2018 Rapport Napa Valley Grenache

2018 Rapport Napa Valley Grenache

with No Comment $30-$40GrenacheKevin VogtNapaUSA

RAPPORT

2018 Rapport Napa Valley Grenache2018 GRENACHE 
NAPA VALLEY

 
In the wine business, it’s not just who you know, but it’s who you surround yourself with that can help pave the way for success in a new brand.  Outpost winery on Howell Mountain has always been a breeding ground for talent… Some of their clients included Schrader, GTS, Maybach and Gemstone to name just a few. That’s also where Brent Sloan, owner of Rapport wines and former GM at Outpost met Anne Fogerty, who happens to be Thomas Rivers Brown’s assistant winemaker.  Her wife Camille is the director of winemaking for Fayard wines, and the combined talent of all three is a force to be reckoned with in the world of boutique wine production.  Their 2018 Grenache is sourced from vines located along the Eastern edge Rutherford, and if I could name the vineyard, you’d of already ordered a case…  The wine is profoundly detailed, penetrating and intense, and it’s absolutely one of the most stunning examples of Napa Valley Grenache that I’ve tasted.
The 2018 vintage provided idyllic growing conditions that were perfect for ripening Grenache, with a mild summer and extended Fall sunshine.  Rapport Grenache spends minimal time in oak in order to preserve the most pure expression of the fruit.  It was fermented whole-cluster, which is an old-world method of fermenting the fruit on the stems, and lends structure and depth to the wine. Trust me on this wine… You’ll be seriously glad you did.  
 
RAPPORT
2018 GRENACHE 
NAPA VALLEY
Retails at:  $45.00/btl
 
 
Winery Notes: “Our Rapport 2018 Grenache opens with soaring aromatics of kirsch liqueur, black cherries, and strawberry jam. It is lush, medium-bodied and unfiltered while offering complex flavors of red fruit savoriness which should be consumed in its first decade of life.”
2013 J Gregory Extol Proprietary Red

2013 J Gregory Extol Proprietary Red

with No Comment $50-$60Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

J. GREGORY 2013 J Gregory Extol Proprietary Red

2013 EXTOL
PROPRIETARY RED

 
On occasion, we’ll offer a wine with a narrative so enthralling that it seems like just about everybody wants to try it… Likewise, those are the wines that disappear the fastest, which is exactly what happened when we wrote about J. Gregory’s 2014 Extol Blend.  As luck would have it, we uncovered some of their 2013, so multiply that compelling story by an extra year of bottle development.  What’s the story? J Gregory’s is made by Mark Jessup who was on the original winemaking team at OPUS ONE from 1979 through 1987, and his flagship “Extol” Proprietary Red is his version of OPUS ONE.  The 2013 has a magnetic bouquet that pulls you in and on the palate, the wine is incredibly layered and powerful, yet supple and balanced.  At the winery price of $115, believe me, it’s an incredible bargain (Join our Insiders Club for special offers).  I recommend going big, because this one is going to fly.
 
The 2013 is built around a solid core of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and dressed with Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and Merlot.  The flavors are profoundly stunning, pure and supple.  Like the 2014, the wine has a regal presence on the palate that’s impossible to miss. The 2013 spent 22 months developing in French oak and it envelopes your taste buds in perfectly ripened wild berries, dried herbs, bakers chocolate and pipe tobacco.  You might need someone to pinch you to make sure you’re not dreaming of a time when OPUS ONE was around the same price.
 
J. GREGORY
2013 EXTOL
PROPRIETARY RED
Retails at:  $115/btl
 
 
Tasting Notes: “You just know from the moment this wine kisses your lips… it’s really something special. This brilliant expression has an exquisite nose of wild crushed ripe blackberries, alluring red currants, dried herbs and smoke. Impressively structured with a beautifully supple approach, the rich, viscous, velvety texture perfectly frames the opulent layers of bing cherry, brooding mountain berries and cassis.  Then comes a breath of sweet pipe tobacco, green herbs and sweet vanilla oak. The supple fruit tannins perfectly balance a mesmerizing flow of precisely orchestrated fruits, then ending with a long, elegant, mouth watering finish.” 97 Points
2015 Beaulieu Vineyard Tapestry Reserve Proprietary Red

2015 Beaulieu Vineyard Tapestry Reserve Napa Valley Proprietary Red

with No Comment $40-$50Atlas PeakCoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaProprietary RedRutherfordStags LeapUSA

BEAULIEU VINEYARD2015 Beaulieu Vineyard Tapestry Reserve Proprietary Red

TAPESTRY RESERVE
PROPRIETARY RED
2015 NAPA VALLEY

 
Tapestry is defined by an intricate or complex combination, and BV’s Tapestry Reserve intricately combines 75% Cabernet Sauvignon with each of the five major Bordeaux varietals and lives up to the literal definition of its name.  The winery tailors their winemaking for each varietal to best capture the individual nature of the vintage and unique origins of the grapes.  Fifty percent of the Cabernet Sauvignon arose from the Western benchlands of Rutherford, and was balanced with fruit from Stags Leap, Atlas Peak, and Coombsville.  On the palate the Cabernet plays a key role in imparting a generous core of wild blackberries, cassis, while the Merlot shows vivid dark cherry fruit.   Malbec adds black plum while Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot complete the wine with wild violets and added structure.  In blockbuster vintages like 2015, the Tapestry Reserve can take on all of the best qualities of the vintage and deliver them with stunning elegance, complexity and profound definition.  At around $50/btl the value is off-the-charts.
 
Alluring, engaging and balance all come to mind when tasting the 2015 Tapestry Reserve.  The winery has Napa Valley winemaking history embedded deep in its DNA and was established in 1900.  Throughout the years they’ve produced many timeless classics that embody the essence of Napa Valley.  Their 2015 Tapestry Reserve is an absolute classic that can be enjoyed now and over the next decade.
 
BEAULIEU VINEYARD
TAPESTRY RESERVE
PROPRIETARY RED
2015 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at:  $65.00/btl
 
Your Price: $49.99/btl   
YOU SAVE 23%
 

93 Points
“Lots of ripe fruit with very fine tannins and a juicy mouthfeel. Medium to full body, polished and round texture and a flavorful finish. Soft with lots of flavor. Drink or hold.“

92 Points
“…a beautiful perfume of roses and lilacs with a core of cassis, redcurrant jelly and blackberry tart plus a touch of cedar chest. Full, velvety and seductive, it delivers layers of perfumed red and black fruit with a very long finish.”

92 Points
“soft, pliant and supple, all qualities that make it an excellent choice for drinking now and over the next handful of years. Sweet red cherry, plum, rose petal, mint and dried flowers are all laced together in this racy, super-expressive blend from BV. The Cabernet Sauvignon-based Tapestry is one of the hidden gems in the range.” 

91 Points
“Takes a bright and relatively fresh approach, with raspberry and plum coulis flavors racing through first, backed by a plumper feel on the back end, showing notes of anise, mocha and briar. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2026″
2017 Martinelli Giuseppe & Luisa Zinfandel

2017 Martinelli Giuseppe & Luisa Zinfandel

with No Comment $50-$60Kevin VogtRussian River ValleySonomaUSAZinfandel

MARTINELLI 2017 Martinelli Giuseppe & Luisa Zinfandel

2017 ZINFANDEL
GIUSEPPE & LUISA

 
The only thing stretching deeper than the root systems of the ancient Zinfandel vines of Jackass Hill, are Martinelli’s roots in the Russian River Valley, which go back to the 1880’s.  Giuseppe and Luisa Martinelli planted their iconic Jackass Hill Vineyard in 1899 on a 60 degree slope, which remains the steepest non-terraced hillside vineyard in Sonoma County.  In 1994 Lee Martinelli grafted budwood from the centurion vines of Jackass Hill and planted them on a rocky knoll above the winery which became the Giuseppe & Luisa Vineyard.  This wine is the liquid definition of a huge California-style Zinfandel with unending depth, penetrating wild raspberry compote, boysenberry jam and mouthwatering acidity.  Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate proclaims, “This is just what Zinfandel should be…” and at about 1/2 the price of Jackass Vineyard Zin, I wouldn’t hesitate to secure yours.
 
Martinelli was one of the early leaders back in the early 1990’s producing cult level Zinfandels that were nearly impossible to acquire. Their 2017 was brought to life by winemakers Courtney Wagoner and Erin Green. Erin worked alongside Helen Turley in the early ’90’s on some of her projects, including at Bryant Family & Martinelli and also was director of winemaking at Pahlmeyer.  If you love huge, California style Zinfandel, this one shouldn’t be missed.
 
MARTINELLI
2017 ZINFANDEL
GIUSEPPE & LUISA
 
Your Price: $58/btl  
 
From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate: “Medium ruby-purple, the 2017 Zinfandel Giuseppe and Luisa has a wonderful nose of yellow peach preserves, apricot, boysenberry jam, cinnamon stick and warm black fruits-there are loads of fruity and spicy layers here. In the mouth, it’s medium to full-bodied with intense tricolored fruits, firm, grainy tannins and very juicy acidity, finishing long and peachy. This is just what Zinfandel should be!” 96 Points
2017 Foley Johnson Estate Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon

2017 Foley Johnson Rutherford Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaRutherfordUSA

FOLEY JOHNSON  2017 Foley Johnson Estate Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon

2017 ESTATE CABERNET
RUTHERFORD, NAPA VALLEY

 
Napa Valley’s Iconic Rutherford appellation is one of the most revered regions for Cabernet Sauvignon, and it’s celebrated for producing wines with palpable and distinct character, superior elegance and of course classic Rutherford dusty tannins.  Paragons Quintessa, BV and Scarecrow all set a precedence for quality in Rutherford.  The best Rutherford Cabernets will fuse elegance, complexity and dusty tannins in a way that makes you want to enjoy them on a regular basis.  Of course with an average retail price of well over $100 per bottle for Rutherford Cabernet, it can be tough to find one at a modest price. Foley Johnson’s Rutherford Estate Cab is absolutely one of the best values in Rutherford, with a name that’s synonymous quality.
 
Arising from Rutherford, an area long celebrated for its exceptional terroir and dusty tannins, this exemplary Cabernet Sauvignon shines with all of the hallmarks that I love most about Rutherford.  It’s supremely focused and brims with concentrated red fruits, wild violets, cherry pipe tobacco, crushed graphite and of course, beautiful Rutherford dust.  Their Rutherford Estate Cabernet competes favorably with the best in the Valley…
 
FOLEY JOHNSON
2017 ESTATE CABERNET
RUTHERFORD, NAPA VALLEY
Retails at:  $75.00/btl
 
 
 
Winery Notes: “Our 2017 Estate Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon displays inviting aromas of huckleberry, cedar, black pepper and a hint of dried sage. On the palate, bold tannins are balanced with flavors of black currant and dark cherry with savory notes of tobacco and graphite. Well structured and full bodied, our Cabernet Sauvignon is approachable now, but will age beautifully over the next 5-10 
2016 Mastery Napa Valley Proprietary Red

2016 Mastery Napa Valley Proprietary Red

with No Comment $90-$100CoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

MASTERY  2016 Mastery Napa Valley Proprietary Red

PROPRIETARY RED
2016 NAPA VALLEY

 
The 2016 vintage of Mastery is everything you would expect from this near perfect vintage.  Wine Spectator Magazine touts 2016 as their highest rated vintage for Napa since 1997 and rated it a 98 point score.  The new 2016 Mastery is a perfect reflection of this other-worldly vintage.  With just three barrels produced, Mastery is one of our most popular wines every year, but the demand always exceeds our supply.  This thrilling wine is finely detailed with a sweet inner core of focused red and black berries, supple tannins, and concentrated flavors that build layer upon layer of hedonistic bliss.  With a total production of 73 cases, this vintage of Mastery will disappear far too early…
 
Created from Napa Valley’s highly acclaimed Coombsville region, the vineyard is located on volcanic soils on the Eastern outskirts of the town of Napa.  This elegantly styled, yet focused and penetrating Napa Valley Cabernet Blend satisfies everything a Cabernet drinker looks for.  After spending about 2 years in French oak, this perfectly balanced Cabernet Sauvignon enchants your taste buds.  If you would like to add some of this exceptional wine to your cellar, please place your order right away.  This is another in a long list of near-perfect vintages of Mastery and we know you will absolutely love it!  It is spectacular.
 
MASTERY
PROPRIETARY RED
2016 NAPA VALLEY
 
Your Price: $95/btl

 Click to Order

Tasting Notes: “Embodying every finite nuance that makes the 2016 vintage so great, Mastery 2016 has alluring aromas of black currants, bing cherries, crushed minerals and dried rose petal.  Seductive wild mountain blackberries, ripe red plum and cassis, are in perfect harmony with the concentrated, rich, supple black fruits balancing the brighter red fruits, providing both depth and length as well as complexity on the palate.  The finish is focused with an amazing seamless structure, providing immense satisfaction.”  Kevin M. Vogt, Master Sommelier
2013 Matias Riccitelli Vineyard Selection Malbec

2013 Matias Riccitelli Vineyard Selection Argentina Malbec

with No Comment $30 and underArgentinaKevin VogtMalbecSouth America

MATIAS RICCITELLI  2013 Matias Riccitelli Vineyard Selection Malbec

2013 MALBEC
VINEYARD SELECTION
MENDOZA, ARGENTINA

 
Every great winemaker has at least one mentor that helped guide them in their career.  When  your father is the head-winemaker at Bodegas Norton, and the first South American to ever be named Winemaker of the Year by Wine Enthusiast magazine, it can come with a few advantages… Matias Riccitelli had both the connections and the drive to spend a decade working 2 harvests each year, one in Argentina, and the others in New Zealand, Napa Valley, Europe and Australia.  During that time he soaked up every bit of winemaking knowledge in order to achieve his goal of creating a brand of that could express the full potential of Argentine terroir.
 
Carved from exceptional vines ranging 20-80 years in age and grown in Perdriel and Vistalba in the Lujan de Cuyo and El Cepillo in La Consulta,  Riccitelli’s 2013 Vineyard Selection Malbec is stunningly complex and loaded with hedonistic aromas of dark black fruits, scorched earth, blue violets, licorice and hints of wild game.  Many of you tasted and loved Riccitelli’s The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far from the Tree Malbec that we introduced last year, and with the Vineyard Selection Malbec, I wouldn’t hesitate to secure yours…
 
MATIAS RICCITELLI
2013 MALBEC
VINEYARD SELECTION
MENDOZA, ARGENTINA
Retails at: $55/btl
 
 
From Vinous: “(made from three small vineyards in Luján de Cuyo and Uco Valley): Bright medium ruby. Showing more balsamic cedar and herbs on the nose than the 2014 The Apple . . . Malbec; plenty ripe but less dark-fruity and chocolatey and more minty and herbal… this intensely flavored wine is much less sweet than The Apple, with its currant and blackberry flavors complemented by a saline quality and nicely framed by healthy acidity. A bit less forthcoming, drier and more classic on the end, showing suaver tannins.“
2014 Rudius Kaley Elizabeth Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon

2014 Rudius Kaley Elizabeth Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $80-$90Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakville

RUDIUS 2014 Rudius Kaley Elizabeth Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon

KALEY ELIZABETH
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2014 OAKVILLE

 
In winemaking, when the stars align perfectly and combine fruit from one of Oakville’s best vineyards with one of Napa’s most talented winemakers, the end result is a wine that competes with the best in the world.  The 2014 Rudius Kaley Elizabeth gave me goosebumps when I first tasted it, and it hails exclusively from a secret vineyard source in Oakville just across from Screaming Eagle… If Rudius chose to list the vineyard on their label they would have to charge around $175 per bottle.  The wine was brilliantly crafted by Jeff Ames, who mentored under Thomas River Brown at Schrader, Maybach, Outpost and TOR before becoming head winemaker at TOR in 2005.  Since then, he’s made wines scoring in the high-90’s look easy, and with his own label Rudius, he’s applied that same skill-set to creating value wines with unrestrained character and profound hedonism. Words absolutely cannot express how great this wine is at $135/btl (join our free Insiders Club for special offers).
 
This secret vineyard source has beautiful red soils that give wines from this area intense, prolific flavors, and with neighbors like Screaming Eagle, Rudd, Dalla Valle’s Maya and Joseph Phelp’s Bacchus Vineyards, no doubt this is a great place to source fruit.  The wines from this vineyard have a trademark intense red-fruited perfume, dark, supple fruits, crushed rock and brilliant complexity.  If you enjoy the best wines that Napa Valley has to offer, you do not want to miss this…
 
RUDIUS
KALEY ELIZABETH
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2014 OAKVILLE
Retails at:  $135/btl
 
 
From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate: “Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Kaley Elizabeth comes from the Tierra Rojo vineyard in Oakville planted in 1988 and contains a small splash of Cabernet Franc. The nose explodes with baked cherries, blackcurrant cordial and blueberry pie notes with touches of Chinese five spice, wood smoke and beef drippings with a waft of dried herbs. Full-bodied, rich and spicy with mouth-filling savory and spice layers, it has a solid backbone of chewy tannins and a lively line, finishing long. 300 cases were made.”  96+ Points
2016 Matias Rosella's Vineyard Pinot Noir

2016 Matias Rosella’s Vineyard Pinot Noir

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtMontereyPinot NoirSanta Lucia HighlandsUSA

MATIAS

2016 Matias Rosella's Vineyard Pinot Noir

2016 PINOT NOIR
ROSELLA’S VINEYARD

 
Anybody that’s tasted the Pinot Noirs from Matias Winery knows first-hand what an incomparable value they offer. Their Pinots exude a truly high-level of class and sophistication, and they do so at such an amazing value, that many others simply cannot compete.  In fact, the average retail price of other Pinots from Rosella’s Vineyard tops $60 per bottle…  Matias bursts from the glass with bright raspberry and dark cherry fruit, liquid floral, spice box and hints of baked earth.  The vineyard was planted by Gary Franscioni, one of California’s most distinguished growers who also owns the iconic Garys’ and Sierra Mar Vineyards, and is partners in the Pisoni and Soberanes vineyards as well.  Wineries like Roar, Kosta Browne and Loring all make single vineyard Pinots from it, and Matias perfectly articulates the best qualities of the vineyard and at a price that will make you smile.
 
Composed by accomplished winemaker Dan Fitzgerald, who got his start by working at Williams-Selyem, Matias has become one of our most loved and request Pinots in the shop. They’re micro-produced and artisan made in every way imaginable and our only complaint is that there’s never enough to satisfy the growing demand…
 
MATIAS
2016 PINOT NOIR
ROSELLA’S VINEYARD
Retails at:  $65.00/btl
 
 
Winery Notes: “Deep ruby red in color, the bouquet opens with Huckleberry jam and black cherry followed with charcuterie and asian spice. This pinot boasts incredibly concentrated red and dark fruit that lingers, silky textured on the palate. A wine capable of long term aging, every sip offers new nuance.” 197 Cases Produced
2012 J Gregory Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon

2012 J Gregory Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonCoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaUSA

J GREGORY 2012 J Gregory Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2012 COOMBSVILLE

 
When we wrote about J Gregory’s Extol Red Blend in July, the wine sold out in a matter of hours, and nearly simultaneous to the delivery notices came an overabundance of re-order requests and glowing feedback.  Anybody that tasted the Extol, knows this winery is the real deal, and here’s a chance to try their 100% Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon from the epic 2012 vintage.  With around 5 years inside the bottle, this wine is indescribably stunning right now and it’s perfectly balanced and poised to go another decade. The bouquet alone merits the $95 retail price, and on the palate, the brilliantly detailed and absolutely classic Coombsville cocoa dusted black berries and graphite light up your senses.  Once you taste it, you’ll feel like you stole it.
 
Making an entrance from one of Napa Valley’s most prized vintages, this wine was expertly crafted by Mark Jessup who was on the original winemaking team at OPUS ONE from 1979 through 1987.  The Napa Valley earthquake destroyed around half of the 600 cases that were originally produced.  Lucky for us, some of the inventory has been safely tucked away at the winery for all of these years and as soon as we tasted it, we grabbed every bottle available.  If you love Cabernet, I highly recommend going BIG on this one…
 
J GREGORY
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2012 COOMBSVILLE
Retails at:  $95/btl
 
 
Tasting Notes: “I love the way this wine sneaks up on you.  On the nose, intriguing aromas of dried blueberries, lavender, pencil lead and wet stone tease you. On my first taste, dried currants, earthy minerals, dried herbs and a hint of sweet vanilla prevail.  After some time in the glass, this one puts on weight, with concentrated cherry and dried cranberry., The excitement in the glass builds as it puts on weight in the glass, with a crescendo that peaks after well over an hour in the glass, leaving a long, penetrating finish.  This perfectly ready to drink beauty is great now, but has the structure to age for a decade or more. What a delight to drink. 94 Points