2016 Immortal Estate Slope Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County

2016 Immortal Estate Slope Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County

with No Comment $70-$80Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtSonomaSonoma MountainUSA

IMMORTAL ESTATE

SLOPE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
SONOMA COUNTY 2016

2016 Immortal Estate Slope Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County
Immortal Estate’s vineyards are among the steepest in California, terracing a 55-degree slope on Spring Mountain that receives ample sunshine with increased airflow and water drainage for the fruit’s greatest possible concentration of flavors. This 100pt capable estate was previously named Hidden Ridge, and, in 2019, Tusk Proprietor Tim Martin, Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander, and Supermodel Kate Upton purchased it.
 
Two-time 100-point winemaker Tim Milos selects harvest dates by tasting grapes from each block and carefully sorts the fruit before fermentation, ensuring that only perfectly healthy grapes make it to fermentation. The 2016 vintage was glorious for Sonoma, and this mountain Cabernet Sauvignon was aged 28 months in 75% new French oak to help soften the tannins for smooth drinkability. It’s no surprise that Immortal Slope receives high scores from enthusiasts and critics with each release.
 
IMMORTAL ESTATE
SLOPE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
SONOMA COUNTY 2016
 
Your Price: $79.99
 
 
“Starting with the 2016 Slope, this beauty is all Cabernet Sauvignon that saw 28 months in 75% new French oak. Dense purple-hued with a rocking bouquet of blackcurrants, sagebrush, sappy green herbs, lead pencil, and tobacco, it hits the palate with a mammoth-sized personality that carries lots of tannins, a plush, sexy texture, no hard edges, and a great finish.”
95 Points
2017 Vinehouse Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

2017 Vinehouse Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

with No Comment $70-$80Cabernet SauvignonHowell MountainKevin VogtNapaUSA

VINEHOUSE

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
HOWELL MOUNTAIN 2017

2017 Vinehouse Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
Vinehouse’s Howell Mountain vineyard, planted with Cabernet Sauvignon and Saint Macaire, sits on the volcanic Aiken soils found on the mountain looking over Napa Valley at 1,732 feet. Saint Macaire is a rare varietal from South-West France with a deep, dense color from high levels of anthocyanins that soften robust tannins from Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon.
 
The winery, owned by Lesley Warner and Alan Peirson, co-founder of Peirson Meyer Winery, combines decades of experience into 150 cases of 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon, blended with 8% Saint Macaire. This incredibly rare blend allows approachability in its youth, but the structure from the Cabernet Sauvignon will let this wine develop in the cellar as long as you have patience.
 
VINEHOUSE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
HOWELL MOUNTAIN 2017
 
Your Price: $75
 
 
“The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is powerful, but also compact. The mid-palate is especially shy. It will be interesting to see if more fruit emerges in time. Black cherry, licorice, lavender, spice, menthol and dried herbs all meld together. The 2017 is a wine of real intrigue, but it needs time. I like the energy and freshness here.”
93 Points
2019 Arietta Quartet Proprietary Red

2019 Arietta Quartet Proprietary Red

with No Comment $70-$80Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

ARIETTA 

2019 QUARTET 
PROPRIETARY RED

2019 Arietta Quartet Proprietary Red
Arietta’s Quartet is a Bordeaux-style blend named for its ability to sing with vibrancy and greatness; Quartet is defined in the music world as four instruments or voices joining together in harmony, thus naming this harmonious four varietal blend. The winery has been family-owned since 1996 and has been honored to have the highly talented Andy Erickson as their conductor since 2006.
 
Over the last 16 years, Andy has applied the intricate knowledge and expertise he gained while making wine at some of Napa Valley’s finest estates, including Screaming Eagle, Staglin, Mayacamas, and Harlan Estate. The 2019 release is another nearly flawless vintage with the hedonistic appeal and depth of aroma and flavors very similar to the 2018 bottling but with slightly lower yields giving focused precision, concentration, and intensity.
 
ARIETTA 
2019 QUARTET 
PROPRIETARY RED
 
Your Price: $75
 
 
“This exceptional wine combines 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot into a harmonious whole after aging 20 months in French oak barrels. Sage, cedar and black currant highlight a classically structured, textured and nuanced palate of structure and graceful tannin.”
95 Points
2015 Corley Proprietary Red Napa Valley

2015 Corley Proprietary Red Napa Valley

with No Comment $70-$80Kevin VogtNapaOak KnollProprietary RedRutherfordSaint HelenaUSAYountville

CORLEY

PROPRIETARY RED
2015 NAPA VALLEY

2015 Corley Proprietary Red Napa Valley
The Corley family and their dedicated team are well known for creating single vineyard premium Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from their vineyards in Rutherford, St. Helena, Yountville, and Oak Knoll. In 1990 they planted Cabernet Franc in their Oak Knoll vineyard with the vision of producing a Meritage of the three varieties.
 
The 2015 vintage is a small production of just 506 cases comprised of 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Cabernet Franc, and 32% Merlot, created to be approachable in its youth while also having the capability to age and can be enjoyed at every phase of its development. With over five years in the bottle, the 2015 perfect showcases Chris Corley’s winemaking ability, the strong vintage, and choice of vineyards.
 
CORLEY
PROPRIETARY RED
2015 NAPA VALLEY
 
Your Price: $75
 
 
“The 2015 Corley Proprietary Red Wine opens with lavender, cassis, freshly picked blackberries, cherry cola, cloves, and crushed volcanic rocks. The palate is intense and complex, with flavors of black plums and cocoa powder with a hint of savory black olives. This wine is simply stunning at the moment and is an excellent food wine that will age gracefully for the next decade or so.”
96 Points
2017 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Evenstad Reserve

2017 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Evenstad Reserve

with No Comment $70-$80Kevin VogtOregonPinot NoirUSAWillamette Valley

DOMAINE SERENE

2017 PINOT NOIR
EVENSTAD RESERVE 

2017 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Evenstad Reserve
Few places in the world have the ideal growing conditions for Pinot Noir grapes, but Grace and Ken Evenstad struck gold when they purchased land in the rolling Dundee Hills of Oregon. Since the inaugural 1990 vintage, Domaine Serene has been producing world-class wines and is the only winery in the world with a Top 3 rating in Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of the Year for both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, including the #3 Wine of 2013 for their 2010 Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir.
 
The Evenstad’s are lovers of classic, Burgundian-styled Pinot Noir, having high-quality standards to create wines of the same caliber by a commitment to sustainability and continuing to improve internal standards. The 2017 Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir represents the highest standards for Oregon Pinot Noir, and with its stratospheric 96 point score, this should be in every Pinot-lovers collection.
 
DOMAINE SERENE
2017 PINOT NOIR
EVENSTAD RESERVE
 
Your Price: $75
 
 
“So much spice is the first impression here, this blended expression is well established as a powerful and complex style of pinot. Fresh red-cherry, potpourri, orange-peel, dried-flower, pomegranate and red and dark-cherry aromas, to name a few. The palate has such concentrated and layered style with dense red-cherry, blueberry and black-cherry flavors, delivered in a seamless build that holds so long. Impressive quality here. Drink or hold.”
96 Points
2017 Gaja Magari Ca'Marcanda

2017 Gaja Magari Ca’Marcanda

with No Comment $70-$80ItalyKevin VogtProprietary RedTuscany

GAJA

2017 MAGARI
CA’ MARCANDA

2017 Gaja Magari Ca'Marcanda
Gaja is one of the world’s great wine producers, known for their risk-taking and having outstanding consistency of superior quality since 1859. Ca’Marcanda, or “house of endless negotiations,” is the name of the second property purchased by the Gaja family in 1996, after 18 trips to complete the negotiations for buying the Estate.
 
Ca’Marcanda, located in the Bolgheri region of Tuscany, is planted with Bordeaux varieties allowing Gaja to produce Magari, a sultry Tuscan blend of 60% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Petit Verdot. The vineyard blocks for this blend on the fertile hillsides of Terre Brune, or loamy, clay-rich soils known to provide depth, richness, and minerality to wines, and with Gaja’s top wines selling for more than $500, the Magari is an absolute steal.
 
GAJA
2017 MAGARI
CA’ MARCANDA
 
Your Price: $75
 
 
“The Gaja family at its Camarcanda estate is leading a silent revolution. Certified organic, although this is not mentioned, the winery has overturned Merlot for Cabernets and cordon training for guyot in the vineyards…. The 2017 vintage shines for its bright cassis fruit, melded with blackberry and cherry, then leafy and cedary notes to develop garrigue in depth. The creamy and dense palate has almost firm acidity and shows a bit of a dry finish, but otherwise this is hedonistically supple.” 
94 Points
2017 Calera Pinot Noir Mills Vineyard

2017 Calera Pinot Noir Mills Vineyard

with No Comment $70-$80Kevin VogtMontereyPinot NoirUSA

CALERA

2017 PINOT NOIR
MILLS VINEYARD

2017 Calera Pinot Noir Mills Vineyard
Influenced by Burgundy, Josh Jensen’s vision for Calera was to produce Pinot Noir with a vivid sense of place grown in limestone-rich soils, similar to Burgundy’s Côtes d’Or. He developed his vineyard at a staggering 2,200 feet elevation on Mt Harlan, planted above a limestone deposit of several million tons, revolutionizing Burgundian-style, age-worthy domestic Pinot Noir with a powerful sense of place. 
 
Planted in 1984, Mills Vineyard is 14.4 acres of Southeast facing hillsides, revered for producing Pinot Noir fruit with stunning fragrance and layered complexity. This wine balances power and elegance brilliantly with sophisticated depth, keen focus, and youthful energy. 
 
CALERA
2017 PINOT NOIR
MILLS VINEYARD
Retails at: $84
 
Your Price: $75
 
 
“The 2017 Pinot Noir Mills Vineyard is slightly deeper colored (it’s still translucent) and offers a gorgeous nose of ripe redcurrants, cherries, spring flowers, sappy forest floor, and ample spice nuances. With medium to full body, beautiful depth of fruit, and a seamless texture, it’s another stunning Pinot Noir from this team that I’d be happy to have in the cellar.” 
97 Points
2018 O'Shaughnessy Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2018 O’Shaughnessy Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $70-$80Cabernet SauvignonHowell MountainKevin VogtNapaUSA

O’SHAUGHNESSY

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2018 NAPA VALLEY

2018 O'Shaughnessy Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Flaunting Oakville fruit’s alluring complexity, Mount Veeder’s savory tinge, and combining Howell Mountain Cabernet’s focused concentration, O’Shaughnessy’s Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is epic. It’s a harmonious composition of the winery’s Estate vineyards, located in some of Napa Valley’s most elite neighborhoods. 
 
Since their inception, O’Shaughnessy’s winemaker has been Sean Capiaux, whom you might know from his work at Peter Michael or his brand Capiaux. He did a fantastic job on the reference-standard 2018 release, perfectly expressing Mountain terroir enriched with Oakville elegance. 
 
O’SHAUGHNESSY
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2018 NAPA VALLEY
 
Your Price: $79.99
 
 
“This is such an outstanding wine at any price, but here we’re talking about outstanding value as well. Notes of iron and crushed rock lead to a lengthy balance of juicy red fruit and clove. With small amounts of Merlot, Malbec, Saint-Macaire and Cabernet Franc, it shows a deft hand at blending, with lasting notes of black pepper and nuanced oak.”
97 Points, Editors’ Choice
2018 Nudant Jean-Rene Meursault White Burgundy

2018 Nudant Jean-Rene Meursault White Burgundy

with No Comment $70-$80BurgandyChardonnayFranceKevin Vogt

NUDANT JEAN-RENÉ

2018 MEURSAULT
WHITE BURGUNDY

2018 Nudant Jean-Rene Meursault White Burgundy
Embodying complete balance, determination, and a sense of place, Nudant Jean-René wines are crafted with conviction to produce wine at the highest level. Their 2018 Meursalt manifests the terroir of the .54 acre plot brilliantly, voiced with buttered pear, roasted hazelnut, subtle stone, and liquid mineral qualities. This wine celebrates Meursault, one of the oldest and most significant regions in the world producing Chardonnay, and at less than $80, this classic Meursault deserves a spot in your cellar. 
 
The Nudant’s organically farm sixteen hectares of vines across Côte de Beaune and the Côte de Nuits by hand, utilizing meticulous canopy management, assuring optimum flavor development. 
 
In the cellar, winemaker Jean-René Nudant scrupulously sorts and de-stems the Chardonnay berries, following traditional winemaking methods passed down through generations.
 
NUDANT JEAN-RENÉ
2018 MEURSAULT
WHITE BURGUNDY
 
Your Price: $79.99
 
 
“This gorgeous, opulent white burgundy begins with a compelling nose of poached buttered pears, toasted hazelnuts, and light florals. It is big and concentrated on the palate with honeyed figs, ripe quince, freshly shaved white truffles, lemon zest, and liquid minerals. The intriguing, powerful finish is very long, and it drinks incredibly well now and will continue to for the next decade or more.”
95 Points
2018 Barnett Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District

2018 Barnett Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District

with No Comment $70-$80Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaSpring MountainUSA

BARNETT 

2018 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
SPRING MOUNTAIN DISTRICT

2018 Barnett Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District
Carved into a 35º slope at 2000 feet elevation on Spring Mountain, Barnett’s Vineyard is impeccably farmed on a vine-by-vine basis, ensuring each berry reaches the pinnacle of ripeness. Once harvested, Winemaker David Tate ferments each block individually, performing multiple punch-downs daily, maximizing flavor concentration. Their unwavering use of traditional techniques and micro-managing production has solidified them as a paragon on Spring Mountain for more than 30 years. 
 
Crafted with the intent to showcase Spring Mountain’s most distinct characteristics, displayed with grace and persistence, Barnett’s team intricately combines fruit from their high-elevation Estate and neighboring York Creek Vineyards in creating their Spring Mountain District Cabernet.
 
Blending the 2018 Barnett, David utilized 8% Petit Verdot for increased depth, structure, and balancing the ripe and supple Cabernet Sauvignon fruit, which he aged for 22 months in barrel. At less than $100, this wine perfectly expresses the profound qualities that I look for in Spring Mountain Cabernet. 
 
BARNETT 
2018 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
SPRING MOUNTAIN DISTRICT
Retails at: $80
 
Your Price: $75
 
 
“In 2018 climatic conditions were perfect up on Spring Mountain. This Cabernet is evidence of that. Fresh blackberry, anise and mocha are the first things apparent on the nose followed by cola, acai berry and menthol. This is a silky lush wine with layers of dark chocolate, cedar and freshly ground coffee. The tannins are chiefly present, being round pleasing chalky tannins with firm mountain acid balancing them out. The finish is chocolate covered plum. This powerhouse Cabernet is already showing well and will develop even more complexity over the next 10-12 years (2030-2032).”