2018 Frisson Proprietary Red Toucher Vineyard Yountville

2018 Frisson Proprietary Red Toucher Vineyard Yountville

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSAYountville

FRISSON

PROPRIETARY RED
TOUCHER VINEYARD
2018 YOUNTVILLE

2018 Frisson Proprietary Red Toucher Vineyard Yountville
Yountville marks the convergence of extremes where cool mornings meet warm afternoons producing vibrant wines with fully developed flavors and rich, diverse soils create dark, intense, and extracted Cabernet Sauvignon. Frisson’s Yountville proprietary blend bears these majestic hallmarks with supple fruits embroidered with earthly hedonism lengthened by fresh, natural acidity. 
 
Winemaker Paul Colantuoni is adept with Yountville terroir, gaining experience at Rocca Vineyards, where he crafts their high-scoring Yountville wines, eloquently revealing the region’s signature characteristics. This wine highlights the vintage’s power by embellishing its best qualities with additions of Merlot and Petite Verdot to a base of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon.
 
FRISSON
PROPRIETARY RED
TOUCHER VINEYARD
2018 YOUNTVILLE
Retails at: $65
 
 
 
“The Frisson Proprietary Red Toucher Vineyard 2018 begins with sweet-spice aromas of cinnamon and cloves, leading into vanilla, cherry cola, cassis, black plums, and a savory tapenade. The wine is refreshingly balanced between the fruit and spice components on the palate, leading to a great complexity of flavors that continue to evolve until the finish. This wine is ready to drink now but will display more developed flavors and aromas after a few years.”
92 points
2019 Details Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County

2019 Details Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County

with No Comment $30-$40Alexander ValleyCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtKnight's ValleySonomaSonoma ValleyUSA

DETAILS

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2019 SONOMA COUNTY

2019 Details Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County
Details Cabernet fuses superior talent, assiduous fruit selection, and rigorous science in creating their value-focused Cabernet, which hails from the Sonoma, Knights, and Alexander Valleys. Their team, let 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 equating to optimized flavors and aromas. 
 
Masterfully blending 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 enchanting wine that tastes like it should be much more expensive.
 
DETAILS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2019 SONOMA COUNTY
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Details is obviously a very young wine, but its freshness and energy are so compelling. Spice, new leather, menthol, licorice and dried herbs are some of the many notes that grace the 2019. Even in the early going, the 2019 is positively stellar. Franc aromatics and a distinct savoriness from the Petit Verdot add so much character. This may be the best vintage yet. I loved it.”
93-95 Points
2017 Frisson Cabernet Sauvignon Alluvium Coombsville

2017 Frisson Cabernet Sauvignon Alluvium Coombsville

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet SauvignonCoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaSanta Cruz MountainsUSA

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 spirit of the region with persuasive power and polished confidence, leaving a positive impression at its $115 retail price and a frisson at less than $40. 
 
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. Crafted by Paul Colantuoni and Wayne Donaldson, former winemaker at Domaine Chandon, Moet Hennessy, and Louis Martini, Frisson offers exceptional value. 
 
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
2016 Franco Serra Barolo Piedmont, Italy

2016 Franco Serra Barolo Piedmont, Italy

with No Comment $30-$40BaroloBaroloKevin VogtPiedmontUSA

FRANCO SERRA

2016 BAROLO 
PIEDMONT, ITALY 

2016 Franco Serra Barolo Piedmont, Italy
Revered for having captivating power, thought-provoking definition, confident energy, and graceful delivery, Barolo is one of the world’s great wines. Many start around $60, and in vintages like 2016, which the Wine Spectator rates as the best in more than two decades, even entry-level Barolos can be memorable and profound. We estimated Franco Serra’s 2016 Barolo to be around $65, and we loved it at that price. When we found out we could offer it to you at $38, we seized the opportunity. 
 
Keenly focused on tradition, the Sperone family brings four generations of experience to Franco Serra. Proudly intent on producing wines of distinction and value, the family owns and farms 75 acres of prime vineyards outside Monferrato. 
 
Franco Serra Barolo is classically styled, detailing the vintage hallmarks with vibrancy, balance, and refinement. The wine spends a full three years in oak, and with time in the bottle, the wine perfectly balances intensity and grace.
 
FRANCO SERRA
2016 BAROLO 
PIEDMONT, ITALY
Retails at: $42
 
Your Price: $38
 
 
“Aromas of plums, cherries and ash with hints of tea and toffee follow through to a full body with layered, chewy tannins and lots of chocolate and walnuts at the finish…”
94 Points
2018 Ty Caton Cabernet Sauvignon Moon Mountain District

2018 Ty Caton Cabernet Sauvignon Moon Mountain District

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtMoon MountainNapaUSA

TY CATON

2018 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
MOON MOUNTAIN DISTRICT

2018 Ty Caton Cabernet Sauvignon Moon Mountain District
Devoted to unveiling Moon Mountain Cabernet’s most captivating characteristics, Ty Caton developed his vineyard adjacent to world-class sites like Monte Rosso, planting multiple blocks, separated by soil type, elevation, and sun exposure. His Estate Cabernet Sauvignon offers a well-rounded depiction of the entire vineyard, capturing Ty’s commitment to land stewardship and drive to bottle the best wine possible from his Estate. 
 
Striving to produce wines of distinction, Ty’s vineyard on the Sonoma side of Mount Veeder is carved into steeply contoured hillsides with well-drained red volcanic soils that have fresh, focused fruit with outstanding depth. 
 
Ty’s 100% Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is blended from a wide selection of his individually farmed blocks, representing the vineyard as a whole with balance, character, and sense of place. Aged for 15 months in French oak, the 2018 release is stunning at this price level.
 
TY CATON
2018 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
MOON MOUNTAIN DISTRICT
Retails at: $44
 
 
 
“The 2018 Estate Cabernet greets the palate with rich and robust flavors of black cherries, plums, and cassis, followed by oak notes of sandalwood and vanilla. These dark flavors produce a dense textured mouth feel that combine with soft sturdy tannins, followed by a long silky smooth finish.”
2018 Martinelli Zinfandel Vigneto Di Evo

2018 Martinelli Zinfandel Vigneto Di Evo

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtSonomaSonoma ValleyUSAZinfandel

MARTINELLI

2018 ZINFANDEL
VIGNETO DI EVO

2018 Martinelli Zinfandel Vigneto Di Evo
The Martinelli Family’s intimate knowledge of their land developed over 135 years, encompassing six generations with an unsurpassed dedication to farming and crafting wines expressing their place and heritage. Their plantings include Jackass Hill; The steepest non-terraced vineyard in Sonoma County at a death-defying 65 degrees slope, compared to today’s 30 degrees limit. Their Vigneto di Evo Zinfandel is a barrel selection from Jackass, Vellutini, Lolita, and Giuseppe & Luisa vineyards. At $33, it offers a profound glimpse into the lifeblood of their wines. 
 
Guardians of terroir, the Martinelli team strives to consistently produce wines deeply rooted in place, highlighting the vineyard’s character through a hands-off winemaking approach, allowing the wine to go through a set of natural processes with minimal intervention.
 
Courtney Wagoner and Erin Green created this wine to represent the winery’s best Zinfandel plots, manifesting primal energy, heritage, and balance. Deeper, darker flavors developed from the vineyard’s proximity to the Pacific, heightened by old-vine intensity, and refreshed with younger vines, resulting in a fantastic representation of the Estate.
 
MARTINELLI
2018 ZINFANDEL
VIGNETO DI EVO
Retails at: $40
 
Your Price: $33
 
 
“… 2018 “Vigneto di Evo” Zinfandel has energetic aromas of wild strawberry, sweet leather and star anise lift and fill your nose. The palate has balanced acidity and elegant tannins with layers of chocolate and black cherry. Sweet and juicy flavors of blackberry and baking spices linger through the finish.”
2019 Widows Peak Pinot Noir By Beau Vigne Anderson Valley

2019 Widows Peak Pinot Noir By Beau Vigne Anderson Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Anderson ValleyKevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaUSA

WIDOWS PEAK

BY BEAU VIGNE
2019 PINOT NOIR
ANDERSON VALLEY

2019 Widows Peak Pinot Noir By Beau Vigne Anderson Valley
Beau Vigne is a boutique producer whose signature style is in making balanced, rich, multidimensional wines, and one that Robert Parker says is “one of my favorite wineries.” Their founding winemaker was Dave Phinney, later succeeded by Kirk Venge, and now, Julian Fayard, former Director of Winemaking for Philippe Melka, is at the helm. Their recently released Widows Peak Pinot Noir impresses at its $85 retail price, but at $38, it’s an absolute delight.  
 
This remarkable Pinot Noir emerged from a small vineyard in Anderson Valley centered between two creeks where well-drained gravelly soils and large diurnal temperature swings inspire fruit with clarity, place, and dynamic complexity. 
 
This soul-stirring Pinot Noir gains complexity from a wide range of Dijon clones 115, 667, and 777, as well as Swan and Pommard, each distinctively showcased, flawlessly delivering the vineyard’s identity. At this price, you’ll thank me once you taste it. 
 
WIDOWS PEAK
BY BEAU VIGNE
2019 PINOT NOIR
ANDERSON VALLEY
Retails at: $85
 
 
 
“The finished Anderson Valley Pinot Noir offers a provocative and swirling mélange of aromas and flavors. Lush bing cherry, raspberry and fine-grained tannins, spice, and a flinty mineral notes.”
2016 Department 66 Grenache Cotes Catalanes

2016 Department 66 Grenache Cotes Catalanes

with No Comment $30-$40GrenacheKevin VogtUSA

DEPARTMENT 66

2016 GRENACHE 
COTES CATALANES

2016 Department 66 Grenache Cotes Catalanes
Inspired by the raw beauty of ancient Grenache vines grown on steep hillsides of Cotes Catalanes, France, Department 66 was created by Dave Phinney, founder of Prisoner and Orin Swift brands, a talented winemaker and visionary. He purchased 300 acres of gnarley vines and constructed a winery when he saw the potential of these 60-year-old vines. Today, the wine team produces gorgeous wines, including this brilliant 95 Point Grenache blend, which Jeb Dunnuck glows is a “bonafide blockbuster.” 
 
The wine team harvested the 2016 vintage from the old vines grown in black schist, with small granite and limestone deposits scattered in red, rocky soils known as angile. The region is deep in France’s southwest corner, adjacent to the Pyrénées-Orientales mountain range, where old vine Grenache thrives. 
 
Combining a core of old vine Grenache with Syrah, Carignan, and Mourvedre, aged 18 months in oak, the 2016 release is intensely captivating, exuberantly textured, and laced with intriguing spices, perfectly ripe berries, and savory undertones. 
 
DEPARTMENT 66
2016 GRENACHE 
COTES CATALANES
Retails at: $38
 
Your Price: $34.99
 
 
“The 2016 Côtes Catalanes D66 is a bonafide blockbuster from winemaker Richard Case that does everything right. Loaded with notions of ripe blackberry and currant fruits, chocolate, ground pepper, licorice, and leafy herbs, this puppy hits the palate with full-bodied richness and depth yet stays nicely balanced and light on its feet. Rich, opulent, and decadent are the buzzwords here, and it should keep for 7-8 years. The blend is 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah aged 12 months in barrel.”
95 Points
2018 Galius Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Bordeaux

2018 Galius Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Bordeaux

with No Comment $30-$40BordeauxBordeauxFranceKevin Vogt

GALIUS

SAINT-EMILION GRAND CRU 
2018 BORDEAUX 

2018 Galius Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Bordeaux
Named for a Roman soldier that settled in Bordeaux after receiving land for military service, Galius lives up to its namesake delivering powerful favors with enchanting old-world complexity, depth, and minerality, balanced with military precision. The 2018 Galius commands an impenetrable presence on the palate and has “gorgeous fruit,” as noted by Decanter. At $32, the quality dominates. 
 
Farmed sustainably, with terroir on the front lines, Galius’s eleven hectares of half-century-year-old vines grown in clay-limestone soils produce fruit with intense minerality and penetrating focus. 
 
Fermented in stainless-steel tanks for freshness and polished with 15 months in oak, the blend is 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc. Merlot offers rich, supple approachability and the Cab Franc, contributes floral lift and heightened refinement.
 
GALIUS
SAINT-EMILION GRAND CRU 
2018 BORDEAUX
 
Your Price: $32
 
 
“Enchanting nose of sweet leather, ripe blue fruit and even honeyed flowers. Refined, plunging, gorgeous fruit on the palate…”
93 Points
2018 Edict Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2018 Edict Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

EDICT

2018 RESERVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY

2018 Edict Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Edict’s philosophy of hand-crafting wines that are loved and remain true to their varietal and region is evident when you taste them. Their 2018 Reserve Cabernet exemplifies their motive, making a powerful statement of Napa Valley’s diversity of soils and micro-climates, enhanced by the fantastic vintage and expert blending. Making no excuses at its $88 retail price, this boutique Reserve Cab merits attention. Of course, at less than $40, it’s in a whole new league. 
 
Edict collaborates with some of Napa Valley’s top growers, calling on their vineyard manager’s 30 years of experience, ensuring expert fruit selection and encouraging natural varietal character, balance, and expression.
 
Created with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 22 months in oak, Edict’s Reserve Cabernet is made in a bold and concentrated style, dressed with Napa’s notorious complexity and guided with the vintage’s most classic hallmarks.
 
EDICT
2018 RESERVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $88
 
Your Price: $38
 
 
“The Edict Reserve Cab 2018 begins with an elegant nose that includes red raspberries, tart cherries, wet earth, sweet vanilla, and tropic forest florals. This nose leads to a complimentary palate that is medium-full bodied with red and black fruits that include red currants, black cherries, and cigar box, framed by chalky tannins and bright acidity. The structure tells me this one will keep improving over time, and one more bit of evidence is that the last sip out of the bottle was the best. It just kept getting better and better as it opened up. I can’t wait to see where this one goes.”
92 Points
 
“This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon reveals beautiful aromas of cedar, raspberries, black currants, and a touch of toasty oak. The wine exudes complexity, medium to full body, stunningly sweet fruit and tannins, and a sense of airiness with even though there is a richness. Its velvety texture and complexity are seductive. We recommend you enjoy this lovely Cabernet over the next 5-8 years.”