Elegant Rioja wine bottle from Marques De Murrieta 2021 vintage.

2021 Marques De Murrieta Reserva Rioja Spain

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtRiojaSpainTempranillo

Marqués De Murrieta

Reserva Rioja
Rioja, Spain 2021

Elegant Rioja wine bottle from Marques De Murrieta 2021 vintage.

With double 96-point scores, the 2021 Marqués de Murrieta enters the glass with an assured presence shaped by more than a century and a half of intent. Founded in 1852 by Luciano de Murrieta, the estate helped define Rioja’s identity, translating the discipline of Bordeaux into a distinctly Spanish voice. In this vintage, that legacy feels fully realized, where precision and heritage align to shape a wine of both weight and composure.

At its core is the Finca Ygay estate in Rioja Alta, where elevation, exposure, and soil diversity bring structure and focus to Tempranillo. A climate tempered by Atlantic influence allows the fruit to ripen fully while preserving its natural acidity, establishing the balance that defines the wine from the outset.

Time completes the composition. With aging, the wine gains nuance without losing its line, as fruit, oak, and structure resolve into a seamless whole. Few wines deliver such a complete expression of place, history, and craft, standing not only as a benchmark, but as a lasting reference point for Rioja.

Marqués De Murrieta
Reserva Rioja
Rioja, Spain 2021

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“Even more outstanding than the 2020, the incredibly priced 2021 Reserva is young in boisterous blue fruit, with a generous, full-bodied palate of richness and upfront power. The tannins add length and breadth to the wine, which is tasting great and could go another 10-15 years.”

96 Points

2022 Saddleback Zinfandel Calistoga Napa Valley

2022 Saddleback Zinfandel Calistoga Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50CalistogaKevin VogtNapaUSAZinfandel

Saddleback

Zinfandel 2022
Calistoga, Napa Valley

2022 Saddleback Zinfandel Calistoga Napa Valley

Calistoga Zinfandel takes on a deeper, more resonant voice in the 2022 Saddleback Cellars offering, where old vines translate warmth and intensity into depth and composure. The fruit arrives with presence, carried by a steady sense of control that shapes power into structure, revealing a wine defined by precision, balance, and composed authority.

The foundation lies in carefully selected old-vine sites in Calistoga, where smaller yields concentrate flavor while preserving energy. These mature vines bring layered depth, capturing both the warmth of the valley floor and the lift that defines the region at its best. This interplay gives the wine its sense of movement, where richness and freshness exist in seamless alignment.

What emerges is a Zinfandel of striking precision, its structure holding firm from the first impression through a long, composed finish. That control reflects the influence of Nils Venge, who has spent decades shaping wines that balance power with poise. That legacy comes through in every detail in this release, directing intensity into a form that feels both enduring and complete.

Saddleback
Zinfandel 2022
Calistoga, Napa Valley
Retails at: $56

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“Plump and brooding, with deep and ripe blackberry, cassis, licorice and toasty spice flavors that finish with briary tannins. Drink now through 2032. 782 cases made.”

92 Points

2024 Raen Pinot Noir Royal St. Robert Cuvee

2024 Raen Pinot Noir Royal St. Robert Cuvee

with No Comment $70-$80Kevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaSonoma Coast

Raen

Pinot Noir 
Royal St Robert Cuvée
Sonoma Coast 2024

2024 Raen Pinot Noir Royal St. Robert Cuvee

Raen’s Royal St. Robert Cuvée Pinot Noir captures the Sonoma Coast with striking definition, where tension, lift, and depth converge in exact proportion. From the first impression, it feels deliberate, shaped by an uncompromising focus on site and carried with a balance that is immediately apparent.

Drawn from the far Sonoma Coast, the vineyards exist in constant dialogue with the Pacific. Wind, fog, and shifting light shape each day of the growing season, slowing ripening and preserving the wine’s natural tension. The freshness and purity are inherent. Every detail, from aromatics to texture, traces back to a landscape that defines the wine at every level.

In the cellar, that same focus guides each step forward. Gentle extraction captures detail without forcing it, while élevage frames the wine without pulling it away from its origin. The texture moves seamlessly, with depth and energy carried together with precision. It finishes the way it begins, composed, focused, and lingering, leaving a lasting impression that feels both complete and unmistakably tied to place.

Raen
Pinot Noir 
Royal St Robert Cuvée
Sonoma Coast 2024

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“Spellbinding aromas of rose petals, strawberries, citrus and bark, with hints of lemongrass. Medium-bodied, tight and structured, this offers a captivating combination of linear intensity and calmness, so classy and sophisticated. A continued benchmark for American pinot noir. Drink or hold.”

99 Points

2024 Far Niente Chardonnay Napa Valley

2024 Far Niente Chardonnay Napa Valley

with No Comment $50-$60ChardonnayCoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaUSA

Far Niente

Chardonnay 2024
Napa Valley

2024 Far Niente Chardonnay Napa Valley

Defined by control and guided by grace, Far Niente’s 2024 Chardonnay achieves richness and precision in equal measure. It feels sculpted, its cool-climate origins articulated through vibrant acidity and a firm mineral spine. By forgoing malolactic fermentation, the wine preserves a crystalline edge, allowing the estate’s proprietary “Charlemagne” selection to reveal layered texture with focus.

Rooted in Coombsville’s gravelly loam and volcanic ash soils, it carries a mineral tension that grounds its generosity. These well-draining sites promote slow ripening, building depth while safeguarding natural acidity. The wine broadens across the palate, then narrows with purpose, finishing long and composed, its architecture as deliberate as its texture.

Balance is the defining signature. Acidity remains vivid, fruit precise, oak integrated rather than pronounced. Nothing dominates; everything aligns. The 2024 does not chase opulence. It relies on proportion, site, and discipline to create a Chardonnay that is confident, structured, and enduringly compelling.

Far Niente
Chardonnay 2024
Napa Valley
Retails at: $76

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“The Far Niente 2024 Napa Valley Chardonnay captivates with an elegance and freshness complemented by a subtle richness, beginning with aromas of citrus blossoms, honeydew melon, ripe nectarine, and sweet cream. On the palate, the wine offers flavors of vibrant lemon and lime zest, hints of vanilla, and delicate baking spices. The wine has a silky texture, balanced acidity and flavors, and a long, polished finish.”

94 Points

2023 Robert Biale Black Chicken Zinfandel Napa Valley

2023 Robert Biale Black Chicken Zinfandel Napa Valley

with No Comment $50-$60Kevin VogtNapaOak KnollUSAZinfandel

Robert Biale

Black Chicken Zinfandel
Napa Valley 2023

2023 Robert Biale Black Chicken Zinfandel Napa Valley

Some wines are born of soil, while others are born of story. Black Chicken is both. Conceived on the Biale family farm in the 1940s as a code whispered over a crackling party-line phone, this Zinfandel has grown into one of Napa Valley’s most revered gems. The 2023 vintage carries that history forward with fresh intensity, a wine that unites heritage with the precision of modern craftsmanship.

Black Chicken is shaped by the Oak Knoll District, where the Biale family has tended their home ranch since the 1930s. This cooler pocket of Napa lends the wine its hallmark freshness and balance, characterized by bright acidity, supple tannins, and fruit that sings with clarity, giving Black Chicken its unmistakable voice.

From vineyard to cellar, every detail of the 2023 vintage was shaped with purpose, yielding a Zinfandel of extraordinary character. Vibrant fruit, supple tannins, and an enduring finish make this release one of the most complete Black Chickens to date. This is a Zinfandel that transcends trend or time, standing proudly as one of Napa Valley’s enduring treasures.

Robert Biale
Black Chicken Zinfandel
Napa Valley 2023

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“A big but cool and well-balanced wine that is full-bodied but fresh. Made from vines averaging 40 years old and from mostly cool parts of Napa Valley, including the Biale family’s vineyard planted in 1937. Moderate tannins lift the vivid raspberry, blackberry, black pepper and umami flavors. Drink or hold.”

94 Points

2021 Renato Ratti Marcenasco Barolo Piedmont Italy

2021 Renato Ratti Marcenasco Barolo Piedmont Italy

with No Comment $70-$80BaroloBaroloItalyKevin VogtPiedmont

Renato Ratti

Marcenasco Barolo
Piedmont, Italy 2021

2021 Renato Ratti Marcenasco Barolo Piedmont Italy

In the hills of La Morra, where Nebbiolo finds its most articulate voice, Renato Ratti Marcenasco stands as both history and living expression. Long before “cru” entered Barolo’s common vocabulary, Ratti was mapping the Langhe with conviction, arguing that each hillside possessed a distinct identity. Marcenasco became the clearest proof of that belief.

 

The vineyard itself carries documented depth, its name appearing in records that trace Nebbiolo cultivation here back centuries. From these rolling slopes, Marcenasco expresses La Morra’s defining signature: aromatic precision, measured authority, and a tensile structure that lingers well beyond the first impression. It is elegance anchored by underlying strength.

 

In the cellar, tradition sharpens rather than softens that identity. The 2021 matures for about two years in oak barrels before an additional year of bottle refinement, building structure while preserving aromatic detail. The aging shapes the wine without imprinting upon it. What remains is unmistakably Marcenasco, a Barolo rooted in place, lineage, and disciplined craft.

Renato Ratti
Marcenasco Barolo
Piedmont, Italy 2021

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“Assertive aromas of graphite, violets, mint and chalky minerality. A stunning, precise wine focused on elegance, with citrus flavors, a full body and lavish, velvety tannins supported by freshness. Long, youthful and savory aftertaste. Try from 2026, but best after 2030.”

97 Points

2022 Random Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder

2022 Random Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder

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

Random Ridge

Cabernet Sauvignon
Mt. Veeder 2022

2022 Random Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder

At 2,000 feet above sea level, where Napa and Sonoma meet along a jagged ridgeline, Random Ridge occupies a realm defined by exposure. Winds sweep across the Mayacamas. Soils thin to fractured rock. Vines dig deep or fail. This is not comfortable farming. It is mountain viticulture at its rawest. The wines carry the imprint of that altitude, concentrated and structured, shaped by a place that refuses excess.

That intensity was no accident. In 1980, Bill Hawley began pioneering this remote site, clearing and planting ten acres the following year on slopes many would have left untouched. Now decades into maturity, the vines root through shallow, well-drained soils that naturally limit vigor and yields. From those conditions comes natural concentration forged in the ground itself.

Above the fog line, ripening unfolds with deliberation, and that composure defines the 2022 vintage. Nearly 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, sharpened with a touch of Cabernet Franc, it delivers compact, dark-fruit flavors layered with a savory, mineral edge inseparable from its rocky origins. The finish lingers, steady and assured, echoing the wind-swept ridgeline from which it came.

Random Ridge
Cabernet Sauvignon
Mt. Veeder 2022
Retails at: $60

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“The Random Ridge 2022 Mt Veeder Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is supple and expressive, opening with layered dark fruit aromas of black cherry, ripe plum, and blackberry, savory notes of bay leaf, wild mushroom, warm spices, an earthy core of forest floor, and graphite. On the palate, concentrated yet finely balanced fruit is framed by polished structure, with nuances of dark chocolate and freshly grated nutmeg adding depth and complexity, with a distinct mountain-grown fruit tension.”

94 Points

2023 Sentium By Continuum Sauvignon Blanc Mendocino

2023 Sentium By Continuum Sauvignon Blanc Mendocino

with No Comment $70-$80Kevin VogtMendocinoMendocino RidgeSauvignon BlancUSA

Sentium

By Continuum
Sauvignon Blanc
Mendocino, 2023

2023 Sentium By Continuum Sauvignon Blanc Mendocino

Sentium stands apart for one clear reason: it treats Sauvignon Blanc as a wine of structure and longevity, not just freshness. Drawn from old-vine fruit in Mendocino, it delivers a rare combination of mineral precision, layered texture, and power. As the white wine expression of Continuum Estate, it carries that same uncompromising pursuit of precision into an entirely different register.

Its character takes shape in Redwood Valley, where cooling Pacific influence meets ample sun, creating a natural balance between ripeness and moderation. This steady pace slows ripening, preserving tension while allowing the fruit to reach full phenolic maturity. In 2023, that equilibrium comes through cleanly, where freshness and concentration move in seamless alignment.

The cellar work reinforces that balance through a deliberate, multi-vessel élevage. Concrete, stainless steel, and neutral oak each add dimension, while extended lees aging builds texture and density through the mid-palate. The result is a Sauvignon Blanc of uncommon shape and persistence, expansive yet precise, leaving a lasting impression that extends well beyond the variety’s expected limits.

Sentium
By Continuum
Sauvignon Blanc
Mendocino, 2023

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“The 2023 release totals approximately 188 cases. This vintage delivers beautifully luscious fruit, marked by lemon-leaf pithiness and notes of crushed Marcona almonds. There’s excellent tension and grip here, with the wine showing its hallmark medium-bodied richness and silky, satiny fruit character. Laced with vibrant acid tension, it finishes long with flinty minerality, a kiss of tarragon, and a lingering saline edge. Chiara Mondavi set out to find older, organically farmed vines cared for by family growers. Her search led her to Mendocino’s Redwood Valley, where vineyards planted between the 1940s and 1970s provided the perfect fit for her vision of crafting textured, ageworthy Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.”

96 Points

2021 Domaine De La Riviere Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

2021 Domaine De La Riviere Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

with No Comment $60-$70Kevin VogtPinot NoirRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

Domaine de la Rivière

Pinot Noir 2021
Middle Reach Vineyards
Russian River Valley

2021 Domaine De La Riviere Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

With poised intensity, Domaine de la Rivière Pinot Noir captures one of the most compelling stretches of the Russian River Valley. In this prized Middle Reach corridor, cooling Pacific fog tempers the sun and extends the growing season, preserving freshness and detail. The result is a wine defined by balance, where vivid red fruit, lifted aromatics, and fine structure reflect a site shaped by equilibrium.

Guided by a philosophy that favors precision, the wine reflects a disciplined, site-first approach. At the helm, Kale Anderson brings a pedigree shaped at Colgin Cellars, Cliff Lede Vineyards, and Pahlmeyer, where he honed a style defined by precision and control. Each decision in the cellar is deliberate, preserving tension, structure, and aromatic lift, resulting in a Pinot Noir that is both transparent and complete.

Native fermentation anchors the wine in transparency, allowing site and structure to speak without interference. This is Pinot Noir that moves beyond immediacy, offering both present beauty and the promise of evolution. It speaks with clarity of place and rewards those willing to follow it over time.

Domaine de la Rivière
Pinot Noir 2021
Middle Reach Vineyards
Russian River Valley
Retails at: $75

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“Aromas of pomegranate, cherry, black tea and orange peel swirl and mingle on the nose of this native-fermented Pinot. The palate gives flavors of salty cherry, roasted mushroom and violets, with the satisfying grip of tannin lingering through the finish. Best 2028–2040.”

94 Points, Cellar Selection

Merlot wine bottle from Howell Mountain, Napa Valley, 2014 vintage.

2014 La Jota Merlot Howell Mountain

with No Comment $80-$90Howell MountainKevin VogtMerlotNapaUSA

La Jota

Merlot 2014
Howell Mountain

Merlot wine bottle from Howell Mountain, Napa Valley, 2014 vintage.

The 2014 La Jota Howell Mountain Merlot arrives with an authority that immediately distinguishes it. Born at high elevation, it forgoes plushness in favor of precision and generosity in favor of structure, delivering a wine that is both powerful and exacting. This is Merlot with genuine mountain backbone, shaped by volcanic soils, cool nights, and a long growing season that prizes depth, tension, and longevity.

La Jota’s roots run deep on this mountain. Founded in 1898 by Frederick Hess, the estate has endured cycles of abandonment and renewal, yet its commitment to Howell Mountain has never wavered. Today, under the direction of Chris Carpenter, that legacy is honed with precision. His approach is measured and site-driven, allowing the character of these historic vineyards to emerge fully.

At twelve years of age, the 2014 demonstrates precisely why Howell Mountain wines command such respect for their longevity. The structure remains firm, but the edges have softened, revealing a more expressive, layered profile. A natural freshness keeps the wine vibrant and lifted. It is a compelling reminder that wines from this elevation are built not merely to endure, but to evolve.

La Jota
Merlot 2014
Howell Mountain
Retails at: $100

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“Blended with 10% Petit Verdot, this age-worthy beauty is impressively oaked and tannic in its youth, with a concentration of densely packed red and black currants. Coconut shavings and vanilla appear from the background alongside black pepper and cinnamon. This should drink best from 2024–2034.”

94 Points, Cellar Selection