2021 Farella La Luce Sauvignon Blanc Coombsville Estate

2021 Farella La Luce Sauvignon Blanc Coombsville Estate

with No Comment $30 and underCoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaSauvignon BlancUSA

FARELLA

LA LUCE SAUVIGNON BLANC
COOMBSVILLE ESTATE 2021

2021 Farella La Luce Sauvignon Blanc Coombsville Estate
Tom Farella knew early on that he had an affinity for wine and graduated from UC Davis in 1983 with a degree in Viticulture and Enology. He left California to work in Burgundy for six years, followed by a harvest and vineyard work in Oregon before returning home to his father’s small Farella-Park Vineyards, where he was the lead winemaker from 1991 to 2018.
 
Fellow UC Davis graduate Ryan Pass is the current winemaker, and utilizing Tom’s expertise, Ryan ensures the winery’s goals are accomplished, crafting exceptionally balanced, sustainably produced wines. Farella’s hillside vineyard was planted in 1979 on volcanic ash and gravelly loam in the cool Coombsville AVA, giving the 2021 Sauvignon Blanc a distinct vibrancy, purity, and generous length.
 
FARELLA
LA LUCE SAUVIGNON BLANC
COOMBSVILLE ESTATE 2021
 
Your Price: $28
 
 
“The 2021 Farella Sauvignon Blanc opens with uplifting notes of elderflower, chamomile, grapefruit, lime zest, lemongrass, and wet stones. The wine is vivid and alive on the palate with fresh acidity and flavors of Granny Smith apple, mango, green guava, and fresh oregano. This wine is perfect for summer with a pleasant levity and verve to brighten the moment.”
94 Points
2019 Domaine De L'Arnesque Chateauneuf du Pape

2019 Domaine De L’Arnesque Chateauneuf du Pape

with No Comment $40-$50Cotes du RhoneFranceKevin VogtRhone ValleyRhone Valley

DOMAINE DE L’ARNESQUE

CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE
VINTAGE 2019

2019 Domaine De L'Arnesque Chateauneuf du Pape
L’Arnesque is one of several small vineyard areas within the famed Châteauneuf-du-Pape region, named after its site-specific terroir and unique soils. Domaine de L’Arnesque shares this name and is owned and cared for by the 5th generation of the Biscarrat family. The vineyard’s soils are made up of limestone and clay and covered with large stones known as “galets” that absorb the warmth from the sunlight and transmit that heat to the vines during cool, breezy nights.
 
Domaine de L’Arnesque’s winemaking team utilizes a partial whole cluster fermentation, increasing this wine’s aromatics, structure, and complexity. The 2019 vintage is a blend of 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, and 10% Mourvèdre, aged 12 months in 600-liter French oak barrels typical of the Rhône Valley, giving a wine with regional purity, pride and balance.
 
DOMAINE DE L’ARNESQUE
CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE
VINTAGE 2019
 
Your Price: $45

 

“Ripe and alluring, with a seductive display of warmed cassis and plum sauce flavors laced with melted red licorice and fruitcake notes. Fine grained through the finish, where light applewood, shiso and garriguenotes keep this honest. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Best from 2023 through 2036. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 500 cases imported.”
93 Points
2019 Armelle Et Bernard Rion Chambolle-Musigny Les Echezeaux

2019 Armelle Et Bernard Rion Chambolle-Musigny Les Echezeaux

with No Comment $90-$100BurgandyFranceKevin VogtPinot Noir

ARMELLE ET BERNARD RION

CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY
LES ECHEZEAUX 2019

2019 Armelle Et Bernard Rion Chambolle-Musigny Les Echezeaux
Domaine Armelle et Bernard Rion was founded in 1896 by Pierre Rion after he acquired vines from Chateau de la Berchere during his years as a dedicated sharecropper. More than a century later, the fifth generation of the Rion family runs the winery. They have vineyard holdings strategically positioned in some of the most recognized Burgundian wine-producing villages, including Vosne-Romanée, Chambolle-Musigny, Nuits-Saint-Georges, and Vougeot.
 
‘Les Echezeaux’ is planted with vines of an average age of 50 years in the southern part of the village of Chambolle-Musigny, receiving ample sunlight and achieving perfect ripeness. The 2019 vintage saw frost, hail, and drought, which lowered yields but produced small but brilliant crops with deep concentration and may be one of the best vintages in the last decade.
 
ARMELLE ET BERNARD RION
CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY
LES ECHEZEAUX 2019
 
Your Price: $99.99
 
 
“The Armelle et Bernard Rion Chambolle-Musigny Les Echezeaux 2019 opens with a bright nose of tart red cherry, cardamom, pomegranate, fresh green herbs, saddle leather, cinnamon spice, shoe polish, and freshly harvested French lavender. On the palate, the wine has flavors of Ranier cherries, white raspberries, and clove hints, along with a liquid metal/saline quality that bolsters the fresh acids and medium-grained tannins, leading to a long, elegant finish. It’s enjoyable now due to its pristinely balanced fruit/tannin structure, but it will evolve beautifully over the next decade.”
95 Points
2020 Stemmler Pinot Nour Nugent Vineyard

2020 Stemmler Pinot Nour Nugent Vineyard

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtPinot NoirRussian River ValleySonoma

STEMMLER

PINOT NOIR
NUGENT VINEYARD 2020
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

2020 Stemmler Pinot Nour Nugent Vineyard
Robert Stemmler migrated to California from Germany in 1961, taking a job at Charles Krug Winery; he later worked for Inglenook and Simi before opening his winery in 1976, focusing on Pinot Noir production. His first vintage release was in 1982, and by 1984 critics were calling his Pinot Noirs the best in America.
 
Robert sold the winery in 1989 but still assists whenever needed to help maintain that quality that he established 40 years ago. The Nugent vineyard, planted in 1997 with Calera, Dijon 667, and Pommard clones, brings delightful nuances to the blend, and the 2020 vintage delivers a bright and light yet concentrated wine that’s hard to resist at this price.
 
STEMMLER
PINOT NOIR
NUGENT VINEYARD 2020
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
Retails at: $50
 
 
 
“The 2020 Stemmler Nugent Vineyard Pinot Noir opens with bright notes of red cherry, wild strawberry, baking spices, earth, crushed rock minerality, and crushed oregano. On the palate, the wine has flavors of cranberry, berry bramble, and cloves with refreshing acidity and soft tannins that result in a super smooth finish. This wine is an outstanding value and should not be missed by Pinot Noir lovers looking for a wine for any night of the week.”
92 Points
2019 Edict Proprietary Red Napa Valley

2019 Edict Proprietary Red Napa Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

EDICT

PROPRIETARY RED
NAPA VALLEY 2019

2019 Edict Proprietary Red Napa Valley
Edict’s team mindfully crafts boutique wines that remain true to their geographic character, offering a sense of place in each wine produced. Their approach begins with their vineyard manager’s 30 years of expertise and a collaboration with some of Napa Valley’s top growers to ensure a selection of the healthiest fruit with the most significant varietal expressions, giving their winemaker the ingredients to craft memorable wines.
 
The 2019 Proprietary Red wine is a Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend that exhibits a dynamic balance of Napa Valley terroir from several different soil types. This wine’s complex structure allows for a few years in the cellar but is already welcoming and drinking beautifully, making it the perfect wine to open anytime.
 
EDICT
PROPRIETARY RED
NAPA VALLEY 2019
Retails at: $80
 
 
 
“Aromas of red and black fruit, espresso and crushed herbs. Medium-bodied with fresh acidity and silky tannins. Juicy and succulent on the palate. Charming. Drink or hold.”
92 Points
NV Bouquin-Dupont Grand Cru Champagne Blanc De Blancs Brut

NV Bouquin-Dupont Grand Cru Champagne Blanc De Blancs Brut

with No Comment $50-$60ChampagneChampagne/SparklingFranceKevin Vogt

BOUQUIN-DUPONT

GRAND CRU CHAMPAGNE
BLANC DE BLANCS BRUT NV

NV Bouquin-Dupont Grand Cru Champagne Blanc De Blancs Brut
The Echelle des Crus was established in 1911, ranking Champagne’s wine-producing villages and the vineyards surrounding them on a scale from 80-100%, and out of the 319 villages in the region, just 17 were awarded a 100% rating and given the prestigious Grand Cru status. Bouquin-DuPont’s Grand Cru Champagne is a prime example of classification’s majestic and regal quality.
This wine originates from Bouquin DuPont & Fils’ Grand Cru vineyard in Avize in the heart of the Côte des Blancs, an area home to vineyards owned by famous Champagne houses such as Moët & Chandon, Roederer, and Taittinger. This ‘Blanc de Blancs’ is a 100% Chardonnay blend from the house’s base wines aged four to ten years on the lees, creating a wonderfully developed, complex wine with a superb balance of focused, linear flavors and aromas.
BOUQUIN-DUPONT
GRAND CRU CHAMPAGNE
BLANC DE BLANCS BRUT NV
Your Price: $55
“Indescribably brilliant with a freshness and vibrancy that need to be experienced to be believed , this otherworldly Champagne cascades wave after wave of candied citrus, quince, yellow plum and green pear fruit with elements of wet stone/saline-like minerality, toast, white flowers and a hint of ginger. On your palate, it takes over and puts your swallow reflex into overdrive, then the expansive finish grows for a minute plus, leaving you begging for another sip. It’s simply my new favorite Champagne.”
97 Points
2019 Dolum Estates Cask #11 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County

2019 Dolum Estates Cask #11 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County

with No Comment $30-$40Alexander ValleyCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtSonomaUSA

DOLUM ESTATES

CASK #11 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
SONOMA COUNTY 2019

2019 Dolum Estates Cask #11 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County
Dolum Estates’ founders strive to create wines with undeniable character and all-embracing elegance that will vividly portray their origin. Winemaker Chad Alexander’s background in soil science and experience making wine at Hess Collection and Robert Craig wineries brought their goal to fruition, producing wines with a profound depth of flavor that remain elegant and finely balanced.
 
Their 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Cask #11 embodies the classic Alexander Valley depth and complexity of the region’s ancient soils. Balanced with 5% Cabernet Sauvignon from Oakville, tying in the rich and supple mouthfeel, this remarkable wine, aged in French oak, offers immediate enjoyment and the structure to age for a decade or more.
 
DOLUM ESTATES
CASK #11 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
SONOMA COUNTY 2019
Retails at: $82
 
 
 
“Juicy, sumptuous, and silky, with blackberry preserves and round, supple tannins. So approachable, with a gliding, deep dive into tilled soil, espresso, and black beans beneath its soulful core.”
96 Points
2018 Arkenstone NVD Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2018 Arkenstone NVD Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $90-$100Cabernet SauvignonHowell MountainKevin VogtNapaUSA

ARKENSTONE

NVD CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2018

2018 Arkenstone NVD Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
The Arkenstone Estate Vineyard at 1400 feet on Howell Mountain consists of 13 acres of vines divided into 22 separate vineyard blocks, providing winemaker Sam Kaplan with the necessary components for crafting magnificent high-elevation Cabernet Sauvignon that competes with the best in the Valley. Sam’s winemaking philosophy centers around elegance and balance, utilizing hands-on organic farming, limited yields, and harvesting at uniform ripeness, resulting in cellar-worthy wines that are delicious upon release.
 
The NVD is the newest addition to the winery’s production from the steep slopes of the volcanic soils in the Vaca range, providing a supreme balance between the concentrated mountain fruit and minerality. This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon is an excellent representation of the superior quality that put Napa on the international wine map, and the 2018 vintage is showing brilliantly.
 
ARKENSTONE
NVD CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2018
 
Your Price: $95
 
 
 
“One of winemaker Sam Kaplan’s finest showings from a lineup of 15 wines across his consulting clients, which include Vida Valiente, Memento Mori, Vangone and Maxem, his own label. This 100% Cabernet is a blend of grapes from Pritchard Hill, Howell Mountain and Calistoga. Aged 22 months in 75% new French oak it delivers heady aromas of cinnamon-dusted black cherry and ripe blueberry, an intriguing herbal note and ground espresso. The structured palate is broad and plush with red boysenberries, savoury black olives, leather and a refreshing herbal note. It glides to a chocolate finish, supported by fine-grained, sappy tannins.
Drinking Window 2021 – 2040.”
98 Points
 
“….made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and was aged for 22 months in French oak barrels, 80% new. Deep garnet-purple in color, the nose reveals notes of warm plums, baked black currants and black cherries with suggestions of clove oil, black tea, Chinese five spice and cedar. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with firm, crunchy black berry flavors with bags of freshness and plush tannins, finishing with compelling energy…”
94 Points
 
2018 Joseph Jewell Pinot Noir Hallberg Vineyard Russian River Valley

2018 Joseph Jewell Pinot Noir Hallberg Vineyard Russian River Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtPinot NoirRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

JOSEPH JEWELL

PINOT NOIR 2018
HALLBERG VINEYARD
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

2018 Joseph Jewell Pinot Noir Hallberg Vineyard Russian River Valley
Joseph Jewell wines are known for their approachability, balance, and natural varietal character derived from small, independently owned vineyard sites in Humboldt and Sonoma Counties that focus on sustainable farming practices. Owner and winemaker Adrian Jewell Manspeaker was delighted to begin working with the Hallberg Vineyard in 2010 and has produced this single-vineyard Pinot Noir ever since. Hallberg is a longtime vineyard source for Gary Farrell and Emeritus, both great producers.
 
The Hallberg Vineyard is known for its dry-farmed Gold Ridge soils that encourage deep root propagation, giving fruit with increased depth and complexity of flavors. This 2018 vintage is a prime example of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, highlighting the vineyard’s earthy terroir and opulent fruit that will leave your taste buds craving more.
 
JOSEPH JEWELL
PINOT NOIR 2018
HALLBERG VINEYARD
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
Retails at: $60
 
 
 
“The Joseph Jewell Hallberg Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2018 begins with an elegant nose of fresh raspberries, dried cranberries, cola bean, French lavender, and sweet vanilla. A supple, opulent palate follows with integrated flavors of pomegranate, red cherries, delicate fresh herbs, and a liquid saline complexity. This bottling is a lush, penetrating wine with depth and lots of character and length that rates as another fantastic Pinot Noir from Joseph Jewell.”
94 Points
2018 Gorman Proprietary Red Zacharys Ladder Red Mountain WA

2018 Gorman Proprietary Red Zachary’s Ladder Red Mountain WA

with No Comment $30-$40Columbia ValleyKevin VogtProprietary RedUSAWashington State

GORMAN

ZACHARY’S LADDER
PROPRIETARY RED
RED MOUNTAIN, WA 2018

2018 Gorman Proprietary Red Zacharys Ladder Red Mountain WA
Chris Gorman has over 30 years of experience in the wine industry, working as an importer for several years before switching gears into wine production. He made several small batches of wine before going commercial in 2002, establishing Gorman Winery and releasing the first vintage of Zachary’s Ladder, highlighting Washington State’s Columbia Valley wine region.
 
The fruit for this Proprietary Red was grown in the Red Mountain AVA, located in Eastern Washington inside the larger Columbia Valley Region, an area recognized for some of the state’s most extraordinary wines. The 2018 Zachary’s Ladder is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blend aged in neutral French oak for 20 months, allowing the fruit to be the main focus of this full-bodied, supple, beautifully structured red wine.
 
GORMAN
ZACHARY’S LADDER
PROPRIETARY RED
RED MOUNTAIN, WA 2018
 
Your Price: $35
 
 
“The 2018 Zachary’s Ladder is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blend that includes 15% Syrah and 5% Petit Verdot. It offers loads of darker fruits as well as notes of peppery herbs, violets, and spring flowers. It has a kiss of classy oak, is medium to full-bodied, and has a plush, mouth-filling texture. As with all of Chris’s wines, it brings the richness and texture yet stays beautifully balanced.”
93 Points
 
“It seems that 2018 was a bountiful vintage, and this wine offers its cornucopia of fruit. Cherry- and raspberry-gummy aromas are followed by plump, rounded fruit flavors that show impressive depth, layering and plenty of structure to support it all.”
92 Points, Editors’ Choice
 
“This broad-shouldered red offers both chutzpah and style. The backbone shows a density that’s typical of Red Mountain, suggesting time in the cellar, yet there’s just enough rich blackberry, cedar and mineral accents to make this approachable. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2027.”
92 Points