2018 Jigar Malbec Sonoma County

2018 Jigar Malbec Sonoma County

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtMalbecSonomaSonoma ValleyUSA

JIGAR

MALBEC 2018
SONOMA COUNTY

2018 Jigar Malbec Sonoma County
Jigar and Stephanie Patel are the proud owners of Jigar Wines and seek to secure the best fruit possible from Jigar’s extensive and amicable grower relations along California’s North Coast. Jigar wines are small in production, terroir-driven, and varietally expressive, showcasing the potential of each vineyard brought forth by passionate farmers.
 
The fruit for their 2018 Malbec comes from the Sonoma Valley AVA, where a long, cool growing season created one of Sonoma’s best vintages in the last decade. The harvest took place two to three weeks later than usual, giving fruit with an intricate structure and intense concentration without being overripe. This tiny production of Malbec is pure, fruit-forward, and delightfully approachable.
 
JIGAR
MALBEC 2018
SONOMA COUNTY
Retails at: $30
 
 
 
“The Jigar 2018 Malbec opens with pure, fresh notes of bergamot, lilac, raspberry, blueberry, cinnamon, and black tea leaves. On the palate, the wine has a silky texture and flavors of ripe fruits, plum, blackberry, and berry bramble with a hint of carob. The wine has a playful light to medium body, clean aromatics, concentrated flavors, and a long finish.”
93 Points
2018 Proelio Vinedos Viejos Rioja Garnacha

2018 Proelio Vinedos Viejos Rioja Garnacha

with No Comment $30 and underGrenacheKevin VogtRiojaSpain

PROELIO

VINEDOS VIEJOS RIOJA
GARNACHA 2018

2018 Proelio Vinedos Viejos Rioja Garnacha
Palacios Vinos de Finca owns three wineries in Spain, and Proelio is their Riojan winery dedicated to expressing high-altitude vineyard terroirs within the region. Proelio’s small plots of old vine Garnacha, Tempranillo, and Graciano contribute distinctive Riojan characteristics to each wine produced.
 
The high-density vineyards where the grapes for the Viñedos Viejos Garnacha are grown thrive in the Alto Najerilla subzone with calcareous clay soils thrusting forth an array of complex aromas and flavors. The 2018 release is 100% varietal and fermented with native yeasts in wooden vats, with 30% stem inclusion, giving a fuller body with vibrant aromas and a silky texture for an unbelievable value.
 
PROELIO
VINEDOS VIEJOS RIOJA
GARNACHA 2018
 
 
 
“A fragrant garnacha with aromas of redcurrants, pomegranate, wild strawberries, thyme, lavender and lemon grass. Some oyster shell, too. Full-bodied with sleek tannins and bright acidity. Silky and vibrant with a long, fresh finish. Drink or hold.”
92 Points
 
“The red 2018 Viñedos Viejos is a perfumed and elegant Garnacha from Cárdenas in the Najerilla zone on red clay and sandstone soils aged in large oak vats for one year. It has 14.5% alcohol but with great balance, and the wine doesn’t come through as ripe or hot at all. In fact, it feels quite fresh, reflecting a cooler vintage. It’s varietal, clean, with integrated oak and with a vibrant and tasty palate…”
92 Points
2021 Two Squared Chardonnay Knights Valley Sonoma

2021 Two Squared Chardonnay Knights Valley Sonoma

with No Comment $30 and underChardonnayKevin VogtKnight's ValleySonomaUSA

TWO SQUARED

CHARDONNAY 2021
KNIGHTS VALLEY SONOMA

2021 Two Squared Chardonnay Knights Valley Sonoma
Alpha Omega’s value-focused brand, Two Squared, offers approachable wines in both price and drinkability driven by partnerships with privately-owned boutique vineyards throughout California. All the fruit sourced is hand-picked and fermented in stainless steel tanks to ensure each variety reveals its unbridled characteristics.
 
Alpha Omega’s winemaking team crafts dynamic white wines in a fresh, bright, and focused style. Their Knight’s Valley Chardonnay captures the variety’s most significant attributes in a spectacular balance of flavors, acidity, and length. The 2021 vintage saw ten months of gentle maturation in French oak to coax a bit of toast and pastry notes that elegantly complement the fruit. This value-Chardonnay completely over-delivers in this price range.
 
TWO SQUARED
CHARDONNAY 2021
KNIGHTS VALLEY SONOMA
Retails at: $32
 
 
 
“The Two Squared 2021 Knights Valley Chardonnay opens with potent aromas of orange blossoms, ripe pear, lemon meringue pie, beeswax, and toasted bread. On the palate, the wine has flavors of yellow apple, green mango, pineapple, and roasted almond. The wine has a medium to full body, a soft mouthfeel, and a pleasant, lingering finish.”
93-94 Points
2020 Chateau Lamagdelain Noire Malbec Cahors France

2020 Chateau Lamagdelain Noire Malbec Cahors France

with No Comment $30 and underCahorsFranceKevin VogtMalbec

CHÂTEAU

LAMAGDELAINE NOIRE
MALBEC 2020
CAHORS, FRANCE

2020 Chateau Lamagdelain Noire Malbec Cahors France
Malbec has been produced in Cahors, France, since the late middle ages, finally receiving AOC status in 1971. The wines have continually gained popularity worldwide, competing with the grape’s new-found home in Mendoza, Argentina. Malbecs from Cahors have a firmer tannic structure and a rustic, earthy spice characteristic that beautifully contrasts with the variety’s innate fruity components. 
 
The AOC allows up to 30% of other varieties, such as Tannat or Merlot, to be blended with Malbec; however, a trending resurgence in 100% Malbec has occurred over the last two decades. Château Lamagdelaine Noire’s vines have an average age of around 40 years, providing layers of flavor and complexity, preserved by maturation in concrete eggs and concrete vats. This style of aging protects the fruit’s purity while retaining the wine’s ability to age in the bottle for another eight to ten years.
 
CHÂTEAU
LAMAGDELAINE NOIRE
MALBEC 2020
CAHORS, FRANCE
 
 
 
“The Chateau Lamagdelaine Noire 2020 Cahors Malbec opens with a brooding nose of intense aromatics, including lavender, dried thyme, black plum, chocolate brownie mix, and smoke meat. On the palate, the wine has flavors of blackberry, pomegranate, black tea leaves, and savory spice. The tannins are firm and fine-grained, and the acidity is bright, making this wine an excellent companion with food. The finish is long and complex, and the wine is a stunning example of the region.”
95 Points
2017 Rocca Vesperra Napa Valley Red

2017 Rocca Vesperra Napa Valley Red

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSAYountville

ROCCA

VESPERRA 2017
NAPA VALLEY RED

2017 Rocca Vesperra Napa Valley Red
Rocca Family Vineyards’ team makes wines from two certified organic estate vineyards awarded Napa Green and Fish Friendly Farming. The Grigsby Vineyard in Yountville is the source of the lush fruit for the Vespera Red Blend, a hand selection of barrels highlighting the philosophy of sharing a bottle of wine with family and friends.
 
Vespera is the Latin word for “evening,” which perfectly represents a setting where loved ones share conviviality and joy without being pretentious. The 2017 vintage is 43% Cabernet Sauvignon blended with Syrah, and Merlot, aged in French oak for 22 months. The wine is a diamond in the rough and an incredible value for a high-quality, hand-made Napa Valley Blend.
 
ROCCA
VESPERRA 2017
NAPA VALLEY RED
Retails at: $50
 
 
 
“Charming nose of dark fruit, violets and chalk. Some chocolate, too. It’s medium-bodied and savory with an inky note and firm tannins. Energetic finish with fresh acidity. Drink or hold.”
91 Points
2017 Marques De Murrieta Finca Ygay Reserva Rioja Spain

2017 Marques De Murrieta Finca Ygay Reserva Rioja Spain

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtProprietary RedRiojaSpainTempranillo

MARQUÉS DE MURRIETA

FINCA YGAY RESERVA
RIOJA SPAIN 2017

2017 Marques De Murrieta Finca Ygay Reserva Rioja Spain
Luciano Murrieta was one of the first winemakers to establish a winery in Rioja after his studies in Bordeaux in 1852. He achieved worldwide recognition for his signature style of producing powerful, complex, and elegant wines. The Marqués de Murrieta Reserva is a traditional Riojan wine that embodies Luciano’s passion and pays tribute to one of Rioja’s pioneers.
 
The vineyards are located in Rioja Alta at 320 to 485 meters above sea level and are rooted in a traditional, iconic history with modern innovation. The 2017 Reserva is 82% Tempranillo, 9% Graciano, 6% Mazuelo, and 2% Garnacha aged 16 months in a mixture of new and used American oak with a year and a half in the bottle before release for a balanced integration and sophisticated drinkability.
 
MARQUÉS DE MURRIETA
FINCA YGAY RESERVA
RIOJA SPAIN 2017
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“Incredible depth and intensity on the nose with chocolate, walnut, blackberry and wet-earth aromas. Some iodine, too. All this follows through to a full body with very silky tannins that give the wine depth and length. It’s really framed beautifully. Reserved and tight at the finish. A terrific wine for the cellar. Give this three to five years to open.” (Reviewed October 2021)
96 Points
2019 Chateau De La Greniere Lussac Saint-Emilion Bordeaux France

2019 Chateau De La Greniere Lussac Saint-Emilion Bordeaux France

with No Comment $30 and underBordeauxBordeauxFranceKevin VogtSaint Emilion

CHÂTEAU DE LA GRENIÈRE

LUSSAC SAINT-ÉMILION
BORDEAUX, FRANCE 2019

2019 Chateau De La Greniere Lussac Saint-Emilion Bordeaux France
Château de la Grenière was founded in the 17th century and acknowledged in the 1868 edition of “Bordeaux & Its Wines,” where it ranked amongst the finest producers in Lussac Saint-Émilion. The soils comprise limestone and clay with a top layer of gravel that encourages sufficient drainage and forces the vines’ roots to dig deep into the earth, ultimately providing compelling complexity to the grapes.
 
Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc are the predominant varieties in Lussac, and Château de la Grenière’s 35-year-old vines yield a classic example of the region. The 2019 release is 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cabernet Franc, providing an intrinsic spice that links the wine to a distinct sense of place unmatched anywhere in the world.
 
CHÂTEAU DE LA GRENIÈRE
LUSSAC SAINT-ÉMILION
BORDEAUX, FRANCE 2019
 
 
 
“Aromas of ripe dark and blue fruit with hints of chocolate, sweet tobacco and leaves. Plush and juicy with medium body, creamy tannins and a velvety mouth-feel. Soft and lingering. Drinkable now, but better after 2024.”
92 Points
2020 Morgan Twelve Clones Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

2020 Morgan Twelve Clones Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtMontereyPinot NoirSanta Lucia HighlandsUSA

MORGAN

TWELVE CLONES
PINOT NOIR 2020
SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS

2020 Morgan Twelve Clones Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands
Dan and Donna Lee opened Morgan Winery in 1982, winning Gold and Platinum Medals at the Los Angeles County Fair, from Wine & Spirits Magazine in 1996, and from the San Francisco Chronicle in 2003. These awards helped to establish Morgan Winery as one of the Central Coast’s most recognized labels.
 
The winery’s flagship wine is the Twelve Clones Pinot Noir. This wine pays homage to the numerous clones of Pinot Noir that give it its layers of complex flavors and aromas. The fruit for the 2020 vintage comes from some of Santa Lucia Highlands’ best vineyards, including Morgan’s organically farmed Double L Vineyard, and was whole berry fermented, matured for nine months in French oak, and is a splendid example of the region’s best traits.
 
MORGAN
TWELVE CLONES
PINOT NOIR 2020
SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS
Retails at: $38
 
 
 
“Dark plum and purple-flower aromas show on the nose of this clonal combination. The bold palate is hearty and rich with flavors of black raspberry, blood-orange rind and crushed graphite, offering immense, impressive depth.”
94 Points
2018 Eco Terreno Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

2018 Eco Terreno Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

with No Comment $30 and underAlexander ValleyCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtSonomaUSA

ECO TERRENO

CABERNET SAUVIGNON  
ALEXANDER VALLEY 2018

2018 Eco Terreno Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley
Eco Terreno combines Mark Lyon’s relentless drive for sustainability with his remarkable winemaking skills and vast experience gained after spending nearly four decades as lead winemaker at Sebastiani Vineyards. Mark knows that delicious wines begin with healthy vines, and his biodynamically farmed vineyards provide him with the ingredients to craft exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon.
 
We discovered this wine last Fall around the time we started asking if there were any more exceptional domestic Cabernets under $30. When it hit our glass, the wine decisively revealed beautifully concentrated, pure, and complex Alexander Valley fruit, perfectly polished and balanced. We selected it as one of the top-ten value wines under $40 last year, and the wine continues to put a smile on my face every time I try it. 
 
ECO TERRENO
CABERNET SAUVIGNON  
ALEXANDER VALLEY 2018
Retails at: $32
 
 
 
“The 2018 Eco Terreno Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley opens with wild strawberries, black plum, gingerbread, and coffee grounds. The baking spice notes in the wine beautifully combine with the fruit aspects to create an ideal balance with flavors of supple fruits, nutmeg, and dried herbs. The bright acidity gives the wine an exciting brevity that carries into a long pleasant finish and leaves a smile on your face.”
96 Points
2022 AXR Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley

2022 AXR Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtNapaSauvignon BlancUSA

AXR

SAUVIGNON BLANC
NAPA VALLEY 2022 

2022 AXR Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley
AXR’s estate is a historic property founded over 130 years ago that has been a brewery, restaurant, inn, saloon, and winery with the first woman vintner in California in 1886. The property sits at the base of the Mayacamas Mountains with layers of sedimentary soils formed from eons of rainwater runoff, giving a distinct character and range of depth.
 
Winemaker and part-owner Jean Hoefliger was born in Switzerland and gained initial experience making wine in Bordeaux, working for Château Lynch-Bages and Château Carbonnieux, and later in South Africa at Meerlust. AXR’s 2022 Sauvignon Blanc was fermented in three different vessels, 70% in barrel, 18% in stainless steel, and 12% in concrete eggs, before five months of maturation in 20% new French oak, giving a white Bordeaux-style and mouthfeel with expressive Napa Valley fruit. 
 
AXR
SAUVIGNON BLANC
NAPA VALLEY 2022 
 
 
 
“A bright and vivid white with so much energy and brightness with lime, mango and sliced green pineapple. Tangy, crunchy, and crisp. Drink now.”
91 Points