2014 Black Kite Pinot Noir Kite's Rest Vineyard

2014 Black Kite Pinot Noir Kite’s Rest Vineyard

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtNapaPinot NoirUSA

BLACK KITE

2014 Black Kite Pinot Noir Kite's Rest Vineyard2014 PINOT NOIR
KITE’S REST VINEYARD

 
In a word, it’s exhilarating…  The aromas give you a rush like taking off in a 747… The plush, velvety core makes you feel like you’re sitting back in comfy leather seats… The finish is like landing safely in paradise, with memories of the ride bringing a smile to your face.  Black Kite is one of California’s rising star Pinot producers, whom the Pinot Report alerted readers that they “burst on the scene with outstanding wines.” We elevated their 2013 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir as our pick for wine-of-the-year in 2016 and their 2014 Kite’s Rest flies at an even higher level. 
Lifting spirits high into the rising thermals of Pinot Noir bliss, Black Kite’s Kite’s Rest Pinot Noir offers a rush of dark berries, minerals and wild rose, and it seduces you with each swirl. Absolutely thrilling to taste, this devine Pinot Noir was authored by Jeff Gaffner, who is responsible for making the renowned 1996 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cépages, which was the Wine Spectator’s #1 wine of the year.  If you’ve tasted any of their earlier vintages, you’ve probably already clicked the order button… if not, and you’d like to try one of California’s best examples of Pinot Noir, don’t hesitate too long, because there’s never enough of this Pinot to go around…    
 
BLACK KITE
2014 PINOT NOIR
KITE’S REST VINEYARD
Retails at:  $50.00/btl
Your Price: $44.99/btl 
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From The Wine Enthusiast: “Great fruit concentration and grace make this wine a winner. It feels medium-bodied despite its high degree of ripeness, showing that balance is attainable with significant power. It has ripe, plummy aromas, fresh red cherry and cranberry flavors, supportive tannins and excellent acidity.”  93 Points, Editor’s Choice

 

Customers that enjoy Black Kite’s Kite’s Rest Vineyard Pinot,  may also enjoy these two terrific Pinots…
2014 TROMBETTA PINOT NOIR SONOMA COAST 2014 Small Vines Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
TROMBETTA
2014 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST
Your Price: $44.99/btl 
 
From The Wine Enthusiast: “The oak treatment is supportive only, with the wine aged in French oak, 25% of it new, for nine months. Restraint allows it to remain soft and silky on the palate, with inviting characteristics of white pepper, lavender, rose, cranberry, strawberry and vanilla bean.” 
93 Points
SMALL VINES
2014 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST
Retails at:  $55/btl
 
Wine Enthusiast: “This tiny, family-run production shows a tremendous talent at growing grapes and making wines of great substance and sophistication. It aims for a bright, restrained and complex style, which it achieves here with aplomb. Black cherry, mint and a tease of smoky oak accent a fleshy, lengthy texture and body that shines in acidity.”   93 Points
Wagner Family Red Schooner Malbac Voyage 5

Wagner Family Red Schooner Malbac Voyage 5

with No Comment $40-$50ArgentinaKevin VogtMalbec

WAGNER FAMILY

RED SCHOONER
MALBEC, VOYAGE 5

Wagner Family Red Schooner Malbac Voyage 5
It is exciting for me when a wine generates a consistent flow of re-orders because it always indicates that the wine is showing remarkably well.  In nearly every case, it also marks the beginning of the end of the vintage, because you can’t hide a wine that’s performing at it’s best. Red Schooner’s Voyage 5 has reached that point, made obvious by the extravagant flavors and hauntingly vivid perfume of crushed mulberries, freshly picked blackberries, dried violets and sweet spices…
With premium Malbec grapes sourced from the base of the Andes Mountains of Argentina, after harvest, the fruit is super-chilled and held at low temperatures just above freezing while making the ocean voyage to Caymus winery in Napa Valley, where it’s pressed in their state-of-the-art winemaking facility.  Kept for 15 months in French oak, this rich and expressive Malbec embodies the Caymus signature style, and will remain an absolute favorite for those already in-the-know and set the high water mark for those new to this journey… 
 
WAGNER FAMILY
RED SCHOONER
MALBEC, VOYAGE 5
Your Price: $49.99/btl  
 
 
Winery Notes: “This Malbec is made from grapes grown in the Andes Mountains, shipped chilled to Napa Valley and produced with the same techniques as our Caymus Cabernet. Falling outside standard labeling rules, it does not include a vintage date but is known by the voyage from which it was produced (Voyage 5 is the 2014 vintage). Offering scents of ripe plums and cherries, this wine is powerful and supple, with flavors of French oak and soft tannins.”

 

Customers who enjoy Wagner Family’s Red Schooner Malbec may also enjoy these two terrific Reds…
2014 La Sirena Pirate TreasRed Proprietary Red 2014 Steps Winemaker's Reserve Proprietary Blend
LA SIRENA
PIRATE TREASURED
2014 PROPRIETARY BLEND
Your Price: $64.99/btl 
Wine doesn’t always have to be serious to be great… This wine is both fun and great at the same time, and it was authored by the ever Iconic winemaker Heidi Barrett. Heidi’s list of past and present clients includes Amuse Bouche, Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle, Grace Family, Revana, David Arthur and  Barbour. In 2000 Heidi made history at the Napa Valley Wine Auction when a single 6L bottle of ’92 Screaming Eagle sold for a record $500,000. 
STEPS 
WINEMAKER’S RESERVE 
2014 PROPRIETARY BLEND
Your Price: $49.99/btl
 
The 6 barrel production  Winemaker’s Reserve is heavily based in Atlas Peak, and made transparent by its striking crushed rock minerality and dusty tannins that make the area so desired.  The final blend has a solid core of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon from Atlas Peak, magnified by 14% Cabernet Franc from Kenefick Palisades Vineyard, 9% Malbec from Oakville and 5% Petit Verdot from Coombsville.
Small Vines 2014 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

Small Vines 2014 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtNapaPinot NoirSonoma CoastUSA

SMALL VINES

2014 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST

Small Vines 2014 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

We’ve been conditioned to believe that bigger is better… but sometimes smaller is pretty darn good. Small Vines defines what a true Artisan producer is, and crafts wines of brilliant clarity, stunning depth and perfect balance.  They’re not just small in production, but their organically farmed vineyards yield just 1 to 2 pounds of fruit per vine naturally, due to the petite vines and tight spacing.  Then again, big can be good too, like the flavors which are broad and expansive, and of course, the high score.  At $55/btl this wine competes with the best California Pinots on the market.
Emerging from four sensational vineyard sites including TBH, Fassler, Baranoff and MK, the winery also produces single vineyard Pinots which retail for around $70-$80/btl.  Once harvested, the berries pass through roughly a dozen rigorous hand-evaluations, selecting only the very best grapes.  If you’re searching for a stunningly complex, classic Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, you’ll want a case of this beauty. 
 
SMALL VINES
2014 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST
Retails at:  $55/btl
 
 
 
 
Wine Enthusiast: “This tiny, family-run production shows a tremendous talent at growing grapes and making wines of great substance and sophistication. It aims for a bright, restrained and complex style, which it achieves here with aplomb. Black cherry, mint and a tease of smoky oak accent a fleshy, lengthy texture and body that shines in acidity.” 93 Points

 

Customers that enjoy Small Vine’s Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, may also enjoy these two terrific Pinots…
CRU 9
2014 PINOT NOIR
MARION, RUSSIAN RIVER
Retails at:  $45.00/btl
 
“This is a prodigious Pinot Noir that offers an awesome nose of wild Spring flowers, cherry cola, fresh crushed raspberries, tart red plum and sweet vanilla spice.  It is concentrated, structured, amazingly balanced and follows through on the palate with black bing cherries, wild berries and dried orange peel intermixed in an elegant, seamlessly graceful style that is absolutely stunning to drink now, but will cellar through 2024.” 95 Points, Kevin M. Vogt, Master Sommelier
DANIEL
2014 PINOT NOIR
LAGUNA VINEYARD
Retails at:  $60.00/btl
Your Price: $39.99/btl 
 
 
This profound Pinot was composed by accomplished winemaker Dan Fitzgerald, who got his start working at Williams-Selyem… Winery Notes: “This Daniel Pinot Noir is brilliant ruby red in color. The bouquet opens with Huckleberry coulis and black cherry, followed by charcuterie and cedar. This pinot boasts incredibly concentrated red and dark fruit that lingers with a silky texture on the palate. A wine capable of long term aging, every sip offers new nuance.”

Grassi 2014 Shiner Series Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $40-$50Atlas PeakCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaStags LeapUSA
GRASSI
2014 SHINER SERIES
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
 
We run across many second wines, but they don’t always come in second place…  Particularly when they’re created from Estate fruit and crafted by a brilliant winemaker.  Factoring in that Super Seconds often come at a lower price, it’s something to pay closer attention to. Grassi’s 6 barrel production of their 2014 Shiner Series Cabernet is incredibly fabulous and lucky for consumers, it also comes in at around $30/btl below their Estate Cabernet… It’s brought to life by Robbie Meyer, whose experience includes 5 vintages at the iconic Peter Michael Winery, as well as time at Lewis Cellars, Jericho Canyon, Del Dotto, and Meyer is currently the winemaker for Pierson Meyer…
 
Emanating from Grassi’s Estate Vineyard located on Soda Canyon Road, positioned about a mile South of the Stag’s Leap District and rests just below Atlas Peak, Grassi excelled in 2014… The clonal selection includes 337, which is commonly used in cult Cabernets and is known for producing bold yet luscious wines with some spice, dark berry flavors, and supple tannins.   Aged for 20 months in oak, this wine has everything I look for in a high-end Napa valley Cabernet, except the high price.
 
FYI, a “Shiner” is an unlabeled bottle straight from the winery prior to labeling, generally with a paper sticker and hand-written info on it.  This wine is an hommage to actual “Shiners.”
 
GRASSI
2014 SHINER SERIES
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Retails at:  $50/btl
Your Price: $45/btl Click to Order
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Winery Notes: “This Cabernet Sauvignon blend is a delicious and approachable cuvee from our estate vineyard… shows beautiful fruit expressions of ripe black cherry and wild blackberry. There is appropriate structure to the wine, but you will find it to have soft tannins and a very even mouthfeel that can be enjoyed as a daily wine pairing.” 150 Cases Produced
 
 
Customers who enjoy Grassi’s Shiner Series Cabernet Sauvignon may also enjoy these stunning Cabernets…
EHLERS ESTATE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2014 ST. HELENA
Retails at:  $55.00/btl
 
 
In grape growing, much as in real estate, location-location-location is absolutely essential.   And when your neighbors include Chuck McMinn’s renowned “Aida” Vineyard, Turley and Revana, wine lovers should pay keen attention.  Founded in 1886, EhlersEstate, located just North of St. Helena, quietly produces some of the most classically styled Cabernet Sauvignon out there.
LAIRD
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2013 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at:  $60.00/btl
Your Price: $52.99/btl
 
 
 
From Wine Enthusiast, “Juicy, spicy and red-fruit dominated, this wine is broad-shouldered and moderately balanced, with a powerful hit of tannin on the finish. Sweet tobacco and vanilla flavors crescendo on the finish.”
 
 
 
90 Points

Buoncristiani 2014 OPC Blend Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA
BUONCRISTIANI

2014 O.P.C. BLEND
NAPA VALLEY
 
In winemaking, sometimes less is more, but in this particular scenario, more is clearly more.  Created by four brothers, each with their own set of skills and talents that when combined with a passion for wine… the results speak for themselves.  Consistently high scoring and now in it’s 16th vintage, they’ve managed to again raise the bar, and it’s already made a big impression on the critics.  Robert Parker boasts that it’s “an intriguing blend that Buoncristiani has pulled off flawlessly” and with the stellar 95 Point Score, don’t hesitate to secure a case.
 
The 2014 blend was fashioned from a rockstar lineup of several of Napa Valley’s most prestigious vineyards, including Hyde, Stagecoach, Hossfeld, Bennett, and even the Yountville Vineyard just across from our wine shop.  The diversity in each site adds complexity to the final blend.  Aged for 20 months in French oak barrels, the wine is dense, concentrated and remarkably delicious.  If you’re searching for a stand-out Napa Valley blend from one of the best vintages in the last decade… This is it.
 
  From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, “The 2014 Proprietary Red O.P.C. is a blend of 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Syrah, 20% Malbec and 12% Merlot. A brilliant nose of blue, red and black fruits, licorice, graphite, background spice and roasted meats jumps from the glass of this complex proprietary red. This is an intriguing blend that Buoncristiani has pulled off flawlessly. The color is a dense ruby/purple, the wine full-bodied and rich with sweet tannin, a burgeoning, broad suppleness and a rich, long, lusty finish. Drink it over the next 10-12 years.“ 95 Points
 
Retails at:  $70.00/btl
 
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Steps 2015 Reserve Barrel Select Proprietary Red

with No Comment $40-$50Atlas PeakKevin VogtMt VeederNapaProprietary RedUSA
STEPS RESERVE
BARREL SELECT
2015 PROPRIETARY RED
Taking giant steps forward in terms of quality, but stepping back production by nearly two thirds, this is the most limited Steps Reserve wine in years.  In 2015 mother nature dealt small yields of extremely high quality fruit, and winemaker Grant Long Jr. combined only the best barrels to produce a single Steps blend this year and once sold out… It’s gone for good. Upon entry the 2015 Reserve Blend penetrates your taste buds with dreamlike intensity and all of the scrumptiously thrilling qualities and unforgettable flavors and aromas that make Steps Reserve so wondrous.  Only available at $45/btl through March 31st, I recommend securing your case as soon as possible.
Arising from Mountainous Vineyards, including Mount Veeder and Altas Peak, the 2015 is built around a core of nearly 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, heightened with Cabernet Franc and Malbec.  Simply stunning to swirl and taste, the 2015 was cave aged for nearly 24 months in high quality oak barrels.  Dramatic, thrilling and hedonistic are all excellent descriptors for the 2015 Steps Reserve and with a total production of only 150 cases, don’t let this one walk on by.
STEPS RESERVE
BARREL SELECT
2015 PROPRIETARY RED
Retails at:  $50/btl
Your Price: $45/btl Click to Order
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Tasting Notes: “Rich, opulent aromas emerge laced with fresh black raspberries, chocolate covered cherries, espresso roast and a touch of sweet vanilla oak.  Penetrating, velvety flavors of crushed blackberries, black plum, minerals, kirsch and hints of roasted coffee expand across your palate as layer upon layer of complexity unfolds.  The supple yet slightly dusty tannins beautifully frame the plush fruit as it elegantly caresses your palate through the long pleasurable finish…”  Delicious now, this wine will cellar for at least 12 years.“
Cabernet Sauvignon 68% | Cabernet Franc 21% | Malbec 11%
Customers who enjoy the Steps Barrel Select may also enjoy these two outstanding Reds…
JAMES JOSEPH
2015 CABERNET FRANC
RESERVE, NAPA VALLEY
Your Price: $49.99/btl
With a total production of only 4 barrels, this rarely bottled varietal from James Josephgrabs you right from the start.  Showing surreal-like tension between Atlas Peak and Diamond Mountain terroirs, the 2015 is locked and loaded with crushed black fruits, camphor, burning embers, and black cherries, laced with volcanic minerals, graphite and crushed rock
STEPS
WINEMAKER’S RESERVE
2014 PROPRIETARY BLEND
Your Price: $49.99/btl
The 6 barrel production  Winemaker’s Reserve is heavily based in Atlas Peak, and made transparent by its striking crushed rock minerality and dusty tannins that make the area so desired.  The final blend has a solid core of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon from Atlas Peak, magnified by 14% Cabernet Franc from Kenefick Palisades Vineyard, 9% Malbec from Oakville and 5% Petit Verdot from Coombsville.

Faust 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaRutherfordUSA
FAUST
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2015 NAPA VALLEY
A constant frontrunner in our tasting room in Yountville, Faust has become one of my go-to Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons for truly top quality wine in this price range.  Created in Quintessa’s state-of-the-art winery in Rutherford, Faust’s 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon unleashes a flurry of extravagant aromas infused with opulent black fruits, melted chocolate, graphite and intense violets.  Created from the winery’s estate vineyards in Coombsville and Rutherford, combined with additions of Atlas Peak, Mount Veeder and Howell Mountain resulting in diverse flavors that continually unfurl new components with aeration.  With a 92-94 Point score from Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, I wouldn’t hesitate too long to secure a case.
Pre-fermentation, the grapes are hand-sorted twice with full-attention to every detail.  Optimizing technology, Quintessa uses a gravity-flow method where are grapes are gently crushed on the winery roof before making their way to the fermentation room below using the force of gravity.  This provides a gentler, more grape friendly approach to winemaking and the results simply need to be tasted to be appreciated.
FAUST
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2015 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at:  $55.00/btl
Your Price: $49.99/btl Click to Order
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From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, “A barrel sample, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon is deep garnet-purple colored, with a decadent cassis, baked blackberries and plum preserves-scented nose, plus hints of spice cake, cedar and Marmite toast. Full-bodied, rich, concentrated and wonderfully spicy in the mouth, it has velvety tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long.” 92-94 Points
Customers that enjoy Faust’s Napa Valley Cabernet may also enjoy these two terrific wines from Quintessa… 
ILLUMINATION
2016 SAUVIGNON BLANC
BY QUINTESSA
Retails at:  $50.00/btl
Your Price: $39.99/btl
With a striking bouquet that is one of the most penetrating and intense from any Sauvignon Blanc I’ve ever experienced, spotlighting vivid passionfruit, exotic mango, zesty tangerine, caramelized grapefruit and sweet floral, Quintessa’s 2016 Illumination is exceptionally bright and full of energy. This wine guaranteed to brighten any occasion…
QUINTESSA
2014 PROPRIETARY RED
RUTHERFORD, NAPA VALLEY
Your Price: $174.99/btl
From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, “… A beautiful floral, black raspberry and blackcurrant nose soars from this dense ruby/purple wine. Medium-bodied, beautifully rich and layered, the emphasis is on discreet yet intense flavors, power allied with elegance, and wonderfully supple, lush tannins. This wine has great balance, purity, and presence on the palate and should evolve beautifully for two decades or more…“
 94 Points

Bruna Grimaldi 2013 Badarina Barolo Piedmont Italy

with No Comment $40-$50ArgentinaBaroloBaroloCountryItalyKevin Vogt
BRUNA GRIMALDI
2013 BADARINA BAROLO
PIEDMONT, ITALY
LIMITED… WILL SELL OUT TODAY!
It’s human nature to want to break records, whether it be in sports, the stock market and it’s even the basis behind Norris and Ross McWhirter’s Guiness Book of World Records.  We have a record of our own in Bruna Grimaldi’s 2013 Badarina Barolo… With a 97 Point score, this is the highest scoring Barolo that we’ve ever offered.  This could be the poster-child for classic Piedmont Barolo with stunningly penetrating fruit, a vivid and complex core and a loooooong hedonistic finish.  At under fifty per bottle, this wine might set another record…  the fewest minutes ’till sold-out.
Introducing their first vintage in the 1960’s, it wasn’t until 1999 that a younger generation of Grimaldi’s modernized the winery and took it to the next level.  Arising from a single vineyard in Serralunga, the Badarina Barolo spends around 2 years in oak and nearly a year in bottle before release.  If you love Barolo or simply like some of the best things in life, you’ll love this…
BRUNA GRIMALDI
2013 BADARINA BAROLO
PIEDMONT, ITALY
Retails at:  $75.00/btl
Your Price: $47.99/btl Click to Order
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From the Wine Enthusiast, “A balsamic note of menthol, dark culinary spice, crushed herb, new leather and wild berry aromas come together in the glass. Firmly structured but extraordinarily refined, the palate doles out red cherry, crushed strawberry, tobacco and cinnamon set against tightly woven refined tannins. Lively acidity lends balance and energy while a licorice note wraps around the lingering finish. Drink 2025-2043.” 97 Points, Cellar Selection

 

Customers who enjoy Bruna Grimaldi’s Badarina Barolo, may also enjoy these two terrific Italian wines…
LA RASINA
2012 BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO
Your Price: $45/btl
From James Suckling, “A wonderfully precise and clear red with cherry, plum and floral character. Hints of lemons. Full body and firm and velvety tannins. Long and tannic. Yet this still shows polish. Better in 2020.” 
 
 
 96 Points
SILVIO GRASSO
2013 BAROLO
PIEDMONT, ITALY
Your Price: $34.99/btl
Pushing the boundaries of tangible value, to find a beautifully crafted and classically styled Barolo at under forty per bottle isn’t just an anomaly… It’s a dominating statement in terms of what’s achievable and available at this price point.  Created in a warm, intense style with a solid core and beautifully persistent flavors, we simply couldn’t believe how great this Barolo was for $34.99/btl…