Being part of a wine brand that’s shattering records and has everybody talking is always fun, and Vista turns out to be our single most popular wine we’ve ever offered… This is a $23 Rutherford Blend that tastes like it should cost many many times its price. When I first tasted this wine I was asked to estimate the retail price with no information other than what was on the label. After considering the focused and penetrating red fruits, classic Rutherford dust characteristics, and long, pleasant finish, my number was $75-$95/btl… Turns out, the intended retail was $95, had it been finished as a single vineyard Rutherford Cabernet under a different brand name. If you look for value reds from Napa Valley, I strongly recommend that you double or even triple down on this one…
Originating 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. Predominately Cabernet, heightened with Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the 2017 saturates your palate in seductive red berries laced with dried lavender, red currants, iron, and Rutherford dust. At $23 bucks this wine shatters expectations of how great a value wine can possibly be in this price.
VISTA
2017 RUTHERFORD
PROPRIETARY RED
Your Price: $23/btl
Tasting Notes: “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
2014 Liparita V Block Yountville Cabernet Sauvignon
LIPARITA
2014 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
V BLOCK, YOUNTVILLE
With the ever-growing number of new wineries in Napa Valley, sometimes it pays to re-discover a historic Estate. Liparita, originally named Liparita – La Jota is absolutely one of the oldest wine Estates in Napa Valley, with the original property on Howell Mountain dating back to 1880. In 1900 their claret earned a gold medal in Paris and another in Saint Louis in 1904. Like many other Napa Valley wineries, Liparita vanished with Prohibition and remained a ghost winery that didn’t re-open until the late 1980’s. Now, nearly 140 years after their inception, Liparita is producing stunning, classically-styled Cabernet Sauvignons and you really ought to try this one.
Conjured from a single block that’s ideally located in a benchlands vineyard in Napa Valley’s iconic Yountville AVA, the 2014 erupts from the glass with intense blackberry, red plum, pipe tobacco and dark chocolate. Kept for 21 months in oak barrels, the 2014 is made in a deep, supple style that opens up beautifully in the glass. This one is going to fly…
LIPARITA
2014 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
V BLOCK, YOUNTVILLE
Retails at: $65.00/btl
Your Price: Insider Club Members Only
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From James Suckling: “Attractive spice, walnut, earth and currant character follows through to a medium body, fresh acidity and a tangy, complex aftertaste. Fun, traditional-styled cab. Drink now or hold.” 91 Points
2016 Silver Ghost Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
SILVER GHOST
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2016 NAPA VALLEY
From a part of the world where Cabernet Sauvignon grapes average around $8,000 per ton, the list of producers that can create a quality wine at a relative value is getting more and more rare. Silver Ghost’s proprietor is well connected with handful of secret vineyard sources in Rutherford, Calistoga and Yountville which allows him to produce a killer Napa Valley Cabernet at under forty per bottle… Without divulging specifics on the vineyard names or locations, Proprietor Weston Eidson is able to offer this wine at a lower price than the quality in the bottle suggests, and once you taste it, it’ll tell you everything you need to know.
The 2016 showcases the diversity of each vineyard, with each adding its own unique character and complexity to the final blend. Cellared for around 22 months in French oak barrels, the 2016 is not only rich and concentrated, but it’s supple and smooth offering an array of crushed black fruits, chocolate covered cherries, cassis and roasted espresso. Those of you who’ve tasted Weston’s earlier vintages of Silver Ghost already know… If you haven’t tried it, I highly recommend grabbing some before it vaporizes.
Winery Notes: “Silver Ghost is a rich, full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon crafted from some of the finest vineyards in the Napa Valley. The wine is deep in color with aromas of black cherry, blueberry and cassis leaping from the glass. On the palate Silver Ghost reveals layers of red and black fruit intermingled with mocha, toast and savory spice. A sumptuous texture rounds out the long finish.” 93 Points – Tasting Panel Magazine
Customers who enjoy Silver Ghost Napa Valley Cabernet may also enjoy these two stunning value Cabs…
SAILOR’S GRAVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2016 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $40.00/btl
Your Price: $29.99/btl
With origins in Yountville, Coombsville and Oakville, the 2016 was housed in oak barrels for 22 months. In the glass the 2016 is incredibly hedonistic, with layers of rich and supple dark berries that are intermixed with black coffee, bay leaf, pipe tobacco and dark chocolate. The finish is long and expansive and makes it impossible to resist diving in for another sip… another glass and another.
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HUMANITAS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2014 PISCIS VINEYARD
Retails at: $65.00/btl
Your Price: Insider Club Members Only
Click Here to Join Our (Free) Insider’s Club & Unlock Special Offers Tasting Notes: “...The nose has a sultry opulence with pungent berry intensity followed by blueberry tart, creme de cassis, hints of bay leaf, liquid mineral and sweetened dark chocolate. The palate begins with penetrating, focused flavors of crushed blackberries and red currants, followed by secondary characteristics including wet stone, cigar box and vanilla spice...” 97 Points
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2016 Heir Apparent Cellar Selection Oakville Red
HEIR APPARENT
2016 OAKVILLE RED
CELLAR SELECTION
I love watching a brand that we’ve featured early on gain momentum, as well as earn the really high scores that they deserve… If you read Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate you’ve likely already taken notice of Heir Apparent/Grand Napa’s 2016’s, which earned monster scores including 95 Points on their Rutherford Blend. The Oakville Red is my favorite, and although unrated, we’ve experienced an expanding flow of re-orders since we first wrote about it in December. The level of value at this price-point is unlike anything else that I’ve tasted in Oakville. Some of the greatest wines produced in Napa Valley have Oakville origins, and the average price per bottle is likely higher than any other AVA in the Valley. It’s rare to find an Oakville wine at this price, the value is unmatched.
Heir Apparent’s 2016 Oakville Red seduces your senses with intense aromas of dark berries, exotic florals, minerals and hints of graphite. Calling on Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot all sourced exclusively from Oakville, the 2016 Cellar Selection offers stunning levels of pleasure, and should drink well over the next 12-15 years. I highly recommend locking up a case… You’ll be glad you did.
HEIR APPARENT
2016 OAKVILLE RED
CELLAR SELECTION
Retails at: $110/btl
Your Price: Insider Club Members Only
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Winery Notes: “Coming from the prestigious Oakville appellation, this carefully selected of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and a dash of Merlot shows firm tannins, a compact structure along with hits of black cherry, currant, plum and dark toast.“
2015 Staglin Salus Rutherford Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
STAGLIN
2015 SALUS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
RUTHERFORD, ESTATE
Raising a staggering number approaching a Billion Dollars in charitable support, Staglin is known for much more than just terrific wines… At Auction Napa Valley last year, their joint lot with Antinori brought in $1.5 million. They’ve spared absolutely no expense in their relentless pursuit of perfection, and their Rutherford Cabernets are some of the most distinct and powerfully compelling wines produced in Napa Valley. Winemaker Fredrik Johansson works closely with one of the world’s most influential winemakers Michel Rolland, as well as renowned viticulturist David Abreu, who’s planted vineyards for Harlan Estate, Colgin and Screaming Eagle to list a few… Johansson gained invaluable experience working alongside Thomas River Brown at Outpost, as well as helping with Schrader and Maybach…
Composed from Staglin’s Estate vineyard located on the Southwestern rim of Napa Valley’s renowned Rutherford AVA, this vineyard’s ideal soils and microclimate produce pristine, complex fruit. In fact, the top wines produced at the Estate go for around $285 to $335/btl… Salus represents a stupendous value for Staglin, and if you’re searching for a world-class Cabernet Sauvignon at an obtainable price… This is it.
STAGLIN
2015 SALUS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
RUTHERFORD, ESTATE
Retails at: $115.00/btl
Your Price: $99.99/btl
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Winery Notes: “The nose of focused and driven dark red and black fruits is made complex and intriguing by an overlay of earth and herbs – think tilled soil and wet, leafless wintertime trees with a sprinkle of freshly torn tobacco, pinched camphor leaves and Tellicherry peppercorns. The crystalline and concentrated palate of ripe cherries and bursting black raspberries cascades along a chiseled path of fine granulated tannins given texture and touch by notes of espresso, cocoa nibs and hazelnut butter. A bit tightly wound at present, this fine-grained gem will appreciate a brief stint in your cellar, or your decanter.”
Customers who enjoy Staglin Salus Cabernet may also enjoy these two terrific Rutherford wines…
2016 Juslyn Second Daughter Spring Mountain Estate Proprietary Red
JUSLYN
SECOND DAUGHTER
2016 PROPRIETARY RED
SPRING MOUNTAIN ESTATE
There are lots of limited release wines that the majority of wine lovers will never hear about… Juslyn’s 4 barrel production of their Second Daughter Proprietary Red is a perfect example. Juslyn is one of the top wineries in the valley, and if you follow Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, you’ve likely taken notice. They’re making high 90’s scores look easy… Their high-elevation Estate vineyard on Spring Mountain produces stunning fruit, and now consulting winemaker Angelina Mondavi is taking their winemaking to an even higher level. Angelina worked alongside Jayson Woodbridge at Hundred Acre, producing stunning wines. The 2016 Second Daughter is a ridiculously great value at it’s $65 retail price…. You may want to skip down to the order link and grab as much as you can…
Combining 58% Cabernet Sauvignon and 42% Merlot, the 2016 Second Daughter conveys all of the noble traits that make Spring Mountain so desired, with a dense core of fruit, savory spices, chocolate mint and sweet mulberries. The wine was kept in barrel for 24 months and the 2016 vintage is absolute gorgeous right now and promises another 10-12 years of enjoyment. Just don’t wait too long to secure your case…
JUSLYN
SECOND DAUGHTER
2016 PROPRIETARY RED
SPRING MOUNTAIN ESTATE
Retails at: $65.00/btl
Your Price: Insider’s Club Members Only
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Winery Notes: “Our first release of our Second Daughter. The wine is inspired by the chosen family and close ties between Perry, CJ and Stephanie, their “Second Daughter”. The unit has worked together since 2003, professionally and personally through countless ups and downs that only true family can survive. In 2010 each inked an inspiring Thai-scripted tattoo on their left forearm, meaning “Eternal Love”. Our Second Daughter is dedicated to the Juslyn family near and far, you always have our Eternal Love“
2016 Vin Perdu Napa Valley Proprietary Red
VIN PERDU
PROPRIETARY RED
2016 NAPA VALLEY
Exceptional quality in the bottle is always paramount, but there’s something extra great about a wine that exceeds expectations in terms of quality and has really cool packaging to back it up. Heidi Barrett is not only innovative in her winemaking, but she also has some of the most creative packaging too. Vin Perdu is a great example and the label actually animates as you view it from different angles, which adds another element to the drama that ensues before tasting any Heidi Barrett made wine. The 2016 is impressively deep and layered with lavish dark berries, sweet oak, spices and mocha. It’s already earned 94 points from Vinous and you might want to grab a case of it before this hologram disappears…
Arising from Amuse Bouche, Au Sommet, La Sirena, Fantesca and Barrett & Barrett vineyards, the 2016 checks in at 75% Cabernet Sauvignon blended with Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. As one of Napa Valley’s most talented winemakers, some of Heidi’s past and present clients includes Amuse Bouche, Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle, Grace Family, Revana, David Arthur and Barbour. I strongly recommend a case of this absolutely stunning Heidi Barrett made wine…
VIN PERDU
PROPRIETARY RED
2016 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $95/btl
Your Price: Insider Club Members Only
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From Vinous: “The 2016 Vin Perdu is absolutely gorgeous. In 2016, Vin Perdu is once again based on a core of Cabernet Sauvignon. Rich, ample and beautifully layered in the glass, the 2016 has a lot to recommend it. Mocha, plum, bittersweet chocolate, leather and spice meld together in a super-expressive, resonant wine from John Schwartz and Heidi Barrett. The Vin Perdu is technically the second wine of Amuse Bouche, but in many vintages I prefer it. It is one of the great values in Napa Valley wine.” 94 Points
Customers who enjoy Vin Perdu may also enjoy these two terrific Red Blends…
2015 GRO Henry Brothers Vineyard Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
GRO
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
HENRY BROTHERS VINEYARD
2015 HOWELL MOUNTAIN
One of the greatest benefits of having our shop in Yountville, is the people that we meet. The connections that we make often result in discovering great wines that are somewhat unknown in the wine world, and one of the best examples is the 2015 GRO Howell Mountain Cabernet. It’s a tiny project by Lars Bjorkman and Molly Hill. Lars’ day job is crafting the iconic Saddleback wines in Oakville where he works alongside legendary California winemaker Nils Venge. He produced a whopping 80 cases of Howell Mountain Cabernet from a vineyard next-door to Dunn… The 2015 oozes with intense mulberry, blackberry cassis, freshly ground coffee, pencil shavings and black chocolates. At $90/btl this wine competes with the best…but join our (free) Insider’s Club and unlock special offers!
This stunning interpretation of boutique Howell Mountain Cabernet showcases all of the hallmarks that make the area so desired with authoritative power, towering structure remarkable detail. Commanding a presence from one of the valley’s best vintages, one that the Wine Spectator describes as “Short crop delivered big quality surprise; rich, supple and deeply colored”, this wine is absolutely exemplarily. This wine will likely sell out in a matter of hours, so if you’d like to add some to your cellar, time is of the essence.
GRO
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
HENRY BROTHERS VINEYARD
2015 HOWELL MOUNTAIN
Retails at: $90/btl
Your Price: Insider”s Club Members Only
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Winery Notes: “The 2015 vintage from Henry Brothers Vineyard is an intense year from an intense site. Cabernet Sauvignon lovers will rejoice in this rich, inky, wine from a vintage that developed during the end of the drought years, when vines had to push through the red, volcanic soil to find water and nutrients in order to survive. Tonnage was extremely light this year, on average 10 clusters per vine, so get this wine while you can.”
Customers who enjoy Gro Howell Mountain Cabernet may also enjoy these two outstanding Cabs…
JUSLYN
2015 PERRY’S BLEND
SPRING MOUNTAIN
Retails at: $95.00/btl
Your Price: Insider’s Club Members Only
Click Here to Join Our (Free) Insider’s Club & Unlock Special Offers Click to Order From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate: “The 2015 Perry’s Blend is deep garnet-purple colored and reveals fragrant kirsch, stewed tea and rose scents with touches of sandalwood, preserved plums, blackberry pie and mulberries plus eucalyptus and tilled soil. The palate is full-bodied and boldly fruited with a firm, velvety frame and a very long, multilayered finish.” 95 Points
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LAIRD
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2014 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $60.00/btl
Your Price: $54.99/btl
From Vinous: “A rich, unctuous wine, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is sweet, layered and enveloping in feel. Dark cherry, plum, mocha, cloves and new leather are all fused together. This is an especially intense, flamboyant expression of the vintage.” 90 Points
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2016 Coup De Foudre Napa Valley Cuvee 37.2
COUP DE FOUDRE
2016 CUVEE 37.2
NAPA VALLEY
With a name like Coup de Foudre (pronounced koo dah foo drah) meaning the moment when lightning strikes, or when something unforgettable occurs that you want to capture forever, my expectations were set high… They were made even higher by knowing who’s behind the project… Coup de Foudre is owned by John Schwarts whom you might recognize from Amuse Bouche, Au Sommet, Vin Perdu and PharaohMoans. John has an eye for exceptional talent, working with the likes of Heidi Barrett, et.al. The 2016 Cuvee shattered my absolutely stratospheric expectations, starting with a unique double label design where you can peel the top layer off to keep, leaving one more below it, to a riveting bouquet and dense, polished core that’s stunningly balanced, poised and polished. At $75 this wine has everything that I look for in an Ultra Premium Napa Valley Blend.
The wine was pristinely constructed by talented winemaker Kent Jarman who perfected his craft at Kenefick Ranch Winery and Duckhorn Vineyards in the early 2000’s. This distinctive Bordeaux styled blend is built around a core of top-quality Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot. The 2016 has already earned 94 Points from Vinous and with 450 cases produced, this one most certainly won’t be available for long.
COUP DE FOUDRE
2016 CUVEE 37.2
NAPA VALLEY
Your Price: $75/btl
From Vinous: “The 2016 Merlot Cuvee 37.2 is just as good from bottle as it was from barrel. Deeply layered and yet also super-polished, the 2016 has much to recommend it. A rush of dark cherry, plum, leather, smoke, licorice, grilled herb and earthy notes abound in this beautifully resonant and expressive Merlot-based blend. Even with all of its intensity, the 2016 has terrific freshness.” 94 Points
Customers who enjoy Coup de Foudre Cuvee 37.2 may also enjoy these two terrific Red Blends…
2014 Cabaud Benedictions Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon
CABAUD
2014 BENEDICTIONS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
OAKVILLE, NAPA VALLEY
In the California wine world, the name Beckstoffer rings synonymous with quality, and the best Beckstoffer sites are the six Heritage Vineyards: To-Kalon; Missouri Hopper; Dr. Crane; George III; Las Piedras; and Bourn. Each historic site is capable of producing world-class fruit, generating many of the highest rated, most sought after wines in Napa Valley. Cabaud’s 2014 Benedictions is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vineyard in Oakville. Centered just North of the town of Yountville on the Southern end of Oakville, you might recognize this name from single-vineyard Cabernets produced by Alpha Omega, Purlieu, B. Cellars among others, but what you probably won’t see is finding a wine from this vineyard at under $100/btl… The average is more likely North of $175 per bottle and Cabaud is simply one of the best.
Finding new wines made by top producers that are somewhat unheard of, pays off big at times… Cabaud’s winemaker is Luc Morlet, whom many of you many know from his work at Peter Michael or from his own label Morlet which is raking in 100 point scores… I would estimate Morlet’s Cabs to range from $165 to around $300/btl and at $150 Cabaud is a fantastic wine… I cannot put into words how incredible this wine is. Wines of this caliber, at this price never last long… I wouldn’t hesitate to secure yours.
CABAUD
2014 BENEDICTIONS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
OAKVILLE, NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $150/btl
Your Price: Insider Club Members Only
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Tasting Notes: “A beautifully deep ruby color immediately captures your imagination of what is about to unfold… A quick swirl and sniff reveals a nose of red currants, black plum skin, wet stone, hints of English rose petals and sweet vanilla oak. Then at first sip, layers of lush red plums, dried blueberries, wild mountain blackberries combine with hints of green tea and tobacco leaf. The supple, seamless elegance and lively freshness of the red and black fruits combine with the fine-grained tannins and a beautifully balanced center core, telegraphing more than a decade of cellar life. The finish is long and powerful, yet refined and focused as well. This one will be a delight to drink for many, many years.” 96 Points