2017 B. Kosuge Pinot Noir The Shop, Carneros

2017 B. Kosuge Pinot Noir The Shop, Carneros

with No Comment $30 and underCarnerosKevin VogtNapaPinot NoirUSA

B. KOSUGE 

2017 PINOT NOIR
THE SHOP, CARNEROS 

2017 B. Kosuge Pinot Noir The Shop, Carneros
Byron Kosuge is a highly-skilled winemaker who’s spent decades immersed in Carneros Pinot Noir, but it’s his curious nature that sets him apart from the rest. He continually experiments with farming and fermentation techniques to create a more distinctive, fresher Pinot Noir. He describes his style as a “new tradition” of winemaking, inspired by old-world methods but recombining them in ways that seem to suit New World conditions. The results are brilliant, and at $30, his 2017 Carneros Pinot Noir is also a glaring value.
 
Byron spent the first 15 years of his winemaker career at Saintsbury Winery in Carneros, where he meticulosity studied the region and surrounding vineyards. His vast skill set has attracted several other high-quality Pinot producers like MIURA and Small Vines as the consulting winemaker. 
 
In the vineyard, and the cellar, Byron is incredibly hands-on; walking the vineyards, working the vines, sorting grapes. He ferments his Carneros Pinot in a combination of neutral oak vessels of various sizes and concrete, resulting in a clean, fresh style of Pinot Noir that’s remarkably balanced.
 
B. KOSUGE 
2017 PINOT NOIR
THE SHOP, CARNEROS
Retails at: $35
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“The 2017 Shop was, as usual, aged in a combination of neutral oak vessels of various sizes and concrete. In response to the somewhat riper flavors in the fruit, I included a fairly healthy portion of whole clusters in the fermentations, slightly more than usual, to help balance out the ripe fruit flavors. But no drastic changes. In its youth the wine was deeply colored, very plush and a bit brooding during its time in barrel and cask. Now, it still tends towards the darker fruit end of the spectrum. One other benefit of mature vines—despite the heat of the vintage, the alcohol checks in at surprisingly modest 13.3%”
2018 Bacio Divino Pazzo Napa Valley Proprietary Red

2018 Bacio Divino Pazzo Napa Valley Proprietary Red

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtNapaOakvilleProprietary RedUSA

BACIO DIVINO

2018 PAZZO 
NAPA VALLEY
PROPRIETARY RED

2018 Bacio Divino Pazzo Napa Valley Proprietary Red
Bacio Divino is one of the top producers of Sangiovese-based blends in Napa Valley, and their reputation of excellence spans each of the wines they produce. They created Pazzo in 1999 as a sister-label to Bacio Divino that would appeal to a broader audience. The 2018 vintage is incredibly rich, with penetrating fruit and intriguing floral elements. Pazzo means crazy in Italian, and at around $30, the 2018 release is a crazy-good value.
 
Bacio Divino has a history of producing high-scoring wines. Because of that, they have access to some of the greatest vineyards in Napa Valley, including Beckstoffer Heritage sites in Oakville and Rutherford and Sangiovese on Atlas Peak. Pazzo comes from a collection of unnamed sites and include grapes from their Estate vineyard.
 
Winemaker Kirk Venge built the 2018 Pazzo with 38% Sangiovese and 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and he tied them together with Syrah and Petite Sirah. The 2018 vintage produced powerful fruit with incredible intensity. This vintage is like a bistro-wine on steroids, and you’ll thank me later, once you taste it.
 
BACIO DIVINO
2018 PAZZO 
NAPA VALLEY
PROPRIETARY RED
Retails at: $35
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“This is full-bodied with round, ripe tannins that give form to the ripe palate of plum and berry with some fig undertones. Round and savory. Drink now or hold.”
91 Points
 
“Pazzo (which means ‘crazy’ in Italian) is a ‘funky’, unpretentious blend – an ingratiating wine that is wonderful to drink in its youth. In addition to its good looks, it displays a nose of red berry aromas and follows through with spirited, sweet, lingering, fruit flavors. We have enjoyed incredible success and growth with this unique blend.”
2019 Alma De Cattleya Chardonnay Sonoma County

2019 Alma De Cattleya Chardonnay Sonoma County

with No Comment $30 and underChardonnayKevin VogtSonomaSonoma ValleyUSA

ALMA de CATTLEYA

2019 CHARDONNAY 
SONOMA COUNTY 

2019 Alma De Cattleya Chardonnay Sonoma County
Bibiana González Rave’s unwavering commitment to superior quality, accessible prices, varietal purity, and origin in her wines is highly transparent. She makes wines in a bright and cheerful style tied to the year’s hallmarks and location of the grapes. I’ve stopped asking how she can create wines with such surreal quality, sense of place, and value, and I’m just simply going to enjoy them and share them with you.
 
Bibiana created this brilliant 2019 Chardonnay from methodically selected vineyards, each with a strong coastal influence that lends to the perfect balance of acidity, texture, softness, and length. She then crafted this wine using the same exacting standards as the Cattleya single-vineyard Chardonnays, which retail for around $70 per bottle. 
 
Bibiana has extensive experience making wine in Bordeaux and the Rhone Valley in France and South Africa. When she came to California, industry leaders immediately recognized her talents as she helped shape brilliant wines at Peay, Lynmar, and Pahlmeyer, to name a few. At just $26, you have to try this.
 
ALMA de CATTLEYA
2019 CHARDONNAY 
SONOMA COUNTY
 
Your Price: $26
 
 
“Lush notes of red apple and juicy pear balance beautifully with notes of lemon curd, honeysuckle and hints of toasted vanilla. Bright acidity and a rich mouthfeel add complexity and a textured, complex finish.”
2018 Morgan Twelve Clones Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

2018 Morgan Twelve Clones Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtMontereyPinot NoirSanta Lucia HighlandsUSA

MORGAN

TWELVE CLONES
SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS
2018 PINOT NOIR 

2018 Morgan Twelve Clones Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

Dan Lee’s focus on sustainable farming and minimalist winemaking over the past 40 years has made Morgan winery a category leader in high-quality, value wines from the Santa Lucia Highlands. The winery consistently produces balanced wines of distinction, and at less than $30, their Twelve Clones Pinot Noir regularly makes my short-list of California’s best value Pinots.
 
Morgan draws on several of the Santa Lucia Highlands’ top Vineyards, including the Double L Estate, Rosella’s, and Tondre, to create their flagship Twelve Clones Pinot. 
 
The team named Twelve Clones for the diverse Pinot Noir clones inside the Double L Vineyard. The vast selection of clones contributes to the multi-dimensional flavors and aromas that make this wine so revered.
 
MORGAN
TWELVE CLONES
SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS
2018 PINOT NOIR
Retails at: $35
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“Layers of baked berry, pie crust and star anise show on the nose of this clonal combination. It’s clean and direct on the palate, offering tart red-currant and cranberry fla­vors, touched up by thyme, lavender and potpourri elements.”
92 Points
 
“… the light ruby-hued 2018 Pinot Noir Twelve Clones gives up a pretty nose of framboise and strawberries as well as lots of floral, rose petal, sappy herb, and minty aromas and flavors. It’s another lightly textured, medium-bodied, elegant wine from this estate to enjoy over the coming 4-6 years.”
92 Points
 
“Pale ruby color, fresh cherry nose, crisp and bright with cherry, strawberry and rhubarb notes; silky and fresh, charming and long.” – Anthony Dias Blue, October 2020”
92 Points
 
“The 2018 Twelve Clones demonstrates the finesse of Pinot Noir from the Santa Lucia Highlands. It displays aromas of blackberry, cola, and cured meat. Flavors of red and black fruit are complemented by notes of black plum and toasty oak. Perfectly poised, this medium bodied wine is light on its feet and a great reflection of 2018’s elegance…”
 
NV Marquis de la Mysteriale Cuvee Grand Esprit Champagne

NV Marquis de la Mysteriale Cuvee Grand Esprit Champagne

with No Comment $30 and underChampagneChampagne/SparklingFranceKevin Vogt

MARQUIS de la MYSTERIALE

CUVÉE GRAND ESPRIT
CHAMPAGNE NV

NV Marquis de la Mysteriale Cuvee Grand Esprit Champagne
How much would you expect to pay for a bottle of Champagne? Champagne commands a higher price tag than other sparkling wines due to strict requirements on aging and the fact that the region is roughly 8% of the size of Sonoma County. Champagne wines must spend at least 15 months in the bottle before release, which is longer than any other Sparkling, and they usually start above $40-$60/btl. There’s a reason why Marquis de La Mysteriale Champagne is just $29.99. The company that produces it has decided to discontinue this particular wine, which creates a grand opportunity for you.
 
Maison de Grand Esprit crafts their Champagne in a toasty and rich style, which they achieve through aging on the lees for a full 15 months. Their winemaking team sourced the grapes from small family growers, and they completed the blend with 59% Chardonnay and 41% Pinot Noir. 
 
Winemaker Florent Gauthier has an inherent passion for wine he’s developed in France, Switzerland, Australia, Chile, Argentina, and California, even working for a brief time at Stags’ Leap Winery. He believes in minimal intervention winemaking and allowing for each wine’s finesse and elegance to express itself.
 
MARQUIS de la MYSTERIALE
CUVÉE GRAND ESPRIT
CHAMPAGNE NV
Retails at: $60
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“This wine is soft and well balanced. An attractive predominance of Chardonnay in the blend with Pinot Noir gives an edge of minerality as well as fresh apple flavors. The wine is ready to drink.”
90 Points
 
“Rich and complex yet fresh, our Champagne possesses a beautiful, intricate aroma of toasted bread, almond and nougat combined with a fine, persistent mousse.”
2016 Coursey Graves West Slope Syrah Bennett Valley

2016 Coursey Graves West Slope Syrah Bennett Valley

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtSonomaSonoma MountainSyrahUSA

COURSEY GRAVES

2016 WEST SLOPE SYRAH
BENNETT VALLEY

2016 Coursey Graves West Slope Syrah Bennett Valley
Winemaker Cabell Coursey works tirelessly to uncover and illuminate some of Napa and Sonoma’s lesser-known vineyards that are quietly yielding world-class grapes. He seeks out steep hillside plots that experience cool atmospheric conditions and have rocky soils that share similarities to the austere conditions of Bordeaux. These vineyards are capable of producing concentrated fruit with majestic characteristics that are unique to their origin. When I first tasted his 2016 West Slope Syrah last year, my immediate thought was, I’m getting a case of this for my cellar.
 
Coursey Graves Estate Vineyard is located a thousand feet above sea level on Bennett Mountain, where the ancient volcanic soils and unique micro-climate is ideally suited for Syrah. The wine is powerfully compelling, richly layered, and effortlessly elegant. 
 
Burgundy inspired winemaker Cabell Coursey, and he learned winemaking from the University of Burgundy in Dijon, France. Then he honed his skills in New Zealand and the Willamette Valley before working at iconic producers DuMOL and Kosta Browne. The 2016 release has several stellar reviews, but DougAndrea on CellarTracker may have said it best with his quote, “OMG. Buy more…” 
 
COURSEY GRAVES
2016 WEST SLOPE SYRAH
BENNETT VALLEY
Retails at: $65
 
 
 
“Very savory and smoky, this Sonoma syrah is anything but a fruit bomb. The slightly sappy tannins and smoked-bacon flavor nicely balances the underplayed ripeness. The finish is fresh with plenty of spicy complexity. Drink or hold.”
93 Points
 
“Deep ruby-purple, the 2016 Syrah Estate West Slope has a very pretty nose with scents of violet, stone and graphite with touches of tar and olive over a concentrated core of blackcurrant, warm black cherries and spice box. Full-bodied, it gives up intense, spiced blue and black fruits framed by firm, ripe tannins and good freshness, finishing very long…”
92 Points
 
“This is a thick, rich and unctuously varietal wine, smoky in oak and beautifully wrapped layers of grilled meat and game. A thicket of lavender and licorice gives it complexity and more to ponder.”
90 Points
2017 D.V. Catena Tinto Historico Red Malbec Blend

2017 D.V. Catena Tinto Historico Red Malbec Blend

with No Comment $30 and underArgentinaKevin VogtMalbec

D.V. CATENA 

TINTO HISTORICO RED
2017 MALBEC BLEND

2017 D.V. Catena Tinto Historico Red Malbec Blend
The DV Catena wines are inspired by Nicolas Catena’s father’s legacy as a master of assemblage. They resulted from years of research identifying Argentina’s top terroir that would offer the greatest concentration of aroma and flavors. The Tinto Historico Red marries several of the winery’s historic high-elevation vineyards and does so with natural balance, concentration, and a distinct identity. At around $20, it’s as James Suckling writes, “A stunning wine for this price point.”
 
Arising from the family’s historic vineyards in the Valle de Ugo, which range 3 to 4 thousand feet elevation, the 2017 release is both concentrated, clean, and firmly balanced. 
 
Winemaker Alejandro Vigil believes that “Winemaking revolves around contact with nature, and you need to breathe the same air as the vine, suffer the cold and the heat, and feel a sense of belonging to that place.” You can feel that connection in the wine, and at $22, a single case may not be enough. 
 
D.V. CATENA 
TINTO HISTORICO RED
2017 MALBEC BLEND
 
Your Price: $22
 
 
“A stunning wine for this price point! Plenty of malbec violet character, but also delicate spices and great freshness. A wealth of drive and ripeness. The finish is long and polished. Drink or hold.” 
94 Points
 
“Bright ruby-red. Aromas of blackberry, cassis and tobacco leaf are lifted by a violet topnote; higher-pitched and more pristine than the 2016 example. Then juicy and rather refined on the palate, showing a restrained sweetness and good energy to its purple fruit, violet and licorice flavors. Finishes firm and long, with substantial broad, dusty tannins. Perhaps the best vintage yet for this bottling, which was launched in 2014…”
91 Points
2018 Rocca Di Montegrossi Chianti Classico Tuscany Italy

2018 Rocca Di Montegrossi Chianti Classico Tuscany Italy

with No Comment $30 and underChiantiChiantiItalyKevin VogtTuscany

ROCCA DI MONTEGROSSI

2018 CHIANTI CLASSICO
TUSCANY, ITALY 

2018 Rocca Di Montegrossi Chianti Classico Tuscany Italy
Each decision that Marco Ricasoli-Firidolfi of Rocca di Montegrossi makes in his vineyard has the laser-focused goal of balancing growth and production, with his wine’s quality paramount. Together with consultant agronomist Dr. Stefano Dini, he cares for 20 hectares of vines grown in one of the finest sections of Chianti. His flagship 2018 Chianti Classico has explosive aromas of rich dark fruits, wet slate, and wildflowers. It’s, as Vinous writes, “a fabulous wine for the money,” so don’t miss it.
 
The richness of this wine is matched equally by the Estate’s history, which dates back to the 7th century AD. In 1141, the property was passed to the Ricasoli family. To this day, Marco Ricasoli-Firidolfi is dedicated to crafting the best wine from the Estate, and International fame has followed. 
 
The Estate is planted primarily to Sangiovese (13 hectares), followed by Merlot, while the remaining 4.5 hectares includes Canaiolo, Colorino, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pugnitello, and Malvasia Bianca del Chianti. Marco blends 8% Canaiolo and 2% Colorino with 90% Sangiovese to make a more complex and serious wine. If you’re looking for a killer bottle of Italian wine for under $30, this is it. 
 
ROCCA DI MONTEGROSSI
2018 CHIANTI CLASSICO
TUSCANY, ITALY
 
Your Price: $28
 
 
“The 2018 Chianti Classico opens with a burst of sweet red berry fruit, spice and wild flowers. Exuberant and racy, the 2018 is endowed with tremendous energy and tons of personality. Time in the glass brings out the wine’s inner sweetness and radiance, with a closing flourish of red flowers. This is a fabulous wine for the money. Don’t miss it. Drink 2022-2038.”
93 Points
 
“A red with blackberries, black cherries and hints of sliced dark mushrooms that follow through to a medium body, chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. Some bark, too. Always a serious Chianti Classico. Drink now.”
92 Points
 
“It is very youthful with great energy and freshness on the palate but still fairly tightly wound. I’d give it a few more months in bottle before approaching. Drinking Window 2021 – 2027.”
91 Points
 
“Rocca di Montegrossi’s Chianti Classico is the estate’s flagship wine; it is a blend of about 90% Sangiovese, with Canaiolo and Colorino, and is produced every year. It ages mainly in large casks and barrels made with oak from Allier, for 12-14 months. It is unfiltered, and after bottling it ages another 6 months prior to release. In the glass it is lively ruby, with bright violet reflections, and on the nose displays the rich fruity aromas typical of the varietals, particularly forest berry fruit and sour cherries.”
2017 Heinrich Spindler Trocken Riesling Pfalz Germany

2017 Heinrich Spindler Trocken Riesling Pfalz Germany

with No Comment $30 and underGermanyKevin VogtRiesling

HEINRICH SPINDLER

2017 TROCKEN RIESLING
PFALZ, GERMANY 

2017 Heinrich Spindler Trocken Riesling Pfalz Germany
There’s passion in winemaking, and then there’s Markus Spindler, whose heart beats for Riesling. His family has been crafting Riesling in the Pfalz region of Germany for 400 years. He believes premium wines can only arise when a variety of small but crucial conditions occur, and he does everything in his power to make sure these events happen. His 2017 Trocken Riesling is brilliant, and at less than thirty bucks, the quality in the bottle is unmatched. 
 
Markus Spindler farms 20 hectares of vines with a strong focus on organic principles. The vines are grown in shell limestone, basalt, colored sandstone, where the vines’ deep roots draw up the diverse minerals and store them in the grapes. 
 
Pfalz offers a range of microclimates perfectly suited for ripening Riesling. Markus meticulously vinifies each plot individually in all of its variants. His greatest challenge is preserving the full range of natural aromatics, which he achieves through gentle handling, limiting the use of pumps, and utilizing gravity flow whenever possible. 
 
HEINRICH SPINDLER
2017 TROCKEN RIESLING
PFALZ, GERMANY
 
Your Price: $28
 
 
“This is Markus’ bread and butter riesling. The grapes for this wine are sourced from Spindler’s vineyard holdings in Friedelsheim, Niederkirchen and Forst. It was fermented in stainless steel until dry with cultured yeasts. This is a pure expression of Pfalz exotics: passion fruit, peach, almond blossom.”
2017 Clos Du Caillou Cotes Du Rhone Cuvee Unique VV

2017 Clos Du Caillou Cotes Du Rhone Cuvee Unique VV

with No Comment $30 and underCotes du RhoneFranceKevin VogtRhone ValleyRhone Valley

CLOS Du CAILLOU

2017 COTES Du RHONE
CUVEE UNIQUE VV

2017 Clos Du Caillou Cotes Du Rhone Cuvee Unique VV
Clos du Caillou is a top producer of Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines, who at their core are stewards of their land. They’ve practiced biodynamic viticulture since the early 2000’s, and they were certified organic in 2010. Interestingly, their Old Vine Cotes-du-Rhone comes from a parcel walled by renowned Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyards. It was intentionally left out of the appellation by the owner, following a bureaucratic spat back in 1936. It’s truly one of the best Cotes-du-Rhone wines made.
 
The winery forged Clos du Caillou’s old-vine Cotes-du-Rhone Cuvée Unique from 45-year-old vines grown in sandy soils, which lends to the silky elegance and fine-grained texture that’s become a hallmark of their wines.
 
The 2017 vintage harmoniously married 82% Grenache with 18% Syrah and was kept for 16 months in Oak. The wine offers supple yet compact fruit that spans black cherry, wild lavender, hints of wild game, and a touch of spices on the palate.
 
CLOS Du CAILLOU
2017 COTES Du RHONE
CUVEE UNIQUE VV
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“This classically built wine begins with a complex nose including red cherries, baking spices, minerally iron, and sweet violets. The concentrated flavors carry red plums, kirsch, red currants, and earthy mushrooms to a delightfully long finish on the palate. This wine is a stunning value in every vintage, and one that almost everybody who tastes it loves.”
92 Points