2018 Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder

2018 Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder

with No Comment $90-$100Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtMt VeederNapaUSA

MT. BRAVE

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
MT. VEEDER 2018

2018 Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder
Mount Veeder is Napa Valley’s largest sub-AVA, spanning over 15,000 acres; however, only 1,000 acres of it are grapevines making up just two percent of the valley’s total production. Viticulture on the mountain is challenging due to its rocky terrain of ancient seabed soils that are extremely thin, holding little water, making the capture of winter rains vitally important.
 
Celebrated winemaker Chris Carpenter is a mastermind with mountain fruit, producing classic vintages at Lokoya and Cardinale before the Mt. Brave endeavor began in 2007. The Mt. Brave vineyard produces fruit with tiny, concentrated berries full of flavor and structural components that will gracefully guide the wine down a beautiful aging path but vinified to allow the wine to be amiable and approachable right now.
 
MT. BRAVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
MT. VEEDER 2018
 
Your Price: $99.99
 
 
“Lots of cassis and black raspberry fruits as well as classic Mount Veeder notes of lavender, violets, bouquet garni, and rocky, mineral-like notes emerge from the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon. A deep, full-bodied mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, it has a plush, layered texture, beautiful tannins, a deep, concentrated mid-palate, and a great finish. Another head-turning wine from this label, it’s a candidate for the best Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon out there at the price point.”
97 Points
 
“The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon from Mt. Brave is fabulous. Inky, rich and explosive, the 2018 possesses tremendous depth and tons of personality. Graphite, blue/purplish fruit, blackberry jam, bittersweet chocolate, sage, lavender, menthol give the 2018 tons of character to match its explosive feel. The brooding, backward wine is going to need quite a bit of time to unwind, but boy is it gorgeous.”
97 Points
 
“…Deep garnet-purple colored, it springs from the glass with vibrant crème de cassis, baked plums and Morello cherries scents, followed by nuances of sautéed herbs, clove oil, mocha and scorched earth. The full-bodied palate is densely laden with layers of black and blue fruits, sporting a rock-solid backbone of grainy tannins and great tension, finishing long and minerally.”
95+ Points
2017 Maroon Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Coombsville Napa Valley

2017 Maroon Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Coombsville Napa Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet SauvignonCoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaUSA

MAROON

2017 RESERVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON    
COOMBSVILLE, NAPA VALLEY

2017 Maroon Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Coombsville Napa Valley
Pursuing his passion for agriculture, Paul Maroon acquired 37 acres in Coombsville 20 years ago, selling fruit to some of Napa Valley’s top wineries before realizing the full potential of his Estate in 2009 and producing his first vintage under his moniker. Today, Maroon’s team focuses on raising 100% single-varietal wines crafted to balance power and finesse, allowing their exceptional vineyard prominence. Their simplistic approach is ideal for their Estate’s gravelly loam soils and cool climate, naturally encouraging balanced flavors. 
 
Coombsville is cooler than much of Napa, which was a significant advantage in 2017 with a slight heatwave at the end of the growing season; however, Maroon’s vineyards were nearly unaffected and continued to ripen slowly and evenly. The wine was aged 30 months in 1/3 new French oak barrels and 2/3 neutral barrels, emphasizing the gorgeous fruit character with incredible depth and layers of flavor. At our price, Maroon Cabernet has developed an immense following that’s ever-increasing, unpretentiously delivering exceptional quality, seldom available at this price.
 
MAROON
2017 RESERVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON    
COOMBSVILLE, NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $100
 
 
 
The Maroon Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 starts with a penetrating nose of bing cherries, black currants, tobacco leaves, vanilla hints, and crushed slate. The gorgeous fruit is compact and penetrating on the palate with concentrated red currants, blackberries, and black plums, combined with rocky minerals and wood spice. It has bright, fresh flavors with intense fruit and a long, powerful finish, wrapped in velvety tannins.”
94 Points
2020 Black Pine Pinot Sonoma Coast

2020 Black Pine Pinot Sonoma Coast

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtPetaluma GapPinot NoirRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

BLACK PINE

PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST 2020

2020 Black Pine Pinot Sonoma Coast
Roger Roessler’s Black Pine exemplifies the essence of California Pinot Noir by blending opulent Russian River Valley fruit with earthier Petaluma Gap grapes while maintaining a value price, setting it apart from all others. Their method of blending also allows for a more consistent wine vintage to vintage as Roger hand-selects each site, showcasing the talents of the winery’s grower partners deliciously in your glass.
 
This wine has a permanent section on the rack in our shop as it hits the sweet spot with the perfect balance of juicy fruits, minerality, and earth. Passionate Pinot Noir enthusiasts made this fantastic value Pinot Noir for Pinot-lovers to enjoy any day of the week, and the 2020 vintage is one of their best yet.
 
BLACK PINE
PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST 2020
Retails at: $38
 
Your Price: $26
 
 
“The Black Pine Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2020 opens with red cherries, cola, nutmeg, dried oregano, forest floor, and coffee. The palate is enhanced with deeper fruit flavors of black raspberries, pomegranate, and berry bramble with accents of mushrooms and cocoa powder. This medium-bodied wine is refreshingly easy to drink, with or without food, and a pleasure to enjoy on any occasion.”
92 Points
2016 Shottesbrooke Estate Series Shiraz Mclaren Vale

2016 Shottesbrooke Estate Series Shiraz Mclaren Vale

with No Comment $30 and underAustraliaKevin VogtMcLaren ValeSyrahWestern Australia

SHOTTESBROOKE

ESTATE SERIES SHIRAZ
MCLAREN VALE 2016

2016 Shottesbrooke Estate Series Shiraz Mclaren Vale
Nick Holmes began his journey in the wine world in 1981 after he planted his first vineyard and established the Shottesbrooke winery. Today, Nick’s stepson Hamish Maguire is the vineyard manager and head winemaker whose business and science degrees, in addition to his international winemaking experience, have prepared him to continue his father’s legacy.
 
Shottesbrooke is a small boutique winery that is proud to produce wines with vineyard site-specific character from the unique terroir that is McLaren Vale. The Estate Series Shiraz comes from the best fruit from their estate vineyards, reflective of their Australian origin, and among the best the Mclaren Vale region can offer for less than $20.
 
SHOTTESBROOKE
ESTATE SERIES SHIRAZ
MCLAREN VALE 2016
 
Your Price: $19.99
 
 
“Black ruby color. Elegant aromas of nougat, ripe berry melange, pecan, milk chocolate, and damp earth with a velvety, vibrant, dry-yet-fruity medium-full body and a colossal, long praline, candied ginger, tamarind, dill, black pepper, and pimento finish with moderate oak flavor. A distinctive, elegant wine that offers a conversation piece and excellent meal companion.”
92 Points, Gold Medal “Exceptional” “Best Buy”
2018 Vista Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Reserve

2018 Vista Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Reserve

with No Comment $30 and underCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaRutherfordUSA

VISTA

RUTHERFORD RESERVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2018

2018 Vista Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Reserve
Vista commands the wine world’s attention as the only Cabernet Sauvignon from Rutherford at $25, powerfully reflecting the region’s signature complexity, elegance, and dusty tannins, a combination unmatched anywhere in the world. Qualities magnified further by the 2018 vintage and amplified by time in the bottle, unleashing a richer, more opulent, complex Cabernet that will make anyone rethink what’s possible at this price level.
 
This 2018 offering originates from Rutherford’s Western side, where the soils and microclimate produce pristine, complex fruit. The Cabernet Sauvignon is clone 337, often used in cult wines, and it’s balanced with 15% Oakville Cabernet Franc and 6% Rutherford Merlot. The resulting wine reflects the vintage with a purity of fruit and complexity that expands into mineral-laced black fruits, blue violets, iron, and Rutherford dust hints. If you’re looking for a wine that tastes like it should be at least double the price, this is it.
 
VISTA
RUTHERFORD RESERVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2018
 
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
2018 Beaulieu Vineyards Georges De Latour Private Reserve

2018 Beaulieu Vineyards Georges De Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaRutherfordUSA

BEAULIEU VINEYARDS

GEORGES DE LATOUR
PRIVATE RESERVE 2018
CABERNET SAUVIGNON

2018 Beaulieu Vineyards Georges De Latour Private Reserve
Few wines in the Napa Valley have the same historical prestige as Beaulieu Vineyard’s Georges de Latour Private Reserve, setting the benchmark for Napa Cabernet Sauvignon for over 80 years. André Tchelistcheff didn’t know it at the time, but his talented winemaking helped create one of the most collected American wines and one of the first true “cult” Cabernets in the New World.
 
André coined the term “Rutherford dust” because of the unique aroma that gives wines a provenance that can’t be matched anywhere else in the world. The 2018 release is an elegantly structured wine with layers of complexity and finely integrated tannins that create a solid backbone for aging, making it a fine addition to any collector’s cellar. As a side note, former BV winemaker for 27 years, Joel Aiken, is part of our weekly tasting panel, and his insight is invaluable.
 
BEAULIEU VINEYARDS
GEORGES DE LATOUR
PRIVATE RESERVE 2018
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Retails at: $145
 
Your Price: $139.99
 
 
“The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve is fabulous. Inky, rich and explosive, the 2018 is a fine addition to the lineage of one of Napa Valley’s most historic wines. Inky red fruit, chocolate, leather and licorice all open in the glass. Aeration brings out floral top notes, raspberry and a hint of blood orange. There is plenty of depth, but the tannins are finer than they were a few years ago. Shorter time on the skins and a reduction in barrel fermentations really allow the pedigree of these Rutherford sites to come through. The 2018 is sensational.”
98 Points
 
“Blackberry, blackcurrant and mint with some sage and crushed-stone undertones. Full-bodied with chewy tannins that are in-check and nicely polished. Smoke, toasted oak and bark at the end, complementing the fresh yet ripe fruit. Drink after 2024.”
98 Points
 
“The famous wine lives up to its historic promise in this wonderfully complex and structured vintage, the wine showing an abundance of tension and youthful grip. Earthy in dried herb, cedar and sage, it shares notes of black currant, cassis and forest within a textured and brightly layered foundation of elegant ageablity. Enjoy best from 2028–2038.”
97 Points, Cellar Selection
2017 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville 2017

2017 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville 2017

with No Comment $50-$60Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA

GROTH 

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
OAKVILLE 2017

2017 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville 2017
When Groth received the first 100 Point score for an American-made wine in 1985, they proved Oakville fruit’s vast potential and elevated Napa Valley wine to even higher heights. Groth believes that every great winery must be committed to consistency and continuity, beliefs that led to their wines being published on the Wine Spectator’s prestigious Top 100 Wines list nearly a dozen times.
 
Sustainability is at the forefront of the vineyard and winemaking practices at Groth, producing wines with Napa Green and Fish Friendly Farming certified practices since 2014. Their Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon emerges from the winery’s Estate vineyard and a few select properties from the heart of the Oakville AVA, crafted to remind us of the region’s most classic traits, detailing why the area is considered by many to be Napa’s grand cru.
 
GROTH 
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
OAKVILLE 2017
Retails at: $65
 
Your Price: $59.99
 
 
“The 2017 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon (Oakville) is a gorgeous wine. Pliant and racy in the glass with striking depth, it offers terrific richness and intensity. The 2017 benefits from some lots that might have otherwise gone into the Reserve. Super-ripe dark red cherry, pomegranate, mint, cinnamon and rose petal all add nuance, but it is the wine’s balance and overall sense of harmony that stand out the most. This flamboyant Cabernet is a real overachiever.”
91 Points
 
“Open and plush in feel, with a pretty, savory frame surrounding gently mulled plum and blackberry notes. Light tobacco and warm stone details chime on the finish. Drink now through 2027.”
91 Points
 
“This has a mineral nose with aromas of blackcurrants, dried herbs, graphite and iodine. It’s medium-bodied with fine tannins. A little short, but nicely done. Give it time to open. Drink or hold.”
91 Points
2020 Domaine Maison Cheverny Rogue Loire Valley

2020 Domaine Maison Cheverny Rogue Loire Valley

with No Comment $30 and underFranceKevin VogtLoire ValleyPinot Noir

DOMAINE MAISON

CHEVERNY ROUGE
LOIRE VALLEY 2020

2020 Domaine Maison Cheverny Rogue Loire Valley
Domaine Maison is in the heart of the Loire Valley in the Touraine region sandwiched between the Loire and the Cher rivers, benefiting from moderated climatic conditions protecting the vines from frost and excessive heat. The vineyards consist of 20 – 45-year-old vines planted on clay-limestone and slightly gravelly soils, maintained to decrease yields and heighten the overall quality of the fruit.
 
The grapes are fermented in stainless steel vessels preserving the fruit’s energetic vibrance and encouraging a style of wine ready to drink immediately and even slightly chilled. This Pinot Noir and Gamay blend with a splash of Malbec, locally known as Côt, is a remarkable value and a rare find with a fresh floral character, bright red fruits, and gentle tannins. We introduced the previous vintage last Fall, and it rapidly developed devotees in and around Yountville due to its incredible quality, delicious nature, and unbeatable value.
 
DOMAINE MAISON
CHEVERNY ROUGE
LOIRE VALLEY 2020
 
Your Price: $22
 
 
“The 2020 Domaine Maison Cheverny Rouge is yet another stunning wine, full of energy, opening with notes of jasmine, peonies, rose petals, cranberries, dried oregano, and crushed rocks. The wine is lively on the palate with flavors of raspberries, wild strawberries, nutmeg, and white pepper and displays an impressive depth divinely balanced by bright acidity. The best serving temperature for this style of wine is around 62 degrees, which really brings out the wine’s vivid character.”
96 Points
2019 AXR Proprietary Red Napa Valley

2019 AXR Proprietary Red Napa Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedSaint HelenaUSA

AXR

PROPRIETARY RED
NAPA VALLEY 2019

2019 AXR Proprietary Red Napa Valley
If vines could speak, AXR’s historic St. Helena estate’s vines would have stories as juicy as their fruit, chronicled for 134 years as the property transitioned from a brewery, restaurant, inn, saloon, and winery, including having one of the first female winemakers in California in 1886. Today the winery celebrates Napa’s progress and innovation, helping elevate the valley’s name to the high-quality standing wine lovers worldwide seek.
 
Winemaker Jean Hoefliger draws on his experiences working in the cellars at Chateau Carbonnieux and Chateau Lynch-Bages in Bordeaux, bringing a Grand Cru Classé prestige to his Napa Valley masterpieces. This Proprietary Red Blend is a classic Left Bank style with 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, but for a much friendlier price than a comparable quality French Bordeaux. The 2019 vintage is rocking right now and will continue to improve over the next decade or more.
 
AXR
PROPRIETARY RED
NAPA VALLEY 2019
Retails at: $65
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“An aromatic red with notes of ripe cassis and blackberries, flowers, chocolate and cigar box. Full body, an array of plush, polished tannins and juicy, delicious fruit. Long finish. 90% cabernet sauvignon, 5% cabernet franc, 4% merlot and 1% petit verdot…”
95 Points
2013 Korbin Kameron Kristen Proprietary Red Moon Mountain District

2013 Korbin Kameron Kristen Proprietary Red Moon Mountain District

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtMoon MountainMt VeederNapaProprietary RedUSA

KORBIN KAMERON

KRISTIN PROPRIETARY RED
MOON MOUNTAIN DISTRICT 2013

2013 Korbin Kameron Kristen Proprietary Red Moon Mountain District
Korbin Kameron’s success results from continuous improvement to their Estate, relentless drive, and talent, combining the skills of 100-Point winemaker Timothy Milos with “the ubiquitous wizard of sustainable winemaking,” Phil Coturri, who has over 35 years of knowledge of organic and biodynamic farming. The Moonridge Vineyard hovers high above the valley floor at Mt. Veeder’s peak at 2,300 feet elevation and is sustainably farmed by Phil, resulting in a pure and natural expression of concentrated mountain fruit.
 
Tim creates wines with the family’s vision in mind, calling on traditional winemaking practices and a minimalist approach, producing terroir-driven wines with distinctive vineyard characteristics. The Kristin Proprietary Red Blend is a Bordeaux style blend with nine years of age that’s aided the evolution of the wine, giving silky-smooth tannins, lush fruit, and sweet baking spices along with an impressive intensity that makes a lasting impression.
 
KORBIN KAMERON
KRISTIN PROPRIETARY RED
MOON MOUNTAIN DISTRICT 2013
Retails at: $85
 
 
 
“The 2013 Korbin Kameron Proprietary Red Blend Kristin is exquisite yet powerful, opening with lavender, rose petals, black cherries, baker’s chocolate, cayenne pepper, and petrichor. On the palate, the wine is soft and supple with flavors of blueberry pie, marzipan, and sweet cloves. This wine is at a sweet spot in its development but still has aging potential due to its intensely concentrated mountain fruit.”
95 Points