2019 Mike and Molly Zinfandel R.W. Moore Vineyard

2019 Mike and Molly Zinfandel R.W. Moore Vineyard

with No Comment $30-$40CoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaUSAZinfandel

MIKE AND MOLLY

ZINFANDEL 2019
R.W. MOORE VINEYARD

2019 Mike and Molly Zinfandel R.W. Moore Vineyard
Mike and Molly Hendry’s connections to Napa Valley grape-growing run as deep as the roots of the ancient Zinfandel vines of the R.W. Moore Vineyard, initially planted in 1905 in what is now the Coombsville AVA. Molly’s uncle Bill owns the historic vineyard, a member of the U.C. Davis Heritage project, where genetic material from the vineyard is studied and preserved.
 
This field blend of approximately 95% Zinfandel, with small amounts of Petite Sirah, Carignan, Mourvedre, and Mourtaou, displays the unique microclimate and its cooling influences from the Pacific Ocean, maintaining freshness and overall balance. Mike and Molly have been producing wines from this legacy vineyard since 2009, and their 2019 vintage is the beginning of a new decade of Zinfandel excellence with this full-bodied yet graceful wine.
 
MIKE AND MOLLY
ZINFANDEL 2019
R.W. MOORE VINEYARD
Retails at: $42
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“The Mike & Molly Hendry 2019 Coombsville R.W. Moore Vineyard Zinfandel has a bright, fresh nose with aromas of ripe red plum, cranberry, cloves, black tea, and cigar box. The wine has flavors of red cherry, strawberry, and sweet baking spices, with soft, smooth tannins and a velvety finish. This wine has a concentration and fruit intensity for age-ability, and an inviting youthful drinkability with spice notes will pair perfectly with the holidays.”
94-95 Points
2016 Esprit de Pavie Red Bordeaux

2016 Esprit de Pavie Red Bordeaux

with No Comment $30-$40BordeauxBordeauxFranceKevin Vogt

ESPRIT de PAVIE

RED BORDEAUX
BORDEAUX, FRANCE 2016

2016 Esprit de Pavie Red Bordeaux
Esprit de Pavie made its debut in 2008, created by the visionary Gerard Perse, who is also the owner of world-famous estates such as Chateau Pavie, Chateau Monbousquet, Chateau Pavie-Decesse, and Chateau Bellevue-Mondotte. The wine receives the same care and attention as its illustrious sister properties, ensuring a high-quality level for each bottle produced.
 
Esprit de Pavie arose from southern-facing slopes in the valleys of the Dordogne, characterized by sandy and gravelly foothills, clay hillsides, and a clay-limestone plateau. This classic regional blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon came from one of Bordeaux’s best vintages and spent just the right amount of time maturing in the bottle for more complex flavor development and a softer tannin structure. The wine is a “total charmer,” as Jeb Dunnuck writes, and it’s also an incredible value.
 
ESPRIT de PAVIE
RED BORDEAUX
BORDEAUX, FRANCE 2016
 
Your Price: $35
 
 
“Extremely aromatic with kir, cherries and flowers. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins. Juicy fruit. So round and inviting now. Drink and enjoy.”
91 Points
2018 Bulzaga Epipogio Romaga Sangiovese Superiore

2018 Bulzaga Epipogio Romaga Sangiovese Superiore

with No Comment $30 and underItalyKevin VogtSangioveseTuscany

BULZAGA

EPIPOGIO 2018
ROMAGNA SANGIOVESE SUPERIORE

2018 Bulzaga Epipogio Romaga Sangiovese Superiore
Cantina Bulzaga is located in Romagna, Italy, looking up to the Brisighellesi hills that create the natural border between Romagna and Tuscany. The winery’s roots run deep within the region, with each wine named for a flower found in the Apennines. Epipogio gets its name from the epipogium flower or ghost orchid.
 
Bulzaga’s team organically farms, with only vines that strongly connect to the terroir with distinct varietal character selected for wine production. The 2018 vintage is 100% Sangiovese aged for eight months in cement vats before bottling and exudes aromatic purity with earthy notes, fresh fruit, spice, and everything nice. 
 
As a side note, our panel tasted this wine blind without any prior knowledge of the wine’s value price, and we couldn’t believe it was only a $20 bottle.
 
BULZAGA
EPIPOGIO 2018
ROMAGNA SANGIOVESE SUPERIORE
 
Your Price: $19.99
 
 
“The Bulzaga 2018 Epipogio Romagna Sangiovese Superiore opens with sultry notes of rosemary, sour cherry, cranberry, earth, black tea, and cigar box. On the palate, the wine is focused, with flavors of black cherry, cranberry, black tea, and peppercorns. The wine’s fruity, savory, and spicy characteristics are uniquely balanced in a rustic Tuscan fashion and provide an incredible drinking experience.”
94 Points
2021 Martin Ray Pinot Noir Hallberg Ranch Russian River Valley

2021 Martin Ray Pinot Noir Hallberg Ranch Russian River Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtPinot NoirRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

MARTIN RAY

PINOT NOIR 2021
HALLBERG RANCH
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

2021 Martin Ray Pinot Noir Hallberg Ranch Russian River Valley
Martin Ray dedicated his life to creating single-varietal wines from unique AVAs that genuinely represented the site where the grapes were grown. Courtney Benham purchased the brand in 1990 and continues where Martin left off, producing the same stylistically pure, terroir-driven wines and utilizing his natural talent for selecting distinctive vineyards.
 
The Hallberg Vineyard was a former apple orchard on the edge of Green Valley, where the vines are 100% dry-farmed, which lends to the grapes reaching complete physiological ripeness at lower sugar levels. The site’s distinctive, marine-influenced fruit attracts some of Sonoma’s top producers to make wine from it, including Gary Farrell, Joseph Jewell, and Emeritus. Martin Ray’s version is supple and rich in red fruits, capturing the vineyard’s distinct identity wrapped into a lush, easy-drinking, delightful wine.
 
MARTIN RAY
PINOT NOIR 2021
HALLBERG RANCH
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
Retails at: $60
 
Your Price: $42

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“This is very fine with sliced strawberries and a hibiscus character throughout. Medium body. Very focused with fine tannins and a fresh and vivid finish. Lots of energy. Fantastic. Drink or hold.”
95 Points
 
2018 Hendry Zinfandel Blocks 7 and 22 Napa Valley

2018 Hendry Zinfandel Blocks 7 and 22 Napa Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtMt VeederNapaUSAZinfandel

HENDRY

BLOCKS 7 & 22 ZINFANDEL
NAPA VALLEY 2018

2018 Hendry Zinfandel Blocks 7 and 22 Napa Valley
The Hendry family have farmed grapes at the base of Mount Veeder since 1939, obtaining a vast amount of knowledge while perfecting their practices with over 80 years of harvests. Their ranch has a substantial marine influence from the nearby San Pablo Bay that maintains acidity and keeps the fruit fresh and bright, resulting in some of Napa Valley’s most distinctive Zinfandels.
 
Block 7 was planted in 1975 and Block 22 in 1995 on benchlands with thin, stony soils exposed to dense morning fogs and strong afternoon breezes that result in complex, concentrated flavors. The cool weather of the 2018 growing season gave wines with focus, elegance, and ageability, and this Zinfandel will intrigue palates for years to come. 
 
HENDRY
BLOCKS 7 & 22 ZINFANDEL
NAPA VALLEY 2018
 
Your Price: $38
 
 
“George Hendry planted Block 7 in 1975. At the time, he was selling grapes from his family’s ranch at the base of Mt. Veeder, just west of the city of Napa. He planted Block 22 in 1995, a few years after he began to make his own wine. His nephew Mike manages the vines today, blending Blocks 7 & 22, both clone 2 zinfandel, and aging it in French oak barrels (one third of them new). If you love Napa Valley zinfandel as I do, you owe it to yourself to get this wine if just for the smell alone. It starts with tight floral clarity, then expands toward zinfandel’s classic generosity, touching every sense receptor with its purity of fruit. Immediately fresh and refreshing, this begins to sit in its oak as it develops over several days, suggesting that you drink it either now or in ten years when it will have completely digested that oak and show the vineyard through a mature lens.” 
94 Points
2020 Steps Proprietary Red Reserve Barrel Select Napa Valley

2020 Steps Proprietary Red Reserve Barrel Select Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Atlas PeakDiamond MountainKevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

STEPS

RESERVE BARREL SELECT
PROPRIETARY RED
NAPA VALLEY 2020

2020 Steps Proprietary Red Reserve Barrel Select Napa Valley
STEPS Barrel Select Reserve is designed each year from a powerfully expressive and quality-driven selection of fruit from some of Napa Valley’s most prized AVAs. Grant Long Jr. is well known for his winemaking at Aonair, Reverie II, James Joseph, and Witchery, and he creates STEPS Reserve in the same supple, concentrated, and hedonistic style that’s developed a devoted following.
 
The 2020 STEPS combines structured mountain fruit from Diamond Mountain and Atlas Peak with characteristically earthy, dusty Rutherford fruit to create a harmonious balance of Napa terroir. The blend consists of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon enhanced with Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot, and Merlot, presented in a richly layered style that perfectly balances power and elegance and a long, smooth finish. 
 
STEPS
RESERVE BARREL SELECT
PROPRIETARY RED
NAPA VALLEY 2020
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
“The 2020 Steps Reserve Barrel Select opens with an intense nose and aromas of violet, lilac, black tea, red plum, black raspberry, and volcanic rock. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied and mouth-filling with flavors of ripe plums, cocoa powder, berry bramble, and savory spice. The tannins are velvety soft but with a strong backbone that will allow the wine to age and develop further.”
94 Points
2018 Westwood Pinot Noir Sonoma County

2018 Westwood Pinot Noir Sonoma County

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaSonoma MountainUSA

WESTWOOD

PINOT NOIR 2018
SONOMA COUNTY

2018 Westwood Pinot Noir Sonoma County
Westwood proprietor Carl Stanton founded his Annadel Gap Vineyard in 1998, and over the next dozen years, his viticultural team planted and replanted each block to discover the vineyard’s unique identity. The Annadel Gap lies between Sonoma Mountain and Mount Hood. Like the Petaluma Gap, cool Pacific breezes and thick fog roll in most mornings and evenings, resulting in fruit with fully developed, complex flavors and fresh acidity.
 
Westwood’s team farms their vineyards biodynamically, providing renowned winemakers Philippe Melka and Maayan Koschitzky pure and exceptional quality fruit to seamlessly bring their vineyards to life in their wines. The 2018 growing season gave Pinot Noir grapes great intensity, elegance, and layers of decadent flavors, and this wine from the Annadel Gap Vineyard is a stunning example.
 
WESTWOOD
PINOT NOIR 2018
SONOMA COUNTY
Retails at: $65
 
Your Price: $45
 
 
“Sourced from the estate’s Annadel Gap Vineyard as well as parcels in Petaluma Gap vineyard Terra de Promissio, this wine was aged 18 months in (41% new) French oak and bottled unfil- tered. Aromas of fresh red cherry, chocolate, and cinnamon lead to a palate that is juicy to its core. Caramel apple, tomato leaf, lavender, and cranberry are vibrant and the mouthfeel generous, opening up to baking spices backed by beetroot and rhubarb. Complex and delicious.”
95 Points
2020 Domaine Guerrin Saint Veran Le Clos Vessats White Burgundy

2020 Domaine Guerrin Saint Veran Le Clos Vessats White Burgundy

with No Comment $30-$40BurgandyChardonnayFranceKevin Vogt

DOMAINE GUERRIN

SAINT-VERAN 2020
LE CLOS VESSATS
WHITE BURGUNDY

2020 Domaine Guerrin Saint Veran Le Clos Vessats White Burgundy
Nestled in the protected area between the Roche de Solutré and the Roche de Vergisson, Domaine Guerrin lies West of Mâcon in Southern Burgundy, in a region known for exceptional value. Founded in 1926, today the Estate is run by the fourth generation of the family with a passionate, respectful, and responsible philosophy that promotes the terroir from their vineyards in Pouilly-Fuissé, Saint-Véran, and Mâcon-Vergisson.
 
Saint-Véran is known for its Chardonnay with a harmoniously round and fresh balance of stone fruit, floral, and mineral notes similar to its neighbor, Pouilly-Fuissé. The 2020 “Le Clos Vessats” comes from a unique plot on clay-limestone soils giving ripe, rich fruit aged in stainless steel to preserve the fruit’s purity and is meant to be enjoyed now and for the next four to five years.
 
DOMAINE GUERRIN
SAINT-VERAN 2020
LE CLOS VESSATS
WHITE BURGUNDY
 
Your Price: $38
 
 
“The Domaine Guerrin & Fils 2020 Saint-Véran ‘Le Clos Vessats’ opens with decadent notes of orange blossom, acacia, honeydew melon, toast, roasted almonds, and wet stones. On the palate, the wine has a seamless, rich texture balanced by crisp acidity, with flavors of golden apple, pear, pineapple, and vanilla. This wine is excellent with or without food, on a cold or hot day, any time of the day.”
94 Points
2019 Henri De Villamont Corton Grand Cru Les Renardes

2019 Henri De Villamont Corton Grand Cru Les Renardes

with No Comment $100 and overBurgandyFranceKevin VogtPinot Noir

HENRI DE VILLAMONT

CORTON GRAND CRU
LES RENARDES 2019

2019 Henri De Villamont Corton Grand Cru Les Renardes
Pinot Noir exists on the famous Hill of Corton because of the Roman Emperor Charlemagne, who enjoyed drinking it daily and ordered planting the vines. Legend has it that in his later years, Charlemagne spilled a fair amount of Pinot Noir into his beard, staining his clothes and annoying his wife, who in turn demanded he quit drinking wine. Instead, Charlemagne switched to white wine and replanted part of the hill with Chardonnay, so he could continue drinking wine to his heart’s content.
 
Les Renardes is a climat within the renowned Corton Grand Cru AOC planted with Pinot Noir, and the wines produced there are still as prized as they were during Charlemagne’s reign. The 2019 vintage was barrel aged in 50% new French oak for 15 months and exudes a generous aromatic expression and impressively mouth-filling, sensual wine.
 
HENRI DE VILLAMONT
CORTON GRAND CRU
LES RENARDES 2019
 
Your Price: $135
 
 
“While subtle and smoky on the nose, this wine has rich, ripe flavors of blackberry and plum that are densely packed on the palate. Matured 15 months in 50% new oak, the spicy, firmly structured wine is shaded by hints of licorice and black walnut. Taut tannins will ease with a few more years of cellaring. Best approach from 2025–2035.”
93 Points
2020 Maison Harbour Bourgogne Chardonnay Cote D'Or

2020 Maison Harbour Bourgogne Chardonnay Cote D’Or

with No Comment $40-$50BurgandyChablisChardonnayFrance

MAISON HARBOUR

BOURGOGNE CHARDONNAY
COTE D’OR 2020

2020 Maison Harbour Bourgogne Chardonnay Cote D'Or
Colleen and Nick Harbour are North American natives who met while studying abroad in Luxembourg and returned to Europe in 2008 after university studies. They found themselves immersed in the local wine scene, leading to a passion for wine but a waning interest in their daily jobs. Nick and Colleen officially moved to Burgundy in 2011, where Nick attended wine school in Beaune while Colleen pursued an internship at Maison Champy, making lifelong friends that connected the couple with small growers’ vineyard parcels.
 
Nick and Colleen’s winemaking revolves around expertly farmed fruit from distinct parcels and a hands-off approach in the cellar, allowing the glorious Burgundian terroir to shine through in their wines. The 2020 Bourgogne Chardonnay Côte d’Or comes from vines just below the village of Puligny-Montrachet, matured for 16 months in neutral 228-liter barrels and stainless steel, promoting the purity of the fruit and the essence of this iconic vineyard location.
 
MAISON HARBOUR
BOURGOGNE CHARDONNAY
COTE D’OR 2020
 
Your Price: $48
 
 
“Bright, fresh, clean, and pure, showing minerality, energy, focus and tension. Midweight, balanced and structured, with flavors of pears and nectarines, great acidity and a long, cleansing finish. From vines just below the village of Puligny-Montrachet, this Bourgogne seriously over delivers. Aged for 16 months in neutral oak barrels and stainless steel tanks before bottling.”