2019 Domaine Armelle Et Bernard Rion La Croix Blanche Red Burgundy

2019 Domaine Armelle Et Bernard Rion La Croix Blanche Red Burgundy

with No Comment $30-$40BurgandyFranceKevin VogtPinot Noir

DOMAINE ARMELLE ET BERNARD RION

LA CROIX BLANCHE
RED BURGUNDY 2019

2019 Domaine Armelle Et Bernard Rion La Croix Blanche Red Burgundy

Domaine Armelle et Bernard Rion’s parcels in Vosne-Romanée, Chambolle-Musigny, Nuits-Saint-Georges, and Vougeot, are strategically located in some of Burgundy’s most desired wine-producing villages. The estate was founded in 1896 by Pierre Rion, who acquired the vines from Chateau de la Berchere from his years as a dedicated sharecropper and is still owned and operated by the same family.

The fruit for La Croix Blanche comes from vineyards planted with vines averaging 50 years old, just south of the village of Vosne-Romanée on the border with the Nuits-Saint-Georges appellation. The grapes were hand-harvested and fermented in cement before aging in oak barrels for 12 to 15 months, forming fine tannins and red fruit aromas, evolving into classic Burgundian notes of savory mushrooms and earth, ridiculously great at this low price.

 

DOMAINE ARMELL ET BERNARD RION
LA CROIX BLANCHE
RED BURGUNDY 2019

Your Price: $39.99

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“The 2019 Domaine Armelle et Bernard Rion Bourgogne La Croix Blanche Vieilles Vignes 2019 begins with a gorgeous nose of bright red cherries, fresh red currants, dried wild mushrooms, white pepper, and light florals. The palate has concentrated, penetrating red fruits combined with a slightly savory earthy complexity, made in a focused, linear style that is perfectly balanced. My first thought when I tasted it was what an incredible find this is, and I can’t remember tasting a red burgundy this great at this low price.”

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
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
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
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
2018 Bruliam Pinot Noir Soberanes Vineyard Santa Lucia Highland

220126 2018 Bruliam Pinot Noir Soberanes Vineyard Santa Lucia Highland

with No Comment $30-$40Central CoastKevin VogtMontereyPinot NoirSanta Lucia HighlandsUSA

BRULIAM

2018 PINOT NOIR
SOBERANES VINEYARD
SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS

2018 Bruliam Pinot Noir Soberanes Vineyard Santa Lucia Highland
Medical doctor-turned-winemaker Kerith Overstreet is the genius behind Bruliam, and it’s her intricate attention to detail that brings her wines energy and life. Bruliam Wines is a boutique winery producing around 1000 cases annually of single-vineyard Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, and Chardonnay from some of California’s most celebrated vineyards.
 
Kerith’s relationships with many renowned growers secure her allocations of some of the highest quality fruit in California, hence her single-vineyard Pinot Noir from Soberanes Vineyard, the latest site developed by the Pisoni & Franscioni families. The character of Soberanes shines brilliantly in this wine with its captivating, majestic balance of complex aromas and flavors; the wine is a real over-achiever at this price.
 
BRULIAM
2018 PINOT NOIR
SOBERANES VINEYARD
SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS
Retails at: $55
 
 
 
“Dark, bright-rimmed red. Spice-tinged red fruits, incense and floral qualities on the perfumed nose, along with a building mineral topnote. Juicy and energetic on the palate, offering vibrant raspberry and cherry, rose pastille and exotic spice flavors that show fine delineation and appealing sweetness. Deeply flavored but graceful as well, finishing on a gently tannic note, with strong, red-fruit- and spice-driven tenacity.”
93 Points
2019 Flowers Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

2019 Flowers Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

with No Comment $40-$50Fort Ross SeaviewKevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

FLOWERS

2019 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST 

2019 Flowers Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
Flowers Vineyards and Winery founders were among the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA early pioneers recognizing the potential of growing cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on the rugged, isolated Sonoma Coast. Their organic and biodynamic approach to farming is part of their continued commitment to respect the environment and cultivate healthier vines for higher quality wines.
 
The 2019 vintage started quite cool with some snow on the estate that helped oxygenate the soils, bringing vital nutrients to the vines. The cool coastal temperatures throughout the summer allowed for slow ripening and intricate flavor development that is unforgettably irresistible, resulting in this remarkable expression of coastal Pinot Noir.
 
FLOWERS
2019 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST 
Retails at: $55
 
Your Price: $45
 
 
“Aromas of ripe strawberries, red cherries and colored flowers. Medium-to full-bodied with fine, well-integrated tannins. Fresh acidity and bright, juicy fruit on the palate. Well balanced. Drink now.”
93 Points
 
“…The 2019 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast is deeper ruby-hued and has pure, classic, textbook notes of ripe cherries, raspberries, spring flowers, and underbrush. The balance is spot on, it has ripe, present tannins, good freshness, and a great finish.”
92 Points
2019 Morgan Twelve Clones Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir

2019 Morgan Twelve Clones Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir

with No Comment $30 and underCentral CoastKevin VogtMontereyPinot NoirSanta Lucia HighlandsUSA

MORGAN

TWELVE CLONES
SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS
2019 PINOT NOIR 

2019 Morgan Twelve Clones Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
Dan and Donna Lee founded Morgan winery in the early 1980s, focusing on sustainable farming and minimalist winemaking, becoming a leader in high-quality, value wines from California’s Central Coast. Dan produces wines that are true to the variety and vineyard location, displaying precision and balance between freshness and elegance that’s enjoyable immediately upon release.
 
The Twelve Clones Pinot Noir is the winery’s flagship wine named for the numerous clones that give this wine its wide range of complex flavors and aromas that send your senses on a wild and pleasure-filled ride. The fruit comes from some of Santa Lucia Highland’s best vineyards, including Morgan’s organically farmed Double L vineyard, which provides 67% of the grapes in this 94pt 2019 vintage.
 
MORGAN
TWELVE CLONES
SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS
2019 PINOT NOIR 
Retails at: $35
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“Bright aromas of pomegranate, orange peel, pepper and sea salt show on the nose of this clonal combination. Zesty, energetic flavors of lemon and orange zest meet with a tart and snappy red-currant flavor on the palate, with oregano and cardamom adding complexity toward the finish.”
94 Points
 
“… Very nicely perfumed with scents of black cherry, strawberry, spice, and savory herbs. Light to mid-weight in style with a delicious core of giving strawberry, raspberry, and cherry flavors. Silky in the mouth, with appealing fitness, minimal tannins, and a compliment of barrel magic. Elegant and giving and ideal as a daily drinker.”
92 Points
2018 Black Kite Pinot Noir Kite's Rest Anderson Valley

2018 Black Kite Pinot Noir Kite’s Rest Anderson Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Anderson ValleyKevin VogtMendocinoPinot NoirUSA

BLACK KITE

2018 PINOT NOIR
KITE’S REST
ANDERSON VALLEY

2018 Black Kite Pinot Noir Kite's Rest Anderson Valley
Black Kite Cellars was born out of a love for Burgundian Style Pinot Noirs after Rebecca and Tom Birdsall spent a vacation biking through the region, tasting the distinct nuances from one vineyard to the next. Rebecca and Tom were specific on the style of Pinot Noir they preferred, tasting through Anderson Valley, Sonoma Coast, Carneros, Russian River Valley, Santa, Lucia Highlands, Willamette Valley, and Burgundy to discover what they were looking for in a winemaker.
 
Jeff Gaffner joined the team in 2005 after earning fame from helping make the 1996 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cépages, which was Wine Spectator’s #1 Wine of the Year. The Kite’s Rest Pinot Noir comes from the winery’s estate vineyard of the same name planted with Dijon 114, 115, and Pommard, giving the wine balance between the elegant aromatics of the Dijon clones and the richness and body of the Pommard clone. If you enjoy boutique, hand-crafted Pinot Noir, you really should try it. 
 
BLACK KITE
2018 PINOT NOIR
KITE’S REST
ANDERSON VALLEY
 
Your Price: $45
 
 
“Refined and precise, with hints of red licorice to the sleek assembly of cherry, dried berry and currant flavors. Loamy midpalate, with a long, crisp finish of slate and spice. Drink now through 2026.”
93 Points
 
“Lavish ripe fruit flavors meet delicious baking-spice accents in this broad, smooth and mouthfilling wine. It’s easy to love for the strawberry, and red- and black-cherry notes and the cinnamon, vanilla and cedar shadings from oak aging.” 
93 Points
2019 Raen Pinot Noir Royal St. Robert Cuvee Sonoma Coast

2019 Raen Pinot Noir Royal St. Robert Cuvee Sonoma Coast

with No Comment $60-$70Kevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

RAEN

2019 PINOT NOIR 
ROYAL ST. ROBERT CUVEE
SONOMA COAST

2019 Raen Pinot Noir Royal St. Robert Cuvee Sonoma Coast
Carlo and Dante Mondavi grew up at their grandfather’s OPUS ONE Winery and further sharpened their winemaking skills at their father Tim’s cult brand Continuum, so it’s no surprise that the cult and culture of wine runs deep in their veins. The Mondavi family has a keen talent for selecting vineyards capable of producing premium wines and has been one of American wine’s most influential families.
 
RAEN Royal St. Robert Cuvée Pinot Noir is a tribute to their grandfather, who taught them the art of winemaking and commitment to excellence. The 2019 bottling is a selection of their finest barrels from Freestone, Occidental, Bodega, and Fort Ross Seaview Sea Field Vineyards, showcasing the cool-climate Pinot Noir coming from the rugged coastal hills and now scoring a whopping 97 points from James Suckling.
 
RAEN
2019 PINOT NOIR 
ROYAL ST. ROBERT CUVEE
SONOMA COAST
 
Your Price: $65
 
 
“The aromas of strawberry and raspberry with conifer and hints of bark are impressive. Full-bodied, but so reserved and linear with super long, tightened tannins that melt into the wine. 100% whole cluster. Drinkable now, but much better to wait a year or three.”
97 Points