2017 The Mascot Red Wine Napa Valley

2017 The Mascot Red Wine Napa Valley

with No Comment $100 and overKevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

THE MASCOT

RED WINE 
NAPA VALLEY 2017

2017 The Mascot Red Wine Napa Valley
The Mascot shares all of the hallmarks of Napa Valley’s most elite wines, such as meticulous farming, high-profile winemaking, and pedigreed grapes. Emerging from distinct hillside vineyards, specifically from the comparatively younger vines of BOND, Harlan Estate, and Promontory, The Mascot lucidly reveals its distinguished pedigree with each swirl of the glass while offering insight into the vintage and evolution of its parent properties.
 
While the winery doesn’t specify exact grape varietal percentages in each vintage, The Mascot has historically been 85-95% Cabernet Sauvignon, followed by Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petite Verdot. Crafted in an intensely captivating style that’s gloriously supple, penetrating, and harmoniously balanced, only a few very select retailers have the opportunity to offer this wine, and we are delighted to be one of them!
 
THE MASCOT
RED WINE 
NAPA VALLEY 2017
 
Your Price: $160
 
 
“…The nose draws forward notes of red fruit and elements—earth, warm spice, leather—often deferred to the finish. Lithesome tannins and vibrant acidity attend a crystalline structure that is finely wrought and radiantly transparent.”
ORIN SWIFT 8 YEARS IN THE DESERT ZINFANDEL BLEND 2020 In 2000, Dave Phinney made his first vintage of The Prisoner, a Zinfandel-based red blend that went “viral” and is now a household name after captivating audiences worldwide, offering something different but seriously delicious. In 2008, Dave sold The Prisoner to Huneeus Vintners with an eight-year non-compete agreement to not produce Zinfandel blends under his brand, Orin Swift. 8 Years in the Desert represents the dry spell that Dave agreed to, lasting until 2016 when he proudly introduced his new splendor. Sourcing fruit from a vast collection of top-of-the-line vineyards from California’s most ideal growing regions, this wine is a bold, approachable style layered with complexity and hedonistic fruits. ORIN SWIFT 8 YEARS IN THE DESERT ZINFANDEL BLEND 2020 Retails at: $50 Your Price: $45

2020 Orin Swift 8 Years In The Desert Zinfandel Blend

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtUSAZinfandel

ORIN SWIFT

8 YEARS IN THE DESERT
ZINFANDEL BLEND 2020

ORIN SWIFT 8 YEARS IN THE DESERT ZINFANDEL BLEND 2020 In 2000, Dave Phinney made his first vintage of The Prisoner, a Zinfandel-based red blend that went “viral” and is now a household name after captivating audiences worldwide, offering something different but seriously delicious. In 2008, Dave sold The Prisoner to Huneeus Vintners with an eight-year non-compete agreement to not produce Zinfandel blends under his brand, Orin Swift. 8 Years in the Desert represents the dry spell that Dave agreed to, lasting until 2016 when he proudly introduced his new splendor. Sourcing fruit from a vast collection of top-of-the-line vineyards from California’s most ideal growing regions, this wine is a bold, approachable style layered with complexity and hedonistic fruits. ORIN SWIFT 8 YEARS IN THE DESERT ZINFANDEL BLEND 2020 Retails at: $50 Your Price: $45
In 2000, Dave Phinney made his first vintage of The Prisoner, a Zinfandel-based red blend that went “viral” and is now a household name after captivating audiences worldwide, offering something different but seriously delicious. In 2008, Dave sold The Prisoner to Huneeus Vintners with an eight-year non-compete agreement to not produce Zinfandel blends under his brand, Orin Swift.
 
8 Years in the Desert represents the dry spell that Dave agreed to, lasting until 2016 when he proudly introduced his new splendor. Sourcing fruit from a vast collection of top-of-the-line vineyards from California’s most ideal growing regions, this wine is a bold, approachable style layered with complexity and hedonistic fruits.
 
ORIN SWIFT
8 YEARS IN THE DESERT
ZINFANDEL BLEND 2020
Retails at: $50
 
Your Price: $45
 
 
“Bright violet in the glass, the 2020 8 Years in the Desert is the epitome of our style, the reason we are even here in the first place. As it’s being poured, the aromatics hit squarely on the nose with a perception of sweetness: pure brambly raspberry juice and blueberry preserves with a hint of white pepper and High Sierra forest floor. Yet, the perceived sweetness on the nose is just that, perceived, and doesn’t carry through to the palate. Lush and enveloping with a beam of acidity, notes of blackberry pie, plum and kirsch flourish. Ultra-round tannins and lingering raspberry, the wine finishes in slow-motion.”
2016 Ceres Central Otago Pinot Noir Inlet Vineyard

2016 Ceres Central Otago Pinot Noir Inlet Vineyard

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtNew ZealandPinot Noir

CERES

CENTRAL OTAGO PINOT NOIR
INLET VINEYARD 2016

2016 Ceres Central Otago Pinot Noir Inlet Vineyard
Ceres is the Roman Goddess of agriculture and rumored for saving humans from famine by teaching them to plant wheat, making her a principal figure in life, birth, and growth. Brothers James and Matt Dicey created this wine with Ceres in mind, combining eco-friendly farming and minimalistic techniques in the winery, resulting in remarkably balanced Pinot Noir that vividly depicts its origin.
 
Central Otago is the world’s most southerly region covering a wide range of complex soils, including schist, clay, loam, and sand, producing some of the New World’s most exciting Pinot Noirs. Pinots from this region are inspiring because they entertain the needs of Burgundy lovers while also tickling the interests of Russian River Valley enthusiasts with soft tannins, intense fruit density, and earthy complexity. Here’s a brilliant example of just how great they can be.
 
CERES
CENTRAL OTAGO PINOT NOIR
INLET VINEYARD 2016
Retails at: $50
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“Fragrant notions of redcurrant and thyme on the nose continue with a streamlined, channeled energy along the palate. Freshness and drive are the hallmarks. The pure nature of the fruit shines through with brightness and verve, unburdened by any new oak. Drinking Window 2020 – 2035.”
93 Points
2017 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2017 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

SILVER OAK

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
NAPA VALLEY 2017

2017 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Silver Oak is one of the most consistent, high-quality producers of Cabernet Sauvignon domestically, continuously delivering in their distinctive style of age-worthy Cabernets with extravagant levels of sweet black fruits, vanilla, and savory elements. The winery was born out of a dairy barn in 1972, and to this day, Silver Oak’s driving philosophy behind the wines is that their best bottle of wine is yet to be made, which is hard to imagine if you’ve ever enjoyed their wines over the years.
 
The overall blend of the wine changes with each season’s conditions, and the 2017 vintage combines just over 80% Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec. Silver Oak’s distinctive style comes by aging their Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon for an impressive 24 months in American oak barrels and two more years in the bottle before release. The extended barrel aging and time in the bottle results in a wine with beautifully integrated flavors that’s ready to drink now and will stand the test of time.
 
SILVER OAK
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
NAPA VALLEY 2017
 
Your Price: $139.99
 
 
“Our 2017 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is ruby in color with notes of blackberry, blueberry, roasted coffee beans, coriander and a hint of nutmeg. Smooth upon entry, this wine is broad and plush on the mid-palate. It has an elegant density throughout and a long, generous finish. Given proper cellaring conditions, this wine will show beautifully through 2041.”
Chateau De Parnay Loire Valley Cabernet Franc Saumur Champigny

2018 Chateau De Parnay Loire Valley Cabernet Franc Saumur Champigny

with No Comment $30 and underCabernet FrancFranceKevin VogtLoire Valley

CHÂTEAU DE PARNAY LE BLASON DE PARNAY

SAUMUR CHAMPIGNY 2018 
LOIRE VALLEY CABERNET FRANC

Chateau De Parnay Loire Valley Cabernet Franc Saumur Champigny
Château de Parnay in the Saumur Champigny AOC was purchased in 2006 by Regis Vincenot and Mathias Levron, who revived the estate and transitioned the farming into sustainable practices. Their certified organic vineyards include Old Cabernet Franc vines grown in yellowish-cream colored, chalky, and sandy limestone called tuffeau, a soil unique to the Loire Valley, which is known for producing exquisite quality Cabernet Franc.
 
The grapes for Le Blason were manually harvested and selected specifically for this wine before undergoing a cold maceration for three days, followed by 12 days of gentle extraction, creating a more elegant style of wine. This pristine 100% Cabernet Franc sees no oak during fermentation nor aging, giving rise to divine floral aromas, juicy red fruits, and earthy spice notes that transport you to the Loire Valley without ever having to leave your home.
 
CHÂTEAU DE PARNAY LE BLASON DE PARNAY
SAUMUR CHAMPIGNY 2018 
LOIRE VALLEY CABERNET FRANC
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“The 2018 Chateau de Parnay “Le Blason” is vibrant and alive with fresh lavender, wild roses, cranberries, berry bramble, cloves, forest floor, and truffles. The wine shimmers on the palate with flavors of red cherries, red and black raspberries, dried oregano, and savory spices. This wine has a brilliant acidity that beautifully complements the deep complexity and leaves your mouth watering for another sip.”
95 Points
2020 Emeritus Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

2020 Emeritus Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtPinot NoirRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

EMERITUS

PINOT NOIR 2020
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

2020 Emeritus Pinot Noir Russian River Valley
Emeritus proprietors favor wines with balance and vineyard character over those with intensity and varietal character alone, following a Burgundian philosophy where the grape acts as a vector for translating the terroir in a glass. It is essential to Emeritus to be an estate winery because they believe that winemaking begins in the vineyard, and having complete control over their land is ideal for cultivating the vines to their pinnacle of potential.
 
All vineyards are dry-farmed, forcing the vines to dig deep into the earth, searching for nutrients and water and enhancing the overall complexity and minerality of the wines. The 2020 Emeritus Russian River Pinot Noir is a blend of Emeritus’ estate vineyards planted in coveted the Goldridge soils of the Green and Russian River Valleys, and at $40 is a serious contender of ultimate quality.
 
EMERITUS
PINOT NOIR 2020
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“The Emeritus Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2020 begins with a deep, rich nose of ripe boysenberries, cola bean, violets, and fresh mushrooms. The palate is bright, fresh, and concentrated, with complementary flavors of medium intensity. It has mouth-quenching acidity and an elegant, long finish. This bottling drinks beautifully now but will put on even more weight and body over the next couple of years.”
92 Points
2017 Wallace By Ben Glaetzer Shiraz Grenache Barossa Valley

2017 Wallace By Ben Glaetzer Shiraz Grenache Barossa Valley

with No Comment $30 and underAustraliaGrenacheKevin VogtSyrah

WALLACE BY BEN GLAETZER

SHIRAZ/GRENACHE
BAROSSA VALLEY 2017

2017 Wallace By Ben Glaetzer Shiraz Grenache Barossa Valley
Grenache and Syrah are superb partners due to their chemical makeup because Grenache tends to oxidize more easily, whereas Syrah is more prone to reduction. This complimentary blend originates from the Southern Rhône and is found in wines such as Chateauneuf-du-Pape but is also very popular in Australia, adding a new, stunning dimension to traditional Shiraz. 
 
Ben Glaetzer’s wine team sources the fruit from 50-80-year-old Shiraz vines and 50-100-year-old Grenache vines that produce minimal yields of highly concentrated berries. The Grenache is unoaked to preserve the lively fruit aromas, while the Shiraz matured for 16 months in two and three-year-old barrels consisting of 80% French oak and 20% American oak, resulting in a wine that’s truly the best of both worlds.
 
WALLACE BY BEN GLAETZER
SHIRAZ/GRENACHE
BAROSSA VALLEY 2017
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“This is a nice drink. Thrills with a chill! I wish I didn’t have to write anything more because to do so, chortles on and contradicts the spirit of a wine that is gulpable because-and not despite of-its virtuous simplicity. Sweet berry fruit notes sashay to Turkish delight and kirsch, all licked by briar and a dash of vanillin oak. There is old-turf-vinosity to this, with length and effusive energy.”
92 Points
 
“Dark magenta. A perfumed bouquet evokes ripe dark berries, candied flowers and licorice, along with hints of cracked pepper and cured tobacco. Fleshy blackberry, cherry-cola and floral pastille flavors show very good depth as well as energy and spicy lift. The clinging finish features fine-grained tannins and repeating floral and licorice notes.”
91 Points
 
“Yes, the 2017 Wallace Shiraz-Grenache blend is heavily weighted toward Shiraz (as usual), but it’s the Grenache that makes itself known on the nose, adding lovely florals and raspberries to the slightly darker toned fruit of the Shiraz. Medium to full-bodied, this is supple yet crisp—perhaps a bit youthful and angular—but finishes with silky tannins and plenty of length. In another year or two, it might rival the impressive 2016.”
90+ Points
2018 Grand Napa Master Red Napa Valley

2018 Grand Napa Master Red Napa Valley

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

GRAND NAPA 

MASTER RED
NAPA VALLEY 2018

2018 Grand Napa Master Red Napa Valley
Grand Napa Vineyards in Rutherford produces full-bodied wines with depth, character, and balance from select vineyards that give fruit with powerful concentration and plush tannins. Winemaker Dwight Bonewell is involved in the vineyards and the winery, ensuring that only the best fruit is harvested and sorted by hand before coaxing each vineyard’s unique character into its purest expression.
 
The Master Red is a tribute to the early award-winning Bordeaux style blends from Napa, combining 55% Cabernet Sauvignon with almost equal parts Merlot and Malbec, all grown in Coombsville and Saint Helena, attributing complexity from cooler and warmer parts of the Valley. 2018 is an exquisite vintage due to ideal growing conditions without any significant heatwaves, allowing to wine to be delicately layered with complex aromas and flavors that would make the early wines of Napa genuinely proud.
 
GRAND NAPA 
MASTER RED
NAPA VALLEY 2018
Retails at: $90
 
Your Price: $36
 
 
“Loads of black cherries, currants, tobacco leaf, chocolate, and spring flower notes emerge from the 2018 Master Red. A medium to full-bodied, lightly textured blend with integrated tannins and a clean, classy finish, I’d be thrilled to drink bottles any time over the coming 10-15 years.” 
92 Points
 
“Savory aromas of dried mushroom and oyster shell on the nose, layered with dried blackcurrant and tobacco. It’s medium- to full-bodied with sleek, integrated tannins. Flavorful with a juicy, savory finish. Try from 2021.” 
92 Points
2018 Booker Fracture Syrah Paso Robles

2018 Booker Fracture Syrah Paso Robles

with No Comment $90-$100Central CoastKevin VogtPaso RoblesSyrahUSA

BOOKER

FRACTURE SYRAH
PASO ROBLES 2018

2018 Booker Fracture Syrah Paso Robles
Dedicated to growing fruit for some of the best wineries in Paso Robles, Eric Jensen farmer and winemaker at Booker Winery, gained valuable experience from neighbors Stephan Asseo of L’Aventure, and friend Justin Smith of Saxum. Fracture is one of Booker’s flagship wines, with its name paying homage to the limestone that causes the calcareous soil in the vineyard to crack.
 
Paso Robles welcomed the cooler 2018 vintage, leading to a relaxed harvest of healthy fruit and longer hang-time for the grapes, allowing them to develop more complex flavors and aromas. This 100% Syrah is made in a silky smooth style that Eric describes as “falling into a soft pillow” that is ready to drink right off of the bottling line but also has the potential to age for another 20 years or longer. 
 
BOOKER
FRACTURE SYRAH
PASO ROBLES 2018
 
Your Price: $99.99
 
 
“Another magical wine, the 2018 Fracture is based on 100% Syrah brought up in new and used French oak. Deep purple-hued, with beautiful notes of crème de cassis, blackberries, vanilla bean, toasted spices, white flowers, and a hints of charcuterie, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, perfectly integrated oak, a rounded, lush mouthfeel, and a great finish. This unabashedly Paso Robles Syrah brings loads of fruit yet stays balanced, elegant, and is simply a thrill to drink.”
98 Points
 
“Youthful purple. Heady, spice-accented aromas of blackberry, blueberry cherry liqueur and pungent flowers show excellent clarity and energetic lift. Sappy and penetrating on the palate, displaying sharply defined black/blue fruit, violet pastille, cola and exotic spice flavors that turn livelier as the wine opens up. Finishes extremely long, smoky and minerally, with powerful, spicy thrust, a repeating floral note and gently chewy, polished tannins.”
97 Points
2018 Beau Vigne Juliet Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2018 Beau Vigne Juliet Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $50-$60Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

BEAU VIGNE

JULIET CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2018 NAPA VALLEY

2018 Beau Vigne Juliet Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
With over two decades of experience, Julien Fayard began making wine at his family’s winery in Provence, then spent valuable time in Bordeaux at Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte, and ultimately relocated to Napa Valley. Julien worked as the Director of Winemaking for Philippe Melka and now oversees small projects of his own, including Beau Vigne, whose signature style centers on Atlas Peak’s bold, multidimensional mountain fruit and Julien’s French finesse. 
 
Just like Juliet Capulet from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, my first impression of this wine is soft-spoken and shy, setting the stage for escalating depth of character and intensity that develops into a powerful, independent core. Beau Vigne proudly produces only a few thousand cases per year, and the 2018 vintage is quickly becoming prized for its delicate complexity that will continue to develop for years to come.
 
BEAU VIGNE
JULIET CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2018 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $120
 
 
 
“…Juliet is a savory beauty romanced by a sonnet of cigar leaf, black pepper, and sandalwood. Plummy flavors cling to dry, chalky tannins, delivering a complex mouthfeel as notes of soy sauce and dark cherry paint the palate.”
97 Points