2019 Justin Isosceles Red Blend Paso Robles

2019 Justin Isosceles Red Blend Paso Robles

with No Comment $50-$60Central CoastKevin VogtPaso RoblesProprietary RedUSA

JUSTIN

ISOSCELES RED BLEND
PASO ROBLES 2019 

2019 Justin Isosceles Red Blend Paso Robles
Justin Winery’s founders planted their first vineyard in 1981, releasing the first commercial vintage in 1987, a richly layered, intense Bordeaux-styled blend predicated on the fossilized limestone soils in Paso Robles. These unique soils are also found in Bordeaux and are a part of the terroir of many of the world’s most distinct and memorable wines. 
 
For over 30 years, Isosceles has been the flagship wine of Justin and shows exactly why this little part of the world has massive potential for viticulture. The 2019 Isosceles comprises nearly 80% Cabernet Sauvignon married with Cabernet Franc and Merlot, aged in new French oak for 21 months, resulting in a full-bodied red wine with a seductively long finish. 
 
JUSTIN
ISOSCELES RED BLEND
PASO ROBLES 2019 
Retails at: $85
 
 
 
“Deep ruby/purple core with black secondary color, lighter toward the rim with moderate plus viscosity and slow forming, moderately stained tears. Very aromatic and complex with ripe black cherry and cassis fruit, vanilla, cinnamon and licorice spice with sweet tobacco, cedar, leather and camphor notes.  Full-bodied with ripe black cherry and blackcurrant fruit complemented with baking spice and oak notes on entry. Sustained fruit and spice are joined by savory autumn leaf, cedar and leather on the mid-palate with mouth filling, fine tannins that lead into a long, complex and balanced finish with attractive fruit, spice, cedar and subtle camphor notes.”
2019 Joyce Pinot Noir Gabilan Mountains Monterey

2019 Joyce Pinot Noir Gabilan Mountains Monterey

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

JOYCE

PINOT NOIR
GABILAN MOUNTAINS
MONTEREY 2019

2019 Joyce Pinot Noir Gabilan Mountains Monterey
Joyce Wine Company began with four acres of vines planted behind the family home in 1986 in Carmel Valley. As a young boy, Russel Joyce learned everything from tending the vineyards and racking barrels to hand-bottling and labeling, with a keen emphasis on attention to detail. Russel became a self-taught winemaker whose passionate drive led him to explore the techniques and practices of world-class winemakers to fine-tune his work and create a style all his own. 
 
Coming from a small vineyard on the eastern side of the Salinas Valley in Monterey County, the Gabilan Mountain Pinot Noir is grown on decomposed granite and limestone, which gives the fruit an ethereal, pure expression, preserved by using neutral oak barrels that shines through in the 2019 release.
 
JOYCE
PINOT NOIR
GABILAN MOUNTAINS
MONTEREY 2019
Retails at: $45
 
 
 
“Quite light in the glass, this bottle from the eastern slopes above the Salinas Valley offers aromas of smashed sour cherry, turned soil, fresh sage and bloody rust. The palate is bright and earthy at once, showing fresh cranberry and raspberry but also ground-up chaparral and dusty rocks and soil. Both rustic and energized.”
93 Points
2021 Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills

2021 Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills

with No Comment $30-$40Central CoastChardonnaySanta BarbaraSanta Rita HillsUSA

BREWER-CLIFTON

CHARDONNAY 2021
STA. RITA HILLS

2021 Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills
Greg Brewer founded Brewer-Clifton in 1996 to showcase the unique geographic, geologic, and climate of the Santa Rita Hills appellation in Santa Barbara County. He began vinification training in 1991 at Santa Barbara Winery, and through his work at Brewer-Clifton, Melville, and Diatom wineries, Greg proved without any doubt that Sta. Rita Hills is a world-class wine-growing region, and in 2020 he was named winemaker-of-the-year by Wine Enthusiast. 
 
Sta. Rita Hills is one of the coolest grape-growing regions on the west coast, providing fruit with purity and a firm structure that’s the calling card of Brewer-Clifton wines. The 2021 Chardonnay was whole-cluster fermented in neutral barrels to achieve a harmonious balance between the terroir-specific minerality and bright fruit flavors, keeping the focus fresh and clear.
 
BREWER-CLIFTON
CHARDONNAY 2021
STA. RITA HILLS
Retails at: $40
 
Your Price: $36
 
 
“The Brewer-Clifton 2021 Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay opens with fresh notes of honeysuckle, apricot, pineapple, brioche, and beeswax. Flavors of peach, nectarine, lemon poppy seed muffin, and roasted almond are complemented by a vibrant acidity on the palate. The wine is elegantly textured, and the soft mouthfeel lingers into the finish.”
93-94 Points
2021 My Favorite Neighbor Blanc Chardonnay San Luis Obispo

2021 My Favorite Neighbor Blanc Chardonnay San Luis Obispo

with No Comment $30-$40Central CoastChardonnayKevin VogtUSA

MY FAVORITE NEIGHBOR

MFN BLANC CHARDONNAY
SAN LUIS OBISPO 2021

2021 My Favorite Neighbor Blanc Chardonnay San Luis Obispo
Eric Jensen’s original “favorite neighbor,” Stephan Asseo of L’Aventure, is a close friend and mentor that helped shape him as a grower and winemaker. What began as an homage to Stephan in 2006 with the launch of the My Favorite Neighbor Cabernet-based wine has turned into a line of carefully crafted wines that can unabashedly stand up to many award-winning, cult-style wines. They’ve been getting lots of well-deserved attention ever since their initial release.
 
Eric believes that great wine begins in the vineyard, so every site that contributes to MFN gets farmed using organic or biodynamic practices for vines that live up to their full potential. The 2021 Blanc/Chardonnay has already earned a blockbuster 97-point score from Wine Advocate, calling it “an old-school style reminiscent of Napa” because of its rich, voluptuous mouthfeel and ripe stone fruit aromatics. At around $40, this wine is a big win for Cali-style Chardonnay fans.
 
MY FAVORITE NEIGHBOR
MFN BLANC CHARDONNAY
SAN LUIS OBISPO 2021
Retails at: $50
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“The 2021 Chardonnay is very ripe in style with scents of banana chip, apple pie, jasmine, allspice and brown sugar. The full-bodied palate is packed with ripe, spicy fruits and plenty of refreshing acidity, and it finishes long with a satiny, mouth-coating texture. It’s an old-school style reminiscent of Napa that fans of ripe, oaked Chardonnays will enjoy.”
97 Points
2020 Harvey & Harriet Red Blend San Luis Obispo

2020 Harvey & Harriet Red Blend San Luis Obispo

with No Comment $30-$40Central CoastKevin VogtProprietary RedUSA

HARVEY & HARRIET

RED BLEND 2020
SAN LUIS OBISPO

2020 Harvey & Harriet Red Blend San Luis Obispo
Eric Jensen’s My Favorite Neighbor and Harvey & Harriett brands spotlight the vast potential for high-quality, memorable wines from San Luis Obispo, making many friends along the way with their value prices. Eric’s ambition and ingenuity led him to find an ideal balance of brightness, intensity, and richness, designed to capture higher-end wine’s most striking characteristics but with a value price.
 
Eric created this delightful, friendly, cult-style wine in honor of his hardworking parents, Harvey and Harriet, who most likely wouldn’t be able to afford today’s top-end wines. Harvey and Harriet is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec from select vineyard sites in San Luis Obispo and is a strong competitor against similar styles that cost two or three times as much.
 
HARVEY & HARRIET
RED BLEND 2020
SAN LUIS OBISPO
 
Your Price: $32
 
 
“Nice herbs, olives with a hint of savory anchovies, blackcurrants and tobacco to the nose. Juicy and bright with fine, present tannins on a medium- to full-bodied palate. Nicely flattering and fruit-forward, too. Drink or hold.”
93 Points
2020 My Favorite Neighbor Cabernet Sauvignon San Luis Obispo

2020 My Favorite Neighbor Cabernet Sauvignon San Luis Obispo

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonCentral CoastKevin VogtPaso RoblesUSA

MY FAVORITE NEIGHBOR

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
SAN LUIS OBISPO 2020

2020 My Favorite Neighbor Cabernet Sauvignon San Luis Obispo
What began as an homage to Stephan Asseo of L’Aventure Winery propelled into an obsession driven by like-minded grape-growers who’ve become winemaker Eric Jensen’s favorite neighbors. Farming is life or Eric, and each grower he works with shares the common goal of sustainable viticulture and raising the highest quality fruit possible to create wines of distinction and trend-setting quality.
 
Founded with extreme dedication and zero compromises, My Favorite Neighbor hits a sweet spot of perfectly ripe fruit, flavor intensity, and lavish textures, giving some of the best $100 Cabernets a real challenge. Eric has made wines from consecutive vintages earning mid-90-point scores, and his 2020 vintage is a tremendous follow-up, moving his wine one step closer to becoming a household name in high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon.
 
MY FAVORITE NEIGHBOR
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
SAN LUIS OBISPO 2020
Retails at: $50
 
Your Price: $45

Click to Order

 

 

“Red chili pepper, olives, tobacco and cocoa powder to the fresh cassis and blackberries. Restrainedly opulent and well-structured on the palate, showing impressive length and polished tannins. Great poise here! Delicious now, but will hold.” 
94 Points
 
2021 Delmore Pinot Noir Bassi Vineyard Slo Coast AVA

2021 Delmore Pinot Noir Bassi Vineyard Slo Coast AVA

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

DELMORE

PINOT NOIR 2021
BASSI VINEYARD
SLO COAST AVA

2021 Delmore Pinot Noir Bassi Vineyard Slo Coast AVA
San Louis Obispo native Darren Delmore cut his teeth in the wine industry, working for Hirsch Vineyard, Whitehorn, Goldeneye, and Two Hands before he became the National Sales Manager at Tablas Creek. His first-hand experience in the vineyards laid the foundation for Delmore wines. He launched his boutique brand in 2017 after purchasing 2,000 pounds of Pinot Noir and a bin of Syrah, setting out to make wild yeast-fermented, unfiltered wines from sea-sprayed coastal terroirs.
 
The biodynamically farmed Bassi Vineyard sits just a mile from the reefs where Darren grew up surfing and within the SLO Coast AVA. His 2021 Pinot Noir is 100% free-run juice, meaning no pressing, giving soft tannins and subtle layers of aromatic complexity before being bottled with love. The wine is an absolute delight.
 
DELMORE
PINOT NOIR 2021
BASSI VINEYARD
SLO COAST AVA
Retails at: $44
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“The 2021 Delmore Bassi Vineyard Pinot Noir begins with a bright, fragrant nose that includes spicy red berries, Spring florals, fresh herbs, wet leather, cold-smoked meat, and crushed stone. The palate is vibrant with zesty red cherries, wild strawberries, fresh pomegranate, and pie spices. The focused palate is penetrating and energetic, with a wonderful balance of freshness and length. Although young, it drinks nicely now and will continue to do so over the next eight years.”
94 Points
2021 Luli Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

2021 Luli Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

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

LULI

PINOT NOIR 2021
SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS

2021 Luli Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands
Luli represents a strategic partnership between three wine industry leaders, and their successful union illustrates the talents and strengths of their combined knowledge, skills, and experience. Master Sommelier Sara Floyd teamed up with vineyard manager Mark Pisoni and winemaker Jeff Pisoni in 2007 to create a new line of handcrafted wines from high-quality fruit at affordable prices.
 
The Pisoni brothers grew up farming in the Santa Lucia Highlands with their father, Gary, one of California’s most respected growers. They source fruit for Luli from vineyards in or near the same land they call home. The 2021 Luli Pinot Noir arose from sustainably farmed vineyards in the region that saw clear skies and moderate temperatures during the growing season, producing exceptional quality grapes and paying tribute to Pinot’s success in the area.
 
LULI
PINOT NOIR 2021
SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“The Luli Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir 2021 begins with an intense nose of dark berries, cherry cola, dried mushrooms, and white flowers. These notes continue into a powerful, supple palate with a beautiful brightness to the rich, concentrated fruit. Always one of the best values in Pinot Noir each year, this vintage is classic for the region and another gorgeous bottling of this offering. As beautiful as it is now, it will certainly reward you with a couple of additional years of age if you can resist drinking them until then.”
92 Points
2018 Tolosa Heritage Pinot Noir Edna Valley

2018 Tolosa Heritage Pinot Noir Edna Valley

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

TOLOSA

HERITAGE PINOT NOIR
EDNA VALLEY 2018

2018 Tolosa Heritage Pinot Noir Edna Valley
Tolosa Winery is part of the Alpha Omega Collective and specializes in Burgundian varieties grown in Edna Valley, California’s coolest AVA. The region’s transverse valley extends inland from the Pacific Ocean and funnels cold air and fog, creating an ideal environment for cool-climate varietals such as Pinot Noir. The Franciscan Mission of San Luis Obispo de Tolosa planted the first vines in the area and is the inspiration behind the winery’s name, paying homage to the hardworking farmers who pioneered the land.
 
Tolosa’s winemaker works to convey the distinct character of the wine, beginning in the vineyard with specially selected clones for each unique soil type, followed by gentle fermentation in stainless steel and oak barrels for a fine-tuned, integrated Pinot Noir. The 2018 vintage features earthy, herbal tones and bright red fruit aromatics, trademark characteristics of the Edna Valley AVA Pinots that elevate and delight the senses at a very fair price point.
 
TOLOSA
HERITAGE PINOT NOIR
EDNA VALLEY 2018
Retails at: $35
 
Your Price: $32
 
 
“Hearty aromas of black raspberry and muddled plum are lifted by sage and pepper on the ripe but clean nose of this bottling. There’s a pleasantly herbal kick to the palate, where the sagebrush aspects wrap around the dark-mulberry and wild-plum flavors. Rocky tannins give both structure and minerality.”
93 Points
2014 Kessler-Haak Estate Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills

2014 Kessler-Haak Estate Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills

with No Comment $30-$40Central CoastKevin VogtPinot NoirSanta BarbaraSanta Rita HillsUSA

KESSLER-HAAK

ESTATE PINOT NOIR
STA. RITA HILLS 2014

2014 Kessler-Haak Estate Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills
Steadfast on producing grapes capable of capturing the essence of Sta Rita Hills terroir, Kessler-Haak’s founders planted their vineyard in the northwest corner of the region in 2005. Within the next decade, as the vines came of age, their ability to bear fruit expressive of their origin caught the eye of Pinot-maverick Brian Loring, who began crafting Kessler-Haak Vineyard designated Pinot under his Loring label. 
 
Kessler-Haak’s team organically farms their 30 acres of Pinot Noir, striving for a harmonic co-existence amongst the vineyard’s vines, animals, and insects. The east-west orientation of the hills funnels sea breezes into the area, drastically cooling daytime temperatures, which helps maintain fresh acidity and allows the grapes a long hang-time to develop complex flavor compounds. The wine’s fresh acidity also allowed the 2014 vintage to age effortlessly, beautifully depicting the vintage and terroir; the wine is surprisingly dynamic and drinking beautifully right now.
 
KESSLER-HAAK
ESTATE PINOT NOIR
STA. RITA HILLS 2014
Retails at: $50
 
 
 
“This study of Clone 2A begins with big aromas of boysenberry jam, black tea and minty chocolate elements. There is decent weight to the palate, where rich and ripe flavors of blackberry meet with firm tannins and buoyant acidity. Dashes of star anise and all spice give further depth.”
93 Points