2018 Arietta Quartet Proprietary Red

2018 Arietta Quartet Proprietary Red

with No Comment $60-$70CarnerosCoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUncategorizedUSA

ARIETTA 

2018 QUARTET 
PROPRIETARY RED
 
2018 Arietta Quartet Proprietary Red
Arietta’s specialty is harmoniously balanced Bordeaux-style blends created from top vineyards in Napa Valley. They gain inspiration for their wine from music and believe that great wines should sing with balance, vibrancy, and depth. They’re able to achieve this with the proper instruments (super-premium grapes) and the help of gifted composer/winemaker Andy Erickson. Andy made Screaming Eagle from 2005 through 2010, and he also makes Mayacamas, which in the last two consecutive vintages ranked #2 and #4 on Wine Spectator Top 100. At 95 points and under $100, don’t miss Arietta’s 2018 Quartet.   
 
Cabernet Sauvignon takes center stage in the 2018 Quartet, followed by Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petite Verdot. They finely tuned this wine for 20 months in oak, and it makes a grand entrance from one of Napa Valley’s most exceptional vintages. 
 
The winery sources fruit from Meteor and Two Belles Farms in Coombsville, and in Carneros, they call on Lee Hudson’s renowned vineyard. If you’re looking for a stunningly complex and deeply hedonistic blend to add to your cellar, this one is singing.
 
ARIETTA 
2018 QUARTET 
PROPRIETARY RED
Retails at: $75
 
Your Price: $69.99
 
 
“This blends 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot into a cohesive whole of complex structure and grace. Cedar, pencil shavings, iron and crushed rock provide a savory foundation complemented by lush richness in the form of dense blueberry, dark chocolate and nutmeg…”
95 Points
2018 Jon Nathaniel Bodacious Proprietary Red

2018 Jon Nathaniel Bodacious Proprietary Red

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

JON NATHANIEL

2018 BODACIOUS
PROPRIETARY RED

2018 Jon Nathaniel Bodacious Proprietary Red
Veteran winemakers John and Nat Komes established Jon Nathaniel winery to recapture their creative freedom. They hand-craft each wine with the highest standards of excellence and meticulously select fruit from small parcels that they’ve farmed for decades. John founded Flora Springs winery in the late 70s and helped pioneer barrel fermentation, lees stirring, the use of French and American oak barrels, and proprietary blends in Napa Valley. Nat previously oversaw operations at Flora Springs for nearly 20 years, and together they craft this incredible, high-scoring blend. 
 
This wine gets its name from the iconic rodeo bull, Bodacious, known as The World’s Most Dangerous Bull. The wine Bodacious presents in a larger-than-life, expressive style that captures the winemaker’s creativity and vision for crafting a wine that tells a powerful tale of the vintage and the care that went into it. 
 
They cellared the 2018 release for around 20 months in barrel, and now, right out of the bottle, it’s supple, rich, and inviting. Winemakers Nat and Jon created the 2018 Bodacious by artfully blending Malbec and Petite Verdot, and the sheer quality of this wine is no bull.
 
JON NATHANIEL
2018 BODACIOUS
PROPRIETARY RED
Retails at: $60
 
Your Price: $36
 
 
“the 2018 Red Blend Bodacious checks in as equal parts Malbec and Petit Verdot, all from the Napa Valley. A big, inky, ruby/purple color is followed by rich notes of ripe blackcurrants, blueberries, dark chocolate, scorched earth, and graphite. With sweet tannins, a dense, concentrated, medium to full-bodied style, and nicely integrated oak, this ripe, sexy 2018 can be drunk today or cellared for 10-15 years.”
93 Points
2018 Sinegal Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

2018 Sinegal Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

with No Comment $70-$80Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaSaint HelenaUSA

SINEGAL

CABERNET SAUVIGNON  
2018 ESTATE 

2018 Sinegal Cabernet Sauvignon Estate
Sinegal’s team micro-farms their tiny 9-acre vineyard, planted by renowned viticulturist Jim Barbour, with a resolute commitment to quality. Their winemaking team is on a personal level with each vine on the property, and it shows dramatically in their wines. Initially planted in the late 1800s, the vineyard is strategically positioned South of Lewelling Vineyard, along the Southwestern rim of St. Helena AVA. The area produces Bordeaux varietals of stunning quality, and here’s a terrific opportunity to try their 97 Point Cabernet. 
 
The winery’s pursuit of perfection begins in the vineyard, but it doesn’t stop there. Sinegal winemaker Ryan Knoth gained valuable experience working under the tutelage of icons David Abreu, Michel Rolland, and Fredrik Johansson at Staglin Vineyards. He also worked with Jim Barbour and Philippe Melka at Gandona Estate. 
 
The 2018 vintage was faultless and virtually uninterrupted by significant heat spikes, providing a prolonged hang-time, allowing the fruit to accumulate intense flavor and complexity. This wine highlights the vintage’s power by embellishing its best qualities with additions of Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot, all aged for 20 months in French oak.
 
SINEGAL
CABERNET SAUVIGNON  
2018 ESTATE
 
Your Price: $79.99
 
 
“The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon turned out beautifully. Rich, sumptuous and incredibly alluring, the 2018 will drink well right out of the gate. Dark red fruit, mocha, spice and licorice are some of the notes that build in the glass. I would give it a few years in bottle, or alternatively open it in advance. Aeration and the passage of time did wonders for the 2018. It spent 20 months in barrel, 85% new…”
97 Points
2017 Meyer Family Cellars Spitfire Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon

2017 Meyer Family Cellars Spitfire Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA

MEYER FAMILY CELLARS

2017 SPITFIRE OAKVILLE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON

2017 Meyer Family Cellars Spitfire Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon
Meyer Family Cellars is rooted in Napa Valley tradition, established by Justin Meyer, visionary and co-founder of Silver Oak Cellars. Justin’s son Matt and his wife Karen have worldwide winemaking experience, and together they craft this remarkable Oakville Cabernet, sourced from a coveted Oakville neighborhood. They make it in a powerfully rich, enchanting style that offers incredible value for the region. 
 
Spitfire arose from an undisclosed site near Eastern Oakville, where the Vaca Mountains converge with the Valley floor. The iron-rich, volcanic soils are nutrient deficient and force the roots deep into the earth, extracting the site’s unique terroir. 
 
Matt ages this wine for 22 months in A&K barrels, a Missouri-based cooperage owned by Silver Oak. The American oak adds intriguing spice elements which blend well with Oakville’s notoriously complex fruit.
 
MEYER FAMILY CELLARS
2017 SPITFIRE OAKVILLE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Retails at: $54
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
“After nearly three years of aging, this ’17 Oakville Cabernet has begun to demonstrate many of the fruit and aromatic characteristics we’ve come to expect. Cassis, blackberry, and red-black currant all work in ripe combination across the juicy palate, with secondary notes of cooking spice, eucalyptus, and a hint of licorice. Two years in American oak have added a complex spice box of flavors, showing cardamom and cinnamon layered in a framework of integrated oak tannins. This vineyard site continually produces wines of great polish and drinkability, making them a joy to open while still young. As always, Spitfire is made for your next steak!” 
Gold Medal, Sunset International Wine Competition
2018 Bevan Ontogeny Proprietary Red

2018 Bevan Ontogeny Proprietary Red

with No Comment $90-$100Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

BEVAN

2018 ONTOGENY
PROPRIETARY RED

2018 Bevan Ontogeny Proprietary Red
Number one on Jeb Dunnuck’s list of the Top Napa Cabernets Under $100, Russell Bevan’s 2018 Ontogeny is a barrel selection created from Tench, Sugarloaf, Harbison, Wildfoote, Saunders, and Sage Ridge vineyards. Russell produces single-vineyard Cabernets that retail for around $200 from each of those coveted sites; however, Ontogeny isn’t just the introduction to Bevans wines’ cardinal quality, but as the least expensive of his big reds, it doesn’t compromise at all in quality. 
 
2018 was a faultless growing season, virtually uninterrupted by significant heat spikes, providing a prolonged hang-time, allowing the fruit to accumulate intense flavor and complexity. The resulting wine is breathtakingly complex and irresistibly engaging. 
 
Ontogeny combines six highly expressive vineyards raised in a variety of top-level oak barrels and with a near-perfect 99 Point score and priced under $100; you can’t have too much of this in your cellar.
 
BEVAN
2018 ONTOGENY
PROPRIETARY RED
 
Your Price: $99.99
 
 
“While this cuvée is one of the least expensive in the lineup, it’s often one of my favorites. The 2018 Ontogeny is no exception and should be snatched up by readers. A classic 2018 nose of ripe, pure blue fruits, cassis, violets, and smoked earth gives way to a full-bodied, dense, concentrated Cabernet with beautiful tannins and length. It’s going to evolve for 20 years or more.”
99 Points, #1 Top Napa Cabernets Under $100
2018 Baldacci Sorelle Chardonnay Carneros

2018 Baldacci Sorelle Chardonnay Carneros

with No Comment $30 and underCarnerosChardonnayKevin VogtNapaUSA

BALDACCI

SORELLE CHARDONNAY
2018 CARNEROS

2018 Baldacci Sorelle Chardonnay Carneros
Revered for lively acidity and concentrated fruit, Carneros Chardonnays benefit from their proximity to the Pacific Ocean and San Pablo Bay. Cool air funnels through the Coastal Mountain ranges allowing the grapes a long growing season, with temperatures cool enough to maintain acidity and structure. Baldacci’s Sorelle Chardonnay perfectly reflects this phenomenon, as echoed by Jeb Dunnuck, who writes that it’s “nicely textured and has good acidity followed by a clean finish, all making for a delicious Chardonnay.” 
 
Michael Baldacci works closely with Josh Clark to farm his Carneros Vineyard to its utmost potential. Josh is a leading viticulturist whose A-list clients include Outpost, Hourglass, and Kinsella Estate, to name a few. 
 
Sorelle is barrel-aged and crafted in a full-bodied, concentrated style by Michael Baldacci and Ricardo Herrera. Ricardo gained experience at icons Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Dominus, and Screaming Eagle. The resulting wine performs at an exceptionally high-level that’s uncommon at this price.
 
BALDACCI
SORELLE CHARDONNAY
2018 CARNEROS
Retails at: $40
 
 
 
“A full-bodied, toasty white with aromas and flavors of apricot, ripe pear, smoke and apple pie. Crisp acidity and a toasty, flinty finish. Drink or hold.”
91 Points
 
“…the 2018 Chardonnay Sorelle offers an attractive, richer style that carries lots of buttered melon, white peach, and pineapple fruit notes as well as some background toastiness. It’s nicely textured and has good acidity followed by a clean finish, all making for a delicious Chardonnay to drink over the coming couple of years.”
90 Points
2017 Belle Glos Eulenloch Vineyard Pinor Noir Napa Valley

2017 Belle Glos Eulenloch Vineyard Pinor Noir Napa Valley

with No Comment $30-$40CarnerosKevin VogtNapaPinot NoirUSA

BELLE GLOS

EULENLOCH VINEYARD
2017 PINOT NOIR
NAPA VALLEY

2017 Belle Glos Eulenloch Vineyard Pinor Noir Napa Valley
Belle Glos Pinot Noirs have an extravagantly rich style that transcends varietal/category to the degree that even some Cabernet-drinkers enjoy them. Winemaker Joe Wagner crafts them with unprecedented lavish fruit and sweet oak levels, and he works to distill the essence of each vineyard and deliver it generously. His Eulenloch Pinot Noir from Napa Valley’s Carneros region is opulent, complex, and nuanced. At around $40, it’s a lot of Pinot for the price. 
 
Joe was involved in the Wagner Family wine business at an early age, taking invaluable lessons from his father, Chuck Wagner, who founded Caymus Vineyards with his father, Charlie. Joe created Belle Glos to showcase Pinot Noirs produced from noteworthy coastal wine-growing regions, and lucky for us, he recently added Eulenloch Vineyard in Napa Valley. 
 
Eulenloch Vineyard benefits from cooling influences from the Pacific Ocean via San Pablo Bay, which helps the grapes maintain acidity and structure. Joe utilizes frequent punch downs to extract color and tannins at the winery, and he controls temperature to maximize flavor.
 
BELLE GLOS
EULENLOCH VINEYARD
2017 PINOT NOIR
NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $55
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“Deep ruby red with aromas of ripe cherry, blueberry, and juicy blackberry layered with hints of cocoa and forest floor. A rich and opulent wine offering flavors of baker’s chocolate, blackberry, and sweet pipe tobacco. This wine is well rounded with supple, refined tannins and a mouthwatering, long finish.”
2016 Crowley Vineyard Cabernet Spring Mountain District

2016 Crowley Vineyard Cabernet Spring Mountain District

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaSpring MountainUSA

CROWLEY VINEYARD

2016 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
SPRING MOUNTAIN DISTRICT

2016 Crowley Vineyard Cabernet Spring Mountain District
Crowley Vineyard Cabernet checks every box from top-level winemaking to a pedigreed vineyard and a passionate proprietor. Wineries like Barnett, Behrens Family, Sherwin, and Robert Craig have all sourced their grapes because of the fruit quality and biodynamic viticulture. Stephen Tebb makes their wine, and he spent the last ten years as Director of Winemaking for Robert Craig and specializes in Mountain Terroir. 
 
The vineyard is at the top of Spring Mountain, where rocky, well-drained, red volcanic Aiken loam produces densely concentrated fruit. Stephen pulls from superior blocks and clones within the vineyard, and at the winery price of $95, it’s stunning. Of course, at our price, we can hardly keep it on the shelf. The previous vintage sold out in a single day.
 
Stephen crafts this wine using gentle and minimal handling, resulting in Crowley’s Spring Mountain Vineyard’s pure expression of the land. The 2016 release is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and spent 18 months developing French oak barrels. The wine is rocking now and will also go the distance in the cellar.
 
CROWLEY VINEYARD
2016 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
SPRING MOUNTAIN DISTRICT
Retails at: $95
 
 
 
“The Crowley Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 begins with a beautifully elegant nose including red cherries, ripe blackberries, crushed rock, spring flowers, with hints of pencil lead and gunpowder. The palate is intensely concentrated, with penetrating cassis, muddled berries, red currants, dried plums, and baking spices. It finishes with firm, dusty fruit tannins, intense focus, and great length. Drink now through 2035.”
95 Points
2017 Revana Cabernet Sauvignon Terroir Series

2017 Revana Cabernet Sauvignon Terroir Series

with No Comment $90-$100Atlas PeakCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOak KnollSt HelenaSt. HelenaUSA

REVANA 

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2017 TERROIR SERIES 

2017 Revana Cabernet Sauvignon Terroir Series
Revana Vineyards was established under the philosophy that world-class wine begins in the vineyard. They hired Jim Barbour, one of Napa Valley’s top viticulturists to manage their vineyards. In Jim’s 30+ year career he’s planted some of the greatest vineyards in Napa Valley, including; Hundred Acre, Grace Family, Amuse Bouche, Pride, and the list goes on. They elevated their wines to an even higher level when they brought in Thomas Brown as consulting winemaker. Brown is at the top of his game and is one of the dominating forces in Cabernet. Their 2017 Terroir Series Cabernet powerfully reflects the winery’s standards of excellence. 
 
Winemaker Geoff Davies, and consultant Thomas Brown created the 2017 Terroir series from three powerfully distinctive vineyards in St Helena, Oak Knoll and Atlas Peak. Each renowned site plays a magnificent role in the wines complexity and overall balance. 
 
At the winery, the fruit is meticulously sorted by hand and whole cluster fermented in small lots. Dr. Revana believes that Brown’s artfully restrained approach to winemaking allows for a pure expression of Cabernet, and his attention to every detail results in wines of purity, depth, character and elegance.
 
REVANA 
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2017 TERROIR SERIES
Retails at: $105
 
Your Price: $99.99
 
 
“Lush and inviting, featuring a warm and silky wave of plum and blackberry sauce flavors, infused with black tea and subtle tobacco notes. Echoes of licorice root and loam run through the finish, with the fruit hanging on nicely. Drink now through 2025.”
91 Points
 
“Under the guidance of two Napa Valley legends, Vineyard Manager, Jim Barbour, and Winemaker, Thomas Rivers Brown, each vineyard block is hand-harvested, whole berry sorted and micro-fermented in small batches to maintain the individual expressions of terroir. This results in a richly textured Napa Valley Cabernet blend that is incredibly approachable upon release.”
2016 Coho Headwaters Proprietary Red

2016 Coho Headwaters Proprietary Red

with No Comment $40-$50CoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

COHO

2016 HEADWATERS
PROPRIETARY RED

2016 Coho Headwaters Proprietary Red
Coho’s motto is to swim against the flow by crafting supremely balanced wines with just enough oak and ripeness to exhibit the purity of their varietals and origin. Proprietor Gary Lipp focuses on Napa Valley’s Coombsville region and select hillside vineyards Southeast of downtown Napa where cooler temperatures enable the fruit to develop concentrated flavors at ripe sugar levels refreshing, balancing acidity. Jeb Dunnuck writes that the purity of fruit and outstanding length are what make this vintage so special, and I agree. 
 
Gary Lipp hired renowned winemaker Phillip Titus to help achieve his goal of crafting flavorful yet balanced wines. Philip has been with Chappellet for nearly 30 years and has produced some of California’s most sought-after wines. 
 
The 2016 release combines 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, with 39% Merlot from Michael Black and Barking Dog Vineyards in Coombsville and 24% Petite Verdot. After nearly two years in barrel and three more in the bottle, this wine is stunning.
 
COHO
2016 HEADWATERS
PROPRIETARY RED
Retails at: $55
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
“Rich aromas of dark plums, blackberries and blue plums here with dark chocolate and baking spices on offer. The palate has a juicy feel with fine, crisp tannins, wrapped in plenty of dark-berry and plum flavors. Drink or hold.”
93 Points
 
“… Some graphite, black fruits, scorched earth, and tobacco notes all emerge from this beauty, which has a layered, medium to full-bodied, sexy style on the palate that just begs to be drunk. With no hard edges, the purity of fruit that makes the vintage so special, and outstanding length, it’s not going to make old bones, but it unquestionably offers loads of pleasure today.”
90 Points
 
“Rich, and fruit forward, the blackberry and plum flavors announce themselves upon palate entry, while nuances of lightly roasted coffee beans and baking spices are revealed as the wine is drawn in. The long, balanced finish is a good indication of a delicious wine that will be enjoyable upon release and for an additional decade.”