2017 Witchery Reserve Cabernet Howell Mountain Two Barrel Production

2017 Witchery Reserve Cabernet Howell Mountain Two Barrel Production

with No Comment $90-$100Cabernet SauvignonHowell MountainKevin VogtNapaUSA

WITCHERY

2017 RESERVE CABERNET
HOWELL MOUNTAIN
TWO BARREL PRODUCTION

2017 Witchery Reserve Cabernet Howell Mountain Two Barrel Production
Witchery translates to an irresistible fascination, and just about everybody that tries it becomes entranced, and collects each subsequent vintage. A single taste of Witchery Cabernet casts a powerful spell beneath the rich, hedonistic flavors, and wine lovers don’t stand a chance. Their two-barrel production Howell Mountain Reserve Cabernet stands tall amongst the area’s most revered producers. With the micro-production and macro quality of this vintage, there will be many people on the hunt for more.
 
The wine team produced this profound interpretation of Howell Mountain Cabernet from an unnamed vineyard that produces majestic quality fruit. The 2017 vintage shows off all of the hallmarks that make the area so desired, with authoritative power, towering structure, and profoundly rich and hedonistic flavors.  
 
This creation was held captive for nearly two years in new French oak barrels, and now with more than a year inside the bottle, the wine is remarkably complex and oozes inky dark berries, black chocolates, spices and hints of violets. With around 50 cases produced, Don’t hesitate to secure yours.
 
WITCHERY
2017 RESERVE CABERNET
HOWELL MOUNTAIN
TWO BARREL PRODUCTION
Retails at: $125
 
Your Price: $99.99
 
 
“There were only two barrels or roughly 50 cases produced of the 2017 vintage of Witchery Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. This vintage beautifully follows a long string of incredible vintages for Witchery. The nose draws you in with powerful black cherries, ripe plums, balanced Spring lavender, fresh sage, and vanilla spice. Then on the palate, the focused, concentrated flavors begin with ripe mountain blackberries, red currants, and Burgundy plums, complemented by cocoa powder, espresso dust, and layers of complexity. If you are a fan of Witchery’s previous vintages, this one will cast a deep spell upon you as well…”  95 Points
2017 Venge Silencieux Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2017 Venge Silencieux Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA

VENGE

2017 SILENCIEUX
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY

2017 Venge Silencieux Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Silencieux means quiet, but there’s absolutely nothing silent about Venge’s Cabernet Silencieux, other than it could leave you speechless when you try it. It’s made by Kirk Venge, whom you might recognize from high-scoring Janzen and Bacio Divino wines, as well as several other cult brands. Kirk made it in a larger-than-life style that’s deep, inky, and highly-extracted. Of course, at under fifty bucks, you might want to keep Silencieux about it until you get your case… 
 
Silencieux was given a voice from the winery’s Estate Vineyard in Oakville, their Bone Ash Vineyard in Calistoga, and includes fruit from Rentaria’s Oakville 88, Kenefick Ranch, and Star in Rutherford.  
 
Kirk created it using a 100% gravity-flow method and a state-of-the-art Pellenc optical sorter, which sorts the fruit berry-by-berry, leaving you with what Kirk calls his fruit caviar. The wine spends around 30 days on the skins extracting color and then aged 18 months in barrel. 
 
VENGE
2017 SILENCIEUX
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $60
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
“This hearty wine is blended with 4% Petit Verdot. Grippy, rich and viscous, it has intense fruit flavors of plum and cassis, with supple, integrated tannins. The whole is a testament to good grapes and great winemaking, blending together seven sites across the valley.” 94 Points
2017 Calculated Risk Barrel Selection Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2017 Calculated Risk Barrel Selection Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet SauvignonCoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaSaint HelenaUSA

CALCULATED RISK

BARREL SELECTION
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2017 NAPA VALLEY

2017 Calculated Risk Barrel Selection Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Adding up the reasons why Calculated Risk offers such an extraordinary value, and the summation will point to fruit source, winemaking, and price. The fruit quality multiplies with their vast selection of premium vineyards under their brands Heir Apparent and Grand Napa Vineyards, and the winemaking gets huge scores from top publications like James Suckling and Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, that have featured all three brands with high ratings. It doesn’t take a calculus degree to see the no risk value in this Calculated Risk… 
 
The winemaking team selected fruit from Coombsville and St. Helena AVA’s to craft a powerful, penetrating, and balanced wine. The wine perfectly fuses the elegance and restrained power of Coombsville, with St. Helena structure and depth.
 
The 2017 Barrel Selection is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, and it lights up your senses with cocoa dusted black fruits, graphite, and crushed flowers. The 2017 vintage is rocking right now, and every time I taste it, I’m perplexed by how incalculably good it is. 
 
CALCULATED RISK
BARREL SELECTION
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2017 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $79.99
 
2017 Seabright Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Greenwood Block

2017 Sebright Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Greenwood Block

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet SauvignonCalistogaKevin VogtNapaUSA

SEBRIGHT CELLARS

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2017 NAPA VALLEY 
GREENWOOD BLOCK

2017 Seabright Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Greenwood Block
Some of the best wines are so magnetic that there’s a romance that builds with each subsequent release. That can become intensified on the rarest wines, because of their limited availability, which makes you eagerly await the next release. Sebright is that wine in a nutshell, and virtually everyone that experienced any of their previous vintages, has been asking for more. At our price, it’s a steal, and just like previous years, and once you try it, you’ll wish you had ordered more…
 
With a mere 100 cases produced, chances are you haven’t heard of Sebright Cellars, but I can guarantee once you taste it, you won’t soon forget it. Sebright produced the 2017 Greenwood Block Cabernet from a small vineyard located South of Chateau Montelena Winery and across from Vincent Arroyo in Calistoga.  
 
Veteran Calistoga winemaker Tom Eddy makes the wine, and this exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon perfectly reflects his vast experience. The 2017 vintage precisely balances red and blue fruits, with intriguing minerality and firm, perfectly integrated tannins. We bought every bottle that we could, again, and it’s most certainly not going to be enough.
 
SEBRIGHT CELLARS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2017 NAPA VALLEY 
GREENWOOD BLOCK
Retails at: $70
 
 
 
“Sebright Winemaker Tom Eddy did a masterful job making this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. After 30 months in oak, it has developed a complex nose of mixed berry cobbler, ripe cherries, crushed minerals, and vanilla spice. The palate is deep and concentrated with flavors of mountain blackberries, black cherry, sage, mint, bittersweet chocolate, and subtle baking spices. It’s a beautiful wine to drink now, but will cellar past 2032.”  95 Points
2017 Parallel Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2017 Parallel Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaRutherfordUSA

PARALLEL

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2017 NAPA VALLEY

2017 Parallel Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
I’ll be honest, we’re always looking for top quality Cabernet, and sometimes the devil is in the details. For instance, Parallel’s 2017 Napa Cabernet includes more than 60% fruit from Andy Beckstoffer’s iconic Georges III Vineyard in Rutherford, one of the best in Napa Valley. It’s balanced with fruit from Renteria’s stunning Oakville Vineyard on Skellenger Lane, near Plumpjack and Turnbull’s Fortuna Vineyards. Then add that the wine is made by Philippe Melka, whose experience includes winemaking at Bryant Family, Quintessa, Hundred Acre, and Dominus, and at around $100, this is one of the best values in upper echelon Napa Cabernet. 
 
This wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, and Parallel’s 2017 is a stunning portrayal of the best qualities of the vintage. The fruit achieved optimal ripeness, and they harvested on 9/28 and 10/2, which is about a week before the wildfires. 
 
The 2017 vintage has an intensely captivating style that draws you in with a powerful bouquet of dark fruits, blue violets, dried herbs, and espresso. The Oakville fruit contributes the dark and supple berries, and intense black currants, while the Rutherford grapes offer the floral characteristics and signature dusty tannins. 
 
PARALLEL
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2017 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $110
 
 
 
“Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon displays notes of prunes, spice cake, plum pudding and blueberry preserves with touches of red currant jelly, dried herbs, tobacco and olives. Full-bodied, firm and chewy and with tons of fruit at the core, it finished long and spicy.”  92 Points
 
 
 
“Savory, herbal and thick in brawny concentration, this powerful wine is darkly layered in blackberry, black currant and wild raspberry. Clove, dried herb and a twist of sage figure into the midpalate, adding complexity and welcome intrigue as generous oak layers throughout.”  92 Points
2015 Katherine Goldschmidt Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

2015 Katherine Goldschmidt Crazy Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

with No Comment $30 and underAlexander ValleyCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtSonomaUSA

KATHERINE GOLDSCHMIDT 

2015 CRAZY CREEK
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
ALEXANDER VALLEY

2015 Katherine Goldschmidt Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander ValleyAsk me “What’s the best Cab under $20?” and I can honestly say that I haven’t found one that I like better than Katherine Goldschmidt’s 2015 Crazy Creek. When you take a closer look at the vineyard, it’s easy to see why. For years, fruit from Crazy Creek went to Simi for their Reserve Cabernet ($75), and in 2016 Silver Oak recognized the significance of this site and added it to their holdings. The days of finding a Cabernet from Crazy Creek at under twenty bucks are soon to be a thing of the past, and with a 94 point score on top of everything else, you may want to double down, or better… 

Crazy Creek Vineyard got its name from the seasonal creeks that furcate the land, and the earth beneath results from hundreds of thousands of years of erosion. Before they replanted the vineyards in 2017 and 2018, the older, low vigor vines produced tiny yields of Cabernet with more power and depth than what’s typically found in the region.  
 
The 2015 vintage releases a dense core and remarkable palate presence and saturates your palate in an abundance of chocolate-covered cherries, roasted coffee, and black currants. This wine perfectly expresses just how inspiring Cabernet Sauvignon can be from Alexander Valley, and it does so at a price that will make you smile. 
 
KATHERINE GOLDSCHMIDT 
2015 CRAZY CREEK
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
ALEXANDER VALLEY
Retails at: $24
 
Your Price: $19.99
 
 
 
 
“Named for Goldschmidt’s middle daughter, the wine’s grapes hail from Crazy Creek, a vineyard known to produce some iconic wines. Big, bright, blue fruit notes on the nose are meaty, with a chocolate espresso twist and dry tannins showing on the palate. It’s a little masterpiece with a dark chocolate finish that way over delivers on price-to-quality.”  94 Points
 
 
 
 
“Rich and robust with aromas of black cherry, black tea, dark spices, and mocha. Bold and structured showing ripe black currant, cherry, and plum flavors. Very smooth, soft, and supple finish.”
2018 Vista Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Reserve

2018 Vista Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Reserve

with No Comment $30 and underCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaRutherfordUSA

VISTA

RUTHERFORD RESERVE
2018 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 

2018 Vista Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford ReserveFollowing up on Vista 2017, our most successful wine of all time, there’s only one direction for us to go, and that’s up… Up in terms of concentration, quality, and length of finish, and up in terms of value for the region. How many Reserve Rutherford Cabernets can you list at $25/btl? I can’t think of another one. In the 2018 vintage, there was enough Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon available to label this vintage a Cabernet instead of a blend, and the wine powerfully reflects this. If you’re looking for a wine that tastes like it should be at least double the price, this is it…

This 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon originates from Rutherford’s Western side, where the soils and microclimate produce pristine, complex fruit. The Cabernet is clone 337, a clone often used in cult wines, and it’s balanced with 15% Oakville Cabernet Franc and 6% Rutherford Merlot. 
 
In the 2018 vintage, Mother Nature gifted the valley with a long, trouble-free growing season that allowed the grapes more time on the vines to develop more profound, complex flavors. Vista’s 2018 Reserve Cabernet perfectly reflects the vintage with a purity of fruit and striking complexity that expands into mineral-laced black fruits, blue violets, iron, and hints of Rutherford dust.
 
VISTA
RUTHERFORD RESERVE
2018 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
 
Your Price: $25
 
 
 
“The Vista Reserve Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 has a gorgeous, powerful nose of blackberry pie filling, French lavender, sweet vanilla and brioche. On the palate, this opulent beauty is rich and concentrated, with a core of focused fruits and flavors including mountain blackberries, red plums, ripe blueberries, menthol, vanilla spice, and dark chocolate, all supported by fine grained fruit tannins. It is amazingly ready-to-drink now, but has the structure to cellar for a decade.” 
95 Points, Kevin M. Vogt, Master Sommelier
2016 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

2016 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

with No Comment $70-$80Alexander ValleyCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtSonomaUSA

SILVER OAK

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2016 ALEXANDER VALLEY 

2016 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander ValleySilver Oak has dominated the space for high-quality domestic American oak-aged Cabernet Sauvignon over the past four decades. They’re one of the most recognizable names across the globe in premium level Cabernet Sauvignon from the New World, and the upcoming release of the 2016 vintage epitomizes the distinctive Silver Oak style that’s made them so revered.  

Lauded as one of the original Cult Cabernet Sauvignons in the New World, Silver Oak carved out a category with their distinctive style. It’s hard to argue with the results which resonate deeply within their fan base. In a stellar vintage like 2016, many of those qualities that make Silver Oak so distinctive become even more enhanced. 
 
Arriving from the remarkable 2016 growing season, Silver Oak aged this vintage for 24 months in American white oak barrels before spending more than a year in the bottle. The 2016 brims with concentrated dark fruits, vanilla, crushed herbs, fresh dill, and Kalamata olives. 
 
SILVER OAK
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2016 ALEXANDER VALLEY
 
 
 
 
“Our 2016 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is ruby in color with a magenta rim. It has an enticing nose of cassis, blackberry, vanilla, sage and spearmint. Upon entry, this wine builds from potpourri and bramble to a bright pop of raspberry on the mid-palate. A juicy finish with chewy tannins and a medium length, it will provide drinking pleasure through 2042 with proper cellaring.”
2016 Pavi Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2016 Pavi Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $50-$60Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleRutherfordSpring MountainUSA

PAVI

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2016 NAPA VALLEY 

2016 Pavi Cabernet Sauvignon Napa ValleyPavi means lightning, and their new 2016 Napa Cabernet precisely reflects that. The 2016 vintage has a regal presence on the palate that’s defined by lush fruit and superior richness. Renown winemaker Rob Lawson owns the winery, and throughout his career, Rob helped craft some of the top brands produced at Napa Wine Company while he was GM. He’s also responsible for helping shape the 2007 Kapcscandy Grand Vin, which scored a perfect 100 point score from Robert Parker.   

Pavi’s 2016 release combines high-quality grapes from Rutherford, Oakville, and Spring Mountain AVAs. The Rutherford vineyard is on the Southeastern end of the AVA, just South of Caymus, and the Oakville fruit comes from the center of Oakville.
 
The final blend is 97% Cabernet Sauvignon along with 3% Petite Verdot, which contributes to the lush, dark fruit. The only downside is there were only 150 cases of this beauty produced, and at this price, you might want to strike quickly…
 
PAVI
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2016 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $85
 
 
“This is a lush, full-bodied wine, rich and bright with dark-fruit flavors and floral aromas. The intense flavors of black cherry, peppery spice, and cocoa come together in a balanced wine that is a perfect complement to savory grilled and braised meats, mushroom pizza and the perfect hamburger”
2015 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve

2015 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonHowell MountainKevin VogtNapaUSA

BERINGER

2015 PRIVATE RESERVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 

2015 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Private ReserveAs much as I love tasting and discovering new, and as-of-yet undiscovered wine producers, there’s nothing like the feeling of historic significance, pride and antiquity that I get from tasting a wine that helped pave the way for Napa to become one of the greatest wine regions of the world. Beringer’s flagship Private Reserve Cabernet hasn’t skipped a beat either, and their 2015 ranked as the #24 Wine-Of-The-Year on James Sucklings Top 100 in 2018 with an outstanding 99 Point score. Here’s a chance to own it, and at a fantastic price… 

Beringer is one of Napa Valley’s most historically significant wineries. Period. After all, they’re California’s oldest continually operating winery, and they’re the only winery in history to have both a red and white wine honored as the #1 wine on the Wine Spectator Top 100. 
 
The 2015 Private Reserve was built on a core of 62% fruit from Bancroft and Steinhauer Ranches atop Howell Mountain, which provided enormous structure and richness. Made even better with fruit from the iron-rich Home and Chabot Vineyards in St. Helena and topped with fruit from Spring Mountain and Mount Veeder to round out the stunningly complex blend…
 
BERINGER
2015 PRIVATE RESERVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Retails at: $170
 
Your Price: $135
 
 
“The spice and walnut aromas are so enticing. Undertones of blackberries and black truffles. Full-bodied, dense and layered with fantastic tension and seamless tannins. It goes on for minutes. All about classic structure and beauty.”  99 Points, Top 100 Wines of 2018
 
 
“…This full-bodied, ripe, voluptuous beauty shows the vintage to a T, offering a blast of sweet blackcurrants, licorice, ground herbs, and graphite aromas and flavors. Blockbuster styled, with full body and an expansive, sexy texture, it has the depth and density to continue drinking brilliantly for 20+ years.” 97 Points
 
“… the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve has a deep garnet-purple color and nose of plum preserves, baked blackberries and cassis with hints of menthol, sandalwood and chocolate box. Full-bodied with soft, seductive tannins and a lively backbone supporting the generous, ripe, opulent fruit, it has a decadent spiciness and great length.” 95+ Points