2015 Mazzei Philip Cabernet Sauvignon Tuscany

2015 Mazzei Philip Cabernet Sauvignon Tuscany

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonItalyKevin VogtReviewTuscany

MAZZEI PHILIP

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2015 TUSCANY

 

2015 Mazzei Philip Cabernet Sauvignon TuscanyWine can be profound, and deeply meaningful, and sometimes the story behind the wine can be of monumental proportions. Mazzei created their “Philip” Cabernet Sauvignon as an homage to Philip Mazzei, who wrote the beautiful phrase “all men are created equal” which was incorporated in the Declaration of Independence” by his friend Thomas Jefferson. And the wine? The wine is riveting, deeply hedonistic, and highly detailed. It’s also one of the coolest labels that I’ve seen. 

Mazzei created Philip from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, coming from two sites, Belguardo and Fonterutoli Estate. The 10-20-year-old vines were grown in limestone and sandstone soils and produce fruit of remarkable power and profound delineation. 

This stunning wine emerges from Tuscany’s best vintage in nearly two decades, and one the Wine Spectator rated 97 Points referencing “Long-lived, powerful and concentrated reds, yet the best have purity and elegance…” 

 

MAZZEI PHILIP
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2015 TUSCANY

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“A dark-fruited red that shows mulberries, blackberries, creme de cassis, vanilla and dark chocolate with a touch of fresh herbs and cedar. Full body, round yet structured tannins and a chewy finish. Drink in 2020.” 94 Points

“The 2015 Philip, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, is powerful and rich in the glass, with copious blackberry jam, chocolate, spice and chocolate notes. Deep, fleshy and bold, the Philip has a lot to offer….” 92 Points

2018 Black Pine Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

2018 Black Pine Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

BLACK PINE

2018 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST

2018 Black Pine Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Now entering their tenth vintage, Black Pine has built a reputation as one of the greatest value Pinot Noirs to grace the shelves in our shop, after a culmination of outstanding efforts. If you’ve enjoyed any of their earlier vintages, you already know what to expect, but if you haven’t, I guarantee you’ll love it once you do.
 
Conceived from carefully chosen vineyards located in the Petaluma Gap, Russian River, and Sonoma Coast, the 2018 Black Pine has a lush mouthfeel, terrific intensity, and balance.
 
The 2018 was kept for ten months in French oak and delivers outstanding weight, richness and has a stunning palate presence. The new release is so good that not only did it live up to our grand expectations, but it absolutely crushed them…  
 
BLACK PINE
2018 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST
Retails at: $30
 

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“The vibrant garnet color gives way to bright floral strawberry- raspberry aromatics, while in the mouth the velvety texture delivers ripe cherry, red plum and a touch of earthiness that defines this outstanding bottling. The moderate tannins give length to the finish of this balanced wine”

2018 Recoltant Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

2018 Recoltant Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

RECOLTANT

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2018 NAPA VALLEY

2018 Recoltant Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

It feels great to be on the leading edge of a new brand that’s destined to make an impact in the competitive $40 Napa Cabernet category. Recoltant is the younger brother to Le Pich and Purlieu, and the wine is produced by Julien Fayard, who is absolutely at the top of his game… 

Recoltant is a collaboration of declassified barrels of premium Cabernet that didn’t quite fit into Le Pich or Purlieu. The final blend was stitched together from several celebrated regions throughout Napa Valley, and Julian made the wine with the same standards of excellence that he practices in all of his projects.  

Julien Fayard learned his craft at Chateau Lafite Rothschild, before gaining even more valuable experience as Director of Winemaking for Philippe Melka at elite Napa Valley producers like Lail, Gemstone, Hundred Acre, and Mastery. The result is so great at this price that you really have to try it.

RECOLTANT
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2018 NAPA VALLEY

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“The Recoltant Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 mimics sibling wines Purlieu and Le Pich in many ways. It is inky black in color, with a nose of mixed black berries, black currants, glove leather, and rose petal. On the palate, the wine is deep and rich with flavors of blackberry cobbler, kitchen spice, and grandma’s pie crust combined with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg. Winemaker Julian Fayard’s genius shines through because even with all of these powerful characteristics, this wine is not the least bit cloying or overly heavy.”  94 Points

2017 Red Car Sonoma Coast Chardonnay

2015 Red Car Sonoma Coast Chardonnay

with No Comment $30 and underChardonnayKevin VogtSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

RED CAR

2015 CHARDONNAY
SONOMA COAST

2017 Red Car Sonoma Coast ChardonnayThe vineyard composition of Red Car’s Sonoma Coast Chardonnay is legendary, making the level of value inside the bottle remarkably transparent. A significant portion of the 2015 hails from Ritchie Vineyard, which has an epic history of producing some of California’s most distinguished Chardonnays. At $38, the wine is a serious value, but at this price, you might want to race to the order button. 

Red Car’s 2015 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay features some of the coldest Chardonnay vineyards in California. It is based around a core of Ritchie fruit that’s made even more intriguing with fruit from Red Car Estate, Zephyr Farms, Manchester Ridge, and Hawk Hill Vineyards.

The 2015 was fermented almost exclusively in neutral oak barrels to preserve the natural clarity of the fruit. On the palate, the wine is detailed, fresh, and inviting, and offers brilliant clarity, balance, and delicate texture, and It’s an absolute joy to taste. 

RED CAR
2015 CHARDONNAY
SONOMA COAST
Retails at: $38

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“The 2015 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast offers up notes of spiced apples and poached pears with touches of honey toast, cashews and ginger. Medium-bodied with a very yeasty/savory palate, it has a pleasantly creamy texture and oodles of freshness, finishing long…” 91 Points

2014 Maroon Special Reserve Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon

2014 Maroon Special Reserve Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet SauvignonCoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaUSA

MAROON 

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
SPECIAL RESERVE
2014 COOMBSVILLE 

 
2014 Maroon Special Reserve Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon
There are many styles of California Cabernet, ranging from big, ripe, and inky, to silky, elegant, and linear, and both can be equally powerful and hedonistic, although in very different ways. Maroon’s 2014 Special Reserve Cabernet from Napa Valley’s highly acclaimed Coombsville region, falls into the more elegant style, with laser-like focus, powerfully hedonistic flavors, and Classic Coombsville attributes. At the winery’s $160 retail, Maroon priced it in line with Coombsville icons Favia, Merus, and Meteor. At our price it’s the most significant discount on premium Cabernet that we’ve ever offered.  
 
This stunning 2014 Cabernet arose from the winery’s Estate Vineyard in Coombsville, where for years the winery sold fruit to Joseph Phelps for their iconic Insigna Blend. On the palate, the wine is classic Coombsville and made in a focused, highly detailed style with sweet red fruits, vibrant red currants, clay, wet earth, and black raspberries.
 
Entering from one of Napa Valley’s best vintages, one that the Wine Spectator describes as producing “dense, charming, cellar-worthy wines.” The 2014 Special Reserve is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged for a full 24 months in oak before bottling. If you’re looking for an elegant, medium-bodied Cabernet with plenty of power and personality, this is it. 
 
 
MAROON 
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
SPECIAL RESERVE
2014 COOMBSVILLE
Retails at: $160
 
 
“Brown brick red color. Aromas and flavors of spiced dried berries, honeycomb, leather bag filled with coffee, chocolate and spice, and wet clay with a satiny, bright, fruity medium-to-full body and a warming, complex, very long finish with notes of cassis pie a la mode, honey glazed carrots, cherry cola, and chocolate mint with silky, soft tannins. A stately, seamless cabernet with deep rich flavors, finely balanced oak, and a long satisfying finish.” 96 Points, Cellar Selection
2017 Vine Cliff Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

2017 Vine Cliff Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $70-$80Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA

VINE CLIFF

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2017 NAPA VALLEY

2017 Vine Cliff Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
One of the most remarkable terroirs in Napa Valley lies on the Eastern side of Oakville at the base of the Vaca Mountain range, where the soils are loaded with minerals and volcanic composites. Icons Dalla Valle, Tierra Roja, Peter Michael’s Au Paradis and Vine Cliff produce some of the most complex, memorable Cabernets from this hollowed ground. These wines often exhibit an intense red-fruited perfume, dark, supple fruits, crushed rock and brilliant complexity.
 
Vine Cliff’s 2017 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced 100% from the winery’s iconic Estate vineyard, and combines 38% fruit from their Oakville Bench block, and 62% from the North facing terraced vines. 
 
The 2017 checks in at 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and incorporates five separate clones that each contribute layers to the wine’s vast complexity. The winery has an outstanding reputation of excellence, and is one of Napa Valley’s historic wineries that was established in 1871.
 
At around eighty bucks the value is almost inconceivable… 
 
VINE CLIFF
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2017 NAPA VALLEY
 
Your Price: $79
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“Ripe and rich in feel, with dark plum and cassis fruit rolling through, flanked by warm cocoa and tobacco notes and scored by a flash of loam on the finish. Drink now through 2026.”  92 Points

“The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is dense, plush and super-expressive. Black plum, espresso, chocolate, licorice and dark spice all open up in a mid-weight, beautifully persistent Cabernet that will drink well right out of the gate.”  90 Points
2013 Shottesbrooke Eliza Reserve McLaren Vale Shiraz

2013 Shottesbrooke Eliza Reserve McLaren Vale Shiraz

with No Comment $30-$40AustraliaKevin VogtMcLaren ValeSyrah

SHOTTESBROOKE

ELIZA RESERVE SHIRAZ
2013 MCLAREN VALE

2013 Shottesbrooke Eliza Reserve McLaren Vale Shiraz

We seized an opportunity to work with Shottesbrooke’s 97 Point Eliza Reserve Shiraz last year, and although the wine sold in a flash, it made a grand impression on everybody who tried it. Re-order requests were abundant, due to the wines’ chillingly intense nature and substantial hedonistic style. As luck would have it, we just procured another shipment, and at a rock-bottom price…. 

Named after the founders’ daughter, Eliza is the top Reserve Shiraz produced by the winery and is produced only in exceptional vintages. They created this wine from an individual patch of vineyard on the winery’s McLaren Flat property that naturally produces tiny yields of high-quality fruit.

Due to low yields and high-demand for Eliza, only a limited number of cases make their way to the US. The wine is kept for 19 months in oak before bottling, and the 2013 vintage is brimming with vivid red berries, roasted meats, black chocolate, and spices.

 
SHOTTESBROOKE
ELIZA RESERVE SHIRAZ
2013 MCLAREN VALE

Retails: $46.99

Your Price: $33
 

“Cloudy indigo color. Attractive, roasted, meaty aromas and flavors of mocha maple fudge, smoked nuts, jerky, and toasty cedar and clay with a satiny, dry-yet-fruity medium-full body and a tingling, involved, long finish that exhibits suggestions of blackberry creme brulee, pomegranate-tomato chutney on rye raisin toast, beef consommé, and tamari with moderate oak flavor. A decadently delicious and savory shiraz that will stimulate and satisfy.” 97 Points, Platinum Medal, Superlative 
2017 Baldacci Sorelle Carneros Chardonnay

2017 Baldacci Sorelle Carneros Chardonnay

with No Comment $30 and underCarnerosChardonnayKevin VogtNapaUSA

BALDACCI

SORELLE CHARDONNAY
2017 CARNEROS

 
2017 Baldacci Sorelle Carneros ChardonnayRevered for their lively acidity, Carneros Chardonnays also have big fruit, and plenty of structure. It’s the cooling influences from the Pacific Ocean and the San Pablo Bay that funnel through the Coastal Mountain ranges, and allow the grapes a long growing season, with temperatures cool enough to maintain acidity and structure. A great example is Baldacci’s Sorelle Chardonnay, which captivated our tasting panel with tangible value. 
 
Michael Baldacci works closely with Ricardo Herrera to craft balanced wines with sense of place, and that are varietally sound. Ricardo gained invaluable experience over the years at icons Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Dominus, and Screaming Eagle…
 
The 2017 vintage arose from Baldacci’s Honey B Vineyard in Carneros, which is farmed by Josh Clark, one of wine country’s most sought after viticulturists whose clients include icons Outpost, Hourglass, and Kinsella. The wine was barrel-aged, and is rich and inviting, with stunning natural acidity and a mouth-quenching freshness.
 
BALDACCI
SORELLE CHARDONNAY
2017 CARNEROS
Retails at: $40
 
 
“Tango. In perfect unison, the oak and fruit support each other without either dominating. Aromas of honey, tangerine peel, fresh oak and pineapple complement the taste of caramel-covered apple, slight hints of cool rock and a beautiful finish of vanilla. The weight of this Chardonnay matches well with full orchestra salads!”
2015 Schwarz Sweigelt Burgenland Austria

2015 Schwarz Zweigelt Burgenland Austria

with No Comment $30 and underAustriaBurgenlandKevin VogtZweigelt

SCHWARZ 

2015 ZWEIGELT
BURGENLAND, AUSTRIA

2015 Schwarz Sweigelt Burgenland Austria
Picture a pristinely focused red wine with penetrating fruit, bracing acidity, depth, and wildly intriguing flavors. You could be tasting an Austrian Zweigelt, and if you’re seeking value, it pays to look outside of the box and try something fresh and new. When you consider who’s involved in this project, and take notice of more than 60 percent discount, this one should be a no brainer. It’s a project between Alois Kracher, one of Austria’s most iconic producers, and Manfred Krankl of Sine Qua Non.
 
Zweigelt is a cross between St. Laurent and Blaufränkisch, and the varietal hasn’t even been around 100 years and is already the most widely planted red wine grape in Austria. The grape is denser than Pinot Noir and is known for its penetrating fruit, exotic spice, and firm acidity. 
 
This brilliant interpretation of Zweigelt arose from Estate Vineyards in Burgenland, along the shore of Lake Neusiedl. The climate is hot during the day and is cooled by evening fog, which allows the grapes to ripen to their optimum potential. 
 
SCHWARZ 
2015 ZWEIGELT
BURGENLAND, AUSTRIA
Retails at: $70
 
Your Price: $25
 
Tasting Notes: “The 2015 Schwarz Zweigelt has a deep and enchanting nose of crushed blue violets, black raspberries, plum skins and hints of potpourri. The palate is lush, elegant and seamless, and opens with concentrated blueberry, black cherry, wild flowers and spice cake. The finish is smooth and pure with a bracing acidy, light toast and lingering spice.”
2015 Leto Cellars Mt Veeder Cabernet Franc

2015 Leto Mt Veeder Cabernet Franc

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

LETO

CABERNET FRANC
2015 MT VEEDER

2015 Leto Cellars Mt Veeder Cabernet Franc
If Napa Valley Cabernet is gold, then Cabernet Franc is platinum, due to its scarcity and cult following. There’s around twenty times as much Cabernet Sauvignon planted in Napa Valley, and on average, Cabernet Sauvignon grapes sell for less than Cabernet Franc. The coveted grape is revered for its stunning power, concentration, delineation, and mouthwatering acidity. Leto’s 2015 Mt Veeder Cabernet Franc, which retails at $78, is simply brilliant. What’s left of this 50 case production is going to fly.
 
Leto sourced their 2015 Cabernet Franc from a single-vineyard perched at 1,100 feet elevation on Mount Veeder. They chose this site for the incredible volcanic soils and vines that yield small, powerful berries with intense flavor. 
 
Mt Veeder is the coolest Mountain in Napa, which allows the grapes to have a longer hang-time so they can develop into something majestic. With a production of only 50 cases, you might want to keep this one secret, at least until you get your case.
 
LETO
CABERNET FRANC
2015 MT VEEDER
Retails at: $78
 
 
 
“The Leto Cellars Mount Veeder Cabernet Franc 2015 begins with a beautiful nose of red cherries, fresh sage leaf, Spring lavender, and Italian glove leather. On the palate, it is vibrant, with penetrating red cherries, black licorice, nutrient-rich earth, with sweet vanilla oak and spice box, and a gorgeous, lingering finish. Drink now through 2028.” 93 Points