2018 Laird Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2018 Laird Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $50-$60Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

LAIRD

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2018

2018 Laird Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Ken Laird is the third generation of his family in the farming business, swapping tobacco growing for cultivating wine grapes after moving to Napa Valley and purchasing his first parcel in 1970. Following Robert Mondavi’s advice, he and his wife Gail transformed an old prune orchard into a vineyard with Bob’s guarantee that the Laird’s Cabernet Sauvignon would be “the highest harvest price paid in the Valley.”
 
The Lairds have continually expanded their land holdings over the last 50 years, becoming the largest family-owned vineyard owners in Napa Valley with a deep understanding of the minute factors influencing each microclimate. Their 2018 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon arose from three of their favorite vineyards, Flat Rock, Mast Ranch, and Linda Vista Ranch, aged in 40% new French oak for 21 months giving a robust style of wine with firm, elegant tannins and a delightful balance.
 
LAIRD
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2018
Retails at: $65
 
Your Price: $55
 
 
“Fruity nose of baked blueberries, ripe blackberries, cherry pie, sweet spices, licorice, tobacco leaves and chocolate. Full-bodied with firm, polished tannins. Beautifully rich, succulent core of blue and black fruit. Better from 2023.”
93 Points
2018 Site Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard Santa Maria Valley

2018 Site Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard Santa Maria Valley

with No Comment $50-$60Central CoastKevin VogtSanta Maria ValleySyrahUSA

SITE

SYRAH 2018
BIEN NACIDO VINEYARD
SANTA MARIA VALLEY

2018 Site Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard Santa Maria Valley
Jeremy Weintraub is the owner and winemaker for Site Wines and gained experience growing grapes in Paso Robles, Santa Maria, Central Otago, Martinborough, Tuscany, and Long Island. After his vineyard work, Jeremy began making wine at Seavey Vineyard in Napa and later vinifying wines for Adelaida Cellars in Paso Robles, whom he still works with today.
 
Site sources grapes from some of the most distinctive vineyards in California, and Bien Nacido is known for some of the state’s most sought-after cool-climate grapes. Esteemed Syrah producer Sine Qua Non is now entirely estate-grown, no longer sourcing fruit from Bien Nacido, and Site was next in line for their contract with Block B, the oldest, steepest, and most revered plot in the vineyard. The 2018 Syrah has a graceful elegance with earthy and spicy notes reminiscent of the wines of the Northern Rhône, providing an attestation to the exceptional terroir of the Bien Nacido Vineyard.
 
SITE
SYRAH 2018
BIEN NACIDO VINEYARD
SANTA MARIA VALLEY
 
Your Price: $55
 
 
“The 2018 Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyards was mostly destemmed (90%) and spent 18 months in 50% new French oak. It’s another inky hued effort that brings both richness and elegance. Lots of darker, briny fruits, smoked game, and black pepper notes give way to a medium to full-bodied wine that has silky yet present tannins, terrific balance, and a great finish. It’s going to evolve for 15 years or more.”
96 Points
2019 Two Old Dogs Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2019 Two Old Dogs Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $50-$60Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

TWO OLD DOGS

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2019

2019 Two Old Dogs Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Two Old Dogs is an extension of the JACK wine portfolio through a partnership between Major League teammates Chris Iannetta and Vernon Wells and highly respected vintner Jennifer Lamb. They teamed up with Julien Fayard to make the wine, calling on his experience at Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte in Bordeaux and numerous top Napa Valley Estates. 
 
Two Old Dogs Cabernet Sauvignon is a true expression of Napa terroir designed to be approachable and to offer extraordinary value. 2019 was an excellent growing season that produced wines with power and complexity that will develop beautifully with bottle age but have soft enough tannins and finesse to enjoy a glass right now.
 
TWO OLD DOGS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2019
 
Your Price: $55
 
 

“The 2019 Two Old Dogs Cabernet Sauvignon begins with notes of violets, volcanic rock minerality, red and black plums, dried herbs, and espresso. The palate is lush with soft tannins and flavors of blueberry, cassis, and dark chocolate. This wine has a solid backbone for further aging, but due to its supple texture is drinking wonderfully.”

96 Points

2017 Pecchenino Barolo San Giuseppe

2017 Pecchenino Barolo San Giuseppe

with No Comment $50-$60BaroloBaroloItalyKevin VogtPiedmont

PECCHENINO

BAROLO 2017
SAN GIUSEPPE

2017 Pecchenino Barolo San Giuseppe
The same family has run Pecchenino Winery since the end of the 20th century. They own 86 acres of vineyards in Dogliani, Bossolasco, and Monforte d’Alba, where they have a modern winery dedicated to Barolo production. The vineyards within Monforte d’Alba cover several different Menzione Geografica Aggiuntivas (MGAs), which are specially delineated areas of Barolo similar to a French cru and represent quality and distinction.
 
The age of the vines is between 15 and 40 years, giving a complex range of fruit, spice, and earth components further enhanced by 24 months in large casks and 12 months in cement tanks. The wine is a signature classic of the region on the palate with a rustic, robust structure, intense flavors, and silky tannins, resulting in this bottle being the first emptied at our recent tasting and one that you won’t want to miss.
 
PECCHENINO
BAROLO 2017
SAN GIUSEPPE
Retails at: $65
 
Your Price: $59.99
 
 
“A rather soft and rich young Barolo with strawberry and floral character and hints of watermelon. It’s full-bodied and layered. Rich finish. So attractive now, but will age nicely. Try after 2023.”
94 Points
2019 Macauley Old Vine Zinfandel Napa Valley

2019 Macauley Old Vine Zinfandel Napa Valley

with No Comment $50-$60Kevin VogtNapaOld Vine ZinfandelUSA

MACAULEY

OLD VINE ZINFANDEL
NAPA VALLEY 2019

2019 Macauley Old Vine Zinfandel Napa Valley
Ann Macauley Watson founded the Macauley label during the early 1980s, and today her son Mac runs the estate, working closely with his childhood friend Kirk Venge, son of the renowned winemaker Nils Venge. Mac and Kirk share the same winemaking philosophy, aiming to create wines of extreme depth and a range of complexity directly related to each site’s specific terroir, which means sourcing the best fruit from the best vineyards in Napa.
 
They sourced their 2019 Old Vine Zinfandel from ancient vines averaging 115 years old from some of Napa Valley’s most historic vineyards, including Korte Ranch, Kenefick Ranch, and Luvisi. The wine shows a refined integration of fruit character that isn’t jammy or overripe but with bright, penetrating fruit flavors and smooth tannins with a long, exuberant finish.
 
MACAULEY
OLD VINE ZINFANDEL
NAPA VALLEY 2019
Retails at: $55
 
 
 
“The 2019 Macauley Old Vine Zinfandel opens with luscious notes of lavender, cloves, bramble, black raspberry, and black tea. On the palate the wine has flavors of crushed blackberry, chocolate covered strawberry, white pepper, and a hint of toast. This wine has silky, fine tannins that coat the mouth and flow into a sultry finish and will allow the wine to age for another decade or so.”
93 Points
2007 Pella Cabernet Sauvignon Star Vineyard Napa Valley

2007 Pella Cabernet Sauvignon Star Vineyard Napa Valley

with No Comment $50-$60Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtRutherfordUSA

PELLA 

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
STAR VINEYARD RUTHERFORD
NAPA VALLEY 2007

2007 Pella Cabernet Sauvignon Star Vineyard Napa Valley
Kristof Nils Anderson, the former Lewis winemaker and founding winemaker at Gargiulo Vineyards in Oakville and Scribe in Sonoma, is known for making tannins “dance” on the palate in his terroir distinctive wines. His wines have extended aging potential and the proven ability to evolve magically in the cellar. Pella represents the epitome of his remarkable talent and artistry in crafting age-worth wines of the highest caliber.
 
The Star Vineyard in Rutherford is farmed by one of Napa Valley’s greatest viticulturists, David Abreu, producing sultry Cabernet Sauvignon fruit of admirable quality. This vineyard, ideally situated on a sweet spot of the Rutherford Bench, is the next vineyard to the South of BV’s #10 Vineyard and adjacent to BV#1, which goes into BV’s flagship Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Optimally cellared, the 2007 vintage is at a pinnacle of drinkability with its decade-plus of bottle-age that worked some real magic in that time.
 
PELLA 
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
STAR VINEYARD RUTHERFORD
NAPA VALLEY 2007
Retails at: $100
 
 
 
“The Cabernet Sauvignons from Pella contain Rutherford fruit from the Star Vineyard and are a glimpse into a rare time-capsule from the mid-2000s. Unfortunately, winemaker Cristof Anderson only produced a handful of vintages. Still, those he created are a spectacular example of what perfectly-aged, high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon can become over time. The 2007 vintage begins with a nose including concentrated black cherry juice, ground espresso, dried sage, dark chocolate, crushed granite, iron, and elegant florals. A very concentrated, compact palate follows, with penetrating red fruits and deep, supple black fruits that combine black tea, blackberries, and red currants, along with an immense amount of complexity. The complex flavors and aromas form waves of intensity that wash over your palate, then recede, evolving in a way that few wines do. The finish is unexpectedly long and ultimately satisfying, with poise, elegance, grace, and intensity that leave you wanting more and more.”
97 Points
NV Bouquin-Dupont Grand Cru Champagne Blanc De Blancs Brut

NV Bouquin-Dupont Grand Cru Champagne Blanc De Blancs Brut

with No Comment $50-$60ChampagneChampagne/SparklingFranceKevin Vogt

BOUQUIN-DUPONT

GRAND CRU CHAMPAGNE
BLANC DE BLANCS BRUT NV

NV Bouquin-Dupont Grand Cru Champagne Blanc De Blancs Brut
The Echelle des Crus was established in 1911, ranking Champagne’s wine-producing villages and the vineyards surrounding them on a scale from 80-100%, and out of the 319 villages in the region, just 17 were awarded a 100% rating and given the prestigious Grand Cru status. Bouquin-DuPont’s Grand Cru Champagne is a prime example of classification’s majestic and regal quality.
This wine originates from Bouquin DuPont & Fils’ Grand Cru vineyard in Avize in the heart of the Côte des Blancs, an area home to vineyards owned by famous Champagne houses such as Moët & Chandon, Roederer, and Taittinger. This ‘Blanc de Blancs’ is a 100% Chardonnay blend from the house’s base wines aged four to ten years on the lees, creating a wonderfully developed, complex wine with a superb balance of focused, linear flavors and aromas.
BOUQUIN-DUPONT
GRAND CRU CHAMPAGNE
BLANC DE BLANCS BRUT NV
Your Price: $55
“Indescribably brilliant with a freshness and vibrancy that need to be experienced to be believed , this otherworldly Champagne cascades wave after wave of candied citrus, quince, yellow plum and green pear fruit with elements of wet stone/saline-like minerality, toast, white flowers and a hint of ginger. On your palate, it takes over and puts your swallow reflex into overdrive, then the expansive finish grows for a minute plus, leaving you begging for another sip. It’s simply my new favorite Champagne.”
97 Points
2019 Adobe Road The 24 Red Blend California

2019 Adobe Road The 24 Red Blend California

with No Comment $50-$60Kevin VogtProprietary RedUSA

ADOBE ROAD

THE 24 RED BLEND
CALIFORNIA 2019

2019 Adobe Road The 24 Red Blend California
Kevin Buckler is an ambitious professional driver who has secured wins at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona and Le Mans, the 2002 Porsche World Cup Champion title, and several wins in significant motorsports events in North America. He founded the Adobe Road Winery in 2002, extending his drive for perfection into the winemaking world, and created the Abode Road Racing Series to represent some of his most significant accomplishments.
 
The metal chronograph label on the bottle is a miniature replica of the Rolex timepiece that counts down at the exhilarating 24-hour races in Daytona and Le Mans. The 2019 vintage is a Rhone-style blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Syrah, with hints of Malbec and Petite Sirah, expertly blended to represent the value of teamwork and success.
 
ADOBE ROAD
THE 24 RED BLEND
CALIFORNIA 2019
Retails at: $66
 
Your Price: $59.99
 
 
“The right blend of teamwork, preparation, and the ability to adapt has led to our team success. The same holds true for how we crafted The 24. The blend features fresh, fruity Grenache, mixed with an almost equal portion of dark, spicy Mourvedre. Syrah holds the backbone of smooth tannin and velvety mouthfeel. A dash of Malbec and Petite Sirah make the whole thing burst with intensity!”
2018 Saddleback Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville

2018 Saddleback Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville

with No Comment $50-$60Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA

SADDLEBACK

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
OAKVILLE 2018

2018 Saddleback Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville
Nils Venge was the first American winemaker to earn a 100-point score in 1985 with the Groth Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, establishing a pedestal of quality winemaking that few others have achieved. He established Saddleback Cellars in the late 1970s from vineyards situated on 14 acres behind Opus One, where the soils and climate combine to produce grapes of regal qualities.
 
The estate hasn’t changed much since Nils first began growing grapes, and that’s just the way nature intended it to be. Napa’s 2018 vintage delivered pristine conditions for producing superior wines that make a powerful statement and earning an overall vintage rating of 99 Points from The Wine Spectator, matched only by Napa Valley’s 1997 vintage.
 
SADDLEBACK
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
OAKVILLE 2018
Retails at: $78
 
 
 
“The 2018 Saddleback Cellars Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon opens with sultry notes of violets, cassis, black cherry, black plum, cardamom, and petrichor. On the palate, the wine’s rich, penetrating core expresses flavors of blackberry tart and chocolate gelato with a delightfully balancing acidity and long finish. This wine is incredible right now and has a solid structure for aging, rendering years of pleasure-filled drinking experiences.”
94 Points
2017 Juslyn Perrys Blend Spring Mountain

2017 Juslyn Perrys Blend Spring Mountain

with No Comment $50-$60Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedSpring MountainUSA

JUSLYN

PERRY’S BLEND
SPRING MOUNTAIN 2017

2017 Juslyn Perrys Blend Spring Mountain
Juslyn Vineyards’ proprietors, Perry and Carolyn Butler, came to Napa in 1997 from the tech industry, bringing a high level of quality expectations and detail-oriented nature. Winemaker Angelina Mondavi exceeded those expectations beginning her career at age 10 in the lab at her family’s winery, Charles Krug, and now has 28 harvests under her belt. She also has an undergraduate degree from Villanova University with a major in Chemistry and a Master’s degree in Oenology from the University of Adelaide’s Waite Campus.
 
Since her return to Napa in 2007, Angelina’s had the opportunity to work with many acclaimed winemakers, including Stacy Clark at Pine Ridge and Jayson Woodbridge of Hundred Acre. She carefully crafts Perry’s Blend as a Left Bank Bordeaux-style Red that changes each vintage but is based around a core of Cabernet Sauvignon enhanced primarily with Cabernet Franc, proudly conveying the Spring Mountain prestige and classic character.
 
JUSLYN
PERRY’S BLEND
SPRING MOUNTAIN 2017
Retails at: $110
 
 
 
The 2017 Juslyn Vineyards Perry’s Blend is an exceptional example from Spring Mountain opening with an incredible depth of aromas, with wild black currants, black tea, balsamic, cloves, fresh roses, and volcanic rock. The palate mimics the nose with its deeply concentrated flavors adding blackberries, black olives, dark chocolate, and a hint of aniseed. A linear structure of flavors reveals a very concentrated and focused wine with a solid tannic structure and bright acidity that will keep this wine fresh, alive, and age-worthy for at least another 12 to 15 years.” 
94 Points