARY WHITE
Your Price: $37.99/btl Click to Order
+ Ground Shipping Included on ANY Full or Mixed 15-Pack
(Upgrade your 15-Pack to UPS 3-DAY AIR for $39, Available in select States)
“This is a spectacular wine with bright, exotic tropical fruits, mouthwatering honeydew melon, ripe Bosc pear, Spring flowers and hints of baking spices. The compelling blend has an orchestrated murmuration of penetrating, intense flavors that dance on your tongue in a focused, concentrated style, then expand into a long, complex finish.  It is extremely rare to find such a unique and individualistic wine that truly is one of a kind.” Kevin Vogt, Master Sommelier

 

Customers that enjoy Pop 300’s Proprietary White may also enjoy these two delicious white wines…

 

HANZELL
SEBELLA CHARDONNAY
2015 SONOMA COUNTY
Retails at:  $36.00/btl
Your Price: $29.99/btl
California’s answer to classic Chablis, the 2015  Hanzell Sebella Chardonnay induces an immediate feeling of contentment, followed by a rush of exhilarating flavors and an array of fresh nectarines, citrus blossom, warm pear, liquified stones and floral infused honey.
PRISONER WINE CO.
2015 BLINDFOLD
PROPRIETARY WHITE
Retails at:  $32.00/btl
Your Price: $26.99/btl
As the sister version to the popular Prisoner Red, the Blindfold White administers what feels like Cirque du Soleil performance on your palate, with its ebullient zest, delineation and stunning vibrancy.  This wine is surprisingly delicate and nuanced, and simply fascinating to swirl and taste…

Grand Napa 2015 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapa
GRAND NAPA 
2015 RESERVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
 
Grand Napa’s 2015 Reserve Cabernet is a perfect example of what we strive to offer you with our Saturday emails.  At the $85 retail price, this wine will bring a smile to your face, but at $39.99 it’s an absolute “must have.”  We painstakingly taste (tough job but someone has to do it,) more than 70 wines each week, searching for incredible bottles with even more incredible discounts.  Grand Napa’s 2015 Reserve Cabernet lures you in with a dramatic aromatic performance laced with candied red berries, espresso roast, blackberry, camphor, dark chocolate and dried violets.
 
This silky wine is rich, compact, and created in a style that you’ll love right out of the bottle, yet has the structure to go for more than a decade.  Composed of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petite Verdot and additions of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, this wine cascades across your palate and is wrapped with velvety tannins.  Don’t wait too long to secure a case.
 
GRAND NAPA
2015 RESERVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Retails at:  $85.00/btl
+ Ground Shipping Included on ANY Full or Mixed 15-Pack
(Upgrade your 15-Pack to UPS 3-DAY AIR for $39, Available in select States)
Winery Notes: “Black Cherry and cranberry flavors are complimented by caramelized oak and Christmas spices. A bright beam of red plum persists through the finish.“
 
Cabernet Sauvignon 82% | Petit Verdot 10% | Cabernet Franc 5% | Merlot 3%

Hendry 2014 Zinfandel Block 20 Napa Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtMt VeederRedsZinfandel
HENDRY
2014 ZINFANDEL
BLOCK 28, NAPA VALLEY
 
We taste many different Zinfandels during our weekly tastings, and most of them have origins right in our own backyard… Dry Creek Valley, Russian River or Napa, but we’ve had some from as far away as Croatia.  Few Zinfandels strike me the way that Hendry’s 2014 Block 28 Zinfandel did.  Remarkably penetrating and perfectly balanced, giving way to waves of briary cherry and raspberry fruit, intermixed with holiday spices, cracked black pepper and violets.  The previous vintage was named one of the Year’s Best Zins by Wine & Spirits, and the vintage before that was honored as one of the top 100 wines of the year by the same publication.  I think the 2014 is even better, so don’t wait too long to secure a case.
 
Nestled at the base of Mount Veeder, the Hendry’s have been farming the same vineyard in Napa Valley since the 1930’s… The lessons learned after more than 75 harvests are almost palpable in this extraordinary Zinfandel.  Kept for 15 months in oak barrels, the 2014 is wonderfully long and vibrant, without being the least bit overripe, heavy or jammy. This awesome Zin would be a remarkable compliment to food or delightfully pleasing on it’s own.
 
HENDRY
2014 ZINFANDEL
BLOCK 28, NAPA VALLEY
Your Price: $36/btl Click to Order
+ Ground Shipping Included on ANY Full or Mixed 15-Pack
(Upgrade your 15-Pack to UPS 3-DAY AIR for $39, Available in select States)
From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, “As for the 2014 Zinfandel Block 28, this is a briary, berry-scented and flavored Zinfandel that spent 15 months in French oak. There is a touch of new oak in the background, the wine shows minerality and earthy, spicy strawberry and black cherry fruit.” 90 Points

 

Customers that would enjoy Hendry’s Block 28 Zinfandel, may also enjoy these two terrific Zins…
GAMBA
2015 ZINFANDEL
STARR ROAD RANCH
Retails at:  $49.00/btl
Your Price: $39.99/btl
 
Fashioned from an organically farmed vineyard planted in 1920, the ancient vines have relied on winter rains as their sole source of irrigation for over 95 years.  Yielding just 1.5 tons per acre of strikingly intense, concentrated, pristinely focused fruit, the 2015 exhibits all the qualities that I look for in Old Vine Zinfandel.
CARLISLE
2015 ZINFANDEL
PAPERA RANCH
Your Price: $47.99/btl
From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, “A killer effort… from a vineyard planted in 1934…  Moreover, he clearly gives the fruit plenty of attention so that it can strut its ripeness and full-bodied character, given the fact that he rarely uses more than 20-25% new French oak, and of course, the wines are bottled with no clarification by fining or filtering. This should drink well for up to a decade or more.”
92-94 Points

Humanitas 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtReds

 

HUMANITAS
2012 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
REID VINEYARD, NAPA VALLEY
 
When we selected the Humanitas Signum as our number one wine in 2017, it sold out before noon… While this surprised some, it didn’t surprise me, because it’s difficult to come up with enough gushing superlatives that accurately describe how I feel about all the Humanitas wines.  While Signum was $100 Cab blend that we sold for $55, at under $40, the 2012 Reid Vineyard Cab is a wine that is a little easier to swallow… Pun intended.  Stunningly concentrated and dangerously hedonistic, the 2012 Reid Vineyard Cab is bursting with authoritative and alluring flavors of sensual dark fruits, chocolate espresso, scorched earth and pipe tobacco.
 
Expertly composed by winemaker Rob Lloyd, former winemaker at Rombauer, this 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon originates from a single vineyard on the North Eastern edge of St Helena.  A blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, enhanced with Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and Merlot, the 2012 spent 22 months in oak and like many 2012 Napa Valley Cabs, this wine is really showing great now and should continue to evolve for another 5-7 years.
 
HUMANITAS
2012 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
REID VINEYARD, NAPA VALLEY
Retails at:  $60.00/btl
+ Ground Shipping Included on ANY Full or Mixed 15-Pack
(Upgrade your 15-Pack to UPS 3-DAY AIR for $39, Available in select States)
Tasting Notes: “The aromatic bouquet blooms with red and black fruits, pipe tobacco, dark chocolate and hints of sun-baked earth. In the glass it is black as a starless night, ringed with rich, hedonistic blackberry, cassis, red berries and cocoa powder.  Though dense, this wine is nimble but with deep, dark black currant, mixed black berries, bing cherry and a touch of sweet vanilla that surrounds your palate in pure joy.  This is another sensational effort from a producer that is quickly becoming one of my favorites.”

Leviathan 2013 Proprietary Red

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtProprietary Red
LEVIATHAN
2013 PROPRIETARY RED
With a Leviathan sized reputation as one of Napa Valley’s most revered winemakers, Andy Erickson made Screaming Eagle from 2005-2010 producing two perfect 100 Point Wines.  Beyond that, he also assisted in making wine at Harlan Estate as well as crafting wines for Ovid, Arietta, Staglin, Dalla Valle and his own label Favia.  Aiming to create an intriguing, unique red wine, drawn from some of the best vineyards in Northern California, Leviathan is brimming with character.  It comes layered with balanced red and black fruits, melded into a round, supple and inviting red blend.  The 2013 has already earned the attention of critic Antonio Galloni who said it was gorgeous once again in 2013, earning a 92 Point score.
With fruit sourced from 7 different appellations, including Oakville, Coombsville and Carneros, the 2013 blend marries Cabernet Sauvignon with Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.  With aromatics as compelling as a mythical Leviathan, the 2013 leaps from the depths with indomitable momentum and is laced with brambly dark fruits, cherry pipe tobacco, cocoa and dark spices.  At $39.99/btl, you may want to secure a case or two before this mythical beast vanishes…
LEVIATHAN
2013 PROPRIETARY RED
Your Price: $39.99/btl Click to Order
+ Ground Shipping Included on ANY Full or Mixed 15-Pack
(Upgrade your 15-Pack to UPS 3-DAY AIR for $39, Available in select States)
From Vinous, “Andy Erickson’s Leviathan is gorgeous once again in 2013. Plump, juicy and forward, the 2013 packs a serious punch. Still it is impossible not to notice that this year Leviathan is made in a more aromatic, lifted style than in the past, when the wine has been much more bombastic. Readers looking for a supple, exuberant Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine that requires little cellaring should check out the 2013 Leviathan.” 92 Points
Cabernet Sauvignon 37% | Syrah 32% | Merlot 24% | Cabernet Franc 7%

 

Customers who enjoy Leviathan may also enjoy these two outstanding Reds… 
ARIETTA
2014 QUARTET
PROPRIETARY RED
Your Price: $64.99/btl
Entering your palate with a cascade of beautifully delineated dark berries shadowed by intriguing black cherry, spices and cigar box.  The phenomenal  Arietta Quartet… From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, “... 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot, is a wonderfully juicy wine showing plenty of cherries, blackcurrants, spice, supple tannins and a whiff of oak in the background. The wine is round and borderline opulent, but elegant, complex and already offering charming and seductive drinking....”
91 Points
DANCING HARES
2015 MAD HATTER
PROPRIETARY RED
Your Price: $59.99/btl

Vandela 2015 Miramis

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedRedsUSA
VANDELLA
2015 MIRAMIS
PROPRIETARY RED
 
Vandella marries old and new in a way that makes this wine truly unique and something that I want to show you more of in 2018. Old are the 130 year old, dry farmed Mourvedre Vines and new is the young and passionate winemaker who by happenstance we discovered last year.  Defined by a surreal presence on the palate, the winemaker creates a single, unique wine each vintage, allowing the land to determine the direction of the blend.  Literally harvesting every grape himself, this fusion of Rhone and Portuguese varietals saturates your palate with vivid and intense dark fruits, autumn spices, crushed violets, dark chocolate, licorice and plum.
 
When Aaron was tilling the vineyard, he unearthed a cast iron harvest ghost from the 1800’s which is pictured on the front label. Mourvedre leads the way this vintage at 65% of the final blend and was sourced from the Enz Vineyard, located adjacent from the Mt. Harlan AVA, made famous by Calera.  The vines were planted in the 1880’s and produce fruit of otherworldly depth and character.  The 2015 was kept 18 months in barrel and is stunningly good right now.  This is an absolutely killer bottle of wine at it’s $48 retail price. 100 cases made…
 
VANDELLA
2015 MIRAMIS
PROPRIETARY RED
Retails at:  $48.00/btl
+ Ground Shipping Included on ANY Full or Mixed 15-Pack
(Upgrade your 15-Pack to UPS 3-DAY AIR for $39, Available in select States)
Winery Notes: “Old vine Mourvedre from the legendary “Enz Vineyard” planted in 1887. This dry-farmed heritage vineyard still exists on it’s original rootstock, and produces naturally low yields and exceptional fruit concentration. The resulting wine is remarkably focused, with perfect tannic structure, balanced acid, and aromas of raspberry sorbet, violets, caramelized sugar, and Lavender.”
65% Mourvedre |  25% Touriga Nacional | 10% Syrah