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
2018 Lobo Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2018 Lobo Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOak KnollUSA

LOBO

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2018 NAPA VALLEY

2018 Lobo Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Founded on farming first and foremost, Lobo’s Oak Knoll Vineyard’s high-density planting, aggressive pruning, and idyllic terroir caught the eye of great winemakers like Randy Lewis from the get-go. Calling on Mario Bazan’s 30 years of experience managing vineyards like OPUS ONE, To-Kalon, and Stags Leap, Lobo positioned themselves for a seamless transition from selling grapes to becoming a boutique winery making ridiculously high-quality wines. 
 
Lobo winemaker Victoria Coleman is well-rounded in her skillset, working alongside Erick Tourbier at Chateau Mouton Rothschild and Jade Valley Winery in China. Her exposure to Old-World winemaking technique resonated and manifested in the elegantly balanced, terroir expressive wines she produces. 
 
Raised under the shadows of the Mayacamas Mountains, Lobo Vineyard’s well-drained gravelly loam and micro-climate cooler than the neighboring Yountville produces Cabernet Sauvignon fruit of dynamic complexity. Their 2018 is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon crafted in a style that melds balance and enchantment, power and grace, and at less than $100, this wine is stunningly impressive. 
 
LOBO
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2018 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $75
 
 
 
“A savoury and spice-driven nose of tobacco leaves, underbrush and earl grey tea. Tender red fruits and zesty acidity provide a delicious lift to the finish, where the tannins and edgy but pleasing. A delicious Cabernet at a relative value…”
92 Points
 
“… More beauty than beast with nose of meadow flowers and red berry fruit, it offers lush, pretty flavors of red currant, cherry, pomegranate, black raspberry and allspice. An elegant and sensual wine that promises wonderful aging potential and is ready to enjoy when you are.”
2018 Calculated Risk Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville

2018 Calculated Risk Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA

CALCULATED RISK

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2018 OAKVILLE

2018 Calculated Risk Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville
Dedicated to crafting wines that express their true sense of the land, natural varietal character, and balance, Calculated Risk’s Oakville Cabernet is a foremost example of the winery’s driving force. Oakville’s notorious complexity is powerfully bestowed and incarnated with robust intensity, keen focus, and lasting balance. Priced in line with many Oakville neighbors at $120, at $46, it doesn’t take a calculus degree to sum up this deal. 
 
Winemaker Dwight Bonewell married two Oakville Vineyards, Money Road, near Oakville’s center, and a State Lane property bordering Yountville AVA. The wine presents a broad interpretation of Oakville terroir, delivered with balance and polished in an easy-drinking style.
 
Striking balance between bold and supple flavors, the final blend includes a small amount of Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot, from the incredible 2018 vintage, which was virtually uninterrupted by significant heat spikes, enabling the grapes to mature and accumulate intense flavor and complexity.
 
CALCULATED RISK
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2018 OAKVILLE
Retails at: $120
 
 
 
“Plenty of ripe berries and cherries here with some chocolate and hazelnut undertones. It’s full-to medium-bodied with round tannins and a flavorful finish. Shows richness with balance. Drinkable now, but better in 2022.”
93 Points
2013 Villa Le Prata Brunello Di Montalcino, Italy

2013 Villa Le Prata Brunello Di Montalcino, Italy

with No Comment $40-$50BrunelloBrunelloItalyKevin VogtPiedmont

VILLA LE PRATA

2013 BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO
MONTALCINO, ITALY 

2013 Villa Le Prata Brunello Di Montalcino, Italy
Villa Le Prata Brunello has a distinct personality, shaped by the vintage, elevation, and Galestro clay soils. An alliance of power and elegance marks this wine embellished by their female team, led by internationally renowned winemaker Doctor Graziana Grassini. Time in the bottle has erected a magnificent bouquet, awakened harmonious energy, and enhanced the fruit’s divine purity. Ready to drink now, it’s, as Vinous writes, a “Lovely Brunello.” 
 
Montalcino’s 2013 vintage produced “balanced Brunellos with vibrant structures,” as noted by the Wine Spectator. Villa Le Prata’s 2013 marries three single-hectare sites, ranging in elevation, exposure, climate, and soils, resulting in a well-rounded, balanced wine.
 
The winemaking team is meticulous in their fruit selection, and they ferment in stainless steel for 20 days, preserving the most natural essence of the fruit. This wine poised and ready to drink after gaining its elegance from 42 months in French oak, followed by 24 months in Slovenian oak, and two more years in the bottle. 
 
VILLA LE PRATA
2013 BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO
MONTALCINO, ITALY
Retails at: $65
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
“The raspberry and cherry aromas are very intense and pretty. Full body, silky and fine tannins. Juicy fruit. I love the finish. Delicious now but better in 2019.”
93 Points
 
“Bright red. Perfumed aromas of red currant, sweet spices and blood orange, taking on an increasing floral personality with aeration. Supple and sweet, but displaying very good lift and noteworthy finesse to the fruit-driven flavors of spicy red currant and raspberry. Offers lovely purity and intense aromatics, not to mention a light touch, on the long, juicy finish. Lovely Brunello.”
92 Points
2017 Aldenalli Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

2017 Aldenalli Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

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

ALDENALLI

2017 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST

2017 Aldenalli Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
Enkindled by two families’ shared passion for Pinot Noir, Aldenalli is the cumulative result that exemplifies Sonoma Coast viticulture, producing Pinot Noir with an engaging personality, place, and balance. Alden and Emeril Lagasse developed the brand together with Alli and Dan Kosta. Dan is an award-winning winemaker and Kosta Browne co-founder. Their 2017 Sonoma Coast Pinot thoughtfully intertwines three distinct cool-climate vineyards into one not-to-be-missed remarkably food-friendly Pinot. 
 
A masterpiece of complexity, the 2017 Sonoma Coast Pinot is cut from Gap’s Crown, Sunchase, and Campbell Ranch Vineyards, skillfully marrying five Pinot Noir clones. Campbell provides elegance and bright acidity, complemented by the structure and spice characteristics of Gap’s Crown and Sunchase Vineyards in the Petaluma Wind Gap.
 
Capturing the pure essence of this fruit, winemakers Shane Finley and Dan Kosta aged this wine for only ten months in barrel. The resulting wine is remarkably fresh with penetrating fruit and thought-provoking complexity that’s hard to find.
 
ALDENALLI
2017 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST
Retails at: $56
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
“A savory style, framed by firm acidity that backs the dried cherry and berry flavors. Cedar and balsam wood notes fill the finish. Drink now through 2023.”
90 Points
 
“A bright, red-cherry and sappy style of pinot on the nose with fresh, fragrant appeal. The palate has crisp, juicy red-cherry flavor and fresh, fine-grained tannin. Drink now.”
90 Points
2017 Meyer Family Cellars Spitfire Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon

2017 Meyer Family Cellars Spitfire Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA

MEYER FAMILY CELLARS

2017 SPITFIRE OAKVILLE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON

2017 Meyer Family Cellars Spitfire Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon
Meyer Family Cellars is rooted in Napa Valley tradition, established by Justin Meyer, visionary and co-founder of Silver Oak Cellars. Justin’s son Matt and his wife Karen have worldwide winemaking experience, and together they craft this remarkable Oakville Cabernet, sourced from a coveted Oakville neighborhood. They make it in a powerfully rich, enchanting style that offers incredible value for the region. 
 
Spitfire arose from an undisclosed site near Eastern Oakville, where the Vaca Mountains converge with the Valley floor. The iron-rich, volcanic soils are nutrient deficient and force the roots deep into the earth, extracting the site’s unique terroir. 
 
Matt ages this wine for 22 months in A&K barrels, a Missouri-based cooperage owned by Silver Oak. The American oak adds intriguing spice elements which blend well with Oakville’s notoriously complex fruit.
 
MEYER FAMILY CELLARS
2017 SPITFIRE OAKVILLE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Retails at: $54
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
“After nearly three years of aging, this ’17 Oakville Cabernet has begun to demonstrate many of the fruit and aromatic characteristics we’ve come to expect. Cassis, blackberry, and red-black currant all work in ripe combination across the juicy palate, with secondary notes of cooking spice, eucalyptus, and a hint of licorice. Two years in American oak have added a complex spice box of flavors, showing cardamom and cinnamon layered in a framework of integrated oak tannins. This vineyard site continually produces wines of great polish and drinkability, making them a joy to open while still young. As always, Spitfire is made for your next steak!” 
Gold Medal, Sunset International Wine Competition
2018 Lingua Franca Estate Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills

2018 Lingua Franca Estate Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtOregonPinot NoirUSA

LINGUA FRANCA

2018 ESTATE PINOT NOIR
EOLA-AMITY HILLS

2018 Lingua Franca Estate Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills
Lingua Franca winery resulted from Master Sommelier Larry Stone’s vision to develop an exceptional vineyard, neighboring Argyle’s Lone Star, Domaine Serene’s Jerusalem Hill, and Evening Land’s Seven Springs in Oregon’s Eola-Amity Hills region. Combine that with Burgundy-icon Dominique Lafon’s vision to produce world-class wine to further strengthen the team. Their wines walk a tightrope having New World concentration and intensity that’s equally matched with pristine balance and a powerful sense of place reminiscent of great Burgundy. 
 
Larry and his team separated the vineyard into twenty-three blocks, planted to different rootstocks and budwood reflective of the varying soil conditions. They impeccably farm the vineyard under low-impact, Organic and Biodynamic principles, which include no-till farming and the use of pygmy goats, guided through each row of vines by a Llama.
 
Lafon protégé, and winemaker Thomas Savre crafts the wines, with consulting winemaker Dominique Lafon. Their team meticulously sorts the fruit in the vineyard and at the winery and ferments the berries 20% whole cluster for added depth and structure. They age the wine for 12 months, primarily in neutral barrels to preserve the fruit’s natural essence.
 
LINGUA FRANCA
2018 ESTATE PINOT NOIR
EOLA-AMITY HILLS
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
“Structured and refined, with sleek and steely raspberry and blueberry flavors laced with stony minerality and fresh violets. Builds tension toward medium-grained tannins. Drink now through 2028.”
92 Points
 
“This has a Syrah-like foundation of earthy herbs and chewy tannins. The fruit is pure Pinot—elegant and bright raspberry flavors rich enough to feel lightly jammy. It finishes with a kick of citrusy acidity…”
92 Points
 
“Sourced from our best-performing blocks of Pinot Noir, the Lingua Franca Estate Pinot Noir begins with a heady scent of roses and red fruits. On the palate, the wine is quite dense and rich, powerful in expression, with a perfect balance of red and black fruits, dark plum, pomegranate and raspberry, then the nuances of wet stone and savory herbs come through in the lifted lingering finish and velvety texture.”
2018 Faust Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2018 Faust Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonCoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaUSA

FAUST

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2018 NAPA VALLEY

2018 Faust Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
The producers of Faust challenge themselves to create wines that purely express their Coombsville estate. They describe the wine as a modern classic that they craft in a bold style exemplifying their vineyard’s unique characteristics and dynamic terroir. At around $50, it’s one of Napa Valley’s best values in high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon.
 
Faust’s winemakers Jen Beloz and David Jelinek have every possible tool to make great wine inside Quintessa’s state-of-the-art winery in Rutherford. There, they craft a world-class Cabernet using an optical sorter that inspects each berry to ensure uniform ripeness before the juice travels gently by gravity through the winemaking process. 
 
The 2018 release is composed around a core of fruit from the winery’s estate vineyards in Coombsville and Rutherford and elevated with Atlas Peak, Mount Veeder, and Howell Mountain grapes, producing diverse and compelling flavors.
 
FAUST
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2018 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $55
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
“Very attractive aromas of blackcurrants, black olives and dark leather with some cedar. It’s full-bodied with firm, silky tannins and a refined, polished finish. Shows finesse and focus. Grows on the palate. Really delicious now, but will improve with age. Drink or hold.”
94 Points
 
“…this full-bodied, highly expressive red is made from Coombsville estate grapes as well as grapes from sites in Rutherford and Oakville. It presents concentrated, burly black-fruit notes tempered by savory clove, espresso, leather and toasted oak.”
92 Points
 
“Intense yet fresh with juicy blue and black notes. Dark chocolate mixed with dried herbs seduces the palate, while silky tannins and lifting acidity lead to a layered and lingering finish.”
2018 Domaine Jessiaume Santenay 1er Cru Les Gravieres Red Burgundy

2018 Domaine Jessiaume Santenay 1er Cru Les Gravieres Red Burgundy

with No Comment $40-$50BurgandyFranceKevin VogtPinot NoirRed Burgandy

DOMAINE JESSIAUME

SANTENAY 1er CRU
LES GRAVIÈRES
2018 RED BURGUNDY 

2018 Domaine Jessiaume Santenay 1er Cru Les Gravieres Red Burgundy
Santenay is an appellation of Côte de Beaune that’s best known for its Pinot Noir production. The region includes a dozen Premier Cru Vineyards, and Les Gravières is classically in the best part of the appellation. It’s located near the border of Chassagne and considered by many the top Cru Vineyard in Santenay. At less than $50, Domaine Jessiaume’s Premier Cru Red Burgundy from Les Gravières shows off the remarkable power, beauty, and complexity for which the site is known.
 
Les Gravières has highly-porous oolitic limestone, marls, and white oolite soils. Domaine Jessiaume sources from 60 years old vines have deep root systems that extract minerals and other composites, beautifully expressing the vineyard’s distinct terroir. 
 
Maison Jessiaume values organic viticulture and a gentle touch to winemaking. Their team intervenes as little as possible during the winemaking processes, ferments with natural yeasts, and relies on gravity to transfer the wine into tanks. The cumulative result is a pure and balanced interpretation of the varietal, location, and vintage.
 
DOMAINE JESSIAUME
SANTENAY 1er CRU
LES GRAVIÈRES
2018 RED BURGUNDY
 
Your Price: $49
 
 
“Floral and fresh on the nose, very inviting. Nice mouthfeel, bright, supple, with verve and tension. Complex flavor profile, red stone fruits, clove, cinnamon, nice balance and structure, expansive across the palate. Chewy tannins, very pure. Nice spice on the finish, with blood orange acidity. From vines with an average age of 60 years, aged 14 months in 350L barrels (30% new) before bottling.”
2018 The Crane Assembly Disciples Proprietary Red

2018 The Crane Assembly Disciples Proprietary Red

with No Comment $40-$50CalistogaKevin VogtNapaProprietary RedRutherfordUSA

THE CRANE ASSEMBLY

2018 DISCIPLES
PROPRIETARY RED

2018 The Crane Assembly Disciples Proprietary Red
The Crane Assembly wines honor the history of the G.B. Crane Vineyard, established around 1885. The eight-acre vineyard has 4 acres of original plantings. For Disciples, winemaker Kevin Fox and consulting winemaker Dave Phinney intermix fruit from other iconic vineyards in the area to replicate the style and structure of G.B. Crane. The 2018 release is richly layered, with supple dark fruits, vast complexity, and is perfectly balanced.
 
The wine’s backbone comes from Morisoli Vineyard, which sits in the center of the Rutherford bench and has been a longtime source for BV Georges de Latour, Elyse, Mercury Head, and the list goes on. The 2018 release also includes fruit from Tofanelli Vineyard in Calistoga, which has attracted producers like Prisoner, Schrader Cellars, and Turley. 
 
In 2018, the final blend is nearly 50% Zinfandel, matched with Bordeaux and Rhone Varieties. This wine deliciously shows off the incomparable skills of Dave Phinney & Kevin Fox. They are masters at creating new, unique blends that are as individualistic as they are enjoyable.
 
THE CRANE ASSEMBLY
2018 DISCIPLES
PROPRIETARY RED
 
Your Price: $45
 
 
“Strawberry preserves leap from the glass initially, followed by a bouquet of floral aromatics: lavender, violets and roses. Rich earthy notes of freshly plowed soil, fresh rain on warm granite and petrichor. Spicy, but not a peppery spice, more of a star anise spiciness, tart raspberries and sweet plouts, with a very long, dusty finish of strawberry cream, vanilla and caramelized sugar that lingers…. smooth and luscious!”