2020 Macauley Chardonnay Bacigalupi Vineyard Russian River Valley

2020 Macauley Chardonnay Bacigalupi Vineyard Russian River Valley

with No Comment $40-$50ChardonnayKevin VogtRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

MACAULEY

CHARDONNAY 2020
BACIGALUPI VINEYARD
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

2020 Macauley Chardonnay Bacigalupi Vineyard Russian River Valley
Macauley Vineyard was founded in 1980 by Ann Macauley Watson and today is owned and operated by her son Mac. Mac began his love affair in the wine industry after crushing his first vintage in 2001 while working for Rudd Estate. He works closely with his childhood friend Kirk Venge, son of the renowned winemaker Nils Venge, to craft wines representing the next generation of exceptional winemaking.
 
Mac and Kirk share the same goal of producing wines with depth, brilliance, and a range of complexity directly related to each site’s specific terroir. Their Chardonnay beautifully depicts the historic Bacigalupi vineyard, coming from the same block that went into the famed 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, winner at the iconic Judgement of Paris tasting. The wine indulges the senses with its Burgundian finesse, balance, and bright acidity from equal treatments of concrete, oak, and stainless steel, producing a mere 315 cases.
 
MACAULEY
CHARDONNAY 2020
BACIGALUPI VINEYARD
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
 
Your Price: $48
 
 
“The Macauley 2020 Bacigalupi Vineyard Chardonnay opens with rich aromas of apricot, nectarine, honeydew melon, cinnamon apple strudel, toast, and wet rocks. On the palate, the wine has opulent flavors of peach, lemon yogurt, and a hint of vanilla extract with a long, pleasant finish. This wine is ready to drink now and has a structure suitable for aging.”
93 Points
2018 Aldenalli Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

2018 Aldenalli Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

ALDENALLI

PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST 2018

2018 Aldenalli Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
Alden and Emeril Lagasse developed the Aldenalli brand together with Alli and Dan Kosta, collectively aiming to produce Pinot Noirs from the Sonoma Coast with as much character as their esteemed reputations in the food and wine industry. Dan is an award-winning winemaker and Kosta Browne co-founder, and Emeril is a celebrity chef and proprietor of many successful restaurants all over the country.
 
The 2018 Aldenalli Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is a cuvée of three vineyards; Campbell Ranch, giving elegance and freshness, and Roger’s Creek and Sunchase Vineyards from the Petaluma Gap, adding luscious body, tannic structure, and earthy spice. This wine team matched their passion behind creating this wine with its intensity and concentration of bright flavors and exhilarating power to produce a wine diverse enough to pair with just about any dish you can throw at it.
 
ALDENALLI
PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST 2018
Retails at: $56
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
“Rich and well-structured, with concentrated dark plum, cherry and raspberry flavors that are filled with plenty of Asian spice accents. Ends with notes of dark chocolate and cream on the mineral-filled finish, with peppery hints. Drink now through 2025.”
93 Points
2019 Prisoner Cabernet Sauvingnon Napa Valley

2019 Prisoner Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

PRISONER

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2019

2019 Prisoner Cabernet Sauvingnon Napa Valley
Impressively rich and concentrated, The Prisoner Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 is a wine made in a similar fashion and style as The Prisoner Red Blend but with Cabernet Sauvignon as the main blending component. Director of Winemaking Chrissy Wittman works closely with a team of experienced growers in Napa Valley, and hand selects vineyard blocks that best fit the profile of her spellbinding wines unhindered by tradition.
 
Chrissy blended in small percentages of Merlot, Syrah, Malbec, Petite Sirah, and Charbono for the extra rich mouthfeel well known by Prisoner drinkers worldwide. It aged in French and American oak, giving the wine a signature spice rack of flavors and silky smooth finish. Our panel was impressed by this wine’s stunning concentration, superior richness, and riveting flavor profile, guaranteed to delight fans of rich, inky-style Napa Cabs.
 
PRISONER
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2019
Retails at: $55
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
“Sleek, with cassis and plum notes laced with subtle alder and tobacco notes. The polished finish has a pretty flicker of savory. Drink now through 2027.”
91 Points
 
“The Prisoner Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 begins with a deep, rich nose of black and blue fruits, toasted coconut, sweet vanilla, and wood spice. The palate is lush and rich, with deep, ripe blackberry and sweet black currants combined with espresso, baker’s chocolate, and tobacco notes.”
90 Points
2020 My Favorite Neighbor Blanc Chardonnay Blend San Luis Obispo

2020 My Favorite Neighbor Blanc Chardonnay Blend San Luis Obispo

with No Comment $40-$50Central CoastChardonnayKevin VogtPaso RoblesUSA

MY FAVORITE NEIGHBOR

BLANC [CHARDONNAY-BLEND]
SAN LUIS OBISPO 2020

2020 My Favorite Neighbor Blanc Chardonnay Blend San Luis Obispo
Farming is life for Eric Jensen, so he works exclusively with farmers who share the common goal of growing the best fruit possible using organic or biodynamic practices, coaxing the vines to perform at their apex. Gaining experience from neighbors Stephan Asseo of L’Aventure, and friend Justin Smith of Saxum, Eric’s wines make a bold statement of quality with an ideal balance of opulence, intensity, and richness.
 
Eric designs his wines to capture high-quality wine’s most intriguing qualities but with a value price to be shared with friends, family, and your favorite neighbors any day of the week. This Chardonnay-based blend is sourced from select vineyard sites in San Luis Obispo and is rich, sleek, and ready to drink now or in five to six years for aged complexity.
 
MY FAVORITE NEIGHBOR
BLANC [CHARDONNAY-BLEND]
SAN LUIS OBISPO 2020
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
“The Chardonnay-based 2020 Blanc has lush tropical fruits on the nose with accents of toast, almonds and sweet spice. The palate offers generous fruits, a sleek, polished texture, youthful new oak spices and expansive flavors on the long finish. Super classy!”
95 Points
2017 Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne-Montachet Rouge Mes Vieilles Vignes

2017 Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne-Montachet Rouge Mes Vieilles Vignes

with No Comment $40-$50BurgandyFranceKevin VogtRed Burgandy

JEAN-MARC PILLOT

CHASSAGNE-MONTRACHET ROUGE
MES VIEILLES VIGNES 2017

2017 Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne-Montachet Rouge Mes Vieilles Vignes
Jean-Marc is the fourth generation of the Pillot family to tend to the family’s vineyards in the esteemed village of Chassagne-Montrachet in the Côte de Beaune. The Pillot’s several vineyard holdings are spread throughout the village, enabling the winery to produce a diverse range of terroir-driven Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays.
 
Mes Vielles Vignes comes from various plots of Pinot Noir planted in 1960 at a high density, forcing the vines to compete for water and nutrients, helping to reduce yields and concentrate the berries. The wine spends 12 months softening in neutral 228-liter barrels and another three to six months in stainless steel tanks without filtration before bottling, preserving every distinct flavor characteristic of the prized Chassagne-Montrachet terroir. 
 
JEAN-MARC PILLOT
CHASSAGNE-MONTRACHET ROUGE
MES VIEILLES VIGNES 2017
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
“The Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne-Montrachet Mes Vieilles Vignes Rouge 2017 comes from this village that is much more famous for Chardonnay than Pinot Noir, which begs the question of why this vineyard is not Chardonnay. This wine boldly answers that question because it is simply a masterful, artistic expression of old-vine Pinot Noir. It is powerful on the nose and palate, with beautifully concentrated tart red cherries, wild mountain raspberries, cola bean, dried wild mushrooms, saline, and subtle earth. The flavors and complexity are wonderfully balanced and perfectly expressed in a wine that drinks well beyond its meager price for this quality level. I absolutely love this wine.”
94 Points
2019 Cherry Pie Pinot Noir San Pablo Bay Block

2019 Cherry Pie Pinot Noir San Pablo Bay Block

with No Comment $40-$50CarnerosKevin VogtNapaPinot NoirUSA

CHERRY PIE

SAN PABLO BAY BLOCK
PINOT NOIR 2019

2019 Cherry Pie Pinot Noir San Pablo Bay Block
Jayson Woodbridge’s name is synonymous with quality, so when he approached the historic Stanly Ranch in Carneros with his sights set on producing premium Pinot Noir, he received access to some of the property’s finest blocks. Jayson is the proud founder of Hundred Acre Winery and has been awarded a remarkable twenty-two perfect 100-Point scores from Wine Advocate over the last two decades.
 
Jayson desired to add Pinot Noir to his repertoire, inspired by the juicy cherry pies his grandmother baked while he was growing up. He combined that with the simple, everyday American life artist T.R. Colletta whose art graces the label to complete his vision. Cherry Pie Pinot Noir is packed with decadent, perfectly ripe, concentrated fruit, balanced by fresh acidity, and is an absolute delight to swirl and taste.
 
CHERRY PIE
SAN PABLO BAY BLOCK
PINOT NOIR 2019
Retails at: $55
 
Your Price: $45
 
 
“Robust in body and pleasurable to sip, this French oak-aged Pinot Noir is distinctive, with smoky cedar, sage, black cherry, and black pepper. Round and earthy, with unexpected muscle.”
93 Points
2019 My Favorite Neighbor Cabernet Sauvignon San Luis Obispo

2019 My Favorite Neighbor Cabernet Sauvignon San Luis Obispo

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonCentral CoastKevin VogtPaso RoblesUSA

MY FAVORITE NEIGHBOR

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
SAN LUIS OBISPO 2019

2019 My Favorite Neighbor Cabernet Sauvignon San Luis Obispo
Turning heads with yet another massive score, Eric Jensen of My Favorite Neighbor created an ideal combination of perfectly ripe fruit, flavor intensity, and lavish textures, giving some of the best $50 Cabernets anywhere a real challenge. As a homage, he created this Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend from exceptional vineyards around Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, and Edna Valley, crafted to deliver unreal quality and shake up domestic the Cabernet Sauvignon market in this price range.
 
Eric is dedicated to growing fruit for some of the best wineries in Paso Robles, gaining experience from neighboring farmers and vintners, particularly from his original favorite neighbor, Stephan Asseo of L’Aventure Winery. Farming is life for him, and the farmers he works with all share the common goal of growing the best fruit possible using organic or biodynamic practices, coaxing the vines to perform at their ultimate best. The results are simply stunning, and with the new 96 point score, don’t hesitate to secure yours.
 
MY FAVORITE NEIGHBOR
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
SAN LUIS OBISPO 2019
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
“Blended with a bit of Syrah and Petit Verdot, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon has a deep ruby-purple color and an alluring fragrance of cassis, violet, aniseed, bitter chocolate and coffee beans. It’s notable this vintage for Goldilocks ripeness and seamless lift, offering a chocolate-like texture and very long finish.”
96 Points
 
“…more elegant and focused, with medium to full-bodied aromas and flavors of cassis, redcurrants, green tobacco, and cedary spice. I love its texture, it has ripe, polished tannins, plenty of sweet fruit, and a great, great finish, all while staying in a relatively compact, and again, elegant package. As I’ve written in the past, it would cost three to four times the price from Napa. It’s worth noting the change in appellation from Paso Robles to San Luis Obispo County, which probably allows for a wider range of fruit.”
95 Points
 
“2019 My Favorite Neighbor is deeply aromatic with incense, ripe black plums, blackcurrants, and chocolate-covered cherries. The wine has a rich, decadent mouthfeel with voluminous flavors of blueberry crumble, mocha, and butterscotch. The wine has an edgy minerality, like wet stones after a rainstorm, enhanced by the soft, chalky tannins, finishing with a succulent, velvety texture. Drink now until 2031.”
94 points
2013 Korbin Kameron Kristen Proprietary Red Moon Mountain District

2013 Korbin Kameron Kristen Proprietary Red Moon Mountain District

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtMoon MountainMt VeederNapaProprietary RedUSA

KORBIN KAMERON

KRISTIN PROPRIETARY RED
MOON MOUNTAIN DISTRICT 2013

2013 Korbin Kameron Kristen Proprietary Red Moon Mountain District
Korbin Kameron’s success results from continuous improvement to their Estate, relentless drive, and talent, combining the skills of 100-Point winemaker Timothy Milos with “the ubiquitous wizard of sustainable winemaking,” Phil Coturri, who has over 35 years of knowledge of organic and biodynamic farming. The Moonridge Vineyard hovers high above the valley floor at Mt. Veeder’s peak at 2,300 feet elevation and is sustainably farmed by Phil, resulting in a pure and natural expression of concentrated mountain fruit.
 
Tim creates wines with the family’s vision in mind, calling on traditional winemaking practices and a minimalist approach, producing terroir-driven wines with distinctive vineyard characteristics. The Kristin Proprietary Red Blend is a Bordeaux style blend with nine years of age that’s aided the evolution of the wine, giving silky-smooth tannins, lush fruit, and sweet baking spices along with an impressive intensity that makes a lasting impression.
 
KORBIN KAMERON
KRISTIN PROPRIETARY RED
MOON MOUNTAIN DISTRICT 2013
Retails at: $85
 
 
 
“The 2013 Korbin Kameron Proprietary Red Blend Kristin is exquisite yet powerful, opening with lavender, rose petals, black cherries, baker’s chocolate, cayenne pepper, and petrichor. On the palate, the wine is soft and supple with flavors of blueberry pie, marzipan, and sweet cloves. This wine is at a sweet spot in its development but still has aging potential due to its intensely concentrated mountain fruit.”
95 Points
ORIN SWIFT 8 YEARS IN THE DESERT ZINFANDEL BLEND 2020 In 2000, Dave Phinney made his first vintage of The Prisoner, a Zinfandel-based red blend that went “viral” and is now a household name after captivating audiences worldwide, offering something different but seriously delicious. In 2008, Dave sold The Prisoner to Huneeus Vintners with an eight-year non-compete agreement to not produce Zinfandel blends under his brand, Orin Swift. 8 Years in the Desert represents the dry spell that Dave agreed to, lasting until 2016 when he proudly introduced his new splendor. Sourcing fruit from a vast collection of top-of-the-line vineyards from California’s most ideal growing regions, this wine is a bold, approachable style layered with complexity and hedonistic fruits. ORIN SWIFT 8 YEARS IN THE DESERT ZINFANDEL BLEND 2020 Retails at: $50 Your Price: $45

2020 Orin Swift 8 Years In The Desert Zinfandel Blend

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtUSAZinfandel

ORIN SWIFT

8 YEARS IN THE DESERT
ZINFANDEL BLEND 2020

ORIN SWIFT 8 YEARS IN THE DESERT ZINFANDEL BLEND 2020 In 2000, Dave Phinney made his first vintage of The Prisoner, a Zinfandel-based red blend that went “viral” and is now a household name after captivating audiences worldwide, offering something different but seriously delicious. In 2008, Dave sold The Prisoner to Huneeus Vintners with an eight-year non-compete agreement to not produce Zinfandel blends under his brand, Orin Swift. 8 Years in the Desert represents the dry spell that Dave agreed to, lasting until 2016 when he proudly introduced his new splendor. Sourcing fruit from a vast collection of top-of-the-line vineyards from California’s most ideal growing regions, this wine is a bold, approachable style layered with complexity and hedonistic fruits. ORIN SWIFT 8 YEARS IN THE DESERT ZINFANDEL BLEND 2020 Retails at: $50 Your Price: $45
In 2000, Dave Phinney made his first vintage of The Prisoner, a Zinfandel-based red blend that went “viral” and is now a household name after captivating audiences worldwide, offering something different but seriously delicious. In 2008, Dave sold The Prisoner to Huneeus Vintners with an eight-year non-compete agreement to not produce Zinfandel blends under his brand, Orin Swift.
 
8 Years in the Desert represents the dry spell that Dave agreed to, lasting until 2016 when he proudly introduced his new splendor. Sourcing fruit from a vast collection of top-of-the-line vineyards from California’s most ideal growing regions, this wine is a bold, approachable style layered with complexity and hedonistic fruits.
 
ORIN SWIFT
8 YEARS IN THE DESERT
ZINFANDEL BLEND 2020
Retails at: $50
 
Your Price: $45
 
 
“Bright violet in the glass, the 2020 8 Years in the Desert is the epitome of our style, the reason we are even here in the first place. As it’s being poured, the aromatics hit squarely on the nose with a perception of sweetness: pure brambly raspberry juice and blueberry preserves with a hint of white pepper and High Sierra forest floor. Yet, the perceived sweetness on the nose is just that, perceived, and doesn’t carry through to the palate. Lush and enveloping with a beam of acidity, notes of blackberry pie, plum and kirsch flourish. Ultra-round tannins and lingering raspberry, the wine finishes in slow-motion.”
2020 Domaines Ott Chateau De Selle Rose Cotes De Provence

2020 Domaines Ott Chateau De Selle Rose Cotes De Provence

with No Comment $40-$50FranceKevin VogtProvenceProvenceRosé

DOMAINES OTT

CHÂTEAU DE SELLE ROSÉ
CÔTES DE PROVENCE 2020

2020 Domaines Ott Chateau De Selle Rose Cotes De Provence
Provence is the oldest winemaking region in France and the only in the world dedicated to rosé. Marcel Ott purchased several acres in the late 1800s, and 125 years later, the family estates are still run by the Ott family, with each Domaine producing wines of definition and allegiance to each vineyard’s unique terroir.
 
Chateau de Selle’s Vineyard sits on gypsum, red clay, dolomite, and sandstone mixed with gravel and large stones nestled high into the limestone slopes sheltered from winter frosts and harsh weather. The vines are grown on terraced vineyards that procure nuances from the diverse soils influenced by the sea, giving the 2020 vintage laser definition, making it “another gorgeous Ott,” as written by James Suckling.
 
DOMAINES OTT
CHÂTEAU DE SELLE ROSÉ
CÔTES DE PROVENCE 2020
Retails at: $54
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
“…Ott’s 2020 Cotes de Provence Rose Chateau de Selle boasts restrained aromas of peach, melon and citrus underscored by hints of crushed stone. In the mouth, it’s medium-bodied and concentrated, with ample intensity, a slightly creamy texture and a long, mouthwatering finish. Like the other top rosés of Domaines Ott, this is a wine that is often better in its second year.”
93 Points
 
“This is big on drinkability with light cherry, strawberry and peach aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied, creamy and minerally with fresh, stony character. Vivid at the end. Another gorgeous Ott. Drink now.”
93 Points