Steps 2015 Reserve Barrel Select Proprietary Red

with No Comment $40-$50Atlas PeakKevin VogtMt VeederNapaProprietary RedUSA
STEPS RESERVE
BARREL SELECT
2015 PROPRIETARY RED
Taking giant steps forward in terms of quality, but stepping back production by nearly two thirds, this is the most limited Steps Reserve wine in years.  In 2015 mother nature dealt small yields of extremely high quality fruit, and winemaker Grant Long Jr. combined only the best barrels to produce a single Steps blend this year and once sold out… It’s gone for good. Upon entry the 2015 Reserve Blend penetrates your taste buds with dreamlike intensity and all of the scrumptiously thrilling qualities and unforgettable flavors and aromas that make Steps Reserve so wondrous.  Only available at $45/btl through March 31st, I recommend securing your case as soon as possible.
Arising from Mountainous Vineyards, including Mount Veeder and Altas Peak, the 2015 is built around a core of nearly 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, heightened with Cabernet Franc and Malbec.  Simply stunning to swirl and taste, the 2015 was cave aged for nearly 24 months in high quality oak barrels.  Dramatic, thrilling and hedonistic are all excellent descriptors for the 2015 Steps Reserve and with a total production of only 150 cases, don’t let this one walk on by.
STEPS RESERVE
BARREL SELECT
2015 PROPRIETARY RED
Retails at:  $50/btl
Your Price: $45/btl Click to Order
YOU SAVE 10% (through March 31st)
+ Ground Shipping Included on ANY Full or Mixed 15-Pack
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Tasting Notes: “Rich, opulent aromas emerge laced with fresh black raspberries, chocolate covered cherries, espresso roast and a touch of sweet vanilla oak.  Penetrating, velvety flavors of crushed blackberries, black plum, minerals, kirsch and hints of roasted coffee expand across your palate as layer upon layer of complexity unfolds.  The supple yet slightly dusty tannins beautifully frame the plush fruit as it elegantly caresses your palate through the long pleasurable finish…”  Delicious now, this wine will cellar for at least 12 years.“
Cabernet Sauvignon 68% | Cabernet Franc 21% | Malbec 11%
Customers who enjoy the Steps Barrel Select may also enjoy these two outstanding Reds…
JAMES JOSEPH
2015 CABERNET FRANC
RESERVE, NAPA VALLEY
Your Price: $49.99/btl
With a total production of only 4 barrels, this rarely bottled varietal from James Josephgrabs you right from the start.  Showing surreal-like tension between Atlas Peak and Diamond Mountain terroirs, the 2015 is locked and loaded with crushed black fruits, camphor, burning embers, and black cherries, laced with volcanic minerals, graphite and crushed rock
STEPS
WINEMAKER’S RESERVE
2014 PROPRIETARY BLEND
Your Price: $49.99/btl
The 6 barrel production  Winemaker’s Reserve is heavily based in Atlas Peak, and made transparent by its striking crushed rock minerality and dusty tannins that make the area so desired.  The final blend has a solid core of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon from Atlas Peak, magnified by 14% Cabernet Franc from Kenefick Palisades Vineyard, 9% Malbec from Oakville and 5% Petit Verdot from Coombsville.

Saldo 2016 Zinfandel Prisoner Wine Co.

with No Comment $30 and underDry Creek ValleyKevin VogtNapaUSAZinfandel
SALDO
2016 ZINFANDEL
PRISONER WINE CO.
Translated from Spanish, the word Saldo means balance.  The 2016 Saldo not only balances fruit from several of California’s most renowned appellations, but it perfectly scales the focused, jammy fruit, aromatic spices and round, plush tannins.  Wonderfully alive on the palate, the 2016 expresses vibrant red fruit, crushed pepper, blueberry liqueur and cocoa dusted cherries. Winemaker Chrissy Wittmann is really showing her obvious talent in this remarkably balanced, yet full-bodied Zin, which arrives loaded with vibrancy and is layered with excitement.  A serious value, the retail price has remained nearly unchanged since their first vintage back in 2007.
Fantastic vineyards encompassing six different appellations, including fruit from famed sites like the famed Grist Vineyard in Dry Creek Valley which Turley uses in a single vineyard Zin. The 2016 Saldo provides another seamless example of California Zinfandel, thoughtfully underlining many of the best qualities from each carefully chosen vineyard and Appellation.  If you love a rich, full-bodied yet balanced California Zinfandel, here it is.
SALDO
2016 ZINFANDEL
PRISONER WINE CO.
Retails at:  $32.00/btl
Your Price: $27.99/btl Click to Order
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Winemaker Notes, “Dark ruby color with bold aromas of black licorice, black pepper, cherry, and baking spice. The entry is rich, full, and scintillating. The palate is mouthwatering and smooth with a hint of chocolate. The finish is voluptuous with soft, velvety tannins.”

 

PRISONER WINE CO.
2015 CUTTINGS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Retails at:  $55.00/btl
Your Price: $39.99/btl
Hailing from renowned sites, including Ink Grade Vineyard on Howell Mountain, Prisoner Wine Company’s Cabernet Sauvignon Cuttings is a one-of-a-kind, dramatic, ostentatious effort that oozes with otherworldly intensity, wrapped in a voluptuous, satin texture.
PRISONER WINE CO.
2016 THE PRISONER
PROPRIETARY BLEND
Retails at:  $47.00/btl
Your Price: $39.99/btl
A wine of unrestrained jubilance and infectious charm, the new 2016 Prisoner unshackles a bounty of deliciously elaborate flavors, and with even more vibrancy and determination. Having jail-break level intensity, the 2016 escapes powerfully from the glass, permeating with beautifully focused ripe cherries, wild strawberry, chocolate, and crushed violets.

Daniel 2014 Pinot Noir Grand Vent Vineyard

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtNapaPinot NoirSonoma CoastUSA
DANIEL
2014 PINOT NOIR
GRAND VENT VINEYARD
 
What makes this wine and so many of California’s best Pinot Noirs special is not what’s there, but what’s not there… What’s missing is land mass… instead of a continuous range, there is a gap between two Mountains or land masses, which creates a funnel, allowing in cool coastal air that keeps the wine’s natural acidity higher and allows the grapes to achieve their highest potential.  One prime example of this geological masterpiece is the Petaluma Gap. Wineries like Kosta-Browne, DuMOL and Sojourn all source fruit from this area, and vineyards like Gap’s Crown and Grand Vent have become notorious for producing world-class Pinot Noir grapes.  And even better, what’s also not there with this wine is the typically higher price tag that usually comes with Petaluma Gap Pinot… With savings of 50%, Daniel’s Grand Vent Pinot Noir is one of the best Pinot deals we’ve had at $29.99/btl.
 
This profound Pinot was composed by accomplished winemaker Dan Fitzgerald, who got his start working at Williams-Selyem… Created in a silky and extravagant style, remarkably deep and compelling flavors envelope your palate and bring a smile to your face.  With a total production of 90 cases, this Pinot Noir will only go to a lucky few.
 
DANIEL
2014 PINOT NOIR
GRAND VENT VINEYARD
Retails at:  $60.00/btl
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From Wine Enthusiast, “Made in tiny amounts in a light-bodied style, its vineyard site in the cool Petaluma Gap, this wine opens in earthy soapstone and sandalwood, offering an aroma of dried flowers. Delicate acidity supports a funkiness of cranberry, rhubarb and nutmeg, while a suggestion of roses lurks in the background.”
91 Points

Faust 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaRutherfordUSA
FAUST
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2015 NAPA VALLEY
A constant frontrunner in our tasting room in Yountville, Faust has become one of my go-to Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons for truly top quality wine in this price range.  Created in Quintessa’s state-of-the-art winery in Rutherford, Faust’s 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon unleashes a flurry of extravagant aromas infused with opulent black fruits, melted chocolate, graphite and intense violets.  Created from the winery’s estate vineyards in Coombsville and Rutherford, combined with additions of Atlas Peak, Mount Veeder and Howell Mountain resulting in diverse flavors that continually unfurl new components with aeration.  With a 92-94 Point score from Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, I wouldn’t hesitate too long to secure a case.
Pre-fermentation, the grapes are hand-sorted twice with full-attention to every detail.  Optimizing technology, Quintessa uses a gravity-flow method where are grapes are gently crushed on the winery roof before making their way to the fermentation room below using the force of gravity.  This provides a gentler, more grape friendly approach to winemaking and the results simply need to be tasted to be appreciated.
FAUST
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2015 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at:  $55.00/btl
Your Price: $49.99/btl Click to Order
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From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, “A barrel sample, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon is deep garnet-purple colored, with a decadent cassis, baked blackberries and plum preserves-scented nose, plus hints of spice cake, cedar and Marmite toast. Full-bodied, rich, concentrated and wonderfully spicy in the mouth, it has velvety tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long.” 92-94 Points
Customers that enjoy Faust’s Napa Valley Cabernet may also enjoy these two terrific wines from Quintessa… 
ILLUMINATION
2016 SAUVIGNON BLANC
BY QUINTESSA
Retails at:  $50.00/btl
Your Price: $39.99/btl
With a striking bouquet that is one of the most penetrating and intense from any Sauvignon Blanc I’ve ever experienced, spotlighting vivid passionfruit, exotic mango, zesty tangerine, caramelized grapefruit and sweet floral, Quintessa’s 2016 Illumination is exceptionally bright and full of energy. This wine guaranteed to brighten any occasion…
QUINTESSA
2014 PROPRIETARY RED
RUTHERFORD, NAPA VALLEY
Your Price: $174.99/btl
From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, “… A beautiful floral, black raspberry and blackcurrant nose soars from this dense ruby/purple wine. Medium-bodied, beautifully rich and layered, the emphasis is on discreet yet intense flavors, power allied with elegance, and wonderfully supple, lush tannins. This wine has great balance, purity, and presence on the palate and should evolve beautifully for two decades or more…“
 94 Points

Witchery 2015 Reserve Two Barrel Production Howell Mountain

with No Comment $80-$90Cabernet SauvignonHowell MountainKevin VogtNapa
WITCHERY RESERVE
2015 HOWELL MOUNTAIN
TWO BARREL PRODUCTION
Great things can come from a steadfast focus on your core strengths and attributes. Witchery epitomizes this and with their 2015 vintage they’ve scaled back production by nearly two thirds, producing only limited quantities of their three flagship wines, Howell Mountain, Oakville and Proprietary Red.  The two barrel production of their Howell Mountain Reserve casts spells of rich and enchanting flavors of mystic dark berries, crushed rock, violets and black cherry.  With the micro-production and macro quality, there will be a lot of people on the hunt for their most limited Howell Mountain Cuvée…
Held captive for nearly two years in new French oak barrels… this towering, prodigious effort emanates with majestic levels of boysenberry, roasted coffee beans, and cigar box.  This truly top-level Howell Mountain wine shouldn’t be missed and for those of you who’ve tasted any of Witchery’s wines over the years… no other information is needed other than here’s another brilliant wine from a producer that we adore. If you place your order on our website, you’ll need code witchery89 to unlock this bewitching price.
WITCHERY RESERVE
2015 HOWELL MOUNTAIN
TWO BARREL PRODUCTION
CABERNET SAUVIGNON BLEND
Retails at:  $125/btl
Your Price: $89/btl Click to Order
YOU SAVE 28%
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Tasting Notes: “Saturating your glass with a mystic blue/black color; Aromas of wild blueberries, black cherry, graphite and violets leap from the glass.  Across the pallet intense blue and black fruits give way to the spices notes of pipe tobacco and toasty oak.  Classic Howell Structure with chewy rich tannins that leave you wanting another sip.”

 

Customers who enjoy Witchery’s Howell Mountain Reserve Blend, may also enjoy these two stunning wines… 
WITCHERY
2015 RESERVE
PROPRIETORS BLEND
Retails at:  $75.00/btl
Your Price: $54.99/btl
This tiny 100 case production blend is incredibly intriguing.  A superior blend emanating from top vineyards on Spring and Diamond Mountains, as well as Oakville, the 2014 emanates from the glass with alluring crushed blueberries, blackberry liquor, hints of mocha and spring flowers.
WITCHERY RESERVE
2015 OAKVILLE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Retails at:  $110/btl
Your Price: $89/btl
Transcending what you may have thought possible from this hallowed ground… Witchery’s  spellbinding  Oakville Cabernet emerges from a vineyard that sits directly South of Opus One.  It flaunts a vivid perfume, accented by majestic levels of blackberry fruit, intertwined with white chocolate, espresso and seductive blue fruits.

Grand Napa 2015 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapa
GRAND NAPA 
2015 RESERVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
 
Grand Napa’s 2015 Reserve Cabernet is a perfect example of what we strive to offer you with our Saturday emails.  At the $85 retail price, this wine will bring a smile to your face, but at $39.99 it’s an absolute “must have.”  We painstakingly taste (tough job but someone has to do it,) more than 70 wines each week, searching for incredible bottles with even more incredible discounts.  Grand Napa’s 2015 Reserve Cabernet lures you in with a dramatic aromatic performance laced with candied red berries, espresso roast, blackberry, camphor, dark chocolate and dried violets.
 
This silky wine is rich, compact, and created in a style that you’ll love right out of the bottle, yet has the structure to go for more than a decade.  Composed of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petite Verdot and additions of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, this wine cascades across your palate and is wrapped with velvety tannins.  Don’t wait too long to secure a case.
 
GRAND NAPA
2015 RESERVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Retails at:  $85.00/btl
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(Upgrade your 15-Pack to UPS 3-DAY AIR for $39, Available in select States)
Winery Notes: “Black Cherry and cranberry flavors are complimented by caramelized oak and Christmas spices. A bright beam of red plum persists through the finish.“
 
Cabernet Sauvignon 82% | Petit Verdot 10% | Cabernet Franc 5% | Merlot 3%

Vin Perdu 2015 Proprietary Red

with No Comment $70-$80Kevin VogtNapaProprietary Red
VIN PERDU
PROPRIETARY RED
2015 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 great packaging to back it up.  Heidi Barrett is not only innovative in her winemaking, but she also has some of the most creative wine labels, and particularly with the 2015 Vin Perdu. The label changes as you view it from different angles making it stand out even more.  The wine is impressively deep and layered in lavish dark berries, sweet oak, minerals and milk chocolate.  It’s already earned 94 points from James Suckling and you might want to grab a case of it before this hologram disappears.
Arising from Amuse Bouche, Au Sommet, La Sirena and Fantesca vineyards, the 2015 is nearly 50% Cabernet Franc blended with Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.  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
2015 NAPA VALLEY
Your Price:  $74.99/btl Click to Order
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“…dense, powerful and beautifully textured in the glass. Dark red cherry, plum, mocha, leather, licorice and sweet spices wrap around the palate. Supple and pliant, the Vin Perdu is super expressive.”

92 Points

 “I love the tension and chewiness to this young wine with blackberries, licorice and minerals. Full bodied, firm tannins and a fresh finish. So balanced.”

94 Points

 

 
Customers who enjoy Vin Perdu’s Proprietary Red may also enjoy these two terrific Heidi Barrett made wines…
PARADIGM
2013 OAKVILLE ESTATE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Your Price: $79.99/btl
Filling the glass with a divine and exotic tapestry, intertwined with intense black cherries, dark chocolate covered blackberries, espresso and classic Oakville minerality.  This absolutely stunning wine made by Heidi Barrett comes from the Oakville AVA of Napa Valley, an area widely considered the epicenter of Grand Cru quality Cabernet Sauvignon.  Paradigm’s Oakville neighbors include icons, Dominus, Harlan Estate, Opus One, To-Kalon and Martha’s Vineyard…
LA SIRENA
PIRATE TREASURED
2014 PROPRIETARY BLEND
Your Price: $64.99/btl
Wine doesn’t always have to be serious to be great… This wine is both fun and great at the same time, and it was authored by the ever Iconic winemaker Heidi Barrett. Heidi’s list of past and present clients includes Amuse Bouche, Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle, Grace Family, Revana, David Arthur and  Barbour. In 2000 Heidi made history at the Napa Valley Wine Auction when a single 6L bottle of ’92 Screaming Eagle sold for a record $500,000.

Le Pich 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $50-$60Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapa
LE PICH
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2015 NAPA VALLEY
 
It feels good to be on the leading edge of a fledgling brand that’s soared into something as special as Le Pich and Purlieu.  We first introduced their inaugural 2009 vintage back in 2012 and we never stopped singing their praises.  As the second label for Purlieu, a rising cult producer whose Cabernets range $95-$200/btl, Le Pich delivers a amazingly high level of quality, without the lofty price tag that often comes with it.  This phenomenal Napa Cab is made by Julien Fayard, who learned his craft at Chateau Lafite Rothschild.  Julien then gained valuable, first-hand experience as Director of Winemaking for Philippe Melka at elite Napa Valley producers like Lail, Gemstone, Hundred Acre, Vineyard 29, and Mastery…
 
Kicking things up a notch or two in terms of quality, the 2015 Le Pich is gorgeously concentrated, dramatic and wonderfully expressive.  Drawing from several celebrated regions throughout Napa Valley, each vineyard and unique micro-climate elevates the final complex blend.  The net result is that Le Pich is one of our best selling brands of all times, for good reason.  I strongly recommend a case… you can thank me later.
 
LE PICH
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2015 NAPA VALLEY
Your Price: $54.99/btl Click to Order
+ Ground Shipping Included on ANY Full or Mixed 15-Pack
(Upgrade your 15-Pack to UPS 3-DAY AIR for $39, Available in select States)
From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate:
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Le Pich has expressive black and red currants notes with kirsch, spice box, earth and unsmoked tobacco notions. Medium-bodied, soft, supple, open and singing, the palate provides plenty of juicy fruit and a satisfying finish.
92 Points

Customers that would enjoy the Le Pich 2015 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, may also enjoy these two terrific Cabs…
POST PARADE
2014 STRETCH DRIVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
Retails at:  $65.00/btl
Your Price: $59.99/btl 

Stretching the boundaries in just the third vintage, you’ll find this rising-star wine company and soon to be cult-classic producer in the winner’s circle after every race.  The Post Parade wines have gotten more profound with each vintage.  A pacesetter in the under seventy price bracket, Stretch Drive is the second wine produced at Post Parade, and oo
zes with provocative dark berries laced with crushed rock, cocoa and baking spices.  It’s made by Thomas Rivers Brown, whom you may recognize from Schrader, Revana, GTS, Maybach, Gemstone and Outpost…
AMAPOLA CREEK
2014 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
ESTATE, SONOMA VALLEY
Retails at:  $90.00/btl
 
From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, “…Containing 7% Petit Verdot, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Vineyard has a deep garnet-purple color and youthfully reticent nose, offering glimpses at blackberry and black plum notes over pencil shavings, garrigue, lavender and Mediterranean herbs. Full-bodied and packed with black fruits and earthy flavors, it is built like a brick house with a solid frame of firm, ripe tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long.” 
 
 
 93-95 Points

Vandela 2015 Miramis

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedRedsUSA
VANDELLA
2015 MIRAMIS
PROPRIETARY RED
 
Vandella marries old and new in a way that makes this wine truly unique and something that I want to show you more of in 2018. Old are the 130 year old, dry farmed Mourvedre Vines and new is the young and passionate winemaker who by happenstance we discovered last year.  Defined by a surreal presence on the palate, the winemaker creates a single, unique wine each vintage, allowing the land to determine the direction of the blend.  Literally harvesting every grape himself, this fusion of Rhone and Portuguese varietals saturates your palate with vivid and intense dark fruits, autumn spices, crushed violets, dark chocolate, licorice and plum.
 
When Aaron was tilling the vineyard, he unearthed a cast iron harvest ghost from the 1800’s which is pictured on the front label. Mourvedre leads the way this vintage at 65% of the final blend and was sourced from the Enz Vineyard, located adjacent from the Mt. Harlan AVA, made famous by Calera.  The vines were planted in the 1880’s and produce fruit of otherworldly depth and character.  The 2015 was kept 18 months in barrel and is stunningly good right now.  This is an absolutely killer bottle of wine at it’s $48 retail price. 100 cases made…
 
VANDELLA
2015 MIRAMIS
PROPRIETARY RED
Retails at:  $48.00/btl
+ Ground Shipping Included on ANY Full or Mixed 15-Pack
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Winery Notes: “Old vine Mourvedre from the legendary “Enz Vineyard” planted in 1887. This dry-farmed heritage vineyard still exists on it’s original rootstock, and produces naturally low yields and exceptional fruit concentration. The resulting wine is remarkably focused, with perfect tannic structure, balanced acid, and aromas of raspberry sorbet, violets, caramelized sugar, and Lavender.”
65% Mourvedre |  25% Touriga Nacional | 10% Syrah