2017 Justin Justification Red Paso Robles

2017 Justin Justification Red Paso Robles

with No Comment $50-$60Central CoastKevin VogtPaso RoblesProprietary RedUSA

JUSTIN

JUSTIFICATION RED
PASO ROBLES 2017

2017 Justin Justification Red Paso Robles
Justin Winery’s founders planted their first vineyards in 1981 on fossilized limestone soils with a similar composition as those in Bordeaux, stressing the vines and giving wines a wide range of character and depth of flavor. The winemaking philosophy combines Old World practices with New World technology to create world-class wines from Paso Robles’ unique microclimate, which includes the most significant difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures of any wine-growing region in California.
 
Justification highlights a Right Bank Bordeaux-style blend featuring Cabernet Franc and Merlot aged in 100% French oak barrels. The 2017 vintage is a full-bodied red with a beautiful combination of power and freshness, comprising 65% Cabernet Franc with 35% Merlot, making an excellent accompaniment with a wide range of foods and any occasion from a friendly barbecue to a candlelit dinner.
 
JUSTIN
JUSTIFICATION RED
PASO ROBLES 2017
Retails at: $62
 
 
 
“The 2017 Justification is a Right Bank-styled blend of 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot. Medium to deep ruby-purple in color, it offers bright red and black cherry fruits with notions of garrigue, dried herbs, vanilla and cardamom. In the mouth, it’s medium to full-bodied, with slowly opening fruits and a firm, grainy frame. It has great lift and freshness and finishes long. An approachable, friendly style.”
92 Points
2021 Bodega Atamisque Catalpa Malbec Mendoza Argentina

2021 Bodega Atamisque Catalpa Malbec Mendoza Argentina

with No Comment $30 and underArgentinaKevin VogtMalbecUco Valley

BODEGA ATAMISQUE 

CATALPA MALBEC 2021  
TUPUNGATO-VALLE DE UCO
MENDOZA ARGENTINA

2021 Bodega Atamisque Catalpa Malbec Mendoza Argentina
Bodega Atamisque sits in the San José District along the western foothills of the Andes Mountains in the Uco Valley near Tupungato, one of Mendoza’s most highly regarded growing regions. The vineyards in Tupungato are at an average elevation of 4,200 feet above sea level, moderating hot daytime temperatures and exposing the fruit to more intense sunlight, resulting in grapes with concentrated flavors, elaborately structured tannins, and crisp acidity.
 
Catalpa is the winery’s flagship wine produced from vines over 90 years old, taking advantage of the unique climate that contributes to some of the world’s most outstanding Malbecs. The 2021 vintage was aged for 14 months in Taransaud-Demptos French oak, giving the wine added complexity and age-ability, sustaining the winery’s standards and continuing Malbec’s legacy in Argentina.
 
BODEGA ATAMISQUE 
CATALPA MALBEC 2021  
TUPUNGATO-VALLE DE UCO
MENDOZA ARGENTINA
 
 
 
“Quite a ripe nose with plenty of black cherries, stewed blueberries, black licorice and violets. Juicy and chalky on the palate with a medium to full body and floral fruit coming through alongside the purple, pulpy fruit. Drink now.”
91 Points
2018 Grand Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Napa Valley

2018 Grand Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonCoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaRutherfordSt HelenaUSA

GRAND NAPA 

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
RESERVE NAPA VALLEY 2018

2018 Grand Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Napa Valley
Our top-selling Cabernet Sauvignon this year, Grand Napa Vineyards in Rutherford, produces rich, full-bodied wines with depth and character from premium vineyards in Napa Valley. Grand Napa owner/winemaker Dwight Bonewell hand-selects the vineyards he works with, and his involvement ensures harvesting only the highest quality fruit before he works his magic in the winery, carefully nurturing each vineyard’s unique character into its purest expression.
 
Grand Napa’s 2018 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon arose from prime sites in Rutherford, St. Helena, and Coombsville, compellingly representing the vintage and distinct origins. This bottling spent 22 months in 50% new French oak and 50% two-year-old oak, giving a graceful balance between the depth of fruit, spice components from the oak, plush tannins, and impressive structure.
 
GRAND NAPA 
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
RESERVE NAPA VALLEY 2018
Retails at: $110
 
 
 
“Another terrific wine, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve offers lots of blackcurrants, spice box, tobacco leaf, and chocolatey nuances to go with a full-bodied style on the palate. It has the 2018 vintage’s fresher, more elegant style yet brings ample fruit and has an expansive, layered mouthfeel as well as a great finish. It’s another wine to enjoy any time over the coming 15-20 years.”
94 Points
2020 Trinity Hill The Gimblett Red Hawkes Bay New Zealand

2020 Trinity Hill The Gimblett Red Hawkes Bay New Zealand

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtNew ZealandProprietary Red

TRINITY HILL

THE GIMBLETT RED 
GIMBLETT GRAVELS 2020
HAWKES BAY NEW ZEALAND

2020 Trinity Hill The Gimblett Red Hawkes Bay New Zealand
The soil composition of Gimblett Gravels, a Hawkes Bay, New Zealand subdistrict, is like a little slice of Bordeaux. As this region’s name suggests, the soil consists of gravel, which Cabernet Sauvignon vines love. Trinity Hill has been growing grapes in this area for over 25 years and is a certified Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand member. They’re committed to biodiversity and reducing their environmental impact.
 
Chief Winemaker Warren Gibson has been with Trinity Hill since 1997 and has won the New Zealand Winemaker of the Year title from Winestate Magazine. Since 2005, The Gimblett has been a Bordeaux-styled red wine with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. The 2020 release is no exception. It’s a beautiful wine that captures the nuances of the growing season and reflects the region’s terroir.
 
TRINITY HILL
THE GIMBLETT RED 
GIMBLETT GRAVELS 2020
HAWKES BAY NEW ZEALAND
 
 
 
“Very deep, bold and bright purple-colour and the aromas are wonderfully clear and pure, speaking loudly of cabernet sauvignon subtly backed with classy oak. The palate is supremely elegant and beautifully proportioned, with concentration but also elegance and style. A wine of real panache and great potential for cellaring. (50% cabernet franc, 33% cabernet sauvignon, 17% merlot).”
97 Points
2019 Waits-Mast Pinot Noir Nash Mill Vineyard Anderson Valley

2019 Waits-Mast Pinot Noir Nash Mill Vineyard Anderson Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Anderson ValleyKevin VogtMendocino RidgePinot NoirSonomaUSA

WAITS-MAST

PINOT NOIR
NASH MILL VINEYARD
ANDERSON VALLEY 2019

2019 Waits-Mast Pinot Noir Nash Mill Vineyard Anderson Valley
Brian Mast and Jennifer Waits founded Waits-Mast in 2005 and created a brand whose core passion centers around premium, vineyard-designated Pinot Noir. Shalini Sekar joined the team as the winemaker in 2013, previously developing her foundation in music by earning a Master’s Degree in Flute and Piccolo Performance, now using that same precision, balance, and determination in her winemaking.
 
The Mariah Vineyard is sustainably farmed and found inside the Mendocino Ridge AVA at 2300 feet above sea level. The extreme elevation results in more intense sunlight hours because of its aspect above the fog layer. The various loam soils above fractured sandstone in the vineyard help provide mineral-based complexity, and the 2019 vintage gave wines with intense flavors that are enormously enjoyable on their own and a decadent enhancement to any meal.
 
WAITS-MAST
PINOT NOIR
NASH MILL VINEYARD
ANDERSON VALLEY 2019
Retails at: $52
 
 
 
“This is a beautiful Pinot Noir with a depth of flavor that will only increase in complexity over time. Find pronounced aromas and flavors of bright red cherry, strawberry and pomegranate, forest floor, toasted wood and violet. Fine-grained, silky tannins slide off the tongue; elevated acidity brings lightness and freshness from start to lingering finish.”
96 Points, “Editors’ Choice”
2015 Altanza Rioja Reserva Rioja Spain

2015 Altanza Rioja Reserva Rioja Spain

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtRiojaSpainTempranillo

ALTANZA

RIOJA RESERVA
RIOJA, SPAIN 2015

2015 Altanza Rioja Reserva Rioja Spain
Founded in 1998 by close friends who shared the dreams and ambitions of making classic Riojan wines, Bodegas Altanza’s state-of-the-art winery is located in Rioja Alta, where many of the region’s oldest wineries thrive. The winery combines tradition with modernity to offer sensibly priced wines of the utmost quality.
 
Tempranillo is Rioja’s most predominant and highly praised red grape variety and has influenced the region’s style for over a century and a half. This 2015 Reserva is one hundred percent Tempranillo that was fermented with natural yeasts and matured in French oak barrels renewed every five years to provide an array of complexity without overwhelming the fruit. 
 
ALTANZA
RIOJA RESERVA
RIOJA, SPAIN 2015
 
 
 
“A fruity red with toasted oak and some chocolate and spice. It’s medium-bodied with medium round tannins and a lightly chewy, fruity finish. Drink or hold.”
92 Points
2018 Hendry Cabernet Sauvignon Hendry Vineyard Napa Valley

2018 Hendry Cabernet Sauvignon Hendry Vineyard Napa Valley

with No Comment $60-$70Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

HENDRY

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
HENDRY VINEYARD
NAPA VALLEY 2018

2018 Hendry Cabernet Sauvignon Hendry Vineyard Napa Valley
The Hendry family has been growing grapes in Napa Valley since 1939, compiling over 80 years of viticultural experience; they are one of the area’s most long-standing, prominent families. The 203-acre ranch in the Southern part of Napa has a significant coastal influence from San Pablo Bay that helps to maintain acidity and keeps the fruit fresh and bright.
 
Hendry’s Cabernet Sauvignon plots are at an elevation range between 150 and 300 feet above sea level on thin, stony soils similar to the Left Bank of Bordeaux, where some of the world’s most famous Cabernet blends were born. The 2018 release comes from a fabulous vintage and a glorious location from one of Napa’s foundational wineries with decades of experience. With a 95pt score and Cellar Selection designation from Wine Enthusiast, Cabernet Collectors shouldn’t miss it.
 
HENDRY
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
HENDRY VINEYARD
NAPA VALLEY 2018
Retails at: $70
 
 
 
“This deeply colored, extremely ripe and concentrated wine from a cooler part of Napa Valley is powerful but smooth, as a creamy texture carries blueberries, cocoa and anise flavors wrapped in significant fine-grained tannins. The flavors show great depth on the palate and good length on the finish. best from 2026–2036.”
95 Points, “Cellar Selection”
2020 Sans Liege The Offering Red Central Coast

2020 Sans Liege The Offering Red Central Coast

with No Comment $30 and underCentral CoastKevin VogtPaso RoblesProprietary RedUSA

SANS LIEGE

THE OFFERING RED
CENTRAL COAST 2020

2020 Sans Liege The Offering Red Central Coast
Inspired by wines from the Southern Rhône and aligned with the freedoms of the New World, winemaker Curt Schalchlin seeks terroir with finesse and unrestrained character from the Central Coast that embody his vision. Curt relies on his intuition and carefully monitors each vineyard from Paso Robles to Solvang to ensure that only the highest quality fruit with distinct characteristics makes it to the winery.
 
The Offering is a quest for independence that embraces New World liberties in winemaking but pays tribute to one of France’s most renowned winegrowing regions. The 2020 blend marries Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre with a small portion of stem inclusion that induces a spicy, herbal complexity and complements the alluring, elegant fruit flavors. It’s been a personal favorite of mine for over a decade.
 
SANS LIEGE
THE OFFERING RED
CENTRAL COAST 2020
Retails at: $33
 
 
 
“The Sans Liege The Offering 2020 begins with a bright nose that includes spicy red plums, fresh strawberries, wet stone, iodine, cocoa nibs, and fresh sage. The vibrant palate continues with lively black raspberries, preserved plums, sweet black cherries, spicy cedar, and fresh mint. Its finish is medium long, with a bright freshness, a liquid-saline complexity, and a lingering mouth-quenching quality that brings you back for more.”
94 Points
2018 Jigar Malbec Sonoma County

2018 Jigar Malbec Sonoma County

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtMalbecSonomaSonoma ValleyUSA

JIGAR

MALBEC 2018
SONOMA COUNTY

2018 Jigar Malbec Sonoma County
Jigar and Stephanie Patel are the proud owners of Jigar Wines and seek to secure the best fruit possible from Jigar’s extensive and amicable grower relations along California’s North Coast. Jigar wines are small in production, terroir-driven, and varietally expressive, showcasing the potential of each vineyard brought forth by passionate farmers.
 
The fruit for their 2018 Malbec comes from the Sonoma Valley AVA, where a long, cool growing season created one of Sonoma’s best vintages in the last decade. The harvest took place two to three weeks later than usual, giving fruit with an intricate structure and intense concentration without being overripe. This tiny production of Malbec is pure, fruit-forward, and delightfully approachable.
 
JIGAR
MALBEC 2018
SONOMA COUNTY
Retails at: $30
 
 
 
“The Jigar 2018 Malbec opens with pure, fresh notes of bergamot, lilac, raspberry, blueberry, cinnamon, and black tea leaves. On the palate, the wine has a silky texture and flavors of ripe fruits, plum, blackberry, and berry bramble with a hint of carob. The wine has a playful light to medium body, clean aromatics, concentrated flavors, and a long finish.”
93 Points
2015 Casa Piena Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2015 Casa Piena Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSAYountville

CASA PIENA

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2015

2015 Casa Piena Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Located in Yountville, Casa Piena Winery focuses on responsible, sustainable farming techniques that respect the environment and Napa Valley’s natural beauty. The winery’s estate vineyard, the Policy Vineyard, is managed by viticultural icon Jim Barbour, who’s worked with many well-respected, premium vineyards and been a part of some of Napa’s most highly-rated wines.
 
Casa Piena’s founding winemaker, Thomas Rivers Brown, uses a minimalistic approach to craft this profound representation of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Napa Valley’s 2015 harvest produced a small crop of concentrated berries, leading to powerful, intensely flavorful, and complex Cabernet Sauvignon that is entering a seductive period in its aging and is guaranteed to indulge the senses for years to come.
 
CASA PIENA
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2015
Retails at: $175
 
 
 
“The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon is gorgeous. Lifted, floral and beautifully perfumed, the 2015 has come together nicely since I last tasted it. The 2015 has so much to offer. Specifically, it is remarkably nuanced for such an overly ripe, racy wine. A rush of sweet red berry, kirsch, mint and rose petal graces the expressive, inviting finish. This is a terrific showing from proprietor Carmen Policy and winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown.”
94 Points