2017 Vine Cliff Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

2017 Vine Cliff Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $70-$80Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA

VINE CLIFF

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2017 NAPA VALLEY

2017 Vine Cliff Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
One of the most remarkable terroirs in Napa Valley lies on the Eastern side of Oakville at the base of the Vaca Mountain range, where the soils are loaded with minerals and volcanic composites. Icons Dalla Valle, Tierra Roja, Peter Michael’s Au Paradis and Vine Cliff produce some of the most complex, memorable Cabernets from this hollowed ground. These wines often exhibit an intense red-fruited perfume, dark, supple fruits, crushed rock and brilliant complexity.
 
Vine Cliff’s 2017 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced 100% from the winery’s iconic Estate vineyard, and combines 38% fruit from their Oakville Bench block, and 62% from the North facing terraced vines. 
 
The 2017 checks in at 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and incorporates five separate clones that each contribute layers to the wine’s vast complexity. The winery has an outstanding reputation of excellence, and is one of Napa Valley’s historic wineries that was established in 1871.
 
At around eighty bucks the value is almost inconceivable… 
 
VINE CLIFF
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2017 NAPA VALLEY
 
Your Price: $79
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“Ripe and rich in feel, with dark plum and cassis fruit rolling through, flanked by warm cocoa and tobacco notes and scored by a flash of loam on the finish. Drink now through 2026.”  92 Points

“The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is dense, plush and super-expressive. Black plum, espresso, chocolate, licorice and dark spice all open up in a mid-weight, beautifully persistent Cabernet that will drink well right out of the gate.”  90 Points
2017 Baldacci Sorelle Carneros Chardonnay

2017 Baldacci Sorelle Carneros Chardonnay

with No Comment $30 and underCarnerosChardonnayKevin VogtNapaUSA

BALDACCI

SORELLE CHARDONNAY
2017 CARNEROS

 
2017 Baldacci Sorelle Carneros ChardonnayRevered for their lively acidity, Carneros Chardonnays also have big fruit, and plenty of structure. It’s the cooling influences from the Pacific Ocean and the San Pablo Bay that funnel through the Coastal Mountain ranges, and allow the grapes a long growing season, with temperatures cool enough to maintain acidity and structure. A great example is Baldacci’s Sorelle Chardonnay, which captivated our tasting panel with tangible value. 
 
Michael Baldacci works closely with Ricardo Herrera to craft balanced wines with sense of place, and that are varietally sound. Ricardo gained invaluable experience over the years at icons Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Dominus, and Screaming Eagle…
 
The 2017 vintage arose from Baldacci’s Honey B Vineyard in Carneros, which is farmed by Josh Clark, one of wine country’s most sought after viticulturists whose clients include icons Outpost, Hourglass, and Kinsella. The wine was barrel-aged, and is rich and inviting, with stunning natural acidity and a mouth-quenching freshness.
 
BALDACCI
SORELLE CHARDONNAY
2017 CARNEROS
Retails at: $40
 
 
“Tango. In perfect unison, the oak and fruit support each other without either dominating. Aromas of honey, tangerine peel, fresh oak and pineapple complement the taste of caramel-covered apple, slight hints of cool rock and a beautiful finish of vanilla. The weight of this Chardonnay matches well with full orchestra salads!”
2015 Leto Cellars Mt Veeder Cabernet Franc

2015 Leto Mt Veeder Cabernet Franc

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet FrancKevin VogtMt VeederNapaUSA

LETO

CABERNET FRANC
2015 MT VEEDER

2015 Leto Cellars Mt Veeder Cabernet Franc
If Napa Valley Cabernet is gold, then Cabernet Franc is platinum, due to its scarcity and cult following. There’s around twenty times as much Cabernet Sauvignon planted in Napa Valley, and on average, Cabernet Sauvignon grapes sell for less than Cabernet Franc. The coveted grape is revered for its stunning power, concentration, delineation, and mouthwatering acidity. Leto’s 2015 Mt Veeder Cabernet Franc, which retails at $78, is simply brilliant. What’s left of this 50 case production is going to fly.
 
Leto sourced their 2015 Cabernet Franc from a single-vineyard perched at 1,100 feet elevation on Mount Veeder. They chose this site for the incredible volcanic soils and vines that yield small, powerful berries with intense flavor. 
 
Mt Veeder is the coolest Mountain in Napa, which allows the grapes to have a longer hang-time so they can develop into something majestic. With a production of only 50 cases, you might want to keep this one secret, at least until you get your case.
 
LETO
CABERNET FRANC
2015 MT VEEDER
Retails at: $78
 
 
 
“The Leto Cellars Mount Veeder Cabernet Franc 2015 begins with a beautiful nose of red cherries, fresh sage leaf, Spring lavender, and Italian glove leather. On the palate, it is vibrant, with penetrating red cherries, black licorice, nutrient-rich earth, with sweet vanilla oak and spice box, and a gorgeous, lingering finish. Drink now through 2028.” 93 Points
2017 Hunter Glenn Napa Valley Proprietary Red

2017 Hunter Glenn Napa Valley Proprietary Red

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

HUNTER GLENN

PROPRIETARY RED
2017 NAPA VALLEY

2017 Hunter Glenn Napa Valley Proprietary RedWith roots in Sonoma County and a shop in Yountville, we meet our fair share of farmers that produce a small amount of their own wine… So when Jeffrey Shifflett, Jr. pulled up to our weekly tasting in his farm truck, we were looking forward to trying the wines. When he placed them on the table, the sleek packaging was a bit of a surprise, but when the wines hit the glass, we realized that he wasn’t just a farmer, but an incredibly gifted winemaker.

The Shifflett family’s ranch neighbors icons Dominus and Trethefen, and the vines lie in the shadow the Mayacamas Mountain range, in an area that has a micro-climate that’s cooler than further up Valley. The 2017 proprietary red was built around a core of Cabernet Sauvignon that’s enhanced with Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

Based on the sheer quality of the wine, we knew Jeff must have mentored under some outstanding winemakers. As it turns out, Jeff worked harvest in Australia before spending time at both Cakebread and Elyse wineries. At $40, I guarantee you’ll be stunned by the quality…

HUNTER GLENN
PROPRIETARY RED
2017 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $45

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“In the glass the wine showcases our signature color, dark ruby, like polished Garnet. Aromas of cedar, baking spices and vanilla hint at the restrained use of oak, followed by cherries and sarsaparilla. The first sip bursts with red fruit, cherry cola, and hints of violet. Subtle tannins integrate with fruit on the palate, leading to a long and pleasing finish.” 90 Cases Produced

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
2016 Hill Family Barrel Blend Napa Valley Proprietary Red

2016 Hill Family Barrel Blend Napa Valley Proprietary Red

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

HILL FAMILY

BARREL BLEND
2016 NAPA VALLEY

2016 Hill Family Barrel Blend Napa Valley Proprietary Red
One of the key elements that I look for in a wine is complexity, and Hill Family’s Barrel Blend has that and more. It’s a blend of nearly a dozen grape varieties and encompasses eight unique vineyards. Of course, complexity isn’t anything without balance. Fortunately for us, the blend was constructed by winemaker Alison Green Doran who worked under Andre Tchelistcheff at her father’s Simi winery and was also the winemaker at Lewis Cellars. It’s remarkably balanced and a stunning value at under $30.
 
Alison constructed the 2016 Barrel Blend around a core of 41% Merlot that’s heightened with ten other varieties. Each varietal plays harmoniously on the palate and fills in where others fall short, adding layers of flavors, textures, and aromas to the final blend. 
 
The winemaking team carved this 2016 vintage red from eight carefully chosen vineyards ranging from the valley floor to 1,200 feet elevation, and it comes from a vintage that the Wine Spectator ranks as the best since 1997. If you’re on the lookout for a charming, individualistic, complex red that won’t break the bank, this one is for you.
 
HILL FAMILY
BARREL BLEND
2016 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at $32
 
Your Price: $29.99 
 
“Coming from multiple vineyards in the valley and mostly Merlot, the 2016 Barrel Blend offers loads of kirsch and blackberry fruits as well as complex spice and tobacco characteristics. It’s forward, charming, and straight-up delicious, and ideal for drinking over the coming 8-10 years.” 89 Points
 
“Hill Family’s 2016 Merlot-based Barrel Blend is big, juicy and full of up-front appeal. I would prefer to drink it on the early side in order to get the most out of the wine’s succulence and vibrant, racy fruit.”  89 Points
2017 Vista Rutherford Proprietary Red Blend

2017 Vista Rutherford Proprietary Red Blend

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtNapaProprietary RedRutherfordUSA

VISTA

2017 RUTHERFORD
PROPRIETARY RED

 
2017 Vista Rutherford Proprietary Red Blend
Being part of a wine brand that’s shattering records and has everybody talking is a great feeling, and VISTA has inspired more gushing comments and endless re-orders than any wine that we’ve featured, period. This wine is a $23 Rutherford Blend that tastes like it should cost many times its price, and if you haven’t opened one lately, I bet you’ll be shocked by how great it is now. We bought every bottle available and we’re now nearly out of the 2017 vintage, so this will likely be the last opportunity to stock up on this record-setting red.  
 
The 2017 originates from Rutherford, an area long celebrated for its exceptional terroir and dusty tannins, this wine embodies many of the hallmarks that I look for in Rutherford Cabernet. The blend is predominately Cabernet Sauvignon, heightened with Merlot and Cabernet Franc, and the 2017 vintage saturates your palate in seductive red berries laced with dried lavender, red currants, iron, and Rutherford dust. 
 
The unparalleled value and unrestrained demand for this wine has been solely due to its vastly overdelivering and mimicking many of the same qualities that you’d expect in much higher-end Rutherford wines. The focused, penetrating red fruits, superb richness and classic Rutherford dust characteristics make it irresistible, and unexpectedly great for this modest price.
 

VISTA
2017 RUTHERFORD
PROPRIETARY RED

Your Price: $23
 
 
“Scintillating aromas of fresh blackberries, tart red currants, cocoa powder and vanilla spice. The palate is dense, rich and powerful with a beautiful combination of bright red fruit characteristics that perfectly intertwine with deep black fruits including blueberry compote, crushed black raspberries, ripe red plum, baking spices and bittersweet chocolate. Intense and penetrating, this wine displays concentrated, powerful fruit with a gorgeous center core that finishes with a long, focused finish and slightly dusty tannins.”  92-95 Points Kevin M. Vogt, Master Sommelier
2016 Ramey Napa Valley Claret

2016 Ramey Napa Valley Claret

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

RAMEY

2016 CLARET
NAPA VALLEY2016 Ramey Napa Valley Claret

When one of the greatest American winemakers, with 40 years experience and more accomplishments than we can list, releases his version of a Claret style blend that’s made with a goal of exemplifying the best of qualities of Napa Valley terroir in a given vintage, I pay close attention… When that particular vintage ranks as the highest rated since 1997, according to the Wine Spectator Vintage Report, you might as well skip down to the order button.

Claret is a British term used to describe a red blend made from the top 5 most classic Bordeaux varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Ramey’s 2016 Claret includes 4 of the top 5 Bordeaux grapes, forged from a vast selection of Appellations in Napa Valley.

David Ramey is one of the great pioneers in the California wine industry, and throughout his career, he’s helped put many iconic wineries on the map including Dominus, Rudd Estate and Jericho Canyon. His Napa Valley Claret is made in a round, supple style that’s abundantly complex, deep and layered. With solid scores from many of the top critics in the Country, I wouldn’t hesitate to secure your case.

RAMEY
2016 CLARET
NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $42

Your Price: $39.99

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Wine Enthusiast: “This blends a majority of Cabernet Sauvignon with 26% Merlot, 12% Malbec, 8% Syrah and 2% Petit Verdot. Together, they interweave into a cohesive whole of clove, black pepper and meaty intensity and integrated oak. Soft and round on the palate, it pleases at an unbelievable price.” 92 Points

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate: “…Medium to deep ruby-purple, it offers aromas of bay leaf, sage brush, cardamom, anise and clove with mint chocolate, underbrush, blackberries and blackcurrants. It’s medium to full-bodied, rounded and easygoing in the mouth, with gentle, grainy tannins and great freshness to lift the finish. It would be all too easy to glug a bottle of this “luncheon Cab,” as David Ramey calls it.” 91 Points

Jeb Dunnuck: “This medium-bodied, silky, nicely textured red offers notes of ripe black cherries, currants, and assorted tobacco and herbal notes, and it’s textured and balanced. Drink it over the coming decade.” 90 Points

2015 Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Pre-release)

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

SILVER OAK

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2015 NAPA VALLEY

Silver Oak has dominantly defined the space for high quality domestic Cabernet Sauvignon over the past 4 decades. They’re one of the most recognizable names across the globe in premium level Cabernet Sauvignon from the New World, and the upcoming release of the 2015 Napa Valley epitomizes the distinctive Silver Oak style that’s made them so revered. 
 
Bursting on the scene, the remarkable 2015 vintage was the fourth straight drought-influenced growing season, and one that produced stunningly high quality fruit, but incredibly low yields.  The 2015 Napa Valley Cabernet reveals beautiful focus that’s supported by silky tannins that slowly reveal layer after layer of crushed blackberry, wild raspberries, tea leaves, clove, black chocolates and hints of pepper. 
With allocations at the lowest that they’ve been in years, the only challenge to this vintage will be having enough available to satisfy demand…  
 
Released February 1st, 2020
 
SILVER OAK
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2015 NAPA VALLEY
 
Pre-Release Price:  $125/btl
 
Winery Notes: “Our 2015 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has a deep, rich red color with a purple rim.  A robust wine with an assertive and alluring attach, it has notes of strawberry, cigar and tea leaves with a touch of black pepper and clove.  A mouthwatering mid-palate of raspberry is followed by an expressive and bright finish.  With lush and silky tannins, this age worthy wine will show beautifully through 2038 given proper cellaring conditions.”
2018 TOR Carneros Napa Valley Chardonnay

2018 TOR Carneros Napa Valley Chardonnay

with No Comment $50-$60CarnerosChardonnayKevin VogtNapaUSA

TOR

2018 CHARDONNAY
CARNEROS, NAPA VALLEY

2018 TOR Carneros Napa Valley ChardonnayIf you enjoy some of California’s top Chardonnays, and you want to find one at an obtainable price, TOR’s 2018 Carneros Chardonnay is for you. When you read below about the origins of the grapes, and then consider that they’re paired with the immeasurable talents of winemaker Jeff Ames, you might just decide to skip right down to the order button…

Tor’s 2018 Chardonnay is a barrel selection from Steve Beresini’s heritage vines, Larry Hyde’s world-renowned Carneros fruit, and the iconic Durell Vineyard in Sonoma, and any one of these three sites could be considered one of California’s Grand Cru Vineyards.

All three sites were hand-harvested separately, and at their individual optimum ripeness before being pressed directly into small French oak barrels, where winemaker Jeff Ames was then able to identify and capture the best qualities from each vineyard, and harmonize them into something absolutely remarkable.

TOR
2018 CHARDONNAY
CARNEROS, NAPA VALLEY

Your Price: $55/btl

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Winery Notes: “This wine is from three historic Chardonnay vineyards, the sum of this winemaker’s selection is greater than its parts. Steve Beresini’s thirty-year-old, dry-farmed heritage vines gives depth and texture, Hyde Vineyard’s wind-cooled topography gives minerality and precision, Durell vineyard contributes richness and opulence. 470 cases made.” 94 Points ~ International Wine Report