2019 Walter Hansel The South Slope Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

2019 Walter Hansel The South Slope Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtPinot NoirRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

WALTER HANSEL

THE SOUTH SLOPE
PINOT NOIR 2019
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

2019 Walter Hansel The South Slope Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

Consistently exceptional, Walter Hansel’s Pinot Noirs mirror qualities that you’d expect from California’s most elite Pinot Noir producers, doing so at a price that’s drawn many admirers. 

Walter Hansel had a penchant for horticulture early on and enlisted the help of his son, Stephen, to plant a half-acre of vines in the 1970s. During the next decade, the Hansel family would harvest their tiny vineyard, and produce two barrels, making about 50 cases of wine. 

The Estate now farms 80 acres of contiguous vineyards. The South Slope is at the highest elevation and southernmost plot, planted to Clone 777, known for giving wines a distinct earthiness. The 2021 South Slope Pinot Noir was fermented in stainless steel and aged 12 months in oak before release, earning 96 points from Vinous and highlighting “knock-out” qualities.

WALTER HANSEL
THE SOUTH SLOPE
PINOT NOIR 2019
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

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“The 2021 Pinot Noir The South Slope is a classic Steven Hansel wine. A rush of dark cherry, plum lavender, rose petal and licorice are all dialed up. This boisterous, exuberant Pinot Noir has a ton of character. Plush contours wrap it all together in style. The 2021 will be nearly impossible to resist on release. What a knock-out!”

96 Points

2021 My Favorite Neighbor Cabernet Sauvignon San Luis Obispo

2021 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 2021

2021 My Favorite Neighbor Cabernet Sauvignon San Luis Obispo

In 2001, Eric and Lisa Jensen purchased 100 acres in Paso Robles, founding Booker Vineyards, followed by My Favorite Neighbor, initially focusing on farming high-quality grapes for nearby wineries. Eric started making wine on the side with his friend Justin Smith of Saxum and neighbor Stephan Asseo of L’Aventure before he and Lisa decided to create wines that would rival the best out of Napa Valley in their categories. 

Established with unwavering commitment and a refusal to compromise, My Favorite Neighbor strikes a balance with impeccable ripe fruit, intense flavors, and sumptuous textures, presenting a formidable challenge to some of the finest $100 New World Cabernets. 

Eric has consistently crafted wines from successive vintages that have garnered impressive mid-90-point scores, and his 2021 vintage stands as a remarkable successor, propelling his wine toward widespread recognition as a premier name in San Luis Obispo-area Cabernet Sauvignon.

MY FAVORITE NEIGHBOR
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
SAN LUIS OBISPO 2021
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“The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is smoking good, with a full-bodied, rich, opulent wine that has classic cassis and darker blue fruits as well as leafy tobacco, baking spice, and bouquet garni notes. This textured, ripe, sexy wine stays nicely balanced, has ripe tannins, and a great finish. It’s another awesome value.”

94 Points

2019 Hendry Cabernet Franc Blocks 9D & 26 Napa Valley

2019 Hendry Cabernet Franc Blocks 9D & 26 Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet FrancKevin VogtNapaUSA

HENDRY

CABERNET FRANC
BLOCKS 9D & 26
NAPA VALLEY 2019

2019 Hendry Cabernet Franc Blocks 9D & 26 Napa Valley

The Hendry family has cultivated grapevines in Napa Valley since 1939, accumulating over 80 years of expertise in viticulture and standing as one of the region’s most prominent wine families. 

Located in the southern part of Napa, their 203-acre ranch benefits from a substantial coastal influence from San Pablo Bay, contributing to fresh acidity and vibrant fruit. Block 26 and 9D, planted in 1998 and 2003, are the Estate’s only Cabernet Franc vines, initially intended for blending; however, George Hendry was so impressed with the fruit quality that he began bottling the Cabernet Franc independently. 

Aged 15 months in French oak, Hendry’s 2019 Cabernet Franc presents fine tannins and a soft texture with a depth of flavor that evolves in the glass and is drinking beautifully after time in the bottle.

HENDRY
CABERNET FRANC
BLOCKS 9D & 26
NAPA VALLEY 2019

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“The Hendry 2019 Cabernet Franc from Blocks 26 and 9D opens with beautiful aromatics of lavender, cloves, a wet stone minerality, plums, baking spices, and cigar box. On the palate, the wine has an elegant entrance with soft tannins and flavors of blackberry, red plum, mocha, and saffron, intricately laced with sophistication. The wine’s silky texture flows into a smooth finish that doesn’t let you forget why Cabernet Franc is so special.”

95 Points

2016 Chateau Chantelune Margaux Bordeaux France

2016 Chateau Chantelune Margaux Bordeaux France

with No Comment $40-$50BordeauxBordeauxFranceKevin Vogt

CHÂTEAU CHANTELUNE

MARGAUX 2016
BORDEAUX, FRANCE

2016 Chateau Chantelune Margaux Bordeaux France

Château Chantelune is a small estate with 40-year-old vines grown at the highest elevation within the Margaux AOC. 

José Sanfin, the director of Château Cantenac Brown, is the proprietor of Château Chantelune, and he focuses on producing the most exceptional quality fruit from his small vineyards.

This classic Right Bank Bordeaux centers on Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc. Even better, 2016 is considered one of the stand-out vintages of the last decade due to ideal weather conditions.

This vintage produced fruit with incredible structure, depth of flavor, and refined tannins, sculpting a wine that’s drinking beautifully now, with the ability to age.

CHÂTEAU CHANTELUNE
MARGAUX 2016
BORDEAUX, FRANCE

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“Owned by José Sanfins, director of Cantenac Brown, who also owns Haut Médoc property Château du Moulin. Chantelune is a tiny estate, but quality is high. Extremely silky with some lovely caramel and coffee bean notes alongside damson fruit. Here the flavours go all the way through the mid-palate, really making you smile, intense but not overpowering.”

91 Points

2021 Barnett Vineyards Chardonnay Sangiacomo Vineyards Napa Valley

2021 Barnett Vineyards Chardonnay Sangiacomo Vineyards Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50CarnerosChardonnayKevin VogtNapaSonomaUSA

BARNETT VINEYARDS

CHARDONNAY 2021
SANGIACOMO VINEYARD
CARNEROS, NAPA VALLEY

2021 Barnett Vineyards Chardonnay Sangiacomo Vineyards Napa Valley

Hal and Fiona Barnett founded Barnett Vineyards in 1983, producing varietally pure, polished, and powerful wines stemming from their commitment to sustainable practices with minimal intervention in the winemaking process. For over three decades, they’ve sourced their Chardonnay from the legendary Sangiacomo Vineyard in Carneros, earning access to some of the vineyards’ best blocks, including El Novillero, Vella, and Catarina.

The progress of barrel fermentation and later malolactic fermentation are routinely monitored by the winemaking team, sampling wine from each barrel to maintain the desired balance in the wine, resulting in a beautifully polished Chardonnay. 

The 2021 release is a testament to the team’s deep understanding of Sangiacomo terroir and the fruit, revealing a remarkable equilibrium of flavors. All this set against the backdrop of an exceptional vintage, this Chardonnay is a joy to behold.

BARNETT VINEYARDS
CHARDONNAY 2021
SANGIACOMO VINEYARD
CARNEROS, NAPA VALLEY

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“Barnett Vineyards 2021 Sangiacomo Vineyard Chardonnay opens with notes of honeysuckle and peach blossoms, melted caramel, pear, pineapple, apple strudle, and a wet stone minerality. On the palate, the wine has flavors of sweet spices, waffle cone, pear, golden apple, and fresh bread dough. The wine has a delicate balance of flavor intensity and acidity that creates a long, elegant finish.”

95 Points

2016 Chateua Lavillotte Saint-Estephie Bordeaux

2016 Chateau Lavillotte Saint-Estephie Bordeaux

with No Comment $40-$50BordeauxBordeauxFranceKevin Vogt

CHÂTEAU LAVILLOTTE

SAINT-ESTÈPHE
BORDEAUX 2016

2016 Chateua Lavillotte Saint-Estephie Bordeaux

Château Lavillotte lies on just under 30 acres of prime vineyard land in the Saint-Estèphe region at the northern end of the Médoc on Bordeaux’s left bank. Characterized by a mix of gravel, clay, and limestone soils that contribute to the complexity of the wines, the region’s terroir is particularly well-suited to growing Cabernet Sauvignon.

Emerging from one of the best vintages in Bordeaux, the favorable 2016 weather brought forth fruit with a remarkable balance of flavor, concentration, deep color, and vibrant acidity. 

Château Lavillotte’s 2016 release is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon softened with 30% Merlot, aged 14 months in oak, and is powerfully elegant and will continue to age eloquently for several more years.

CHÂTEAU LAVILLOTTE
SAINT-ESTÈPHE
BORDEAUX 2016

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“The Château Lavillotte 2016 Saint-Estèphe opens with plush notes of plum, black currant, saffron, mushroom, earth, and wet stones. On the palate, the wine has a dense concentration and flavors of black cherry, cassis, black olive, cinnamon, and espresso bean. The persistent, lasting finish cascades from one flavor to the next, with fine-grained tannins and fresh acidity.” 

95 Points

2021 Saddleback Old Vine Zinfandel Calistoga

2021 Saddleback Old Vine Zinfandel Calistoga

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtNapaUSAZinfandel

SADDLEBACK

OLD VINE ZINFANDEL 
CALISTOGA 2021

2021 Saddleback Old Vine Zinfandel Calistoga

Nils Venge established Saddleback Cellars in 1982 before becoming the first American winemaker to achieve a perfect 100-point score from Robert Parker for the Groth 1985 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. This accomplishment solidified a benchmark of excellence in winemaking in Napa Valley, and 40 years later, Nils’ wines continue to be justly rewarded with 90+ Point reviews from numerous critics.

Saddleback Cellars sits on 14 acres on Money Road in the Oakville AVA, also home to prestigious names like Harlan Estate, Opus One, and Screaming Eagle. 

Nils sources his Zinfandel from old vines in Calistoga that give this fruit intense concentration, lively energy, and depth while maintaining Nils’ award-winning house style.

SADDLEBACK
OLD VINE ZINFANDEL 
CALISTOGA 2021
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“The Saddleback 2021 Zinfandel comes from old vines in Calistoga and gives deep aromas of cloves, cinnamon, plum, peach, preserves, and milk chocolate. On the palate, the wine has intense flavors of raspberry, bing cherry, blueberry muffins, and sweet baking spices. The wine has a mouth-coating, velvety texture with an enduring finish.”

94 Points

2020 Dolum Estates Cabernet Sauvignon Cask #3 Oakville Napa Valley

2020 Dolum Estates Cabernet Sauvignon Cask #3 Oakville Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA

DOLUM ESTATES

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
CASK #3 OAKVILLE
NAPA VALLEY 2020

2020 Dolum Estates Cabernet Sauvignon Cask #3 Oakville Napa Valley

Dedicated to crafting wines of distinctive character that encompass elegance while effectively reflecting their terroir, Dolum Estate founders enlisted the expertise of winemaker Chad Alexander. Chad’s expertise in soil science and prior experience at renowned wineries, including Hess Collection and Robert Craig, have achieved their objective, resulting in wines with rich, well-balanced flavors and a sense of refinement.

Dolum Estates sources fruit from carefully chosen sub-districts scattered across Napa Valley, and this highly selective approach results in exceptional wines.

The 2020 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon Cask #3 is supple and rich, coming in at 96% Cabernet Sauvignon with 4% Merlot to slightly soften and round out the mid-palate, which ends with an everlasting finish.

DOLUM ESTATES
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
CASK #3 OAKVILLE
NAPA VALLEY 2020
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“Attractive aromas of blackcurrants and brambleberries with toasted cedar, anisette, cinnamon and tobacco leaf. Ripe and mellow on the palate with a full body and an array of plush, finely polished tannins. Complex and refined with a succulent, bittersweet, dark-fruited finish. Better after 2026.”

95 Points

2018 Sosie Red Blend Stagecoach Vineyard Atlas Peak

2018 Sosie Red Blend Stagecoach Vineyard Atlas Peak

with No Comment $40-$50Atlas PeakKevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

SOSIE

RED BLEND 2018
STAGECOACH VINEYARD
ATLAS PEAK

2018 Sosie Red Blend Stagecoach Vineyard Atlas Peak

Sosie’s wines are sourced from celebrated vineyards in Sonoma and Napa Valley, chosen for exceptional farming practices that ensure perfectly ripened, well-balanced fruit, leading to minimal intervention in the winery. The winery focuses on blends, exploring various barrels, vineyards, appellations, and varietals, creating food-friendly wines with impeccable balance.

Perched at the top of Atlas Peak, the renowned Stagecoach Vineyard was planted in 1991 after a water witch discovered a viable water source. Today, the vineyard is prized for its volcanic soils, rocky terrain, and high elevation. 

This red blend from the superb 2018 vintage combines 56% Cabernet Franc and 43% Cabernet Sauvignon with Petit Verdot, fermented with native yeasts and matured 21 months in French oak, enhancing the purity and complexity of the finished wine.

SOSIE
RED BLEND 2018
STAGECOACH VINEYARD
ATLAS PEAK
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“The Sosie 2018 Stagecoach Vineyard Blocks K1 & K4 Red Blend begins with notes of violet, cassis, blackberry, clove, a hint of black pepper, and volcanic minerality. On the palate, the wine has firm, silky tannins and flavors of black plum, black currant, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and orange zest. This wine has well-structured elegance, and coats the mouth offering a delightful finish.”

93 Points

2020 Erikson And Caradin Cabernet Sauvignon Bilateral Napa Valley

2020 Erikson And Caradin Cabernet Sauvignon Bilateral Oakville Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA

ERIKSON & CARADIN 

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
BILATERAL 2020
OAKVILLE, NAPA VALLEY

2020 Erikson And Caradin Cabernet Sauvignon Bilateral Napa Valley

Erikson & Caradin is a small, innovative winery in Napa Valley that is committed to producing fine wines with a handcrafted approach. The proprietors believe that soil, elevation, and climate play crucial roles in winemaking but that expertise and ambition can take wine to the next level.

The winery’s Innovative Series explores different vine training methods, and the “Bilateral” wine celebrates bilaterally-trained Cabernet Sauvignon vines grown in Oakville. The fruit for the 2020 vintage came from a vineyard across from Screaming Eagle, one of Napa’s most renowned wineries. The bilateral viticultural practices used in this vineyard resulted in grapes with great intensity and concentration, which is reflected in the finished wine.

The 2020 Bilateral Cabernet Sauvignon is a powerful and complex wine with intense flavors and a balanced structure that will surely please Cabernet Sauvignon lovers.

ERIKSON & CARADIN 
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
BILATERAL 2020
OAKVILLE, NAPA VALLEY

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“The Erikson & Caradin 2020 Bilateral Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon has fragrant aromas of blueberry pie, black currants, elegant florals, fresh sage, and milk chocolate. The palate continues with ripe blackberries, black plums, Bing cherries, mocha, hints of allspice, and a touch of sweet vanilla. The seamless, lingering palate is very supple, with satiny tannins and a long, refined finish.”

95+ Points