2018 Leto Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Mt Veeder

2018 Leto Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Mt Veeder

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtMt VeederNapaUSA

LETO CELLARS

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
MT VEEDER 2018

2018 Leto Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Mt Veeder
Brad and Lisa Warner share more than 80 years of wine industry experience and have taken everything they’ve learned along the way and poured it into their boutique brand, Leto Cellars. Leto is Greek for “the hidden one” and expresses Brad and Lisa’s goals as they source fruit from small, family-owned vineyards from premier locations throughout the Valley.
 
Brad chose this Mount Veeder site because of its volcanic soil composition and cooling effects from San Pablo Bay, allowing the fruit a longer hang time to develop extraordinary complexity. Barrel-aged for 18 months, this 100% mountain Cabernet Sauvignon walks a tightrope of rich power and focused restraint, highlighting the vineyard and vintage with perfect balance.
 
LETO CELLARS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
MT VEEDER 2018
Retails at: $85
 
 
 
“The 2018 Leto Mt Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon begins with aromas of violet, lavender, malt powder, blackberry tart, and nutmeg. On the palate, the wine has a rich concentration with flavors of cocoa nibs, vanilla, blueberry, and wet stones. This wine has an immaculate structure that will unfold in layers of complexity with age yet also shines with vitality today.”
94 Points
2019 Gamba MCM Estate Zinfandel Russian River Valley

2019 Gamba MCM Estate Zinfandel Russian River Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtRussian River ValleySonomaUSAZinfandel

GAMBA

MCM ESTATE ZINFANDEL 
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY 2019

2019 Gamba MCM Estate Zinfandel Russian River Valley
Gus Gamba considers himself a steward of his land and utilizes organic vineyard management practices on his family’s property, planted in 1900. His Vineyard’s topography, soils, and microclimate are perfect for ripening Zinfandel to the peak of perfection, resulting in one of the Russian River Valley’s most prized Zin’s. 
 
Farming is foremost at Gamba Vineyards; however, the same level of care follows through into the cellar. Gus and his team double-hand-sort the berries, with only the best making their way into fermentors. Next, the 2019 release spent an impressive 18 months aging primarily in American oak barrels, contributing to the wine’s spice characteristics and remarkable structure. The finished wine is rich, vibrantly detailed, engrossingly fresh, and is drinking beautifully right now. 
 
GAMBA
MCM ESTATE ZINFANDEL 
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY 2019
Retails at: $54
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
“The exciting 2019 MCM Gamba Estate Old Vine Zinfandel is a brilliant wine, with bright garnet hues shining in the glass. The aroma offers lush raspberry, rhubarb pie and savory dried herbs. Medium to full in body, the wine explodes with fresh berries, stone fruit and red cherry that are accented with delicious brown spices and an essence of toasty oak. The texture is slightly leathery, yet polished and refined. The wine is focused, compelling, and exquisitely layered, with mouth-watering tannins; a serious and seamless flavor experience from beginning to end. Lifting acidity and mild toasted oak round out the coda of its pleasant, lingering finish. A great wine to enjoy in its youth, or candidate to lay down in the cellar if you have the will power!”
2021 Luli Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

2021 Luli Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

with No Comment $30 and underCentral CoastKevin VogtMontereyPinot NoirSanta Lucia HighlandsUSA

LULI

PINOT NOIR 2021
SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS

2021 Luli Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands
Luli represents a strategic partnership between three wine industry leaders, and their successful union illustrates the talents and strengths of their combined knowledge, skills, and experience. Master Sommelier Sara Floyd teamed up with vineyard manager Mark Pisoni and winemaker Jeff Pisoni in 2007 to create a new line of handcrafted wines from high-quality fruit at affordable prices.
 
The Pisoni brothers grew up farming in the Santa Lucia Highlands with their father, Gary, one of California’s most respected growers. They source fruit for Luli from vineyards in or near the same land they call home. The 2021 Luli Pinot Noir arose from sustainably farmed vineyards in the region that saw clear skies and moderate temperatures during the growing season, producing exceptional quality grapes and paying tribute to Pinot’s success in the area.
 
LULI
PINOT NOIR 2021
SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“The Luli Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir 2021 begins with an intense nose of dark berries, cherry cola, dried mushrooms, and white flowers. These notes continue into a powerful, supple palate with a beautiful brightness to the rich, concentrated fruit. Always one of the best values in Pinot Noir each year, this vintage is classic for the region and another gorgeous bottling of this offering. As beautiful as it is now, it will certainly reward you with a couple of additional years of age if you can resist drinking them until then.”
92 Points
2019 Dolum Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2019 Dolum Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleStags LeapUSA

DOLUM

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2019

2019 Dolum Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Dolum Estate produces limited quantities of premium Cabernet Sauvignon and has done so for over three decades. The team makes meticulous decisions for fruit selection in each vintage and sources high-quality grapes from small sub-districts, including Oakville and Stags Leap, crafting wines that balance power and elegance.
 
Winemaker Chad Alexander’s background in soil science and making wine at Hess Collection and Robert Craig wineries has influenced his winemaking style as he captures the essence of each unique plot showcased in his wines. Dolum Estate’s 2019 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a classic example of the region’s best attributes: a profound depth of flavor, soft, refined tannins, and a sultry finish that elegantly lingers.
 
DOLUM
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2019
Retails at: $100
 
 
 
“Aromas of crushed blackberry, plum, blackcurrant and menthol. Full-bodied with powdery tannins. Succulent and fruity on the palate with a core of black fruit and berries. Ground spice, too. Focused. Best after 2026.”
94 Points
2019 Chateau Haut-Breton Larigaudiere Margaux

2019 Chateau Haut-Breton Larigaudiere Margaux

with No Comment $40-$50BordeauxBordeauxFranceKevin Vogt

CHATEAU HAUT-BRETON

LARIGAUDIÈRE
MARGAUX 2019

2019 Chateau Haut-Breton Larigaudiere Margaux
Château Haut-Breton Larigaudière’s vineyards are located near Arsac and Soussans within the Margaux AOC and encompass the region’s full spectrum of terroir, from gravelly soils with sand, transitioning to gravelly soils with clay. The sandy soils produce ethereal wines while the clay produces wines with more tannic structure, so every plot is planted accordingly, with a primary focus on Cabernet Sauvignon, with Merlot and Petite Verdot rounding out the balance.
 
Depending on the age of the vines, soil type, and variety, the grapes are fermented separately in stainless-steel vats at relatively low temperatures to promote dynamic aromatic development. The 2019 vintage matured in oak from 18 to 24 months until each barrel was ready to be bottled, giving an affordable Bordeaux red that shows a high level of quality, textbook Margaux classicism, and early approachability that makes this a standout.
 
CHATEAU HAUT-BRETON
LARIGAUDIÈRE
MARGAUX 2019
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
“The 2019 Haut-Breton Larigaudiere is plush, deep and wonderfully expressive. Black cherry, licorice, spice, chocolate, leather and espresso all flesh out in a generous, creamy Margaux that will drink well right out of the gate. The exuberant, racy style is hugely appealing.”
91 Points
2016 Bodegas Manzanos Voche Rioja Reserva Rioja Spain

2016 Bodegas Manzanos Voche Rioja Reserva Rioja Spain

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtRiojaSpainTempranillo

BODEGAS MANZANOS

VOCHE RIOJA RESERVA
RIOJA SPAIN 2016

2016 Bodegas Manzanos Voche Rioja Reserva Rioja Spain
Five generations of the Manzano family dedicated themselves to making wines at the highest level from their vineyards in the Spanish regions of Rioja and Navarra. 
Brothers Víctor and David Fernández de Manzano raised the Estate to the next level by modernizing it with precise state-of-the-art winemaking equipment, moving it closer to being among the region’s top producers.
 
The family’s Voché Reserva comes from three of their best vineyards: El Barranco, Los Molinos, and José Leon. El Barranco is the oldest Graciano vineyard in Rioja, planted in 1940, and contributes depth and complexity to the wine, while Los Molinos’s younger Graciano vines give freshness. José Leon Vineyard’s 25-year-old Tempranillo vines contribute power and structure, completing the wine, which elevated with two years in French oak and two more years in bottle, seamlessly integrating the classic Rioja flavors.
 
BODEGAS MANZANOS
VOCHE RIOJA RESERVA
RIOJA SPAIN 2016
 
Your Price: $23
 
 
“Violet-red to the eye, this wine has a bouquet of cassis, saddle leather and clove. It feels good in the mouth, offering flavors of blackberry, strawberry, chocolate-covered coffee bean and vanilla. Satin tannins dissolve into a soft rose-petal finish.”
93 Points
 
“Sweet oak, vanilla, cherry and bitter almond flavors converge in this muscular, balanced red. The oak still needs time to integrate, with ample fruit to offset it. The finish is long and compact. Tempranillo and Graciano. Best from 2024 through 2033. 700 cases made, 350 cases imported.”
93 Points
2017 Farella Estate Merlot Coombsville

2017 Farella Estate Merlot Coombsville

with No Comment $30-$40CoombsvilleKevin VogtMerlotNapaUSA

FARELLA

ESTATE MERLOT
COOMBSVILLE 2017

2017 Farella Estate Merlot Coombsville
Tom Farella’s decades of farming experience and work in Burgundy and Oregon, combined with his lifelong passion for wine, resulted in many of Coombsville’s most memorable wines. Realm Winery recognized the quality of Tom’s grapes nearly two decades ago, and they’ve produced a single-vineyard wine from Farella, earning numerous 95 and above scores. Tom’s namesake wine is consistently outstanding and offers impressive quality, a sense of place, and balance, well above what you’d expect at this price level.
 
Farella’s hillside vineyard, planted in 1979, gives a Right Bank Bordeaux-style Merlot with supple tannins and bright acidity due to the proximity of the San Pablo Bay and its cooling effects. The 2017 Merlot is nuanced and spicy with grace and elegance blossoming from a rich Napa core, continuing in the Farella legacy of small-production fine wine for over 42 years.
 
FARELLA
ESTATE MERLOT
COOMBSVILLE 2017
Retails at: $45
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“Lots of plum and currant aromas here with some flowers and green olives. It’s full-bodied with round, ripe tannins and a generous finish of fruit. Drinkable now, but better in 2023.”
92 Points
2018 Agnes et Didier Dauvissat Chablis Burgundy France

2018 Agnes et Didier Dauvissat Chablis Burgundy France

with No Comment $30 and underBurgandyChablisChardonnayFranceKevin Vogt

AGNÈS et DIDIER DAUVISSAT

CHABLIS 2018
BURGUNDY, FRANCE

2018 Agnes et Didier Dauvissat Chablis Burgundy France
Agnès and Didier Dauvissat were vineyard workers who dreamed of vinifying wine from vineyards they owned, so they bought and planted their first small plot of vines in 1987. Today they hold just over 30 acres of vineyards spread across Petit Chablis, Chablis, Premier Cru Beauroy, Bourgogne Rouge, and Crémant de Bourgogne, producing terroir-distinct wines from each appellation.
 
Dauvissat is a prominent name in the area, and Didier’s cousin, Vincent, of a respected Chablisienne estate nearby, mentored Didier. The stylistic similarities in their wines go beyond the last name. The 2018 Chablis has clean, pure fruit aromatics and a crisp minerality from fermentation in stainless steel, a hallmark of the region that’s created a demand for unoaked Chardonnay worldwide.
 
AGNÈS et DIDIER DAUVISSAT
CHABLIS 2018
BURGUNDY, FRANCE
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“Agnès et Didier Dauvissat 2018 Chablis opens with aromas of honeysuckle, applesauce, cinnamon, quince, and white chalk. On the palate, the wine has concentrated flavors of apple and pear with complementary, secondary characteristics of mascarpone and pastry dough. This wine has an impressive depth of aromas and flavors with mouthwatering acidity with incredible purity.”
95 Points
2019 Castello Romitorio Colli Sensi Chianti Tuscany

2019 Castello Romitorio Colli Sensi Chianti Tuscany

with No Comment $30 and underChiantiChiantiItalyKevin VogtTuscany

CASTELLO ROMITORIO

COLLI SENESI CHIANTI
TUSCANY 2019

2019 Castello Romitorio Colli Sensi Chianti Tuscany
Italian artist Sandro Chia believes the best expressions of art and wine thrive with a minimalistic approach. This philosophy is a guiding principle for his wines, and his estate is becoming known for producing wines of superb quality, character, and value. Sandro purchased Castello Romitorio in 1984 and initiated a complete restoration of the historic property that previously served as a Roman temple, fortress, monastery, castle, and manor house.
 
Colli Senesi is the Southernmost subregion of Chianti DOCG with warmer conditions and slightly more stringent production rules requiring a minimum of 75% Sangiovese in the blend resulting in more substantial, fuller-bodied wines. The 2019 Chianti Colli Senesi is 100% Sangiovese and encompasses the winery’s vision of artistic exploration and commitment to excellence and sustainability. 
 
CASTELLO ROMITORIO
COLLI SENESI CHIANTI
TUSCANY 2019
 
Your Price: $24
 
“Castello Romitorio 2019 Chianti Colli Senesi opens with delicate notes of rose petals, violets, ripe red cherry, ground nutmeg, dried sage, and black tea leaves. The wine has flavors of cranberry, red plum, wild strawberry, and white pepper with vibrant acidity and silky tannins. This beautifully balanced, classic wine is easy-drinking and effortlessly over-delivers for the price.”
94 Points
2020 Domaine De Leyre-Loup Morgon Beaujolais France

2020 Domaine De Leyre-Loup Morgon Beaujolais France

with No Comment $30 and underBurgandyFranceKevin Vogt

DOMAINE DE LEYRE-LOUP

MORGON 2020
BEAUJOLAIS, FRANCE

2020 Domaine De Leyre-Loup Morgon Beaujolais France
Domaine de Leyre-Loup is located in Beaujolais and encompasses 25 acres of vines on granitic soils perfectly suited to growing expressive Gamay of rare richness and high quality. The Morgon AOC is the second largest Beaujolais Cru known for powerful wines that are good for laying down and developing delightful earthy, Pinot Noir-like notes over time.
 
The Domaine’s 50-year-old vines in Morgon give fruit with great concentration and structure that get hand-harvested and sorted, partially destemmed before fermentation. The grapes undergo a traditional, regional fermentation with semi-carbonic maceration in stainless steel resulting in a softer tannin extraction and the creation of lively fruit and spice aromatics that the 2020 vintage shows off in a delicate, focused style.
 
DOMAINE DE LEYRE-LOUP
MORGON 2020
BEAUJOLAIS, FRANCE
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“The 2020 Domaine de Leyre-Loup Beaujolais Morgon begins with aromas of bright red fruits such as cranberry and raspberry with hints of white pepper, dried herbs, and earth. On the palate, the wine has concentrated fruit flavors of ripe strawberry and juicy fruit punch accented by herbal notes of black tea and sweet tobacco leaf. This wine has an impressive flavor intensity that awakens your taste buds and keeps them alive.”
94-95 Points