2018 Raen Pinot Noir Royal St. Robert Cuvee Sonoma Coast

2018 Raen Pinot Noir Royal St. Robert Cuvee Sonoma Coast

with No Comment $50-$60Kevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

RAEN

2018 PINOT NOIR 
ROYAL ST. ROBERT CUVEE
SONOMA COAST

2018 Raen Pinot Noir Royal St. Robert Cuvee Sonoma Coast

After tasting Carlo & Dante Mondavi’s new Pinot, it became abundantly clear that their family’s intense passion for the wine industry and talent for identifying vineyards capable of producing world-class wine passed to them. After all, they grew up at their grandfather’s OPUS ONE Winery, and honed their skills further at their father’s cult brand Continuum, before going out on their own. The 96 Point 2018 Raen Pinot Noir is the result of the culmination of their upbringing, cultivated by their father and grandfather. 
 
Raen’s 2018 Royal St Robert Cuvee combines fruit from Freestone, Occidental, Bodega, and Fort Ross Seaview Sea Field Vineyards. It is a barrel selection that they handpicked from their finest barrels, to create a textbook cool-climate Pinot with brilliant definition, balance and fruit. 
 
At the winery, they utilized 100% whole cluster fermentation for added structure and depth, and on the palate, the wine is detailed, focused, and loaded with intense red fruits, minerals, and floral-infused herbs. At $60, you should try it.
 
RAEN
2018 PINOT NOIR 
ROYAL ST. ROBERT CUVEE
SONOMA COAST
Retails at: $65
 
Your Price: $59.99
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“Intense aromas of dried strawberry with stone and mineral undertones. Medium to full body with tight, firm tannins and beautiful length and depth. This needs three or four years to come together”  96 Points
2017 Borne Pinot Noir Anderson Valley

2017 Borne Pinot Noir Anderson Valley

with No Comment $30 and underAnderson ValleyKevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaUSA

BORNE

2017 PINOT NOIR
ANDERSON VALLEY

2017 Borne Pinot Noir Anderson Valley

One of the most distinct and appealing regions for Pinot Noir cultivation anywhere in the world is the Anderson Valley appellation located less than 100 miles North of San Francisco. Perfectly positioned near the Pacific Ocean and with a wide diurnal temperature variation, the AVA is classified as a Region 1 growing area, which designates the coldest climate in which grapes may be commercially grown with success. Anderson Valley Pinots are known for their incredible floral-infused flavors and aromas, lively fruit, and subtle earthy characteristics. Here’s a great example, and at our price, a case may not be enough. 
 
Birthed from a single site strategically located in a prime zone of Anderson Valley, referred to as the Deep End. The area lies on the Northwestern end of the AVA, where the valley narrows and is lower in elevation, allowing the cool, maritime fog to pour in and heavily influence the grapes. 
 
The wine team made Borne’s 2017 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir in a bright and spirited style that delivers plenty of floral-infused red fruits, and baking spices, accompanied by a soft, velvet-like texture, and satisfying finish. 
 
BORNE
2017 PINOT NOIR
ANDERSON VALLEY
Retails at: $28
 
Your Price: $22
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“Dark red/purple in color, the nose is fragrant with black cherry, backing spices and orange blossom. The palate is well textured and polished with good acidity. Flavors of toasted cocoa, ripe fig and marionberry linger on a long finish.”
2017 Twomey Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

2017 Twomey Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtPinot NoirRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

TWOMEY

2017 PINOT NOIR
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

2017 Twomey Pinot Noir Russian River ValleyThe Duncan family members are major players and innovators in the California wine industry and have been since the 1970s. After dominating one varietal for decades with Silver Oak Cabernet, they took on a new challenge with Pinot Noir under the Twomey moniker. They embarked on the new project bringing decades of winemaking experience, a spirit of innovation, and a focus on excellence and sustainability. The results are simply stunning, and their 2017 Russian River Pinot Noir is a textbook example. 

Twomey’s 2017 Russian River Pinot Noir is a cuvée that includes fruit from the winery’s original Westpin Vineyard, located on the North end of the Russian River Valley. They also blend fruit from cool-climate sites, including Last Stop Estate, Bailey, and Bartolomei. The complex mix of terroirs and clonal selections contributes to this wine’s vast layers of fruit. 
 
Justin Hirigoyen leads the winemaking team at Twomey. Justin trained at Domaine Faiveley in France and was also the winemaker at Spring Mountain Vineyards, where he utilized a technique of fermenting 22% of the juice using whole clusters for added depth and structure.
 
TWOMEY
2017 PINOT NOIR
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
 
Your Price: $49.99
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“Black-red with a lighter edge; Complex yet delicate nose of white pepper, fig reduction, black raspberry, cardamom, and prosciutto; Layered and packed with fruit; Round with powdery tannins that are both balanced and concentrated; Dense tannins carry the layered fruit for a lasting finish.”
2018 Barrique Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

2018 Barrique Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

BARRIQUE 

2018 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST

2018 Barrique Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

Producing quality Pinot Noir begins in the vineyard with the right clonal selection, terroir, and perfectly ripened fruit. Then, it moves to the winery, where gentle and skilled winemaking techniques complete the job. It doesn’t always take much money to get the result you want. If you have relationships with the right growers and have the right skills, you can make a stunning wine that doesn’t cost a fortune. Barrique’s 2018 Sonoma Coast Pinot is the perfect example, and at our price, I bet you’ll wish you had ordered more when you try it…  
 
Barrique’s Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir encompasses cool-climate vineyards in the Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, and Carneros AVAs. The blend also includes fruit from the Roses Estate Vineyard on Olivet Road, which is near icons like Martinelli. 
 
Once harvested, the fruit was gently transferred by gravity to open-top fermenters, where it was fermented with 33% whole clusters for added depth and structure. The resulting wine is balances brightly focused and intriguing fruit, with velvety, yet firm tannins and lovely acidity.  
 
BARRIQUE 
2018 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST
Retails at: $23
 
Your Price: $19
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“The 2018 Barrique Pinot Noir is deep red in the glass, the nose is full of ripe huckleberry, cedar and vanilla spice. The texture is plush with a broad mouthfeel. Flavors of blackberry compote, fig jam and caramelized sugar round out a long finish.”
2018 Loring Wine Company Spanish Springs Vineyard Pinot Noir

2018 Loring Wine Company Spanish Springs Vineyard Pinot Noir

with No Comment $30-$40Central CoastKevin VogtPinot NoirUSA

LORING

2018 PINOT NOIR
SPANISH SPRINGS VINEYARD
ARROYO GRANDE VALLEY

2018 Loring Wine Company Spanish Springs Vineyard Pinot NoirWhen a passionate winemaker immerses into a single varietal like Pinot Noir, then crafts around a dozen individual wines, it can be challenging to choose just one. Brian Loring’s Pinots are always captivating, expressive, and will make you fall in love with the wine and its origin. We tasted through a half-dozen of his 2018 single vineyard releases, and they were all great, but the Spanish Springs Vineyard was everything that I look for in Pinot, and it was a real highlight during our tasting.

The Spanish Springs Vineyard drew Brian in for its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, and not only is it the closest in all of San Luis Obispo County, but it’s also the closest in the entire Golden State. 
 
The vines are grown in a complex mix of sandstone, shale, and limestone at the base, and the grapes themselves perfectly reflect the earth beneath, as well as the powerful maritime influences that make this site so unique. 
 
LORING
2018 PINOT NOIR
SPANISH SPRINGS VINEYARD
ARROYO GRANDE VALLEY
Retails at: $54
 
 
“Sour red-plum and dewy sagebrush aromas show on the nose of this single-vineyard expression. The palate is more ripe with wild berry and cranberry flavors, cut by orange-rind and bay leaf touches.”  90 Points
2016 Cosa Obra Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

2016 Cosa Obra Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

COSA OBRA

2016 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST

 

2016 Cosa Obra Sonoma Coast Pinot NoirCosa Obra makes my short-list of the leading values in Pinot Noir that we’ve introduced over the years. We still get requests for it months, and even years after our offering. The perceived value that gets packed into each bottle is palpable, and the 2016 vintage is a splendid example. This vintage brought a more powerful, meatier style of Pinot from the famed Sangiacomo Vineyard. At our price, I’m confident that people will be talking about this long after it’s gone. 

The Sangiacomo Vineyard is the source for Cosa Obra, and its storied history earned more than its fair share of memorable, highly-rated wines. The 2016 vintage spent just nine months in French oak, preserving the wines vibrant and lively flavors, yet adding a lightly toasty finish.

Cosa Obra sources the fruit from a tiny block of Pommard Clone grapes that produces intriguing aromas and a dense Pinot Noir fruit. It erupts from the glass with a vibrant medley of dark cherries, exotic spices, wild roses, and subtle meaty characteristics.

COSA OBRA
2016 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST
Retails at: $32

Your Price: $29.99

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“Garnet in color, the nose opens slowly over time revealing aromas of dark cherry, spice, and tobacco. A full mid palate with flavors of black cherry, blueberry-pomegranate and cherry cola, embellished with toasty oak in the background. Wellrounded, integrated tannins and texturally appealing with a soft and sleek mouthfeel.”

2018 Belle Glos Las Alturas Pinot Noir

2018 Belle Glos Las Alturas Pinot Noir

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtMontereyPinot NoirSanta Lucia HighlandsUSA

BELLE GLOS

2018 PINOT NOIR
LAS ALTURAS 

2018 Belle Glos Las Alturas Pinot Noir
When it comes to the deepest, Inkiest and most extravagant Pinot Noirs, Joe Wagner, founder of Belle Glos is an innovator for this unique style. He launched the brand in 2001 and focused on showcasing Pinot Noirs produced from California’s most noteworthy coastal wine-growing regions.
 
His method of incorporating unprecedented levels (by Pinot Noir standards) of lavish fruits, sweet oak and stacked berries, resonated with wine lovers across the globe. He was involved in the Wagner Family wine business at an early age, taking in valuable lessons from his father, Chuck Wagner, who founded Caymus Vineyards. In July of 2015 Joe split off the value priced Meomi Pinot Noir label from Belle Glos and sold it to Constellation Brands for an eye-popping $315 million…
 
One of my favorites each year hails from the Las Alturas Vineyard, which is perched at 1,200 feet elevation on one of the highest grape-growing benches in the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA. The vineyard is heavily influenced by coastal fog from the Monterey Bay, and from gusty maritime winds that funnel in from the bay throughout the afternoons, which contributes to one of the longest growing seasons in California, and in turn, allows for a long hang-time and fully developed flavors. If you enjoy BIG, inky and full-bodied California Pinot Noir, along with our best price in years, this one should top your list. 
 
BELLE GLOS
2018 PINOT NOIR
LAS ALTURAS
Retails at: $55.00/btl
 
Your Price: $39.99/btl
YOU SAVE 27%
 
Winery Notes: “Deep garnet in color with an aromatic medley of black cherry, marionberry, ripe plum and a hint of anise. Dark fruit on the palate with flavors of wild berries, caramelized oak and cacao nibs complemented by subtle notes of vanilla, cedar and a hint of lavender and forest floor. Rich and unrestrained, this wine’s abundant fruit is beautifully balanced by firm acidity and layers of red and black fruit.”
2018 Black Pine Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

2018 Black Pine Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

BLACK PINE

2018 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST

2018 Black Pine Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Now entering their tenth vintage, Black Pine has built a reputation as one of the greatest value Pinot Noirs to grace the shelves in our shop, after a culmination of outstanding efforts. If you’ve enjoyed any of their earlier vintages, you already know what to expect, but if you haven’t, I guarantee you’ll love it once you do.
 
Conceived from carefully chosen vineyards located in the Petaluma Gap, Russian River, and Sonoma Coast, the 2018 Black Pine has a lush mouthfeel, terrific intensity, and balance.
 
The 2018 was kept for ten months in French oak and delivers outstanding weight, richness and has a stunning palate presence. The new release is so good that not only did it live up to our grand expectations, but it absolutely crushed them…  
 
BLACK PINE
2018 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST
Retails at: $30
 

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“The vibrant garnet color gives way to bright floral strawberry- raspberry aromatics, while in the mouth the velvety texture delivers ripe cherry, red plum and a touch of earthiness that defines this outstanding bottling. The moderate tannins give length to the finish of this balanced wine”

2014 Dolin Bien Nacido Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir

with No Comment $30 and underPinot NoirSanta Maria ValleyUSA

DOLIN 

2014 PINOT NOIR
BIEN NACIDO VINEYARD 
SANTA MARIA VALLEY

Bien Nacido is one of the most distinguished vineyards in California’s Central Coast as well as one of the oldest, and was planted in the 1970s. When I come across a Bien Nacido Pinot on a restaurant wine list, I’m always eager to taste it. Their fruit attracts some of the top players in Pinot Noir to make a wine, including Foxen, Gary Farrell, and Calera, to name a few. Dolin’s version at under fifty will make many friends, but at $25, few others can play the game…
 
Bien Nacido, located in the Santa Maria Valley, is distinguished for having a strong maritime influence that’s caused by its geographical funnel shape, which opens up to the Pacific Ocean. 
 
The vineyard’s rock-laden soils are a crucial component in its unique terroir that manifests in the distinctive flavors. On the palate, the 2014 is rich, supple, and pure, and features defined red and black cherries, earth, and attractive savory accents. 
 
DOLIN 
2014 PINOT NOIR
BIEN NACIDO VINEYARD 
SANTA MARIA VALLEY
Retails at: $45
 
 
“Aromas of kirsch, new leather and dried red-plum show on the nose of this bottling, which has plenty of bottle age to reach secondary aromas. The palate is showing a touch of age, with dried strawberry and red-plum flavors alongside sumac spice.” 91 Points
2015 Cherry Pie Stanly Ranch Pinot Noir

2015 Cherry Pie Stanly Ranch Pinot Noir

with No Comment $40-$50CarnerosKevin VogtNapaPinot NoirUSA

CHERRY PIE

2015 PINOT NOIR
STANLY RANCH

2015 Cherry Pie Stanly Ranch Pinot Noir
After dominating one varietal for more than a decade, the natural progression is to begin a new challenge and conquer that too. Jayson Woodbridge did just that. His Hundred Acre Cabernets reign as one of the top Cult wines in Napa for over a decade, and choosing Pinot Noir as a challenge, he sourced from the iconic Stanly Ranch Vineyard in Carneros. The 2015 vintage is loaded with concentrated cherry fruit, wild rhubarb, and subtle spice, and with a 95 Point Score from Tasting Panel Magazine, now is the perfect time to try it.  
 
Judge Stanly planted the original Stanly Ranch Vineyard in the 1800s, but since being replanted in 2001, it’s been a source for COHO, Saintsbury, and others. The well-drained Haire-loam soils, rolling hills, and coastal influences are ideal for ripening Pinot Noir to the pinnacle of perfection. 
 
Cherry Pie made the 2015 vintage in a dense style, layered with seductive red fruits, intriguing spices, and subtle floral notes. Each small-block was micro-lot fermented to isolate the individual flavors and aromas, and the wine is aged sur lie for the entire process, which contributes to the depth of flavor. 
 
CHERRY PIE
2015 PINOT NOIR
STANLY RANCH
Retails at: $50
 
Your Price: $45
 
“Stanly Ranch, the easternmost vineyard on the Napa Valley side of Carneros, has proven itself as ideal ground for Pinot Noir for more than 70 years, thanks to its well-drained clayloam soils, gentle slopes, and cool San Pablo Bay breezes.This French oak-aged red offers cinnamon- and nutmeg-spiced rose-petal aromatics and ahint of forest floor. Mocha-tinged soild and strawberry jam fill the mouth with flavor alongside generous notes of tomato leaf, cranberry, and tobacco. Pretty, feminine, and bright.” 95 Points