2019 Orin Swift 8 Years In The Desert Zinfandel Blend

2019 Orin Swift 8 Years In The Desert Zinfandel Blend

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtUSAZinfandel

ORIN SWIFT

8 YEARS IN THE DESERT
2019 ZINFANDEL BLEND

2019 Orin Swift 8 Years In The Desert Zinfandel Blend
Eight Years in the Desert represents Orin Swift’s full-circle, which began with two tons of Zinfandel in 1998. In 2000, the Zinfandel wasn’t great as a single-varietal, so Dave Phinney, Orin Swift founder, created a blend and produced the inaugural vintage of The Prisoner, which he continued to make for the following eight vintages before selling The Prisoner brand. Eight Years in the Desert’s name references his eight-year non-compete agreement where Orin Swift couldn’t produce Zinfandel Blends, and lucky for us, they’ve now escaped those bounds. 
 
Calling on a vast collection of premier vineyards spanning California’s most ideal growing regions, 8 Years in the Desert is premeditatively crafted in a bold, approachable style, bearing delectable complexity and seductive fruits. 
 
Creatively, beginning in 2017, each sequential vintage of this wine reveals a new label that will continue for eight vintages. The 2019 release is centered around Zinfandel and magnified by Petite Sirah and Syrah, aged eight months in French and American oak.
 
ORIN SWIFT
8 YEARS IN THE DESERT
2019 ZINFANDEL BLEND
 
Your Price: $45
 
 
“Medium garnet-purple colored, the 2019 Zinfandel Blend 8 Years in the Desert delivers notions of stewed plums, baked raspberries and fruitcake with hints of powdered cinnamon, clove oil, tree bark, hoisin and dusty soil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is chock-full of ripe, spicy black and red fruits, supported by chewy tannins and tons of freshness, finishing long and earthy.”
93 Points
2016 Amapola Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Sonoma Valley

2016 Amapola Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Sonoma Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtSonomaSonoma ValleyUSA

AMAPOLA CREEK

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2016 ESTATE SONOMA VALLEY 

2016 Amapola Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Sonoma Valley
Maestro of Sonoma winemaking with 50+ years experience, Richard Arrowood helped pioneer small-lot, single-vineyard wines unveiling terroir significance. His Estate neighbors the highly-acclaimed Monte Rosso Vineyard, and his 15 acres of organically farmed vines carved into red, iron-oxide soils produce powerful berries with deep savory intensity. At $100, his 2016 Estate Cab earned an exceptional 94 point score from Robert Parker; at $46, the best score will be a case for your cellar. 
 
Richard’s Cabernet highlights the diversity of his Estate’s terroir by combining fruit from China Wall, Bobcat Run, Fox Trot Meadow, and Montaña Vista blocks, each with a distinct micro-climate and soil profile. 
 
A masterpiece of hedonism, the 2016 release includes 7% Petit Verdot that contributes to the seamless texture and aids in harnessing the power of Moon Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. After 24 months in seasoned French oak barrels, the wine’s dynamic complexity is on display, showcasing Dick Arrowood’s vast skillset. 
 
AMAPOLA CREEK
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2016 ESTATE SONOMA VALLEY 
Retails at: $100
 
Your Price: $46
 
 
“… the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Vineyard displays a deep garnet-purple color and tantalizing scents of plum pudding, crème de cassis and blueberry pie with touches of hoisin, licorice, sandalwood and cedar chest plus a hint of cloves. The palate is big, concentrated and full-bodied, laden with black and blue fruit preserves and framed by ripe, grainy tannins, finishing wonderfully long and spicy…”
94 Points
 
“… a deep ruby/plum color as well as a beautiful perfume of cassis, sandalwood, menthol, and lead pencil shavings. This medium-bodied, seamlessly textured, balanced Sonoma Cabernet has bright acidity, moderate depth yet terrific balance, and a clean, classy finish. It’s going to continue drinking nicely for a solid 15-20 years.”
92+ Points
2018 Duckhorn Merlot Napa Valley

2018 Duckhorn Merlot Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50CalistogaCarnerosKevin VogtMerlotNapaOak KnollUSAYountville

DUCKHORN 

2018 MERLOT
NAPA VALLEY

2018 Duckhorn Merlot Napa Valley
Inspired by Bordeaux and a foundational focus of Duckhorn Winery since 1978, Merlot’s mesmeric identity and profound elegance were recognized by Dan Duckhorn as underappreciated in North America, and he set out to fix it. Having unwavering consistency and exemplary varietal character, Duckhorn dominates California Merlot. The 2018 release is a consummate example of the winery’s cumulative growth over the past four decades, and at $45, this deserves a spot on the table. 
 
Duckhorn’s Napa Valley Merlot reflects the diversity of Napa Valley terroir, enriched by Estate Vineyards and other top sites in Carneros, Oak Knoll, Calistoga, and Yountville. A quarter of the blend is harvested from the winery’s Three Palms, Rector Creek, Stout, Monitor Ledge, Patzimaro, and Cork Tree Vineyards, balanced with other renowned sites like Stagecoach, Hyde, and Hudson. 
 
A hallmark of Duckhorn’s Napa Merlot is the inclusion of Cabernet Sauvignon for added depth, structure, and signature black cherry, plum, and spice characteristics. Quality was propelled even further by the 2018 vintage, and after resting for 15 months in barrel, this wine is ready to delight.
 
DUCKHORN 
2018 MERLOT
NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $56
 
Your Price: $45
 
 
“From its tempting aromas of ripe cherry and black raspberry to its sweet, dusty tannins and supple texture, this a lush and expansive expression of Napa Valley Merlot. Luxurious flavors of black plum, rhubarb crumble and chocolate-covered raspberry mingle with hints of graphite and clove on the long, vibrant finish.”
2014 Bernardus Marinus Carmel Valley

2014 Bernardus Marinus Carmel Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtMontereyProprietary RedUSA

BERNARDUS

2014 MARINUS
CARMEL VALLEY

2014 Bernardus Marinus Carmel Valley
Designed for flattering your senses while simultaneously stimulating thoughts of Bordeaux and the serene Carmel Valley, Marinus is Bernardus’s proprietor’s instrument to achieve their goal of producing a red wine that can equal Bordeaux’s most refined. Maestro of sustainable farming, Mark Shea farms each block of Marinus separately, without compromise, in his pursuit of showcasing the vineyard’s most significant potential. The 2014 vintage is, as Vinous writes, “Highly Expressive,” and with a discount of $26 per bottle, a single case may not be enough. 
 
French-trained winemaker Dean DeKorth spent years at Olivier Leflaive, Comte Lafon, and Pierre Morey before coming home to Monterey and making wine at Morgan, David Bruce, and Talbott. He creates Marinus using Bordeaux varietals; Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot, blending them with the impetus to be the best expression of the vineyard’s remarkable terroir. 
 
Dean employs traditional Bordeaux winemaking techniques like; fermenting in small individual fermenters, gentle pressing and handling of the fruit, long fermentation with regular punch-downs, and aging in French oak barrels. The resulting wine is very complex, well-balanced, a joy to drink, with a Bordeaux-like style.
 
BERNARDUS
2014 MARINUS
CARMEL VALLEY
Retails at: $75
 
Your Price: $49
 
 
“Opaque ruby. Highly expressive aromas of ripe cherry, red and black currant, candied flowers and pipe tobacco, along with vanilla and oak spice nuances. Sweet and expansive in the mouth, offering concentrated cassis, cherry-vanilla and licorice flavors that show no rough edges. Closes very long and spicy, with a hint of smokiness and rounded, even tannins that add gentle grip.”
93 Points
 
“Candied lilac and boysenberry-juice aromas make for a very fresh, floral and fruity entry to the nose of this blend of all five Bordeaux red varieties. The purple-flower flavors show on the sip too, mixed with açai, and the structure is still tightly woven six years into aging.”
92 Points, Editors’ Choice
2013 Roderer Estate L'Ermitage Brut Sparkling Wine

2013 Roderer Estate L’Ermitage Brut Sparkling Wine

with No Comment $40-$50Anderson ValleyChampagne/SparklingKevin VogtSonomaUSA

ROEDERER ESTATE

2013 L’ERMITAGE
BRUT SPARKLING WINE

2013 Roderer Estate L'Ermitage Brut Sparkling Wine
Roederer Estate is rooted in viticulture and centered around ownership of their vineyards. In France, their top Champagne is Cristal, but in California, their flagship Sparkling wine is their L’Ermitage, which they only make in exceptional vintages. Relying on age-old traditions, they’ve established a reputation as the top domestic Sparkling wine, and with its 95 point score and placement on Wine Enthusiast’s Top 100 Cellar Selections list, here’s your chance to own it. 
 
Roederer’s winemaking style moves beyond science and chemistry into artistry measured by taste. Their team ages L’Ermitage for an impressive five years in oak casks, lending body, finesse, and depth, setting it apart from other California Sparkling wines.
 
Selecting Anderson Valley as the California outpost; The area was chosen for its proximity to the Pacific, inducing a gentle cycle of warm days and cool nights, allowing the grapes to slowly mature and develop full flavors. L’Ermitage’s choreographed union of 52% Chardonnay and 48% Pinot Noir is domestic sparkling at the highest level.
 
ROEDERER ESTATE
2013 L’ERMITAGE
BRUT SPARKLING WINE
Retails at: $55
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
“A panoply of subtle aromas and delicate flavors wrapped in a silky, slightly crisp texture give this medium-bodied wine a great sense of elegance. Fresh ginger, biscuits, toasted almonds and mild cherry nuances fill the palate. Best through 2025.”
95 Points, #42 Top 100 Cellar Selections
 
“The nose is open and inviting, golden apples mingling with toast, mushrooms, honey and crushed stone. The medium-bodied palate, with eight grams per liter dosage, has pure fruits tactfully accented by earthy, toasty notes. It’s energetic but rounded, supported by a finely beaded mousse, and it finishes long and layered.”
93+ Points
2018 Westwood Legend Proprietary Red

2018 Westwood Legend Proprietary Red

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtProprietary RedSonomaSonoma MountainUSA

WESTWOOD

2018 LEGEND
PROPRIETARY RED

2018 Westwood Legend Proprietary Red
Legends of biodynamic viticulture, Westwood spares no expense raising the highest quality wines possible from their Estate. Their vineyard is one of a handful of Demeter-certified Biodynamic vineyards in North America. Westwood’s winemaker is Philippe Melka, named by the Wine Advocate as “one of the Top 10 Winemakers in the World,” and whose vast experience includes winemaking at Bryant Family, Quintessa, Hundred Acre, Mastery, and Dominus. Jeb Dunnuck writes, this wine has a “notable sense of class and balance,” and simply put, you don’t want to miss it. 
 
Westwood Legend arose from the cool, wind-swept Annadel Gap Vineyard, located between Mt. Hood and Sonoma Mountain, and includes specially sourced organic grapes from Sonoma and Napa Valleys. Formatted to bring out the best qualities of the Estate, the 2018 blend is exquisite.
 
Meticulously made, Philippe and his winemaking team harvest each clone at the pinnacle of ripeness before being carefully sorted by hand and fermented in individual lots. The wine was gravity-fed into French oak barrels, where it spent the next 20 months. The result is stunning.
 
WESTWOOD
2018 LEGEND
PROPRIETARY RED
Retails at: $65
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
“The 2018 Legend Proprietary Red is an interesting blend of 45% Syrah, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Mourvèdre, and the rest Cabernet Franc, Tannat, and a splash of Petit Verdot. Its deep ruby/purple color is followed by loads of blackberry and blueberries fruit intermixed with plenty of peppery herbs, menthol, and graphite. This rich, full-bodied effort has a delicious juiciness, polished tannins, and a notable sense of class and balance.”
92 Points
2018 Freeman Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

2018 Freeman Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

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

FREEMAN

2018 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST

2018 Freeman Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
Defined by strength, balance, and inherent complexity, Freeman Pinot Noir embodies the soul of the Sonoma Coast. Setting out to prove domestic Pinot Noir can be both as complex and compelling as Burgundy, proprietors Ken and Akiko Freeman toured hundreds of properties before settling on the western edges of Sonoma County. They hired Pinot-maestro Ed Kurtzman to help bring their dream to fruition. Ed’s ability to shape Pinot Noirs with refinement, balance, and inherent sense of place, was matched with an uncompromising commitment to quality, resulting in exemplary coastal Pinot. 
 
A marriage of 79% grapes from Yu-Ki Estate Vineyard at 1000 feet elevation and 5 miles from the Pacific, and 21% fruit from Campbell Ranch near Annapolis in the northernmost reaches of Sonoma County, this Pinot Noir transparently reflects Ocean influence, Sonoma Coast geography, and soils. 
 
The winery notes that 2018 produced the highest quality fruit that they’ve encountered in their seventeen vintages at Freeman. Ed’s winemaking technique preserves the fruit’s natural expression by aging the wine for just 11 months in mostly neutral barrels. The resulting wine is exquisitely balanced, supple, and intriguing.
 
FREEMAN
2018 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST
Retails at: $45
 
Your Price: $42
 
 
“This bold and distinctive wine impresses with its focused flavors, vivid balance and excellent depth. From a haunting aroma of rosemary, violet and black cherry to vibrant sour-cherry and black-tea flavors, it tastes powerful and pure. Best through 2026”
94 Points “Cellar Selection”
2019 Gamba Zinfandel Starr Road Ranch

2019 Gamba Zinfandel Starr Road Ranch

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtRussian River ValleySonomaUSAZinfandel

GAMBA

2019 ZINFANDEL
STARR ROAD RANCH

2019 Gamba Zinfandel Starr Road Ranch
An oracle of Old Vines, Gus Gamba makes winemaking decisions with a keen focus on preserving the freshness and specific expressions of fruit character. He acts as the human conduit for the vines to tell their best story in every vintage. The 2019s are what Gus strives for; They’re vibrantly detailed, engrossingly complex, and invigoratingly fresh. This vintage will undoubtedly earn monster scores, and given the small production, don’t wait to secure yours. 
 
The historic Starr Road Ranch Zin comes from an organically farmed vineyard planted in 1920 that yields just 1.5 tons per acre of strikingly intense, concentrated, pristinely focused fruit. Cultivated without the use of herbicides or pesticides, Starr Road Ranch relies solely on winter rains as its only source of irrigation, as it has for the past 100 years.
 
Gus and his winemaking team double hand-sort the berries, with only the best making their way into fermentors. Next, the 2019 release spent an impressive 18 months aging primarily in American oak barrels, contributing to the spice characteristics.
 
GAMBA
2019 ZINFANDEL
STARR ROAD RANCH
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
“The 2019 Starr Road Old Vine Zinfandel offers a beautiful deep garnet color in the bowl of the glass, with a lush, creamy and dark berry note on the nose, with a hint of black tea and exotic spices. Notes of cola, leather, vanilla and black fruits fill the senses, and round the wine’s feel on the palate. A refined and compelling polished texture is complemented with a bright yet proportional acidity that delicately lifts and balances the wine. The pleasant spicy finish lingers on the palate, woven with a fine texture of subtle woody tones.”
2016 Maroon Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Coombsville

2016 Maroon Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Coombsville

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonCoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaUSA

MAROON

SPECIAL RESERVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2016 COOMBSVILLE 

2016 Maroon Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Coombsville
Fueled by unparalleled quality and extreme scarcity, the following for Maroon’s Special Reserve Cabernet grows stronger with each vintage. Patronage is furthered by winemaker Chris Corley’s ability to harness Coombsville fruit’s power and deliver it with finesse and elegance. The Special Reserve is created from the top-performing blocks in the vineyard and priced in line with Coombsville greats Favia, Merus, and Meteor at $160 retail; As you can imagine, at less than 1/3 of the retail price, we have great difficulty keeping it stocked. 
 
Deeper and more defined than Maroon’s other bottlings, winemaker Chris Corley introduced as little manipulation as possible during the winemaking process, allowing the remarkable terroir of Maroon’s best Vineyard Blocks to shine.
 
The 2016 Special Reserve is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged for a full 24 months in oak before bottling. If you’re looking for an elegant but powerful Cabernet with plenty of definition and complexity, this is it.
 
MAROON
SPECIAL RESERVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2016 COOMBSVILLE
Retails at: $160
 
 
 
“The 2016 vintage of Maroon Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon has a rich, intense nose with briary wild berries, graphite, fresh sage, and hints of vanilla. The palate is concentrated, with penetrating crushed blackberries, dense black plum, decadent cassis, and an ethereal mouthfeel. It is a concentrated and focused wine with a finish that is elegant, powerful, refined, and long. It is a gift for your mouth now and will continue to drink beautifully for another decade or more.”
97 points
2018 My Favorite Neighbor Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles

2018 My Favorite Neighbor Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles

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

MY FAVORITE NEIGHBOR

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2018 PASO ROBLES

2018 My Favorite Neighbor Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles
Created in a collaborative spirit that calls on the best, sustainably farmed fruit from a collection of neighboring vineyards, Eric Jensen of My Favorite Neighbor believes it takes a village to make great wine. His circle includes favorite neighbor Stephan Asseo of L’Aventure, and friend Justin Smith of Saxum, whom Eric spent five vintages with, gleaning top-level winemaking. This wine gives Paso Robles an unmistakable voice, powerful enough to be heard in Napa. A $50, 96 Point Cabernet from anywhere is a dominating force.  
 
Guided by inspiration, Eric interferes as little as possible during the winemaking process, resulting in elegantly balanced wines with a salient sense of place. Modeling consistency, this wine’s cumulative average rating from Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate over the past six consecutive vintages is an astounding 96 Points.
 
Impeccably farmed, Eric’s 100-acre certified organic estate vineyard on Paso’s Westside produces noble quality fruit. The 2018 blend includes 77% Cabernet Sauvignon accented with Bordeaux and Rhone varieties, aged 18 months in oak.
 
MY FAVORITE NEIGHBOR
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2018 PASO ROBLES
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
“…deep purple/ruby-hued and has slightly more red fruits with lots of black raspberry, cassis, toasted spice, unsmoked tobacco, and incense aromas and flavors. It almost has a Margaux-like perfume and is medium to full-bodied, seamless, and wonderfully balanced on the palate. Some chalky minerality comes through with time in the glass, and it has plenty of tannins and a great finish. It’s not an over-the-top blockbuster and impresses just as much for its elegance as its richness.”
96+ Points
 
“… Deep ruby-black in color, it gives up luscious crème de cassis, blackberry pie, kirsch, mint chocolate, vanilla bean, coffee and grilled meats scents with touches of tobacco and sweet spices. Medium to full-bodied, it offers intense, expertly managed, ripe fruits and loads of spices with a firm, finely grained frame and great freshness, finishing long and spicy.”
93-95+ Points
 
“Dark, bright-rimmed purple. Deeply perfumed aromas of ripe black/blue fruits, sandalwood and potpourri take on a smoky mineral nuance and a spicy top-note with air. Palate-staining blackberry, cassis, cherry-vanilla, spice-cake and mocha flavors are joined by suggestions of candied rose and cola on the back half. Finishes on an alluringly sweet dark berry preserve note, with well-knit, gently gripping tannins and sharp definition.”
94 Points