2021 Benessere Phenomenon Red North Coast

2021 Benessere Phenomenon Red North Coast

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtNorth CoastProprietary RedSonoma ValleyUSA

Benessere

Phenomenon Red
North Coast 2021

2021 Benessere Phenomenon Red North Coast

California’s leading wineries have long excelled at reinterpretation, and the 2021 Phenomenon stands as a clear expression of that strength. Inspired by Italian tradition yet shaped by North Coast conditions, it brings together Sangiovese, Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon in a way that feels instinctive rather. Phenomenon is not an homage. It is a statement of how seamlessly Old World sensibility can take root in California soil.

That confidence reflects a house philosophy grounded in tradition and disciplined execution at Benessere Vineyards. Each variety is vinified independently, preserving its natural character before being assembled with intention. Complexity is built without blur, balance achieved through patience and proportion rather than formula.

In the glass, the blend finds harmony. Sangiovese brings lift and red-fruited tension, Merlot adds breadth and texture, Syrah deepens the mid-palate, and Cabernet Sauvignon anchors the structure. Each element remains distinct, yet the whole moves as one, delivering a North Coast red that feels composed, versatile, and deeply satisfying.

Benessere
Phenomenon Red
North Coast 2021
Retails at: $80

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“The Benessere 2021 Phenomenon Red Wine from the North Coast opens with layered aromatics of ripe black cherry, blackberry compote, blueberry, cocoa, espresso, dried herbs, and cedar. On the palate, it offers plums, cherries, cassis, toasted oak, and sweet and savory spices that co-mingle and complement each other. These flavors are balanced by bright acidity and subtle earthiness, resulting in a supple mid-palate and plush mouthfeel that leads to a harmonious finish.”

93 Points

2021 Pirouette Proprietary Red Columbia Valley

2021 Pirouette Proprietary Red Columbia Valley

with No Comment $60-$70Columbia ValleyKevin VogtProprietary RedUSAWashington State

Pirouette

Proprietary Red
Columbia Valley 2021

2021 Pirouette Proprietary Red Columbia Valley

The Pirouette 2021 Columbia Valley Red is engineered for balance, translating some of Washington’s most respected vineyard sites into a wine of measured structure and authority. Its architecture is defined by line and proportion, shaped by Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, then refined through extended time in French oak, allowing its depth to emerge.

Rooted in Columbia Valley fruit yet informed by classical Bordeaux proportions, the blend emphasizes structure and freshness. Cabernet Sauvignon provides line and backbone, Merlot softens the edges, and the supporting varieties add nuance, creating a wine that favors articulation at every stage.

Compelling from the outset, the 2021 Pirouette is nevertheless built with time in mind. Its balance and structure suggest a long, graceful evolution, as layers continue to knit and deepen. It is a wine that offers immediate pleasure while promising greater complexity for those willing to follow its arc in the cellar.

Pirouette
Proprietary Red
Columbia Valley 2021
Retails at: $75

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“The otherworldly 2021 Long Shadows Pirouette Red Wine is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon with 36% Merlot and the remainder Malbec and Petit Verdot. Very dark in the glass, this offers alluring black florals on the nose with tar, tobacco leaf, mocha, anise and shades of dark chocolate shavings. The stunning aromatics are simply head-turning. The palate is ultra-refined offering a seamless drinking experience. This is the finest edition of this wine that I have tasted since its inception back in 2003.”

98 Points

2019 Bevan Cellars Ontogeny Red Napa Valley

2019 Bevan Cellars Ontogeny Red Napa Valley

with No Comment $90-$100Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleProprietary RedUSA

Bevan Cellars

Ontogeny Red
Napa Valley, 2019

2019 Bevan Cellars Ontogeny Red Napa Valley

Jeb Dunnuck’s Top Value 2019 Napa Valley Cabernet, Bevan’s Ontogeny delivers a rare convergence of elite Napa pedigree, undeniable power, and genuine accessibility. It performs comfortably at the level of the valley’s most coveted Cabernets, yet does so without spectacle or excess. With time in bottle, the 2019 vintage has settled into a composed, expressive phase, offering depth and polish that feel assured rather than forced.

At the core of Ontogeny’s identity is its primary fruit source, the storied Tench Vineyard, located directly across the road from Screaming Eagle in Oakville. From this privileged site, the wine draws its concentration, translating elite terroir into layers of dark fruit, texture, and mineral-driven intensity.

The 2019 vintage shows Ontogeny at a point where power and precision are fully aligned. Dense fruit is framed by polished tannins and steady freshness, creating a profile that feels complete without sacrificing tension. It is generous without excess, confident without weight, and deeply satisfying right now, with the structure to continue rewarding patience.

Bevan Cellars
Ontogeny Red
Napa Valley, 2019

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“A blend put together by Bevan from the single vineyards, the Ontogeny cuvée is year-in, year-out one of the greatest values in Cabernet Sauvignon. His 2019 Ontogeny is no exception, revealing a dense purple hue as well as rock star notes of crème de cassis, violets, tobacco leaf, and chocolate. It’s a big, classic Bevan wine and has remarkable purity, silky, polished tannins, and not a hard edge to be found. Don’t miss it!”

98 Points, #1, Top Values In 2019 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

2023 Frisson Proprietary Red Toucher Vineyard Napa Valley

2023 Frisson Proprietary Red Toucher Vineyard Napa Valley

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

Frisson

Proprietary Red
Toucher Vineyard
Napa Valley 2023

2023 Frisson Proprietary Red Toucher Vineyard Napa Valley

Frisson’s 2023 Toucher Vineyard Proprietary Red captures a more refined side of Napa Valley, one defined by balance, nuance, and drinkability rather than sheer force. Built on a Cabernet core and shaped by careful blending, it delivers immediate appeal while retaining the structure and detail serious Napa reds demand. The result feels both current and timeless, polished yet expressive.

That refinement begins in Toucher Vineyard, a valley-floor site where gravelly loam soils provide natural concentration and control. Thoughtful vineyard design and modern trellising promote even ripening, allowing the fruit to build depth while preserving freshness. The vineyard’s inherent balance comes through clearly in the glass, grounding the wine’s elegance in its true origins.

In the cellar, a patient, measured approach carries that balance forward. Twenty months of aging in French oak adds texture and cohesion without overshadowing the fruit, allowing each component to settle into harmony. Generous yet composed, the wine unfolds with ease, finishing with confidence and an effortless pull toward the next glass.

Frisson
Proprietary Red
Toucher Vineyard
Napa Valley 2023
Retails at: $82

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“An easy-drinking, medium-bodied red dominated by Cabernet and Merlot, balancing blackberry and black cherry fruit with spiced plum and lighter touches of apricot and ripe fig. Elegant cedarwood spice weaves a blanket around the bright, lifted fruit, while the palate offers a soft, supple, and smoothly textured feel. The fruit source is Toucher Vineyards, a valley floor site on gravelly loam soils.”

93 Points

2023 Sans Liege The Offering Central Coast Red

2023 Sans Liege The Offering Central Coast Red

with No Comment $30 and underCentral CoastKevin VogtPaso RoblesProprietary RedUSA

Sans Liege

The Offering 2023
Central Coast Red

2023 Sans Liege The Offering Central Coast Red

Sans Liege captures the lively energy of the Central Coast through a Rhône-inspired lens, presenting itself as a conversation between worlds. Rooted in Rhône tradition and shaped by California terrain, the wine reflects a deliberate pursuit of balance, texture, and expression.

At the center of this dialogue is Curt Schalchlin, whose time in France fostered a strong respect for Rhône varietals and their expressive range. Rather than replicate Old World formulas, Schalchlin applies those lessons locally, sourcing fruit across Paso Robles and Solvang with an eye toward nuance and harmony. His approach is guided by observation and nuance, allowing each site to contribute its distinct element to the blend.

In the 2023 vintage, these harmonious flavors come together with notable brilliance. Bright acidity carries layered flavors, while soft tannins provide shape without weight. The Offering moves seamlessly from lift to depth to savory resonance, finishing with a sense of balance that invites another sip and rewards time in the glass.

Sans Liege
The Offering 2023
Central Coast Red
Retails at: $33

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“The Offering 2023 Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre blend by Sans Liege is bright, fresh, and concentrated, beginning with aromas of rose petals, cranberries, raspberries, blackberries, vanilla, white pepper, and black tea leaves. On the palate, the wine has a balanced complexity of flavors, including red cherries, plums, mixed berry pie, cured meats, peppercorns, and dark chocolate, that glide on the palate. The wine has silky tannins, creating a smooth mouthfeel, and the concentration of the flavors carries into the finish, ending with a crisp, rocky minerality.”

94 Points

2021 PureCru Sangio Vetta California

2021 PureCru Sangio Vetta California

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtProprietary RedUSA

PureCru

Sangio Vetta
California 2021

2021 PureCru Sangio Vetta California

Sangio Vetta reflects a lifetime of study distilled into a single bottle. Crafted by Mitch Cosentino, a winemaker with more than four decades of experience, the 2021 release bears the mark of someone who understands Italy’s great reds not as an admirer, but as a practitioner. Shaped with the structure, restraint, and age-worthy balance associated with Brunello, it is driven by a deliberate pursuit of elegance rather than excess.

That depth of understanding has earned Cosentino rare international respect. His invitation from the Italian government to speak at the World Conference for Nebbiolo is a distinction seldom granted to non-Italian winemakers, reflecting mastery rooted in substance rather than style. Sangio Vetta benefits directly from this rigor, guided by a philosophy that values precision over spectacle.

The 2021 vintage is composed with intent, built on a Sangiovese core and supported by carefully measured additions of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Petite Sirah. Each component is vinified separately, then seamlessly integrated through extended oak aging. The result is a wine whose balance feels natural and resolved, revealing depth, lift, and clarity without sacrificing its identity.

PureCru
Sangio Vetta
California 2021
Retails at: $34

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“The PureCru 2021 Sangio Vetta offers an Old World take on California, a Sangiovese-dominant blend with Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Petite Sirah. The nose is bright and aromatic with dried flowers, rose petals, Morello cherries, pomegranate, dried oregano, cloves, and a dusty, clay-like minerality. On the palate, the wine has vibrant flavors of cherries, cranberries, cloves, savory spices, carried by lively acidity, depth, and complexity. The tannins are well integrated, and the finish is long, weaving through a range of flavors. This wine has excellent aging potential, though it’s already beginning to show off.”

96 Points

2020 Chester Kidder Red Blend Columbia Valley

2020 Chester Kidder Red Blend Columbia Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Columbia ValleyKevin VogtProprietary RedUSAWashington State

Chester Kidder

Red Blend 2020
Columbia Valley

2020 Chester Kidder Red Blend Columbia Valley

Drawn from three of Washington’s most distinguished vineyard sites, Summit View, Candy Mountain, and Dionysus, the 2020 Chester-Kidder Columbia Valley Red speaks with a confidence rooted firmly in place. It is a wine shaped by contrast and harmony, where structure, richness, and finesse align in a composition that feels both deliberate and deeply satisfying.

Chester-Kidder is a masterful blend, balancing Cabernet Sauvignon’s authority with the generous depth of Syrah and the refined lift of Petit Verdot. Each variety plays a distinct role, contributing structure, texture, and aromatic complexity without ever competing for attention. The harmony achieved speaks to vineyard selection and an instinctive understanding of how these elements come together.

Extended élevage brings the wine fully into focus. Thirty months in French oak add nuance rather than dominance, weaving notes of cocoa, espresso, and warm spice into a concentrated dark-fruit core. The integration is seamless, the texture polished, and the finish long and resonant. It is a wine that unfolds with patience and composure, revealing its depth gradually with poise.

Chester Kidder
Red Blend 2020
Columbia Valley
Retails at: $70

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“Very perfumed with aromas ranging from lavender, graphite and sandalwood to purple plum, blueberry and black pepper. Firm and compact on the palate, with a full body and dense, chewy tannins. Toasty but not opulent. Needs a couple of years to soften. 57% cabernet sauvignon, 33% syrah and 10% petit verdot. Try from 2026.”

93 Points

2021 Buoncristiani O.P.C. Proprietary Red Blend Napa Valley

2021 Buoncristiani O.P.C. Proprietary Red Blend Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

Buoncristiani O.P.C.

Proprietary Red Blend
Napa Valley 2021

2021 Buoncristiani O.P.C. Proprietary Red Blend Napa Valley

The 2021 Buoncristiani O.P.C. does not attempt to define Napa Valley with a single stroke. Instead, it captures the region as a layered composition, where power, nuance, and polish coexist in careful proportion. Built around Cabernet and enriched by Malbec, Syrah, and Merlot, the wine presents Napa not as excess, but as harmony shaped by intention.

That sense of harmony reflects the Buoncristiani brothers’ deep-rooted relationship with Napa Valley. Growing up immersed in the region’s vineyards, they developed an intuitive understanding of how site, variety, and vintage intersect. The 2021 O.P.C. draws from that lived experience, translating familiarity with the land into a wine with scintillating confidence.

That perspective reveals itself in the wine’s effortless composure. The 2021 O.P.C. carries the Buoncristiani signature of concentration balanced by elegance, a style refined over more than twenty-five years of winemaking. Each vineyard component contributes structure and intensity, yet the wine never feels assembled. Instead, it flows as a complete and confident expression of place.

Buoncristiani O.P.C.
Proprietary Red Blend
Napa Valley 2021
Retails at: $75

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“The 2021 Red Wine O.P.C., Buoncristiani’s blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah and Merlot, is superb. Another rich wine in this range, the 2021 hits the palate with dense dark fruit, chocolate, graphite, leather, spice, plum and lavender. This rich, inky wine will delight Buoncristiani fans.”

95 Points

2021 Lancaster Estate Winemakers Cuvee Alexander Valley

2021 Lancaster Estate Winemakers Cuvee Alexander Valley

with No Comment $60-$70Alexander ValleyKevin VogtProprietary RedSonomaUSA

Lancaster Estate

Winemaker’s Cuvée
Alexander Valley 2021

2021 Lancaster Estate Winemakers Cuvee Alexander Valley

High above the valley floor, where gravelly loam and warm afternoons shape Cabernet into something both powerful and poised, Lancaster’s Winemaker’s Cuvée takes root. This wine is the purest expression of the estate’s hillside benches, sites where vines dig deep into fractured soils and the fruit emerges with remarkable concentration, lift, and unmistakable character.

At the core of the 2021 blend is Cabernet Sauvignon, commanding in both presence and structure, supported by Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot in thoughtful proportions. Each variety contributes its own dimension: Franc with aromatic lift, Merlot with mid-palate breadth, and Petit Verdot with richness. Together they create a cuvée that feels seamlessly layered and shaped by a winemaking vision grounded in precision.

In the cellar, the wine is guided with the same clarity of intent that defines the vineyard work: fermentation is kept exacting, oak is used to frame rather than dominate. What emerges is a wine that marries depth with refinement, with tannins firm yet polished and a finish that is long and resonant. Impressive now, the 2021 Winemaker’s Cuvée is crafted for the long view, promising years of unfolding nuance for those who choose to follow its evolution.

Lancaster Estate
Winemaker’s Cuvée
Alexander Valley 2021
Retails at: $125

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“The 2021 Winemaker’s Cuvee Red Blend is composed of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Merlot and Petit Verdot. A saturated red color, it opens in the glass to reveal a luxurious and layered profile with notes of cassis, menthol, polished leather, and mocha. Full-bodied and velvety on the palate, it’s generous, offering a balanced and ripe feel without feeling weighty, and it has an elegantly rich and tapered finish. It’s going to age gracefully over the coming 10 years. 5000 cases were produced.”

94 Points

2019 Laird Jillians Blend Napa Valley

251230 2019 Laird Jillians Blend Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50CalistogaCarnerosKevin VogtProprietary RedUSA

Laird

Jillian’s Blend
Napa Valley 2019

2019 Laird Jillians Blend Napa Valley

The Laird family’s name carries a certain weight in Napa Valley, with an unspoken authority earned over five decades of farming. Jillian’s Blend is a vivid expression of that legacy, drawing from the family’s deep roots and their instinct for growing exceptional fruit. It is a wine shaped by the land, and by generations of vision, risk-taking, and craftsmanship that have made the Lairds one of Napa’s most respected growers.

The wine’s foundation lies in the Lairds’ extraordinary vineyard holdings, stretching from Carneros to Calistoga and encompassing some of Napa’s most sought-after terroirs. Jillian’s Blend draws selectively from these parcels, weaving together fruit that reflects the Valley’s remarkable diversity. It is this mosaic of vineyard character that gives the wine its depth, its lift, and its unmistakable sense of place.

Crafted from this enviable palette of terroirs, the 2019 blend unfolds luxuriously. Cabernet anchors the wine with depth, while the supporting varietals add dimension. Each sip feels shaped by careful selection and seamless integration. It’s a style that mirrors the Laird approach: generous in expression, meticulous in execution.

Laird
Jillian’s Blend
Napa Valley 2019
Retails at: $55

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“Currants and dried berries with fresh flowers and spices. Medium to full body with round, juicy fruit and ripe, firm tannins. 62% cabernet sauvignon, 20% syrah, 12% merlot, 5% malbec and 1% petit verdot. Needs time to come together. Drink after 2025.”

92 points