2021 Emeritus Pinot Noir Hallberg Vineyard Russian River Valley

2021 Emeritus Pinot Noir Hallberg Vineyard Russian River Valley

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Emeritus

Pinot Noir 2021
Hallberg Vineyard
Russian River Valley

2021 Emeritus Pinot Noir Hallberg Vineyard Russian River Valley

Emeritus Hallberg Vineyard Pinot Noir doesn’t tiptoe into the room; it announces itself without apology. This is a Pinot built on grand presence, yet it never loses its balance. That tension is the magic of Hallberg Ranch in Green Valley: dry-farmed vines digging deep into Goldridge soils, yielding fruit with both volume and shape.

Green Valley doesn’t dilute richness; it sculpts it. Cool coastal influence slows ripening enough to preserve definition, even as the fruit reaches full phenolic maturity. In the 2021 Pinot Noir, that balance is unmistakable: a deep, expressive core framed by freshness and natural tension, allowing generosity without tipping into heaviness.

Guiding that expression is Keith Hammond, whose familiarity with the Russian River landscape has shaped Emeritus since 2007. His approach favors continuity over reinvention, allowing the vineyard’s character to come through with confidence and clarity. The result is a wine that rewards attention and is a vivid reminder of what can be achieved when vineyard, vintage, and vision align without compromise.

Emeritus
Pinot Noir 2021
Hallberg Vineyard
Russian River Valley
Retails at: $50

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“Classic Russian River character from a dry-farmed vineyard is on display here, with a nose full of cherry, raspberry and cola spice aromas. The palate has a charming balance between crushed raspberry, mint and floral flavors and the grip of some ageworthy tannin. Drink 2028–2040.”

93 Points

2023 Ehlers Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Napa Valley

2023 Ehlers Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

Ehlers

Cabernet Sauvignon
Estate Napa Valley 2023

2023 Ehlers Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Napa Valley

From the northwestern edge of St. Helena, where gravelly soils meet long afternoon light, Ehlers Estate Cabernet Sauvignon emerges with authority. This is a site where nuance is earned and restraint rewarded, and the wine carries that discipline in every detail. Farmed organically under the direction of Mike Wolf, each decision in the vineyard is shaped by patience and intention. The result is a wine firmly grounded in its place and unmistakably its own.

What defines this wine is not sheer weight, but precision. Built on Cabernet Sauvignon and supported by Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, the blend favors clarity over excess. The palate moves with purpose, structured yet supple, with finely woven tannins and a line of freshness that brings lift and focus. Balance here feels natural and assured, the product of thoughtful farming and measured craft rather than force.

Though firmly structured, the 2023 already shows a harmony that invites exploration now. Fruit, tannin, and freshness align seamlessly, delivering immediate pleasure. With time, added nuance and depth will emerge, but even in its youth, this is a complete and compelling expression of St. Helena, one that lingers with poise and a strong sense of place.

Ehlers
Cabernet Sauvignon
Estate Napa Valley 2023
Retails at: $80

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“The Ehlers 2023 Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon opens with a plush richness and notes of black cherry, plum compote, wild berry bramble, warm spices, and dried herbs. On the palate, the wine is supple yet finely structured, with a velvety texture and juicy fruit, before unveiling deeper nuances of cedar, mocha, and baking spices, along with savory undertones. The tannins are polished but firm, providing a strong backbone that carries the wine through a long, harmonious finish.”

96 Points

2021 Buoncristiani O.P.C. Proprietary Red Blend Napa Valley

2021 Buoncristiani O.P.C. Proprietary Red Blend Napa Valley

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Buoncristiani O.P.C.

Proprietary Red Blend
Napa Valley 2021

2021 Buoncristiani O.P.C. Proprietary Red Blend Napa Valley

The 2021 Buoncristiani O.P.C. does not attempt to define Napa Valley with a single stroke. Instead, it captures the region as a layered composition, where power, nuance, and polish coexist in careful proportion. Built around Cabernet and enriched by Malbec, Syrah, and Merlot, the wine presents Napa not as excess, but as harmony shaped by intention.

That sense of harmony reflects the Buoncristiani brothers’ deep-rooted relationship with Napa Valley. Growing up immersed in the region’s vineyards, they developed an intuitive understanding of how site, variety, and vintage intersect. The 2021 O.P.C. draws from that lived experience, translating familiarity with the land into a wine with scintillating confidence.

That perspective reveals itself in the wine’s effortless composure. The 2021 O.P.C. carries the Buoncristiani signature of concentration balanced by elegance, a style refined over more than twenty-five years of winemaking. Each vineyard component contributes structure and intensity, yet the wine never feels assembled. Instead, it flows as a complete and confident expression of place.

Buoncristiani O.P.C.
Proprietary Red Blend
Napa Valley 2021
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“The 2021 Red Wine O.P.C., Buoncristiani’s blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah and Merlot, is superb. Another rich wine in this range, the 2021 hits the palate with dense dark fruit, chocolate, graphite, leather, spice, plum and lavender. This rich, inky wine will delight Buoncristiani fans.”

95 Points

2022 Grand Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder

2022 Grand Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtMt VeederNapaUSA

Grand Napa

Cabernet Sauvignon
Mt. Veeder 2022

2022 Grand Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder

There is no blending away the truth of Mt. Veeder in Grand Napa’s 2022, crafted entirely from Cabernet Sauvignon. Drawn from a single, high-elevation site, it presents the variety in its most honest form: firm, focused, and deeply expressive of place. The mountain’s influence is immediate, revealed through a firm grip, depth, and a measured restraint that resists easy generosity.

Grown at elevations above 1,500 feet, the vineyard’s cooler climate and well-drained mountain soils shape a wine defined by precision and structure. Ripening unfolds slowly here, preserving natural balance while concentrating flavor and form. The result is a Cabernet with clarity and inner strength, one that reflects the discipline of its environment rather than the breadth of the valley floor.

Time in French oak brings cohesion without compromise, shaping the 2022 Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon with focused intent. The texture is refined, the tannins composed, and the finish long and deliberate, each element settling into place with confidence. For those drawn to authenticity, site expression, and the promise of graceful evolution, this is a compelling expression of Mt. Veeder at its most assured.

Grand Napa
Cabernet Sauvignon
Mt. Veeder 2022
Retails at: $135

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“Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder starts with notes of dried Provence herbs, tilled soil, and fresh black plums slowly emerging from the glass, giving way to a core of red currant jelly, graphite, and Morello cherries. The medium to full-bodied palate is tightly wound with crunchy red and black fruit layers, supported by grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing with a cheeky herbal lift.”

94 Points

2022 Charly Nicolle Premier Cru Chablis Les Fourneaux Burgundy

2022 Charly Nicolle Premier Cru Chablis Les Fourneaux Burgundy

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Charly Nicolle

Premier Cru Chablis
Les Fourneaux 2022
Burgundy, France

2022 Charly Nicolle Premier Cru Chablis Les Fourneaux Burgundy

From one of Chablis’ most compelling Premier Cru sites, Charly Nicolle’s Les Fourneaux captures the rare balance of energy and substance that defines this sun-favored hillside. Les Fourneaux is a place of natural intensity, its warmer exposition lending depth and breadth to Chardonnay while preserving the tension that makes Chablis unmistakable.

In the cellar, Nicolle favors clarity over ornament. Fermented in stainless steel with full malolactic conversion and extended lees contact, the wine gains texture and breadth without losing definition. This approach allows the vineyard’s natural authority to remain intact, shaping a Chardonnay that feels layered yet weightless, with focus drawn tightly around its mineral core.

Sourced from the Morein, La Côte, and Pégirot lieux-dits within Les Fourneaux, the fruit comes from 50-60 year old vines, rooted in classic clay and limestone soils. That maturity brings composure and depth, allowing the wine to linger with persistence rather than force. The finish feels resolved and confident, leaving an impression of harmony that reflects both the vineyard’s character and Nicolle’s restraint.

Charly Nicolle
Premier Cru Chablis
Les Fourneaux 2022
Burgundy, France

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“The Domaine Charly Nicolle 2022 Chablis 1er Cru Les Fourneaux opens with an elegant, aromatic profile with delicate white flowers, crushed sea shells, chalky minerality, crisp green and golden apples, lemon curd, and hints of grapefruit complemented by subtle nuances of fresh cream. On the palate, the wine is silky yet vibrant with bright acidity and flavors of orchard fruit and citrus zest, and a limestone-driven minerality. The finish is long and refined, and is a perfect wine for immediate pleasure, yet has a graceful aging potential.”

95 Points

2019 Laird Jillians Blend Napa Valley

251230 2019 Laird Jillians Blend Napa Valley

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Laird

Jillian’s Blend
Napa Valley 2019

2019 Laird Jillians Blend Napa Valley

The Laird family’s name carries a certain weight in Napa Valley, with an unspoken authority earned over five decades of farming. Jillian’s Blend is a vivid expression of that legacy, drawing from the family’s deep roots and their instinct for growing exceptional fruit. It is a wine shaped by the land, and by generations of vision, risk-taking, and craftsmanship that have made the Lairds one of Napa’s most respected growers.

The wine’s foundation lies in the Lairds’ extraordinary vineyard holdings, stretching from Carneros to Calistoga and encompassing some of Napa’s most sought-after terroirs. Jillian’s Blend draws selectively from these parcels, weaving together fruit that reflects the Valley’s remarkable diversity. It is this mosaic of vineyard character that gives the wine its depth, its lift, and its unmistakable sense of place.

Crafted from this enviable palette of terroirs, the 2019 blend unfolds luxuriously. Cabernet anchors the wine with depth, while the supporting varietals add dimension. Each sip feels shaped by careful selection and seamless integration. It’s a style that mirrors the Laird approach: generous in expression, meticulous in execution.

Laird
Jillian’s Blend
Napa Valley 2019
Retails at: $55

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“Currants and dried berries with fresh flowers and spices. Medium to full body with round, juicy fruit and ripe, firm tannins. 62% cabernet sauvignon, 20% syrah, 12% merlot, 5% malbec and 1% petit verdot. Needs time to come together. Drink after 2025.”

92 points

2023 Gamba MCM Estate Zinfandel Russian River Valley

251229 2023 Gamba MCM Estate Zinfandel Russian River Valley

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

Gamba

MCM Estate Zinfandel
Russian River Valley 2023

2023 Gamba MCM Estate Zinfandel Russian River Valley

Most wines draw their character from climate and soil; Gamba MCM Zinfandel draws as much from time itself. A century of growth rings lies within those vine trunks, and the depth of the fruit reflects that history. The wine is bold but not brash, structured without rigidity, carrying a personality shaped by decades of vines pushing through hardship and flourishing because of it.

Gus Gamba allows that legacy to speak without interference, relying on indigenous yeast and gentle handling to preserve every nuance the vineyard offers. In the 2023 vintage, the site’s voice comes through with uncommon precision. Nothing in the cellar seeks to sculpt the wine’s natural character; instead, the winemaking reveals the vineyard’s imprint with striking clarity.

Each element of the 2023 MCM Zinfandel feels deliberately tuned, from the fruit’s natural richness to the subtle oak framing. The wine moves with layered dimension, velvety at the start, expansive across the palate, and confident in its lingering finish. It is the product of a vineyard that has endured for generations and of a winemaker who knows how to translate continuity into something undeniably alive.

Gamba
MCM Estate Zinfandel
Russian River Valley 2023
Retails at: $69

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“The Gamba 2023 MCM Russian River Valley Old Vine Zinfandel opens with vibrant notes of juicy cherries, cranberries, and wild blackberries with underlying notes of Christmas spices and toast. On the palate, the wine has a silky smooth approach with flavors of bramble fruit, dark cherry, and boysenberry compote, complemented with savory undertones of tobacco leaf and dried herbs. The wine has supple tannins and finishes with a finely textured, velvety mouthfeel.”

94 Points

2019 MC4 Cabernet Sauvignon Martin & Croshaw Vineyard St. Helena

2019 MC4 Cabernet Sauvignon Martin & Croshaw Vineyard St. Helena

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaSt. HelenaUSA

MC4

Cabernet Sauvignon
Martin & Croshaw Vineyard
St. Helena 2019

2019 MC4 Cabernet Sauvignon Martin & Croshaw Vineyard St. Helena

In a valley dominated by grand estates, MC4 stands apart. Drawn from a single acre of organically farmed vines tucked into St. Helena’s prized western bench, the 2019 MC4 is the kind of wine that reminds you how powerfully a tiny vineyard can speak. It’s a micro-cuvée born of obsession, precision, and a site so focused that every bottle feels like a direct transmission from the land itself.

What gives MC4 its unmistakable character is the vineyard’s tight geographic focus: a gravelly, west-side slope warmed by afternoon sun and cooled by drifting canyon breezes. Each vine seems to express its own nuance of dark fruit, spice, and mineral tension, resulting in a Cabernet that feels less blended than harmonized; one voice composed of countless subtle inflections.

Shaping this fruit is winemaker Victoria Coleman, whose training spans Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars under Michael Silacci to Château Mouton Rothschild. Her touch brings both restraint and clarity, guiding the fruit toward a style that marries Napa Valley richness with a Bordeaux-like sense of proportion. The result is a wine that feels confident, polished, and remarkably complete.

MC4
Cabernet Sauvignon
Martin & Croshaw Vineyard
St. Helena 2019
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“Coming from a small, organically farmed vineyard to the north of Ehlers Lane in St. Helena, MC4’s 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and vibrant scents of redcurrant jelly, kirsch and black raspberries, plus hints of menthol, cedar chest, rose oil and pencil shavings with a touch of cinnamon stick. The medium to full-bodied palate shimmers with bright, energetic red and black berry layers, framed by ripe, fine-grained tannins and exhilarating freshness, finishing long and perfumed.”

94+ Points

2023 Hourglass HGIII Proprietary Blend Napa County

2023 Hourglass HGIII Proprietary Blend Napa County

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

Hourglass

HGIII Proprietary Blend
Napa County 2023

2023 Hourglass HGIII Proprietary Blend Napa County

Hourglass’s 2023 HGIII feels like a privilege to taste, crafted with the pedigree of a flagship wine yet offered with the generosity of an insider’s secret. Under the guidance of Tony Biagi, whose work at PlumpJack helped define modern Napa elegance, the 2023 HGIII brings together estate farming and meticulous blending in a way that feels both contemporary in its polish and classic in its depth.

The blend unfolds with Merlot’s plush density at the center, followed by Cabernet’s disciplined structure and Petite Sirah’s darker, savory character. These elements meet without competing, resulting in a wine that feels composed rather than constructed. It is a blend that moves with purpose, showing both restraint and confidence.

Hourglass gives the 2023 HGIII sixteen months of élevage to refine its edges without weighing it down. The oak adds dimension rather than dominance, keeping the fruit at the forefront. What emerges is a wine shaped by patience and intention, with a finish that is long, supple, and confidently restrained.

Hourglass
HGIII Proprietary Blend
Napa County 2023
Retails at: $53

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“The Hourglass 2023 HG III Napa Valley Red Blend opens with enticing aromas of blackberries, Bing cherries, pomegranate, peppercorn, fennel seed, and crushed rose petals. On the palate, the wine is plush yet structured, unfolding with flavors of crème de cassis, black cherries, and baker’s chocolate. The finish is long, harmonious, and finely textured, supported by polished tannins and balanced acidity.”

96 Points

2017 Calistoga Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon Soteros Vineyard Napa Valley

2017 Calistoga Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon Sotero’s Vineyard Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonCalistogaKevin VogtNapaUSA

Calistoga Ranch

Cabernet Sauvignon
Sotero’s Vineyard
Napa Valley 2017

2017 Calistoga Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon Soteros Vineyard Napa Valley

High above Calistoga’s quiet hillsides once stood a hidden vineyard known only to a privileged few. Sotero’s Vineyard was the crown jewel of Calistoga Ranch, its fruit reserved exclusively for members who understood that rarity often exists in silence. The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon captures that lost world with haunting clarity, bringing a wine of profound purity and poise, now serving as the final voice of a place the wildfires took, but time could not erase.

Kirk Venge, one of Napa Valley’s most respected craftsmen, shaped this wine with his signature mix of intuition and precision. A third-generation vintner raised among vines and schooled in both science and soil, Venge brings a deep understanding of how to translate vineyard character into emotion. His work here reveals the full range of his skill, harnessing the natural intensity of mountain fruit and refining it with gentle patience.

Crafted exclusively from Cabernet Sauvignon and matured for two full years in French oak, the 2017 vintage achieves an elegant equilibrium of power and finesse. Cellared to perfection, it offers a soulful glimpse into a vineyard that no longer exists, yet speaks through every glass.

Calistoga Ranch
Cabernet Sauvignon
Sotero’s Vineyard
Napa Valley 2017
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“The Calistoga Ranch 2017 Napa Valley Sotero’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon opens with aromatic depth and complexity, showing aromas of violets, blackberries, cherries, red currants, earth, nutmeg, and a hint of menthol. On the palate, the wine is beginning to show signs of graceful evolution with flavors of dark chocolate, graham cracker crust, mixed berry pie, and balsamic reduction. This wine balances richness with refinement, showcasing the classic generosity and structure of Calistoga Cabernet with fine, integrated tannins and a dusty, mineral finish.”

95 Points