2016 Anthem Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder

2016 Anthem Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder

with No Comment $60-$70Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtMt VeederNapaUSA

ANTHEM 

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2016 MOUNT VEEDER

2016 Anthem Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder
Steadfast on creating superior quality Cabernets from distinctive Mountain AVA’s in Napa Valley, Anthem winery assembled a powerful team led by highly-respected viticulturist John Truchard and winemaker Jeff Ames. The winery’s production team is free to vinify without regard for cost, making every decision solely on its impact on the quality of their wine. All of this is present in their wines, and the 2016 release is their best yet. 
 
Mount Veeder arose from an ancient seabed, and the soils at Anthem Estate are excessively well-drained and derived from sedimentary rock. Their vines yield just 1.9 tons per acre of super-concentrated berries that powerfully reflect their site-specific terroir.
 
Jeff crafts Anthem’s Cabernet Sauvignon to showcase the power and restraint, as well as a stunning level of depth and persistent intensity. The 2016 vintage produced an even richer version, and after 18 months in barrel and three years in the bottle, this wine rocks.
 
ANTHEM 
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2016 MOUNT VEEDER
Retails at: $125
 
 
 
“Made by Winemaker Jeff Ames, this Cabernet Sauvignon includes 7% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot. Aged in 100% new French oak, it offers a seamless core of cassis, raspberry and dark cherry, with velvety richness forming a concentrated bond on the palate.”
94 Points
 
“…Deep garnet-purple in color, is offers up scents of crème de cassis, blueberry compote and Christmas cake with an undercurrent of plum preserves, camphor and cigar box. Big, rich and full-bodied on the palate, it delivers impactful, maturing black fruit and spicy flavors, supported by firm, grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing with great length.”
93 Points
 
“Lush and well-fruited, with lots of boysenberry, blackberry and plum flavors rolling through, laced with apple wood, anise, violet and sweet tobacco notes. Shows a tarry edge on the finish but the fruit keeps pace easily. Solidly built. Best from 2021 through 2032.”
93 Points
2018 Arietta Quartet Proprietary Red

2018 Arietta Quartet Proprietary Red

with No Comment $60-$70CarnerosCoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUncategorizedUSA

ARIETTA 

2018 QUARTET 
PROPRIETARY RED
 
2018 Arietta Quartet Proprietary Red
Arietta’s specialty is harmoniously balanced Bordeaux-style blends created from top vineyards in Napa Valley. They gain inspiration for their wine from music and believe that great wines should sing with balance, vibrancy, and depth. They’re able to achieve this with the proper instruments (super-premium grapes) and the help of gifted composer/winemaker Andy Erickson. Andy made Screaming Eagle from 2005 through 2010, and he also makes Mayacamas, which in the last two consecutive vintages ranked #2 and #4 on Wine Spectator Top 100. At 95 points and under $100, don’t miss Arietta’s 2018 Quartet.   
 
Cabernet Sauvignon takes center stage in the 2018 Quartet, followed by Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petite Verdot. They finely tuned this wine for 20 months in oak, and it makes a grand entrance from one of Napa Valley’s most exceptional vintages. 
 
The winery sources fruit from Meteor and Two Belles Farms in Coombsville, and in Carneros, they call on Lee Hudson’s renowned vineyard. If you’re looking for a stunningly complex and deeply hedonistic blend to add to your cellar, this one is singing.
 
ARIETTA 
2018 QUARTET 
PROPRIETARY RED
Retails at: $75
 
Your Price: $69.99
 
 
“This blends 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot into a cohesive whole of complex structure and grace. Cedar, pencil shavings, iron and crushed rock provide a savory foundation complemented by lush richness in the form of dense blueberry, dark chocolate and nutmeg…”
95 Points
2016 Sebright Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2016 Sebright Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $60-$70Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA

SEBRIGHT

2016 RESERVE 
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
NAPA VALLEY

2016 Sebright Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Sebright wowed us last year with their Greenwood Block Cabernet. Their resolute style of crafting beautifully refined wines deep-seated in elegance made a memorable impact. We wondered if it could get any better, and their 48 case production of Reserve Cabernet from their Estate Vineyard loudly answered that question with a resilient YES. The wine is more profound, more opulent, and with more intensity than their Greenwood Block bottling. At $125, it’s an incredible wine, but at $65, there aren’t enough superlatives to describe it. 
 
Sebright’s Reserve Cabernet comes from their single-acre Garnett Creek Estate Vineyard, double planted to clone 7, a clone also used by Screaming Eagle. They farm the vineyard sustainably and by hand, and the volcanic ash soils produce tiny yields of intense fruit. 
 
Andy Jones, who worked under Thomas Brown at Outpost, makes this wine, which reigns from the remarkable 2016 vintage. The Wine Spectator ranks 2016 as the highest-rated vintage for Napa Cabernet since 1997. It spent 23 months in new French oak barrels, and with just 2 barrels (48 cases) produced, don’t wait to secure yours.
 
SEBRIGHT
2016 RESERVE 
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $125
 
 
 
“This is a very concentrated, powerful wine with an intense nose including muddled black and blue berries, rose petals, glove leather, and sweet vanilla. The focused palate has an energetic approach with layers of mountain blackberries complex minerals, Burgundy plums, and cherry pipe tobacco. The lavish finish is compelling, dynamic, exceptionally long, beautifully presented in a wine that I want more of.”
97 Points
2018 Vineyard 29 Cru Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2018 Vineyard 29 Cru Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $60-$70Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaSt. HelenaUSA

VINEYARD 29

CRU CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2018 NAPA VALLEY

2018 Vineyard 29 Cru Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Vineyard 29 utilizes a combination of Old-World techniques and the most advanced methods available in their constant pursuit of perfection. These processes include everything from gravity flow tanks, an optical sorter that can be programmed algorithmically, to a control room that monitors the conditions inside the vineyards, caves, and winery. They center their philosophy on Elevage, which translates to raising the wine from grape to bottle. The 2018 Cru Cabernet perfectly portrays the character of the Napa Valley terroir, and as Jeb Dunnuck writes, it does so with “notable purity, balance, and length.”
 
The wine team thoughtfully constructed the 2018 release from fourteen vineyards, with their core composed of parcels surrounding the winery’s Estate in St Helena. The winemaking team hand-selects the balance of fruit from different parts of the Valley, creating a well-rounded and richly layered Cabernet that’s effortlessly balanced. 
 
Vineyard 29 Winemaker Keith Emerson has crafted this wine since the inaugural vintage in 2005. He gained invaluable experience while working alongside Philippe Melka on the winery’s high-scoring Estate wines through 2017, while Philippe was consulting winemaker. At under $100, this is a steal in terms of the sheer quality of what’s inside the bottle.
 
VINEYARD 29
CRU CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2018 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $75
 
Your Price: $69.99
 
 
“Plums, Asian spices, tobacco, and lead pencil notes emerge from the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Cru, which hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a beautifully polished, elegant texture, and outstanding length. This is another gorgeous 2018 displaying notable purity, balance, and length as well as richness. It can be drunk any time over the coming 15+ years.”
94 Points
#28 Top Napa Cabernet Under $100
 
“The 2018 CRU Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon holds nothing back upon opening. Grilled meat, cocoa and Bing cherry perfume a beautifully expressive nose. Pulling from multiple vineyards throughout Napa Valley, this wine truly encompasses the incredible diversity that our valley has to offer. Firm tannins and structure house notes of cassis, plums, black peppercorns and fresh tobacco leaf. This wine finishes with a long, weighty finish that never loses its focus and remains pure throughout.”
2016 Post Parade Stretch Drive Cabernet Sauvignon

2016 Post Parade Stretch Drive Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $60-$70Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA

POST PARADE

2016 STRETCH DRIVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 

2016 Post Parade Stretch Drive Cabernet Sauvignon
Post Parade Winery was founded ten years ago under the guiding principle to create something worth appreciating. The Post Parade crew performed this achievement without the slightest compromise, and they brought in Thomas Brown to make the wines. You may recognize Thomas from Schrader, Revana, and Outpost. When the project first launched, Brown said “Post Parade has been the most enjoyable project I’ve taken on in recent memory.” The wines have continually stretched the boundaries of quality at their price level, and the 2016 Stretch Drive, which is the second wine at Post Parade, is, as Jeb Dunnuck writes, “guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
 
The winery works closely with three vineyards; Trench Vineyard in Oakville, made famous by Russell Bevan; Red Head Vineyard on Soda Springs Road, where Brown also sources fruit Saunter Winery; and Ithaca Vineyard in North Rutherford, which is also a source for Revana winery. 
 
The grapes that go into Stretch Drive are hand-sorted twice, first by cluster, and again berry by berry after destemming, to ensure only perfectly ripened fruit makes its way to the crusher. The juice is then fermented on the skins for 16 days, extracting color and flavor, before aging in barrels for 22 months.
 
POST PARADE
2016 STRETCH DRIVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Retails at: $75
 
Your Price: $69.99
 
 
“The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Stretch Drive is also terrific and has a supple, sweetly fruited, sexy style. Ample blueberry and strawberry liqueur, fruitcake and spring flower notes all emerge from this full-bodied, massive fruit bomb that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. I suspect it will age, but I’d just drink it.”
93 Points
 
“Composed of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 20 months in 75% new French oak, the 2016 Stretch Drive Cabernet Sauvignon is deep garnet-purple colored and gives up notes of blackberries, black cherries, cassis and mulberries with hints of chocolate box, tilled soil and vanilla pod. Full, juicy and bursting with blackcurrant flavor, it has a soft texture and long, refreshing finish.”
90 Points
2015 Larry Hyde Pinot Noir Hyde Estate Vineyard

2015 Larry Hyde Pinot Noir Hyde Estate Vineyard

with No Comment $60-$70CarnerosKevin VogtNapaPinot NoirUSA

LARRY HYDE

2015 PINOT NOIR
HYDE ESTATE VINEYARD

2015 Larry Hyde Pinot Noir Hyde Estate Vineyard
Napa Valley Grower-of-the-Year for 2020 Larry Hyde of Hyde Vineyard produces powerfully expressive, profound fruit, which is why he’s attracted many of California’s top producers, including Paul Hobbs, Aubert, Kistler, and DuMOL, to make wine from his vineyard. Larry planted the vineyard in the heart of Carneros in 1979, and in 2009 he decided to craft wine under his own label. Larry created this one from some of the best blocks in the vineyard, and this 2015 Estate Pinot is massive but delivers the regal elegance you’d expect from a top Pinot Noir producer. 
 
Larry and his team continually strive to produce the best wine possible from the Estate, and in doing so, they aren’t afraid to take risks. Much of his success resulted from Larry’s experimenting with new clones and planting methods. 
 
Hyde Vineyard benefits from cooling influences from the Pacific Ocean and the San Pablo Bay that funnel through the Coastal Mountain ranges and allow the grapes a long growing season. These geographical conditions keep Carneros cool enough to maintain acidity and structure in the grapes. If you want a mind-blowing Pinot Noir that drinks fantastic now and provides nearly endless delight, this is it.
 
LARRY HYDE
2015 PINOT NOIR
HYDE ESTATE VINEYARD
 
Your Price: $69.99
 
 
“Powerfully juicy and rich-tasting, with concentrated dried berry and dark cherry flavors that are backed by firm acidity and tannins. Cream and chocolate details show on the savory finish. Drink now through 2022…”
92 Points
 
“… intense and complex with deep aromas of dark cherry, blackberry, plum, spice and earthy notes. On the palate, it is rich and powerful capturing an elegant style while offering tiers of dark berry flavors and soft tannins.”
2015 Anthem Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder Estate

2015 Anthem Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder Estate

with No Comment $60-$70Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtMt VeederNapaUncategorizedUSA

ANTHEM

2015 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
MOUNT VEEDER ESTATE

2015 Anthem Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder Estate
Every decision making Anthem impacts the quality of wine that they produce, and their production team is free to vinify without regard to cost or other extraneous factors. You can taste their relentless drive for creating the highest quality wine possible from their Estate in every glass. The wines are crafted by Jeff Ames, who mentored under Thomas Rivers Brown at Schrader, Maybach, Outpost, and TOR before becoming head winemaker at TOR in 2005. Jeff is also the owner/winemaker at Rudius, which was my #1 wine in 2019.
 
Mount Veeder arose from an ancient seabed, and it’s the coolest Mountain AVA in Napa, known for producing complex, savory and age-worthy Cabernets. Jeff accentuates those flavors in an elegantly balanced way and doesn’t lose the sense of place.
 
Anthem’s Cabernet is all about balance, length, and escalating intensity, and the 2015 vintage is stunningly rich with penetrating red fruits laced with savory characteristics. The vines yielded just 1.9 tons per acre of super-concentrated berries, and after 18 months in barrel and three years in the bottle, this wine rocks.
 
ANTHEM
2015 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
MOUNT VEEDER ESTATE
Retails at: $135
 
 
“A juicy and fruity red with chocolate, red peppers and hints of herbs. Full body, round and succulent tannins and a flavorful finish. Lovely mountain wine. Drink or hold.” 93 Points
 
“A polished and lush version, with boysenberry and blueberry reduction notes forming the core of flavors, while licorice snap and fruitcake hints fill in. Features a roasted apple wood backdrop, though the fruit easily takes center stage through the rich finish. Best from 2020 through 2035…” 92 Points
 
“… Deep garnet-purple in color, it opens with notes of prunes, raisin cake and spice box with hints of fresh figs, tobacco and new leather. Full-bodied with a plush frame and loads of evolving baked berries layers, it has tons of spices coming through on the finish.” 91 Points
 
“Our 2015 Mt. Veeder Estate Cabernet is a blockbuster mountain Cabernet from Anthem’s own vineyards located at 400 feet in Napa Valley’s Western hillsides. The lower yields in 2015 produced fruit with intense, plush dark berry flavors that Winemaker Jeff Ames crafted into an exquisitely rich Mt. Veeder Cabernet.”

2016 Arietta Quartet Proprietary Red

with No Comment $60-$70CalistogaCarnerosCoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

ARIETTA

2016 QUARTET
PROPRIETARY RED

Harmonious is the first word that comes to mind when tasting Arietta’s Quartet. The wine brings together four Bordeaux varietals in a way that perfectly complements, supports, and defines one-another. The blend was composed by Andy Erickson, who made Screaming Eagle from ’05 – ’10, and he also makes Mayacamas, which just ranked #2 in the recent Wine Spectator Top 100. With 95 Points and a spot on Wine Enthusiast’s Top 100, don’t miss this vintage of Arietta Quartet.  

Arietta built this superior blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc around a core of Coombsville fruit that’s paired with carefully chosen sites in Carneros and Calistoga. The 2016 benefits from two new Cabernet Vineyards in Southern Napa that are both managed by one of Napa Valley’s top viticulturists, Mike Wolf. 

The 2016 was finely tuned for 22 months in oak and made its entrance from one of Napa Valley’s most exceptional vintages, and one that the Wine Spectator ranks as the highest-rated vintage since 1997. If you’re looking for a stunningly complex and deeply hedonistic blend to add to your cellar, this one is absolutely singing.

ARIETTA
2016 QUARTET
PROPRIETARY RED
 
Your Price: $68
 
 
“Winemaker Andy Erickson coaxes beautiful fruit and structure from this blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, many of the grapes from Coombsville and Carneros. Juicy and weighty on the palate in blackberry and blueberry, it offers firm integrated tannin and undeniable elegance, with lovely teases of dried herb, graphite and exotic spice.” 
95 Points, Editors’ Choice, #48 Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Wines of 2019
 
“The 2016 Quartet is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Deep purple-black in color, it features youthful, vivacious black and red currants notions with an undercurrent of black plums, mulberries, Indian spices and fragrant earth plus wafts of tobacco and new leather. Full-bodied and laden with decadent black fruit and spicy layers, it has a velvety backbone and long spicy finish.” 94 Points
2016 DuMOL Wester Reach Russian River Valley Chardonnay

2017 DuMOL Wester Reach Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

with No Comment $60-$70ChardonnayKevin VogtRussian River ValleyUSA

DuMOL 

2017 PINOT NOIR
WESTER REACH
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

2016 DuMOL Wester Reach Russian River Valley Chardonnay
Best described as “dynamic, alive and precise,” which is how winemaker Andy Smith details DuMOL’s 2017 Wester Reach Pinot Noir. The complexity comes in part from the matrix of carefully chosen clones, which include Calera, Swan, and Pommard. We introduced the wine last year, and now that it’s got a 96 point score, if you missed it the first time around, here’s a second chance.
 
The 2017 Wester Reach Pinot Noir perfectly balances an equilibrium of fruit from four iconic Russian River Valley Vineyards, including the winery’s O’Connell Estate, Dutton UPP Road, Widdoes and Occidental Road. 
 
The 2017 vintage is from one of the lowest-yielding harvests in twenty years, with small berries and clusters, which resulted in incredible detail and focused flavors. The wine was barrel fermented and spent just 12 months in oak to preserve the purity of the fruit.    
 
DuMOL 
2017 PINOT NOIR
WESTER REACH
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
 
Your Price: $69.99
 
“Made from four stellar sites within the appellation, this stunning wine shows rich red and blue fruit. Spice and forest floor tones intertwine alongside firm, supple tannins and balanced acidity, finishing with impressive length and intensity.” 96 Points
 
“The wine is dynamic, alive and precise. It begins in a coastal style–sleek, focused and linear. The deep entry expands along strong lines with good drive and detail to its red and black fruit flavors. As it fully opens, natural Russian River textures and volume takes hold – broad, supple and layered. Savory elements steer the wine toward complexity that will continue to build in bottle. Drink between 2019 and 2029.”
2014 Inglenook Rutherford Cabernet Sauvingon

2014 Inglenook Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $60-$70Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaRutherfordUSA

INGLENOOK  2014 Inglenook Rutherford Cabernet Sauvingon

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2014 RUTHERFORD

 
If the historic Inglenook Winery was portrayed in a film, it would be filled with rich history, challenges, grand awards, and new beginnings. The winery was founded in 1879, making it the 5th oldest winery in Napa Valley and in the late 1970’s, the property was purchased by iconic film director Francis Ford Coppola.  Francis made pivotal enhancements to the Estate, and took the winemaking to an even higher level when he hired famed winemaking consultant André Tchelistcheff.  By 1990, the Wine Spectator awarded the 1941 Inglenook Cabernet a perfect 100 Point score, naming it one of the Top Wines of the Century and to this day, Inglenook is still catching the eye of critics, and the 2014 has an abundance of stellar reviews.  The wine is produced in a confident, show-stopping style, yet it hasn’t forgotten it’s roots as one of Napa’s most historic Cabernets.  At $65, you’ll want tickets to this show…
 
Cut from Chateau, Cohn, Creek, Small Block, and Walnut Vineyards, this wine is classically Rutherford and embodies the perfect mix of drama, charisma and antiquity.  The main character is Cabernet Sauvignon at 93%, but it’s supported by Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot, which add focus and  a soft suppleness to the wine, making it even more irresistible.  Don’t miss this stellar release.
 
INGLENOOK 
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2014 RUTHERFORD
Retails at:  $75/btl
 
Your Price: $65/btl 

Click to Order

YOU SAVE 13%
 
“Soft and round, with an undeniable Old World-like balance, this wine shows dark chocolate, tobacco and tar notes. Its power derives from its complex texture, imbued with a smoky oak essence and clove and graphite accents.”  93 Points
“…a beauty of classicism and balance. Dense purple in color, with notes of crème de cassis, blackberry, cedar wood and forest floor, the wine is full-bodied, beautifully concentrated and pure, with moderate tannins and the potential for 20-25 years of upside”  92 Points
“… pulses with a host of savory and mineral notes that confer notable freshness. Quite representative of the vintage, the Cabernet displays considerable energy and tension, with terrific intensity throughout. Graphite, lavender, mint, smoke and tobacco are all finely knit in a Cabernet that offers quite a bit of potential.” 92-95 Points
Customers who enjoy Inglenook Rutherford Cabernet may also enjoy these two stunning Cabernets…
2015 Duckhorn Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 Robert Craig Affinity Cabernet Sauvignon
DUCKHORN
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2015 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at:  $78.00/btl
 
Your Price: $64.99/btl 

Click to Order

 
Winery Notes: “Beginning with a gorgeous nose of boysenberry, cherry, strawberry, cedar, sage and licorice, this lush and lively Cabernet captures the rich diversity of Napa Valley. On the palate, the alluring fruit flavors are underscored by bright acidity, firm polished tannins and notes of fig, licorice and cinnamon that linger on the well-structured finish.”
ROBERT CRAIG
2015 AFFINITY 
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Retails at:  $70.00/btl
 
Your Price: $64.99/btl 

Click to Order

 
From James Suckling: “Very pretty stones, oyster shell, blueberries and underbrush character. The palate is very composed with lots of bright, tangy fruit, grainy tannins and a minerally yet at the same time fruit-driven finish. A unique wine. A blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, malbec and petit verdot. Drink in 2020 even if delicious now.”  94 Points