2018 Paydirt Going For Broke Proprietary Red California

2018 Paydirt Going For Broke Proprietary Red California

with No Comment $30 and underCentral CoastKevin VogtPaso RoblesProprietary RedUSA

PAYDIRT

GOING FOR BROKE
PROPRIETARY RED
2018 CALIFORNIA

2018 Paydirt Going For Broke Proprietary Red California
Paydirt is an idiom about striking gold, defining a valuable or rewarding discovery, which is the feeling you’ll have when you taste this wine. The secret behind the palpable quality is in the dirt. With a core of Dusi Vineyard fruit, followed by Bokisch in Lodi and other vineyards in Paso Robles, Oak Knoll, and St Helena, Paydirt is deeply-rooted in heritage clones from ancient parcels. Jeb Dunnuck recently tasted the 2018 and alerted readers to this “delicious drinker,” so now would be the perfect time to stake your claim on a case. 
 
The 2018 blend married 81% old vine Zinfandel with Grenache, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Barbera, and Cabernet Sauvignon crafted by winemaker Kent Jarman. Kent is also the winemaker at Coup de Foudre and Kenefick Ranch and was previously the assistant winemaker at Duckhorn. 
 
This wine made its debut in 2010, and the winery proved they could hold-their-own in the competitive $30 red blend category. Now entering the 2018 vintage, they’re onto a new challenge in the sub $20 price range and based on the quality, they’re poised to dominate it.
 
PAYDIRT
GOING FOR BROKE
PROPRIETARY RED
2018 CALIFORNIA
 
Your Price: $19.99
 
 
“Brambly herbs, plum, framboise, and violet notes emerge from the 2018 Going For Broke, which is a Zinfandel-dominated blend that includes small amounts of Grenache, Petite Sirah, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. Balanced and medium to full-bodied, with both richness and elegance, it’s a delicious drinker to enjoy over the coming 4-6 years or so.”
90 Points
2018 Bacio Divino Pazzo Napa Valley Proprietary Red

2018 Bacio Divino Pazzo Napa Valley Proprietary Red

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtNapaOakvilleProprietary RedUSA

BACIO DIVINO

2018 PAZZO 
NAPA VALLEY
PROPRIETARY RED

2018 Bacio Divino Pazzo Napa Valley Proprietary Red
Bacio Divino is one of the top producers of Sangiovese-based blends in Napa Valley, and their reputation of excellence spans each of the wines they produce. They created Pazzo in 1999 as a sister-label to Bacio Divino that would appeal to a broader audience. The 2018 vintage is incredibly rich, with penetrating fruit and intriguing floral elements. Pazzo means crazy in Italian, and at around $30, the 2018 release is a crazy-good value.
 
Bacio Divino has a history of producing high-scoring wines. Because of that, they have access to some of the greatest vineyards in Napa Valley, including Beckstoffer Heritage sites in Oakville and Rutherford and Sangiovese on Atlas Peak. Pazzo comes from a collection of unnamed sites and include grapes from their Estate vineyard.
 
Winemaker Kirk Venge built the 2018 Pazzo with 38% Sangiovese and 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and he tied them together with Syrah and Petite Sirah. The 2018 vintage produced powerful fruit with incredible intensity. This vintage is like a bistro-wine on steroids, and you’ll thank me later, once you taste it.
 
BACIO DIVINO
2018 PAZZO 
NAPA VALLEY
PROPRIETARY RED
Retails at: $35
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“This is full-bodied with round, ripe tannins that give form to the ripe palate of plum and berry with some fig undertones. Round and savory. Drink now or hold.”
91 Points
 
“Pazzo (which means ‘crazy’ in Italian) is a ‘funky’, unpretentious blend – an ingratiating wine that is wonderful to drink in its youth. In addition to its good looks, it displays a nose of red berry aromas and follows through with spirited, sweet, lingering, fruit flavors. We have enjoyed incredible success and growth with this unique blend.”
2018 The Crane Assembly Disciples Proprietary Red

2018 The Crane Assembly Disciples Proprietary Red

with No Comment $40-$50CalistogaKevin VogtNapaProprietary RedRutherfordUSA

THE CRANE ASSEMBLY

2018 DISCIPLES
PROPRIETARY RED

2018 The Crane Assembly Disciples Proprietary Red
The Crane Assembly wines honor the history of the G.B. Crane Vineyard, established around 1885. The eight-acre vineyard has 4 acres of original plantings. For Disciples, winemaker Kevin Fox and consulting winemaker Dave Phinney intermix fruit from other iconic vineyards in the area to replicate the style and structure of G.B. Crane. The 2018 release is richly layered, with supple dark fruits, vast complexity, and is perfectly balanced.
 
The wine’s backbone comes from Morisoli Vineyard, which sits in the center of the Rutherford bench and has been a longtime source for BV Georges de Latour, Elyse, Mercury Head, and the list goes on. The 2018 release also includes fruit from Tofanelli Vineyard in Calistoga, which has attracted producers like Prisoner, Schrader Cellars, and Turley. 
 
In 2018, the final blend is nearly 50% Zinfandel, matched with Bordeaux and Rhone Varieties. This wine deliciously shows off the incomparable skills of Dave Phinney & Kevin Fox. They are masters at creating new, unique blends that are as individualistic as they are enjoyable.
 
THE CRANE ASSEMBLY
2018 DISCIPLES
PROPRIETARY RED
 
Your Price: $45
 
 
“Strawberry preserves leap from the glass initially, followed by a bouquet of floral aromatics: lavender, violets and roses. Rich earthy notes of freshly plowed soil, fresh rain on warm granite and petrichor. Spicy, but not a peppery spice, more of a star anise spiciness, tart raspberries and sweet plouts, with a very long, dusty finish of strawberry cream, vanilla and caramelized sugar that lingers…. smooth and luscious!”
2017 Justin Isosceles Paso Robles

2017 Justin Isosceles Paso Robles

with No Comment $50-$60Central CoastKevin VogtPaso RoblesProprietary RedSanta Lucia HighlandsUSA

JUSTIN

2017 ISOSCELES 
PASO ROBLES 

2017 Justin Isosceles Paso Robles
Justin pioneered Bordeaux grape varietal blending in Paso Robles more than 30 years ago and named their flagship wine Isosceles for the three varieties that go into it; Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. Today, they’re one of the most recognizable producers in the region, and Isosceles unwaveringly delivers rich layers of lavish fruits and remarkable complexity. At around $60, it’s a lot of wine for the price.
 
Justin planted their vineyards in the Santa Lucia Mountains, where abundant fossilized limestone and enormous diurnal temperature swings proved ideal for ripening Bordeaux varietals and producing powerfully expressive flavors. 
 
The 2017 release is centered around a core 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, enhanced with Cabernet Franc and Merlot, and then aged in 100% new French oak barrels for an impressive 21 months. If you’re looking for a full-bodied red with deep, enthralling flavors and stunning complexity, this is it. 
 
JUSTIN
2017 ISOSCELES 
PASO ROBLES
Retails at: $76
 
Your Price: $59.99
 
 
“Highly aromatic and complex with lush, ripe black cherry, black currant and boysenberry with vanilla, cinnamon spice, sweet tobacco and savory notes of leather, camphor and cedar; Full bodied and luxuriant with ripe black fruit, mostly cherry and black currant with mixed ripe berries and barrel spice on entry. The mid-palate features continued fruit with subtle savory elements of autumn leaf, leather, and cedar with rounded, plush tannins that extend into a long finish featuring black cherry and camphor notes. The 2017 ISOSCELES is a full, complex and rich wine that is drinking nicely on release and will offer added complexity in a few years. 15% alcohol.”
2017 Vin Perdu Proprietary Red Napa Valley

2017 Vin Perdu Proprietary Red Napa Valley

with No Comment $90-$100Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

VIN PERDU

PROPRIETARY RED
2017 NAPA VALLEY 

2017 Vin Perdu Proprietary Red Napa Valley
Vin Perdu is blended to emphasize each premium vineyard component’s unique characteristics, maximize the potential of the vintage, and then articulate it with elegance. In 2017 the wine arose from La Sirena, Amuse Bouche, and Fantesca vineyards and was crafted by Heidi Barrett. Heidi is a world-class winemaker whose past and present clients include Amuse Bouche, Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle, Grace Family, and many others. At under $100, this is, as Vinous writes, “an absolutely joyous wine.”
 
For the 2017 Blend, Heidi selected 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc from some of Napa Valley’s most premier sites. The wine highlights the vintage’s elegance, with stunning balance, enthralling complexity, and plush textures. 
 
Vin Perdu is the delicious result of a powerful partnership between Heidi Barrett and John Schwartz. In 2002 they created Amuse Bouche, a Pomerol-inspired Merlot that’s arguably the best in the Valley. With super-premium fruit from Amuse Bouche and several of Heidi’s other projects, Vin Perdu was born. 
 
VIN PERDU
PROPRIETARY RED
2017 NAPA VALLEY
 
Your Price: $95
 
 
“The 2017 Vin Perdu is racy and voluptuous, not to mention incredibly delicious. Succulent red cherry, rose petal, mocha, plum and spice are all given an extra kick of textural richness in the 2017, a wine that benefits from the addition of fruit that would have gone into some of the higher end wines in a more typical vintage. Plush, opulent and creamy, the 2017 is an absolutely joyous wine to enjoy over the next decade or so.” 
93 Points
 
“A pure and fruity red with lovely raspberries and dark chocolate. Medium to full body, round and fine tannins and flavorful finish. 80% cabernet sauvignon and 20% cabernet franc. Drink now or hold.” 
93 Points
 
“The fruit for this was harvested on October 2nd and 3rd, just before the 2017 fires… Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a little coaxing to reveal notes of plum preserves, crème de cassis and Black Forest cake with underlying hints of candied violets, forest floor, cigar box and bay leaves. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is jam-packed with black fruits and savory layers, framed by firm, grainy tannins and bright freshness, finishing long.”
92 Points
2018 Vista Atlas Peak Reserve Proprietary Red

2018 Vista Atlas Peak Reserve Proprietary Red

with No Comment $30 and underAtlas PeakKevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

VISTA

ATLAS PEAK RESERVE
2018 PROPRIETARY RED

2018 Vista Atlas Peak Reserve Proprietary Red
Vista’s 2018 Atlas Peak Red is the single most extraordinary $23 wine that I’ve tasted, and for that reason, it made my top 5 list in 2020. The wine has the concentration, depth, complexity, and balance that you’d expect from a remarkable $40-$50 bottle of high-elevation Napa wine, but at $23, it’s hard to wrap your head around how it can be that good, for the modest price. This vintage is a game-changer for superior quality, value-priced Mountain wines, and the 1,000 case production will fall short of what’s needed to match demand once people taste it.
 
At 2,000 feet elevation on Atlas Peak, Vista’s 2018 Reserve Blend was wrought from the rocky red Aiken soils and perfectly shows off the deep, concentrated flavors that make this region famous.
 
Predominately Cabernet Sauvignon, balanced with Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the 2018 vintage envelopes your palate in a blanket of perfectly ripe berries laced with crushed violets, espresso bean, and rocky minerals. If you’re looking for a wine that tastes like it should be at least double or triple the price, this is it.
 
VISTA
ATLAS PEAK RESERVE
2018 PROPRIETARY RED
 
Your Price: $23
 
“While the first vintage of Vista Atlas Peak Red Blend 2017 set a new standard completely unheard of at this modest price, the Vista Atlas Peak Reserve Red Blend 2018 raises that bar even higher. It begins with aromas of crushed dark berries, creme de cassis, black plum, earthy minerals, pencil lead, dried sage, and vanilla. This beauty has an intensely concentrated palate, with blackberry purée, focused black cherries, red currants, mountain blueberries, allspice, and rocky minerals. It is a gorgeous example of Mountain fruit that is mind-bogglingly great at this price. Wow. Drink now through 2028.”
95-97 Points
2018 Steps Reserve Barrel Select Proprietary Red

2018 Steps Reserve Barrel Select Proprietary Red

with No Comment $40-$50CalistogaCoombsvilleHowell MountainKevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

STEPS

RESERVE BARREL SELECT
2018 PROPRIETARY RED

2018 Steps Reserve Barrel Select Proprietary Red
Each year STEPS is re-birthed as it’s formed from declassified grapes out of some of Napa Valley’s most coveted vineyards and meticulously blended by winemaker Grant Long, Jr, whom you might know from Aonair, Witchery, and James Joseph. Grant makes the blend with an unwavering goal of producing a showy, hedonistic red that’s guided by the vintage and the varietals that performed best. The 2018 release perfectly reflects the vintages knockout power and underlined elegance, and at $50, the value is nearly inconceivable.
 
Steps 2018 Barrel Select draws on the concentrated flavors of Howell Mountain fruit and brings into play the elegance of Coombsville and the minerality of Calistoga grapes. Each lot was fermented separately and barrel-aged for 23 months before the blend was assembled and guided into bottles. 
 
The final blend is nearly 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, elevated with Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. The 2018 vintage is richly layered and ladened with ripe blackberries, assorted chocolates, minerals, and red flowers on the palate. With just four barrels produced, don’t hesitate to secure this release. 
 
STEPS
RESERVE BARREL SELECT
2018 PROPRIETARY RED
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
“The 2018 Steps Barrel Select begins with an intense, ripe nose of black red currants, graphite, fresh mushrooms and sweet vanilla. The palate is powerful and penetrating with crushed mountain blackberries, lush black fruits, espresso roast and refined minerals. It finishes with satiny tannins, and a long, balanced, supple mouthfeel. Drink now until 2030.” 
94 Points
2016 Tenuta Argentiera Villa Donoratico Bolgheri

2016 Tenuta Argentiera Villa Donoratico Bolgheri

with No Comment $30-$40ItalyKevin VogtProprietary RedTuscany

TENUTA ARGENTIERA

VILLA DONORATICO
2016 BOLGHERI

2016 Tenuta Argentiera Villa Donoratico Bolgheri
Bolgheri is to Tuscany, what the Oakville appellation is to Napa Valley. The area has a dense concentration of 100 point producers, including Italian legends Ornellaia, Sassicaia, and Tignanello. It’s the region’s complex soils and micro-climate, that when combined with producers willing to push boundaries, has made the area what it is today. Tenuta Argentiera’s Villa Donoratico 95 Point Super Tuscan is a splendid example of how great these wines can be, and at less than $40, it’s also a remarkable value.
 
Tenuta Argentiera is the closest winery to the Tyrrhenian coast, and their vineyards are grown at the highest altitude in the entire Bolgheri territory. This wine also makes its entrance from another Blockbuster year in Tuscany, which the Wine Spectator gave an overall vintage rating of 96 points. 
 
In 2016 the blend settled at 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, balanced with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petite Verdot. They harvested the grapes under ideal conditions before transferring them by gravity to the estate’s subterranean facility for production. 
 
TENUTA ARGENTIERA
VILLA DONORATICO
2016 BOLGHERI
 
Your Price: $37.99
 
“The nose provides a beautiful balance betweenfreshness with crushed violets and lavender and deeper elements of blackcurrants, licorice and elderberries. Tea leaves and charcoal, too. Full body, really refined and structured tannins and a long finish. Drink in 2021.”
95 Points
 
“…the 2016 Bolgheri Rosso Villa Donoratico isa sophisticated wine that is full-bodied, with dark concentration and thickness. It has a nice fullness to it, with big, dark fruit. The Villa Donoratico plays its best cards in the mouth, as its texture is very rich and seductive. There is a touch of richness on the tannins, which still need to relax. You also get snap or crunchiness on close. Drink 2019 – 2026”
92 Points
2016 Cerro Proprietary Red Napa Valley

2016 Cerro Proprietary Red Napa Valley

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtNapaOak KnollProprietary RedRutherfordUSA

CERRO

PROPRIETARY RED
2016 NAPA VALLEY

2016 Cerro Proprietary Red Napa Valley
Cerro red blend with its unabashedly Californian style, plush dark berries, and lavish hedonism has been snowballing in popularity since we introduced it earlier this year. Derek Beitler, a nephew of Caymus Founder, Chuck Wagner, created the brand. Derek founded Carne Humana in 2010 and later sold to his cousin Joe Wagner. Since then, he’s spearheaded popular brands like Bodega Rancho and Skyhook, and he continually builds upon his reputation of producing quality wines at realistic prices.
 
Derek forged this wine from secret vineyard sources in Rutherford and Oak Knoll. The 2016 Cerro Blend combines 65% Petit Verdot with 33% Petite Sirah and 2% Zinfandel into an intensely concentrated, lush, yet balanced red blend that’s remarkably pleasing.
 
The wine team kept this vintage for 30 months in French oak barrels, producing a deep, powerful wine with a focused intensity that gives way to a rush of irresistible fruit, displayed with outstanding clarity and showy, rich layers. 
 
CERRO
PROPRIETARY RED
2016 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $35
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
“Opaque purplish-black color. Fragrant nose of black fruits, very floral. Mouthfeel is rich and smooth, with soft tannins. Flavors of plums, blackberries, dark cherries and espresso.”
2017 Opus One Proprietary Red Napa Valley

2017 Opus One Proprietary Red Napa Valley

with No Comment $100 and overKevin VogtNapaOakvilleProprietary RedUSA

OPUS ONE 

PROPRIETARY RED
2017 NAPA VALLEY

2017 Opus One Proprietary Red Napa Valley
Opus One began in 1979 with a powerful partnership between two titans of the industry, Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Chateau Mouton Rothschild. They shared dream of producing a single Napa wine dedicated to the pursuit of uncompromising quality. The wine is a blend of Bordeaux varieties that’s often centered around a core of approximately 80% Cabernet Sauvignon. Their winemaking team strives to capture each vintage’s character and perfectly balances power, finesse, structure, and texture. Their 2017 vintage does just that, and with a string of 95-96 point reviews, it may not be available for long. 
 
The winery’s Estate vineyards are centered in the Western portion of Oakville and include 100 acres inside the highly celebrated To-Kalon Vineyard. They complement the To-Kalon fruit with two other parcels that surround the winery. 
 
The 2017 vintage blends four of Bordeaux’s top five varietals with 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec. The wine spent 17 months in barrel and was cellared for an additional 15 months in bottle before release. 
 
OPUS ONE 
PROPRIETARY RED
2017 NAPA VALLEY
 
Your Price: $360
 
“A fist of late summer cherries, raspberry and bilberry fruits set out their stall, all with the juicy character that confirms, even in a hot vintage like 2017, Opus can deliver balance and sculpted elegance. Beautiful grip, creamy texture with a strikingly powerful tannic frame. As the wine stays in the glass the floral aromatics begin to bloom up. A brilliant Opus. 20 days maceration – around half what it would have been a decade ago. 54% native yeast, as part of their native yeast project. 5% Merlot and 1% Malbec complete the blend. Harvest spread out over September 5 to October 8, just before the fires… Drinking Window 2023 – 2045”
96 Points
 
“A remarkable wine for the year, the 2017 Opus One is a dense, full-throttle beauty. Plush fruit and soft, silky contours give the 2017 its racy personality. Exotic, beautifully perfumed and impeccable in its balance, Opus One is one of the most complete wines of the vintage. In 2017, Opus One has a distinctly red-toned fruit profile that distinguishes it from the surrounding vintages.”
95+ Points
 
“… Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it slowly grows on the nose, revealing compelling notes of baked black cherries, mulberries, black raspberries, warm cassis and blackberry pie with nuances of spice cake, yeast extract, tapenade, licorice and dusty soil with a waft of wild sage. Medium-bodied, the palate has a lively skip in its step, featuring bags of juicy raspberry and cassis-laced fruit and a refreshing line, supported by ripe, plush tannins, finishing long and graceful. Drink 2021 – 2036”
95 Points
 
“Lots of currant and floral notes on the nose. Hints of mint and spice. Medium-to full-bodied, round and savory with creamy, juicy tannins. Hints of citrus underneath. Bright, fresh and delicious. Drink or hold.”
95 points