2019 Martin Ray Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains

2019 Martin Ray Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains

with No Comment $30 and underChardonnayKevin VogtMontereySanta Cruz MountainsUSA

MARTIN RAY

2019 CHARDONNAY
SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS

2019 Martin Ray Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains
Santa Cruz Mountain Chardonnays display dense aromas, rich fruit, remarkable intensity, complex minerality, and tantalizing acidity. Martin Ray’s version expresses these distinct characteristics with tropical melon, orange zest, and a leesy, textured mouthfeel that makes the wine, as James Suckling writes, “hard to resist.” 
 
This Chardonnay comes from two 1000ft elevation vineyards on opposite sides of the Mountain and offers a stunning portrayal of the region’s dynamic terroir. Each site shares sizeable diurnal temperature shifts and excellent sun exposure, resulting in powerfully concentrated, expressive berries. 
 
Martin Ray’s winemaking team utilized a technique of stirring the lees bi-weekly during its 12 months aging in French oak. This technique results in a rich, leesy texture that perfectly contrasts the bright natural acidity.
 
MARTIN RAY
2019 CHARDONNAY
SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS
Retails at: $35
 
Your Price: $28
 
 
“Mouthwateringly intense aromas of salted butter and toast. Lemon curd, grilled pear, hazelnut and chalk, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with tangy acidity and a toasty, saline finish. Hard to resist. Drink or hold. Screw cap.”
93 Points
 
“Ripe Bosc pear, lemon mousse, and grilled pineapple with touches of honey- suckle on the nose. Subtle baking spices, sweetgrass, a hint of quince paste and Tahitian vanilla overlay a broad palate framed by linear acidity and minerality.”
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
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
2020 Flowers Rose of Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

2020 Flowers Rose of Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtRoséSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

FLOWERS

ROSÉ OF PINOT NOIR
2020 SONOMA COAST

2020 Flowers Rose of Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
Flowers Winery designedly crafts their Rosé to highlight the distinct minerality and fresh acidity in this wine. Their team exercises minimal intervention in the cellar to promote a pure expression of the Sonoma Coast. This new release illustrates their commitment to expressing the uniqueness of their land as it excites your taste buds with striking pink grapefruit, saltwater minerals, sea breeze, and fresh acidity. 
 
The winemaking team created their 2020 Pinot Noir Rosé from their Sea View Ridge Estate and selected family-owned vineyards on the Sonoma Coast, all properties sharing a pronounced coastal influence and aligning farming practices. 
 
With attention to every detail, fruit is hand-sorted on the winery’s custom-built shaker table before six team members assess every cluster before allowing only the best fruit to pass through by gravity flow into the fermenters. The blend is 100% Pinot Noir and perfectly reflects the quality of fruit and meticulous care that goes into it.
 
FLOWERS
ROSÉ OF PINOT NOIR
2020 SONOMA COAST
Retails at: $35
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“Elegant and distinct, with aromas of peach, strawberry and subtle hints of rose petal. Bursts of fresh citrus colorfully drive the palate and are balanced with flavors of nectarine and stone fruit. A silky entrance coupled with fresh and uplifting acidity leaves you with our signature coastal expressions.”
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
2015 Caiarossa Toscana IGT Tuscany, Italy

2015 Caiarossa Toscana IGT Tuscany, Italy

with No Comment $50-$60ItalyKevin VogtSangioveseTuscany

CAIAROSSA

2015 TOSCANA IGT 
TUSCANY, ITALY

2015 Caiarossa Toscana IGT Tuscany, Italy
Caiarossa describes their flagship Super Tuscan as a liberation of the senses, achieved by artfully blending seven varieties, biodynamically farmed and woven into a luxurious tapestry that encapsulates the estate’s dynamic terroir. Tuscany’s 2015 vintage embellished the wines already alluring qualities, naturally producing wines, “Ripe and opulent, with plenty of fruit,” as noted by the Wine Spectator, who rated the overall year as the best since 1997. With 96 points and priced less than $60, I highly recommend adding this Italian legend to your cellar. 
 
Located in Val di Cecina on the Tuscan coast, The Estate was resurrected in 2004 by the late Eric Albada Jelgersma of Grand Cru Margaux houses Château Giscours, and Château du Tertre. The winery’s deep ties to Bordeaux are present in their wines, which tell an authentic tale of their origin. 
 
Planted to 11 grape varieties, each selected based upon the most suitable soil type, Caiarossa’s 16-hectare vineyard is a work of art. Their land’s nobility and the winery’s commitment to producing the best wine from it is unmistakable in their 2015 release, which also happens to be drinking ridiculously good right now.
 
CAIAROSSA
2015 TOSCANA IGT 
TUSCANY, ITALY
Retails at: $65
 
Your Price: $58
 
 
“The nose immediately shows a fabulous contrast between riper mulberries and blackberry crumble and freshly ground herbs, citrus and incense. The palate shows much the same polish, carrying bright blue-fruit flavors across a bedrock of muscular tannins and driven acidity. This finishes long and very grainy yet succulent. A blend of merlot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, syrah, sangiovese, petit verdot and alicante.”
96 points
2016 Badia Di Morrona I Sodi Del Parentaio Chianti Riserva

2016 Badia Di Morrona I Sodi Del Parentaio Chianti Riserva

with No Comment $30 and underChiantiChiantiItalyKevin VogtTuscany

BADIA DI MORRONA 

I SODI DEL PARETAIO
2016 CHIANTI RISERVA

2016 Badia Di Morrona I Sodi Del Parentaio Chianti Riserva
Badia di Morrono is an historic Estate in Tuscany dedicated to farming their land and balancing technology with traditional techniques. Their land near the village of Morrona was once undersea, and is now rich in marine nutrients. The vines are grown in well-drained clay, minerally and sandy soils that make their wines recognizable with a clear sense of place. Their 2016 Chianti Riserva is classically styled, harmoniously balanced, and at $26, it’s a stunning value. 
 
This 2016 enters from one of Tuscany’s greatest vintages in the last two decades, and one the Wine Spectator rates 97 points and describes as producing, “Vibrant, elegant wines; grapes harvested under ideal conditions”
 
The winemaking team fermented the Riserva for ten months in concrete and stainless steel tank, preserving the natural flavors of the fruit. The blend is predominantly Sangiovese, balanced with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah, and was aged for 18 months in oak.
 
BADIA DI MORRONA 
I SODI DEL PARETAIO
2016 CHIANTI RISERVA 
 
Your Price: $26
 
 
“Quite reductive at first, but this later opens up with notes of brambleberries, red cherries, oranges and herbs. Medium body, firm tannins and a nutmeg-flavored finish. Drink now.”
91 Points
 
“Ruby red with garnet colored undertones when aged. Bouquet: scent of balm and with more finesse as it ages; Harmonious, savory, slightly tannic; soft and velvety. Pleasing and versatile to the palate with a well-balanced acidity and soft, mature tannins.”
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.”
2017 Luce Della Vite Luce Toscana

2017 Luce Della Vite Luce Toscana

with No Comment $90-$100ItalyKevin VogtMontalcinoTuscany

LUCE

DELLA VITE LUCE 
2017 TOSCANA

2017 Luce Della Vite Luce Toscana
Vittorio Frescobaldi and Robert Mondavi took a risk creating the first Super Tuscan-style blend of Sangiovese and Merlot from Montalcino’s time-tested terroir. They merged traditional Tuscan winemaking with Montalcino’s majestic earth, balancing Sangiovese’s penetrating fruit with Merlot’s supple richness. Twenty-five vintages later, their flagship Luce Della Vite Toscana continues to turn heads with massive scores, sleek packaging, and powerfully enchanting flavors. 
 
The biodiversity of Luce’s Vineyards is vital in the character and complexity of their wines. Located Southwest of Montalcino Village, their vines are influenced by the sea, earth, and the climate conditions created by the rolling hills.
 
Luce’s team sorts each berry carefully before transferring them into Cement fermentation vessels, where they spend four weeks on the skins, extracting depth and rich color. The wine is barrel-aged for a full 24 months, polishing the powerfully captivating flavors and aromas. 
 
LUCE
DELLA VITE LUCE 
2017 TOSCANA
Retails at: $110
 
Your Price: $99.99
 
 
“Dark-berry, walnut, cedar and violet aromas with just a hint of chocolate. Full-bodied, layered and rich with ripe tannins and a vivid finish. Shows energy and a velvety texture. Deep and long. Give it two or three years to soften. Try after 2022.”
97 Points
 
“… the 25th anniversary of Luce… the 2017 vintage celebrates this birthday properly. Luce is one of the few Super Tuscans of Montalcino. Compared to Brunello it is blended with Merlot adding suppleness and focused on new oak ageing. Deep crimson in colour, full of clove, vanilla and buttery aromas, than brights for black cherry and plummy notes, graphite and cherry flavour, with an earthy mineral finish. Grainy velvety tannins and firm acidity are well supported by incredibly rich fruit concentration and suppleness. A wine drinkable now with potential for ageing. Drinking Window 2020 – 2040”
95 Points