2019 Las Rubias Red Blend Uco Valley Argentina

2019 Las Rubias Red Blend Uco Valley Argentina

with No Comment $30-$40ArgentinaKevin VogtProprietary RedUco Valley

Las Rubias

Red Blend 2019
Uco Valley, Argentina

2019 Las Rubias Red Blend Uco Valley Argentina

The 2019 Las Rubias Uco Valley Red seized our tasting panel’s attention from the initial sip—a wine so compelling it demands pause, invites scrutiny, and rewards every fleeting detail. Fashioned by 100-point Winemaker Rob Lawson, a vintner honed by years at renowned houses such as Bryant, Pahlmeyer, and Staglin during his tenure leading Napa Wine Company, this creation bears the mark of seasoned artistry. In it, Rob’s exacting skill intertwines seamlessly with the untamed splendor of Argentina’s Uco Valley. What struck us most was how effortlessly this wine balances the region’s bold power with Rob’s signature finesse, creating something truly memorable.

Blending Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec with remarkable precision, this wine strikes a flawless balance between richness and elegance. After 24 months in oak, it reveals a polished structure that remains vibrant and expressive. 

Las Rubias is a reflection of place and passion, a story told through the vines and vision of a master. At our price, its exceptional value makes it even more remarkable. This is a bottle I’d proudly open at any table, knowing it will leave a lasting impression long after the final sip.

Las Rubias
Red Blend 2019
Uco Valley, Argentina
Retails at: $95

Your Price: $38

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“The Las Rubias Red Blend 2019 from Uco Valley greets the nose with cherry cough drops, elegant florals, and fresh mushrooms, followed by a bright crushed-mineral edge. On the palate, it delivers a focused lineup of red currants, cassis, and black plum, with a linear intensity that’s both vibrant and precise. The satiny tannins frame a mouth-quenching quality that invites sip after sip, leading to a long, satisfying finish. A striking and well-defined wine.”

96 Points

2019 Chateau Moulin De La Grangere Saint Emilion Grand Cru Bordeaux

2019 Chateau Moulin De La Grangere Saint Emilion Grand Cru Bordeaux

with No Comment $30-$40BordeauxBordeauxFranceKevin VogtSaint Emilion

Château Moulin
De La Grangere

Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Bordeaux, France 2019

2019 Chateau Moulin De La Grangere Saint Emilion Grand Cru Bordeaux

The 2019 Saint-Émilion Grand Cru from Château Moulin de La Grangère articulately reflects the estate’s deep-rooted legacy, its remarkable terroir, and the meticulous care on full display. Perched on one of Saint-Émilion’s most cherished slopes, this distinguished vineyard shares its prestigious neighborhood with notable properties like Château Laroque and Château Pavie. Here, certified organic Merlot vines sink their roots into the region’s famed clay-limestone soils, drawing forth a vivid purity and character that shine through in every bottle.

Guided by a steadfast commitment to sustainability, Château Moulin de La Grangère captures the unspoiled spirit of this storied landscape. Each vintage crafted within its bounds reflects the quiet splendor of its surroundings, a tribute rendered in liquid form.

Mirroring the revered approach of Château Pétrus, the estate pours its focus entirely into Merlot, a grape perfectly attuned to these water-holding soils. The 2019 season, blessed with near-perfect conditions, produced fruit of striking ripeness and depth. The wine that emerged offers a poised elegance, revealing the captivating charm and remarkable value of its origins with every sip.

Château Moulin
De La Grangere
Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Bordeaux, France 2019

Your Price: $36

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“The Château Moulin de la Grangère 2019 Saint-Émilion Grand Cru opens with an elegant bouquet of earth and potting soil, layered with delicate floral notes of peonies and dried rose petals, a spice rack of savory spices, cloves, and cigar box, and a core of fresh red cherries and juicy blackberries. On the palate, the wine is structured yet refined, with well-integrated tannins and a silky texture. Flavors of black olives, vanilla, and nutmeg add complexity. A beautifully balanced expression of Right Bank terroir, this wine is drinking well now but promises further development with time in the cellar.”

94 Points

2021 Slingshot Cabernet Sauvignon North Coast

2021 Slingshot Cabernet Sauvignon North Coast

with No Comment $30 and underCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtMendocinoUSA

Slingshot

Cabernet Sauvignon
North Coast 2021

2021 Slingshot Cabernet Sauvignon North Coast

Slingshot was born from a desire to craft premium California wines that deliver purpose without pretense. Since its founding in 2005, Slingshot has focused on the North Coast AVA—a mosaic of world-class vineyard sites spanning Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Lake Counties. Each bottle reflects the region’s coastal influence, diverse soils, and vibrant microclimates, all while honoring the founder’s belief that great wine should be inspiring and accessible.

Guiding this vision is winemaker Blair Guthrie, whose global experience and restrained approach define Slingshot’s signature style. A native of New Zealand, Blair honed his craft across hemispheres before planting roots in California. Today, he champions sustainable viticulture and low-intervention winemaking, allowing the vineyards to speak clearly. The result is wines of transparency—unforced, expressive, and deeply rooted in their origins.

The 2021 Slingshot exemplifies this vision. Sourced from the Testa and Johnson Vineyards—two acclaimed sites in Mendocino and Lake Counties—it showcases the North Coast’s signature depth and vibrancy. For those seeking a Cabernet that speaks with clarity, character, and coastal charm, this is a bottle you’ll return to time and again.

Slingshot
Cabernet Sauvignon
North Coast 2021
Retails at: $23

Your Price: $19.99

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“The 2021 Slingshot North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon opens with an elegant floral notes of violets, complemented with vibrant blueberry, blackberry, and black currant aromas. On the palate, the wine has a savory core of spice, balsamic reduction, dark chocolate, and a subtle hint of fresh mint. This wine has a refined structure, with dusty tannins and a distinctive minerality reminiscent of petrichor, and though slightly lighter-bodied than a typical California Cabernet, this wine gives finesse, impressive concentration, and depth, carrying through to a long, polished finish.”

94 points

2019 Scarlett Cabernet Sauvignon McGah Vineyard Estate Rutherford

2019 Scarlett Cabernet Sauvignon McGah Vineyard Estate Rutherford

with No Comment $50-$60Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaRutherfordUSA

Scarlett

Cabernet Sauvignon
McGah Vineyard Estate
Rutherford 2019

2019 Scarlett Cabernet Sauvignon McGah Vineyard Estate Rutherford

Scarlett’s 2019 Rutherford Estate Cabernet Sauvignon emerges as a refined portrait of Napa Valley’s renowned Rutherford AVA, where strength and grace intertwine seamlessly. Shaped by the skilled hands of winemaker Mike Smith, whose craft was sharpened over three harvests alongside the celebrated Thomas Rivers Brown, this wine carries the insight Mike gained while working with distinguished producers like Maybach Family, Tamber Bey, and Carter Cellars. His artistry distills the spirit of Rutherford, blending ripe, concentrated fruit with the region’s signature “Rutherford dust,” lending depth and subtlety to every sip.

Scarlett Wines draws on a four-generation heritage of devoted vineyard care in Rutherford, blending heart and soul with art and science. This dedication results in wines that resonate with authenticity, balance, and timeless charm. 

The exceptional 2019 vintage stood out in Napa Valley, and this estate Cabernet Sauvignon fully embraces its potential. Delivering striking value alongside impeccable quality, Offering remarkable value and undeniable quality, Scarlett’s 2019 Rutherford Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is an unforgettable tribute to Napa’s finest terroir.

Scarlett
Cabernet Sauvignon
McGah Vineyard Estate
Rutherford 2019
Retails at: $79

Your Price: $55

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“Beautiful, sweet cassis and blue fruits as well as lots of violet and floral notions emerge from the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, a full-bodied, rich, concentrated barrel sample with wonderful purity of fruit, a good sense of freshness, and serious length on the finish. This promising, elegant yet powerful wine is going to shine with short-term bottle age and keep for two decades.”

93-95 Points

2021 Stewart Cabernet Sauvignon Yountville

2021 Stewart Cabernet Sauvignon Yountville

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSAYountville

Stewart

Cabernet Sauvignon
Yountville 2021

2021 Stewart Cabernet Sauvignon Yountville

Stewart’s 2021 Yountville Cabernet Sauvignon captivated our panel with the distinctive traits of this quietly revered AVA—fragrant aromatics, precisely chiseled tannins, and a delicate balance of opulence and restraint. Sourced from the coveted eastern edge of Yountville, where alluvial soils and benchland terroir echo the character of distinguished neighbors like Kapcsándy and Gemstone, this wine offers remarkable pedigree at an inviting price.

Yountville’s unique expression unfolds through finesse, structure, and grace. Its proximity to San Pablo Bay ushers in cool morning fog, prolonging the growing season and coaxing Cabernet to mature with poise. Rooted in gravelly earth, the vines reach deep, yielding fruit marked by innate concentration, purity, and refinement. A Cabernet emerges that whispers rather than shouts—satin in texture, vividly nuanced, and poised for years in the cellar.

The 2021 vintage was one of Napa’s most exceptional, shaped by modest yields and striking fruit intensity. Stewart Cellars embraced the opportunity, crafting a wine that captures the season’s potential. For those attuned to Napa’s hidden gems, this release is a refined, resonant find, ready to delight now or over time.

Stewart
Cabernet Sauvignon
Yountville 2021
Retails at: $95

Your Price: $49.99

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“While deep and concentrated, this full-bodied wine is also smooth in texture, not overly tight with tannins, and woos you with ample blueberry, black cherry and mint flavors. Drinkable soon with decanting, but able to age well through 2030.”

93 Points

2023 Ernest Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

2023 Ernest Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

Ernest

Pinot Noir 2023
Sonoma Coast

2023 Ernest Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

Ernest continues to raise the bar with each vintage, and the 2023 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir may be their most impressive yet. Building on the success of the 2022—one of my top five wines of the year in 2024—the new release radiates precision, elegance, and coastal allure. Where Burgundian finesse meets the wild beauty of the Sonoma Coast, this wine delivers concentrated fruit, vivid acidity, and a striking sense of place.

Sourced from the fog-draped Freestone Valley and neighboring coastal vineyards, the wine owes its vibrancy to the region’s cool, ocean-tempered climate. Winemaker Joseph Ryan has embraced a low-intervention, site-driven approach, coaxing purity and nuance from every vintage. His attention to detail and deft touch allow the terroir to speak, with each bottling reflecting a distinct moment in time.

The 2023 Pinot Noir is the clearest expression yet of that vision. A blend of estate-grown fruit and select heritage sites, it pulses with energy—bright red berries, wild herbs, coastal salinity, all wrapped in silky tannins and a crystalline finish. At $38, it offers a rare combination of poise, purity, and pedigree—an exceptional discovery in this price tier.

Ernest
Pinot Noir 2023
Sonoma Coast

Your Price: $38

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“The 2023 Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast) is terrific. Rich and generous in the glass, with tons of savory nuance, the 2023 is a wonderfully complete wine. Cedar, dried herbs, new leather, tobacco and incense wrap around the palate. A healthy dose of stems (33%) adds complexity, but it’s the wine’s balance I admire most.”

92 Points

2019 Rubia Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2019 Rubia Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonHowell MountainKevin VogtNapaUSA

Rubia

Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley 2019

2019 Rubia Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Rubia’s 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon emerges as a striking reflection of its mountain origins, deftly balancing vigor with refinement. Drawn from the lofty slopes of Howell Mountain and the untamed ridges of Calistoga, it captures the untempered energy of its rugged birthplace while unveiling a polished grace. Guided by the skilled hands of Julien Fayard, a luminary among Napa Valley’s winemakers, this wine commands the senses with its robust, mountain-born intensity, softened by a seamless elegance.

Julien Fayard’s journey lends depth to this creation. Shaped by his time at revered French estates like Château Lafite Rothschild, he carried his mastery to Napa, collaborating with Philippe Melka before stepping forward as a trailblazer in the region’s contemporary winemaking scene. His finesse shines through in this wine—a compelling blend of structure and allure, where the firm tannins of the mountains are artfully tamed.

Limited to just 130 cases, the 2019 vintage matured for nearly two years in French oak, then rested four more in the bottle, allowing its initial intensity to evolve into a refined majesty. Now approaching its finest hour, this Cabernet Sauvignon reveals a captivating harmony of power and subtlety—a wine of undeniable pedigree and exceptional value.

Rubia
Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley 2019
Retails at: $130

Your Price: $49.99

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“The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) from Rubia is a boisterous, heady wine loaded with character and personality. A blast of inky blue/purplish fruit makes a strong first impression. Spice, rose petal, chocolate and licorice add layers of flavor to this full-throttle, resonant Cabernet Sauvignon. The full-throttle style works well here.”

94 Points

2020 VIK Omega Cabernet Sauvignon Millahue Valley Chile

2020 VIK Omega Cabernet Sauvignon Millahue Valley Chile

with No Comment $30 and underCabernet SauvignonChileKevin Vogt

VIK

Omega 2020
Cabernet Sauvignon
Millahue Valley, Chile

2020 VIK Omega Cabernet Sauvignon Millahue Valley Chile

Chile has long been a land of untamed beauty, where nature’s extremes converge to shape wines of breathtaking precision. At the forefront of this movement is VIK, a winery that has rewritten the script for South American excellence. 

With a relentless pursuit of perfection, VIK has captured global attention, earning a flawless 100-point score on its flagship release. Within this legacy of greatness lies the 2020 Omega—a hidden treasure in its own right. A blend led by 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, elegantly intertwined with Carménère and a touch of Syrah, Omega is a wine that offers an opulent yet finely chiseled expression of its extraordinary terroir.

The 2020 Omega is a masterclass in balance, having spent 18 months in French oak barrels to refine its complexity. It is a wine that offers immediacy in its plush textures yet rewards patience with the promise of deepening complexity.

Omega embodies the relentless ambition of VIK—a winery that continues to push the limits of what Chilean wine can be.

VIK
Omega 2020
Cabernet Sauvignon
Millahue Valley, Chile
Retails at: $35

Your Price: $29.99

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“This wonderfully balanced, approachable, French oak-aged red way overdelivers.”

92 Points

2023 Schema Cabernet Franc Alexander Valley

2023 Schema Cabernet Franc Alexander Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Alexander ValleyCabernet FrancKevin VogtSonomaUSA

Schema

Cabernet Franc
Alexander Valley 2023

2023 Schema Cabernet Franc Alexander Valley

Schema Cabernet Franc 2023 debuts Madelyn Hille’s distinct winemaking perspective, honed through years of dedication at renowned houses such as Pax, Merry Edwards, and Arnot Roberts. With a careful, reflective approach, she’s shaped a wine that reflects her expertise and innate connection to Cabernet Franc. The result is a vivid, unadulterated expression—polished yet seemingly effortless in its clarity and precision.

Sourced from the biodynamically farmed Cisne Vineyard in Alexander Valley, this wine radiates vibrant finesse. Its mineral-threaded fruit, paired with bright acidity, ignites a lively, energetic palate. At a modest 12% alcohol, it strikes an uncommon harmony—airy and agile yet rich with intricate layers—delivering instant delight while hinting at a graceful evolution over time.

Picked by hand and fermented with native yeasts, this Cabernet Franc matured for 14 months in neutral oak, safeguarding the vineyard’s essence and allowing the grape’s delicate traits to emerge. Departing from the lush, fruit-forward profiles common in many New World renditions, it echoes the lifted, fragrant restraint of the Loire Valley. This wine captures a sense of place, poise, and unembellished purity, weaving together thoughtful farming and masterful winemaking.

Schema
Cabernet Franc
Alexander Valley 2023
Retails at: $42

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“The Schema 2023 Cabernet Franc from the Cisne Vineyard in Alexander Valley opens with bright notes of lilac, lavender, raspberry, orange zest, chai tea, earth, and a wet stone minerality. On the palate, the wine has a silky texture with flavors of red cherry, marionberry, pomegranate, white pepper, and aniseed. The wine’s low alcohol level is in a delicate balance with the light to medium body and concentration of flavors, ending in an elegant finish.”

95 Points

2022 Thistle & Thorn Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2022 Thistle & Thorn Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $30 and underCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

Thistle & Thorn

Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley 2022

2022 Thistle & Thorn Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Exceptional wines often emerge from careful intent, yet occasionally, they owe their existence to the whims of chance. The tale of Thistle & Thorn unfolds as a fortunate twist of fate—a wine that almost slipped through the cracks. When a coveted batch of Napa Valley grapes found itself without a home, winemaker Blair Guthrie faced a pivotal decision: let the fruit wither on the vine or embrace the opportunity to shape something remarkable. Guided by intuition, he chose to act.

Blair Guthrie’s path is as captivating as the bottles he produces. Hailing from Christchurch, New Zealand, he pursued the study of enology and viticulture with a steady resolve that would eventually lead him across continents. His formative years under the tutelage of Paul Hobbs refined a winemaking approach centered on the purity of fruit, harmonic balance, and a vivid sense of origin.

Drawn from the organically tended Juliana Vineyard, this wine embodies Napa Valley’s finest qualities. It unfolds with rich, dark fruit, finely woven tannins, and a poised intricacy that elevates its allure—an inviting portrait of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, born not by chance but from the vision of a winemaker who recognized possibility amid uncertainty.

Thistle & Thorn
Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley 2022
Retails at: $50

Your Price: $25

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“The Thistle & Thorn 2022 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon begins with aromas of green peppercorns, sweet rose, black currants, blackberries, black tea leaves, and dark chocolate. On the palate, the wine has penetrative flavors of black fruits, balsamic reduction, and baking spices with a warm, inviting character and a pleasant finish. This wine has an excellent concentration of fruit and spice notes, adding layered complexity and extra enjoyment.”

92 Points