2021 Per-Us Lyla Napa Valley

2021 Per-Us Lyla Napa Valley

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA

PER•US

LYLA 2021
NAPA VALLEY

2021 Per-Us Lyla Napa Valley
PER·US Winery produces super high-quality, high-scoring boutique wines from some of Napa Valley’s most desired vineyards under the guidance of rockstar winemaker Russell Bevan. Bevan is one of just a handful of winemakers that have earned multiple 100-Point scores from some of the world’s most well-known critics for his intensely flavorful hedonistic wines with harmonious balance.
 
Lyla is a blend based on equal parts Cabernet Franc from the Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard and Cabernet Sauvignon from the Tench Vineyard in Oakville’s center, directly across from Screaming Eagle. The 2021 growing season was longer than average, and there were no heat spikes near harvest which gave the Cabernet Franc a lively acidity that brightened up the blend and is a match made in heaven when paired with hearty dishes.
 
PER•US
LYLA 2021
NAPA VALLEY
 
 
 
“Our Lyla blends have some magical qualities to them. In 2021, the growing season was so incredibly long, and there was no heat near harvest. We were able to maintain the acid levels in our Cabernet Franc which makes this wine incredibly vibrant and lively. If we have ever crafted a wine that is perfect for cuisine, this is it. The natural cool climate of the franc’s high acid profile is incredibly complementary to rich, hearty dishes. It screams for braised short ribs, or beef Bourguignon. It has the linear power to cut through almost any dish while showcasing it’s beautiful blue and red fruits. This wine is all about bound up energy.” 
2019 Montagu The Baron Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford

2019 Montagu The Baron Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaRutherfordUSA

MONTAGU

THE BARON
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
RUTHERFORD 2019

2019 Montagu The Baron Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford
Weston Eidson apprenticed with mentors Jason Moore of Modus Operandi Cellars and Russell Bevan. Well-connected, Eidson has partnered with exceptional vineyards in Napa and Sonoma, including Sage Ridge, Baciagalupi, Durell, Charles Heintz, Hyde, and Richie. He thoughtfully crafts his wines to highlight the terroir through minimal intervention winemaking.
 
The Baron is a rich, full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon with some Petit Verdot to flesh out the mid-palate and give the wine a zesty spice and playfulness. The fruit comes from a secret vineyard in Rutherford, and the 2019 vintage was fabulous for the area, producing wines with depth, robust flavors, and ripe, fine-grained tannins that feel like satin and will provide at least a decade of ageability.
 
Don’t let the scores based on the winery’s $125 retail sway you. At our price, it is one of our finest offerings and is a rich, powerful, hedonistic Cabernet Sauvignon that will make you wish you had ordered more once you’ve tried it. Our panel loved it, and now it’s an unbelievable value.
 
MONTAGU
THE BARON
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
RUTHERFORD 2019
Retails at: $125
 
 
 
“Starting with the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon The Baron, which includes 10% Petit Verdot, this rich, chewy, mouth-filling effort offers tons of ripe black cherry and plum fruits as well as chocolate and assorted spices. It’s a chewy, fruit-driven Cabernet to drink over the coming decade.” Reviewed May, 2022
90 Points
2018 Sequum Cabernet Sauvignon Kidd Ranch Vineyard Napa Valley

2018 Sequum Cabernet Sauvignon Kidd Ranch Vineyard Napa Valley

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

SEQUUM

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
KIDD RANCH VINEYARD
NAPA VALLEY 2018

2018 Sequum Cabernet Sauvignon Kidd Ranch Vineyard Napa Valley
Sequum is a boutique winery based in Saint Helena, led by Paul Skinner, who combines his Ph.D. in viticulture and soil science with his deep connections in the wine industry to create balanced wines with a powerful sense of place. 
 
Paul spent two decades consulting for premium vineyards before starting his winery in 2003, which is now blended and bottled at Pride Mountain Vineyards.
 
The cooler 2018 growing season is known for producing red wines with elegance, and this Cabernet Sauvignon is nuanced and sophisticated while exhibiting power and depth throughout the finish. It promises a divine wine-drinking experience and has many years of cellaring potential.
 
SEQUUM
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
KIDD RANCH VINEYARD
NAPA VALLEY 2018
Retails at: $75
 
 
 
“The Sequum Kidd Ranch Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 begins with an intense nose of black currants, Italian glove leather, baking spices, milk chocolate, Kalamata olives, and French lavender. The rich palate continues with ripe red and black plums and tart red cherries, combining a complex savory note with sweet vanilla spice. It has an outstanding balance of rich, ripe black fruits intermixed with tart, bright red fruits, intertwined in a way where the red fruits lift the heavier dark fruits to create a wine with impeccable power, elegance, grace, liveliness, and length. Congratulations to Paul Skinner and his team for making another beautiful vintage of this wine.”
95 Points
2013 Knights Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley

2013 Knights Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtKnight's ValleyUSA

KNIGHTS BRIDGE

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
KNIGHTS VALLEY 2013

2013 Knights Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley
Founded in 2006, Knights Bridge Winery sits in a sweet spot near the Knights Valley AVA’s western edge, not far from Peter Michael Winery. The area just North of Calistoga is known for its warm days, cool nights, and mineral-rich volcanic soils. 
 
The Knights Bridge Estate Vineyard rises from 300 to 900 feet of elevation on the rugged slopes of the Mayacamas mountain range, exposed to cool winds from the Pacific Ocean, aiding in structure, flavor development, and retaining fresh acidity.
 
Douglas Danielak (owner/winemaker of Pont Neuf) joined the founding team as the winemaker, using his knowledge and experience from earning a BS in Viticulture and Enology from UC Davis and the Lycee Agricole et Viticole de Beaune in Burgundy. 2013 was an excellent vintage for the region, and this wine has aged gracefully for just under a decade bringing forth subtle spices and soft tannins with a long, supple finish.
 
KNIGHTS BRIDGE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
KNIGHTS VALLEY 2013
 
 
 
“Coming from a practically perfect growing season, the Knights Bridge 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon opens with aromas of violets, red and black currants, black cherry, allspice, cigar box, and cedar. On the palate, the wine has smooth, supple tannins and flavors of cassis, black olive, baking spices, black tea leaves, and cocoa powder. The concentration of flavor is impressive and holds on throughout the lengthy finish. This wine is divine and drinking beautifully right now, but it still possesses aging capability.”
95 Points
2019 Domus Aurea Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Valley

2019 Domus Aurea Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Valley

with No Comment $60-$70Cabernet SauvignonChileKevin Vogt

DOMUS AUREA

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
MAIPO VALLEY 2019

2019 Domus Aurea Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Valley
One of Chile’s most renowned vineyards, Clos Quebrada de Macul, planted in 1970, sits on a low-yielding hillside site requiring highly skilled farming. Proprietors Isabelle and Ricardo Peña planted predominately Cabernet Sauvignon with a small mixture of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot that they sold to some of the top wineries in Chile, reaching the highest price on the market and motivating the Peña’s to open a winery of their own.
 
The first vintage of Domus Aurea was released in 1996 and remains today the vineyard’s flagship wine and one of Chile’s most sought-after Cabernets. The wine consistently gained worldwide attention, garnering high praise from critics. 
 
The 2019 vintage comprises 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot, traditionally vinified with a long, slow fermentation, aged 18 months in French oak barrels, and bottled unfiltered to preserve the integrity of the wine from this magnificent terroir.
 
DOMUS AUREA
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
MAIPO VALLEY 2019
Retails at: $75
 
 
 
“…It has the textbook notes of mint and eucalyptus, intermixed with exotic spices (cola nut and Jamaica pepper), quite aromatic, with notes of crème de cassis and good ripeness. It has the Domus character from the mountains and the stones with that dry sensation and austere palate….bottled in March 2021.”
95 Points
2019 Kelly Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Napa Valley

2019 Kelly Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOak KnollUSA

KELLY FAMILY VINEYARDS

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
ESTATE NAPA VALLEY
OAK KNOLL DISTRICT 2019

2019 Kelly Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Napa Valley
Kelly Family Vineyards is one of our most exciting boutique wine discoveries this year, and their 2019 vintage embodies everything we look for in superior-quality, small-lot Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. For years, they’ve sold fruit to some of Napa’s top Cabernet producers, and if I told you which ones, I’m confident you’d jump straight to the order button. 
 
Vineyard Manager Mario Bazán immigrated to Napa in 1973 and was charmed by Napa’s beauty, so he carefully honed his viticultural skills as a laborer and today runs one of the most respected vineyard management companies in Napa and Sonoma counties.
 
Winemaker Bob Pepi works closely with Gene and Mario to craft Kelly Family Vineyards’ limited production of premium quality wines. The depth and complexity of the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon release reflect the undivided attention of the small, intimate team and the glorious vintage.
 
KELLY FAMILY VINEYARDS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
ESTATE NAPA VALLEY
OAK KNOLL DISTRICT 2019
Retails at: $95
 
 
 
“Coming from another fantastic vintage in Napa Valley, the Kelly Family 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits notes of wet stones, petrichor, black currant, savory spice, and a hint of cinnamon. On the palate, the wine has bright acidity that enhances the flavors of dried herbs, menthol, black plum, cherry, and allspice. The finish lingers on the palate and portrays the complexity of the flavors as it envelopes your taste buds. This wine has the structure to age and will continue to develop.”
96 Points
2019 Merus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2019 Merus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonCoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaUSAYountville

MERUS

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
NAPA VALLEY 2019

2019 Merus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Merus is Latin for “pure” or “undiluted.” The purity behind the winery humbly came to fruition in 1998, with Erika J. Gottl and Mark Herold having crafted the inaugural vintage in their garage behind their house in Napa. The wine won international renown, and in 2007 Bill Foley added Merus to his Foley Family Wines group and restored an old ghost winery into a winemaking facility worthy of the brand.
 
The winery’s small size and long-term relationships with many Napa Valley growers allow the team to control many factors in the vineyard, including yield size, pruning, irrigation, and harvest times. The 2019 vintage is 97% Cabernet Sauvignon coming from a unique site in the Coombsville AVA with 3% Petit Verdot, sourced from a selected plot in Yountville, aged 24 months in 100% new French oak giving the already concentrated fruit additional flavor complexity, depth, and a lasting finish. 
 
MERUS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
NAPA VALLEY 2019
Retails at: $225
 
 
 
“A killer bottle of Napa Valley magic, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon from Merus is 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot. It’s a powerful, full-bodied, uber-ripe beauty that stays lively and balanced, with beautiful blue fruits, as well as smoked tobacco, chocolate, and scored earth-like aromas and flavors. A beast of a wine with a great mid-palate and velvety tannins, it should shed its considerable baby fat over the coming 4-6 years and have two decades of overall longevity.”
97 Points
2019 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville

2019 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville

with No Comment $60-$70Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakville

GROTH 

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
OAKVILLE 2019

2019 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville
Dennis and Judy Groth purchased an old, rundown farm in what is now the Oakville AVA in 1981. Few people in the wine business understood the value and potential of the land in Napa Valley at the time, but Ren Harris, a realtor, fellow winegrower, and founder of Paradigm Winery, was one of them. He promised the couple that this property would aspire to greatness.
 
After one year of solely selling fruit, Dennis and Judy decided to produce wine. They asked Nils Venge to be their winemaker, and after his initial visit to the estate, he commented, “That’s the Sweet Spot…that can make us world-class wine.” He proved himself right in 1985, when Robert Parker awarded the Groth Estate Cabernet Sauvignon America’s first 100-Point score.
 
The Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon comes primarily from the estate vineyard and small portions from partner growers in Oakville. The 2019 vintage is 89% Cabernet Sauvignon with 11% Merlot, rounding out the mid-palate and continuing the legacy of Groth’s outstanding reputation.
 
GROTH 
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
OAKVILLE 2019
Retails at: $70
 
 
 
“Sumptuous black and blue berries, candied violets and sweet cedar on the nose. Fresh and inviting in the mouth, showing elegant red, black and blue fruit with graphite, clove and tangy orange acidity framed by pointed tannins. A lovely ageworthy red with energy and poise by winemaker Ted Henry. Drink 2022-2036”
94 Points
2020 Dolum Estates Cabernet Sauvignoin Cask #11 Sonoma County

2020 Dolum Estates Cabernet Sauvignoin Cask #11 Sonoma County

with No Comment $30 and underAlexander ValleyCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtSonomaUSA

DOLUM ESTATES

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
CASK #11 2020
SONOMA COUNTY

2020 Dolum Estates Cabernet Sauvignoin Cask #11 Sonoma County
Dolum Estates’ founders strive to create wines with undeniable character and all-embracing elegance that vividly portray their origin. Winemaker Chad Alexander’s background in soil science, and experience making wine at Hess Collection and Robert Craig wineries, brought their goal to fruition, producing terroir-focused wines with depth of flavor that remain elegant and finely balanced.
 
Their 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Cask #11 embodies the classic Alexander Valley depth and complexity of the region’s ancient soils. It’s balanced with 8% Cabernet Sauvignon from Oakville that ties in the rich, supple mouthfeel. This impressive wine, aged in French oak, offers immediate enjoyment and the structure to age for five to seven years.
 
DOLUM ESTATES
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
CASK #11 2020
SONOMA COUNTY
Retails at: $82
 
 
 
“Massive notes of crushed stone, blackberry, earth, and licorice are gentled by the wine’s inherent elegance. It morphs from tightly wound to a tamed beast with lithe, lip-smacking tannins.”
94 Points, “Publisher’s Pick”
2019 Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Estate

2019 Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Estate

with No Comment $90-$100Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA

PARADIGM   

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
OAKVILLE ESTATE 2019

2019 Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Estate
In 1976, winegrowers Ren and Marilyn Harris decided to purchase a vineyard, and without hesitation, their first choice was in what is now the Oakville AVA of Napa Valley. The Harris’s hired a promising young winemaker named Heidi Barrett for their inaugural vintage under the Paradigm label in 1991, and she’s been with them ever since, sharing her passion, knowledge, and sage-like wisdom for creating phenomenal wines from vineyards responsibly farmed with love and dedication.
 
Located directly south of Beckstoffer’s To-Kalon Vineyard and with neighbors like Opus One and Martha’s Vineyard, Paradigm Estate sits on premium terroir in the heart of Oakville. The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon displays classic Oakville aromatics from perfectly ripe, lush fruit aged 20 months in French oak and 20 months in bottle before release, with the potential to age much longer. However, it is already a brilliant wine in its youth!
 
PARADIGM   
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
OAKVILLE ESTATE 2019
 
 
 
“Our 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is dark ruby in color with aromas of deep ripe fruit, black cherries, blackberry, currants, plums, savory spice, vanilla, and toasty French Oak. Aromas and flavors show nice concentration in 2019. The wine has a dense texture and mouthcoating mouthfeel. Classic Oakville Cabernet flavors similar to the aromas. Optimum ripeness leads to a lush, rich, and well-balanced wine that bodes well for age ability. Layered and interesting with a long persistent finish. A delicious offering from Paradigm. Enjoy!”
Heidi Barrett