2023 Kanzler Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

2023 Kanzler Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

with No Comment $50-$60Kevin VogtPinot NoirRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

Kanzler

Pinot Noir 2023
Russian River Valley

2023 Kanzler Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

When Alex Kanzler crafts his Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, it is less about winemaking and more about attentive listening. Each unique vineyard block from his family’s estate and four carefully chosen neighbors offers its own perspective: one whispers delicate perfume, another brings depth, a third imparts tension. His craft lies in weaving those voices into harmony, creating a wine that resonates with both intimacy and grandeur.

For years, the Kanzler vineyard has quietly underpinned the work of renowned producers like Kosta Browne and Rivers-Marie, but here, its fruit takes center stage. In 2023, the season’s clarity produced a Pinot Noir that is both generous and refined, a rare duality that reveals why celebrated winemakers return to these vines year after year.

To drink this wine is to recognize the artistry of restraint. Rather than chasing excess, Kanzler lets detail define the experience. The result is a Pinot Noir that is elegant yet powerful, detailed yet effortless, and unmistakably expressive of place. A wine that genuinely captures the heart and soul of the Russian River Valley. 

Kanzler
Pinot Noir 2023
Russian River Valley
Retails at: $69

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“This Pinot gives fresh cherry, orange pith and cola spice aromas on the nose, giving way to a palate with bright acid, plush tannin and flavors of cherry pie filling, cinnamon, clove and rose petals lingering along the finish.”

91 Points

2023 Flora Springs Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2023 Flora Springs Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $60-$70Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOak KnollUSA

Flora Springs

Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley 2023

2023 Flora Springs Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

When Gina Gallo-Boisset assumed her role at Flora Springs, she carried the legacy of California’s foremost winemaking dynasty and the influence of one of Burgundy’s most vibrant families. Their 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon embodies this union: a wine that captures Napa’s bold essence with elegance, precision, and contemporary finesse.

At its core, the wine reveals a harmonious duality: the depth of Rutherford’s gravelly soils entwined with the lush generosity of Oak Knoll fruit. This Cabernet bears substance without weight, commanding attention while inviting another sip through its impeccable balance.

In the cellar, the partnership of Gina and longtime Flora Springs winemaker Enrico Bertoz shaped the wine with both power and restraint. The élevage here is thoughtful, never heavy-handed: time in French oak shapes the tannins into silk without obscuring the purity of the fruit. What emerges is a Napa Cabernet that honors the grandeur of the past yet speaks confidently to the present: a wine of structure, grace, and enduring character.

Flora Springs
Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley 2023
Retails at: $75

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“Aromas of blackberries, plums, ink, graphite and cedar. The palate is medium-bodied with softly integrated tannins and bright acidity. Great freshness and balance. The premiere release under new ownership and packaging. Drink or hold.”

93 Points

2023 Fabrice Larochette Pouilly-Fuisse Les Robees Burgundy France

2023 Fabrice Larochette Pouilly-Fuisse Les Robees Burgundy France

with No Comment $30-$40BurgandyChablisChardonnayFranceKevin Vogt

Fabrice Larochette

Pouilly-Fuissé
Les Robees 2023
Burgundy, France

2023 Fabrice Larochette Pouilly-Fuisse Les Robees Burgundy France

From a mere sliver of vineyard, spanning less than a single hectare, Fabrice Larochette has crafted a Pouilly-Fuissé of remarkable clarity and depth. The 2023 “Les Robées” reveals how brilliance can spring from the smallest of origins. Old vines, careful farming, and restrained winemaking unite in a bottle that pulses with vitality—delicate yet mineral-driven, with a commanding presence.

The allure of “Les Robées” rests in its contrasts. The old vines, rooted deeply in limestone and clay, yield fruit that is both lush and precise, blending orchard ripeness with crystalline minerality. This interplay of sun-warmed generosity and cool, stone-forged precision defines the wine’s distinctive character.

In the cellar, Larochette handles the fruit with the same exacting care as in the vineyard: gentle pneumatic pressing and fermentation in stainless steel preserve its purity. The result is a wine that balances texture and tension, carrying ripe fruit along a backbone of mineral clarity. It stands as a pure, unembellished expression of Pouilly-Fuissé at its most refined.

Fabrice Larochette
Pouilly-Fuissé
Les Robees 2023
Burgundy, France

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“The Fabrice Larochette 2023 “Les Robées” Pouilly-Fuissé opens with a beautifully perfumed bouquet of orange blossoms, peonies, melon, crisp apples, juicy peaches, blood orange, and undertones of vanilla and caramelized sugar, adding an inviting warmth. On the palate, balanced layers of fruit, floral notes, minerality, and gentle spice bring brightness and tension. The wine has a long, graceful finish, showcasing elegance and finesse with bright, snappy acidity and a round mouthfeel.”

96 Points

2023 Salty Goats Pinot Noir Coastline Project Sonoma Coast

2023 Salty Goats Pinot Noir Coastline Project Sonoma Coast

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

Salty Goats

Pinot Noir 2023
Coastline Project
Sonoma Coast

2023 Salty Goats Pinot Noir Coastline Project Sonoma Coast

Few wines wear their landscape as vividly as the 2023 Salty Goats “Coastline Project” Pinot Noir. Sourced from vineyards clinging to the far western ridges of Sonoma, where fog, ocean winds, and fractured Goldridge soils collide, this Pinot channels the raw drama of the Pacific into a wine of striking precision and sea-borne energy.

At the helm are Joe Harden and Phil Holbrook, two winemakers whose experience at benchmark estates like Nickel & Nickel sharpened their ability to coax nuance from challenging terroirs. With Salty Goats, they channel their collective vision into a wine that feels both daring and deliberate, capturing Pinot Noir’s elegance while embracing the rugged unpredictability of the coast.

 

Built with the same patience and precision as the landscapes that shaped it, the 2023 vintage is seductive in its youth and carries the bones of a wine that will evolve gracefully over time. Its balance of fruit, minerality, and structure ensures that those with the patience to cellar it will be rewarded with layers of complexity that only coastal Pinots can achieve.

Salty Goats
Pinot Noir 2023
Coastline Project
Sonoma Coast
Retails at: $60

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“The 2023 Salty Goats ‘Coastline Project’ Pinot Noir blends grapes from Fort Ross-Seaview (Red Car Estate), Lucky Well (Occidental), and Flochinni (Petaluma Gap). Native yeast fermented in a mix of open and closed-top bins, the wine spent 14 days on skins, underwent malolactic fermentation in a barrel, and includes 25% whole cluster. It was aged for 12 months in 20% new French oak, with no rackings, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Fantastically fresh and inviting, this Pinot Noir showcases salty, vibrant character with espresso bean nuances, loamy earth, and crunchy red cherry and spiced plum fruit. Excellent, velvety tannins support a medium-bodied palate with cola spices, kirsch, and blood orange acidity, accented by clove and allspice. Gorgeous rose petal floral notes emerge on the finish. One to seek out, this wine is the brainchild of partner winemakers Joe Harden and Phil Holbrook, who have been making wine together at Nickel & Nickel for nearly a decade. While passionate about Napa Cabernet, their after-hours preference for lighter wines like Pinot Noir inspired them to launch Salty Goats in 2020 as an outlet for experimenting with their favorite varieties.”

94 Points

2022 Mike & Molly Hendry Zinfandel R. W. Moore Vineyard Napa Valley

2022 Mike & Molly Hendry Zinfandel R. W. Moore Vineyard Napa Valley

with No Comment $30-$40CoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaUSAZinfandel

Mike & Molly Hendry

Zinfandel 2022
R.W. Moore Vineyard
Coombsville, Napa Valley

2022 Mike & Molly Hendry Zinfandel R. W. Moore Vineyard Napa Valley

Few wines can claim a lineage as storied as Mike & Molly Hendry’s 2022 R.W. Moore Vineyard Zinfandel. Sourced from vines planted in 1905, this wine embodies Napa’s earliest viticultural chapters, still dry-farmed and head-trained, yielding fruit that speaks with both power and precision. Its gnarled vines produce a Zinfandel of remarkable freshness, offering a rare glimpse into the valley’s heritage.

This historic site is lovingly cared for by Molly’s uncle, Bill Moore, whose stewardship has safeguarded the vines for generations. Recognized by the U.C. Davis Heritage Project for its unique genetic material, the vineyard stands as a relic of the past and a living laboratory, ensuring its legacy will continue to inform California viticulture for generations.

Mike & Molly craft the wine with a light hand, allowing the vineyard to speak first. Fermented and aged in French oak, with portions in neutral barrels to preserve purity, the 2022 Zinfandel balances richness with elegance. Its supple texture and polished tannins carry flavors of dark fruit and spice in a seamless arc that lingers long after each sip, giving an elegant reminder of what Napa Zinfandel can achieve.

Mike & Molly Hendry
Zinfandel 2022
R.W. Moore Vineyard
Coombsville, Napa Valley
Retails at: $44

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“From a Coombsville vineyard planted in 1905 (once made by Turley and offered as Moore Earthquake), Mike and Molly Hendry’s 2022 Zinfandel R.W. Moore Vineyard is a beauty and very reasonably priced for the quality. This dry-farmed, head-trained old vineyard is actually about 95% Zinfandel, with small proportions of Mourtaou (Cabernet Pfeffer), Carignan, Mourvèdre and Petite Sirah. Complex fruit notes of stone fruit, plum and black cherries mark the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate is silky and expansive without being at all overweight or cooked and boasts a long, fresh finish.”

93 Points

2022 Domaine Seve Pouilly-Fuisse Premeir Cru Burgundy France

2022 Domaine Seve Pouilly-Fuisse Premeir Cru Burgundy France

with No Comment $40-$50BurgandyChardonnayFranceKevin Vogt

Domaine Seve

Pouilly-Fuissé
Premeir Cru Rendez-Vous
Burgundy, France 2022

2022 Domaine Seve Pouilly-Fuisse Premeir Cru Burgundy France

For those who crave Burgundy beyond the surface, the 2022 Pouilly-Fuissé Rendez-Vous from Domaine Sève is a cuvée that gathers the essence of three Premier Cru sites into one profound expression: La Frérie, Les Resses, and Les Boutières. Its name, meaning “meeting place,” captures the spirit of the blend: three celebrated terroirs converging in a single expression that brims with tension, precision, and layered minerality. 

Nowhere else in the Mâconnais does Chardonnay speak with such clarity. Pouilly-Fuissé’s fossil-rich limestone and dramatic escarpments shape wines of mineral precision and textural grace, combining the finesse of the Côte d’Or with a radiant southern energy. 

In an era when Burgundy often feels out of reach, Rendez-Vous delivers a striking reminder that true beauty need not come with excess. This Premier Cru Pouilly-Fuissé offers the poise, depth, and aging potential usually reserved for the Côte d’Or, yet remains accessible. It’s a wine that both honors tradition and redefines what southern Burgundy can be.

Domaine Seve
Pouilly-Fuissé
Premeir Cru Rendez-Vous
Burgundy, France 2022

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“The Domaine Sève 2022 Pouilly-Fuissé 1er Cru “Rendez Vous” opens with delicate floral aromas of white blossoms and elderflower, leading to concentrated layers of apricot, pear, pineapple, and melon. Layers of cream, lemon custard, and a subtle touch of bourbon anglaise bring richness, while notes of croissant and freshly baked pastries highlight the wine’s inherent complexity. The palate is supple and silky, with a creamy mid-palate, seamlessly balanced by a bright, driving acidity on the finish, capturing the opulence and precision of the region.”

97 Points

2021 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

2021 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

with No Comment $70-$80Alexander ValleyCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtSonomaUSA

Silver Oak

Cabernet Sauvignon
Alexander Valley 2021

2021 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

With a commanding 96-point score, the 2021 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a continuation of a legacy nearly five decades in the making. Since its founding in 1972, Silver Oak has pursued a singular vision: to craft world-class Cabernet Sauvignon aged exclusively in American oak, a commitment that has defined its unmistakable style. 

Alexander Valley provides the perfect stage for this vision. Cradled by the Mayacamas mountains and influenced by cooling fog from the Russian River Valley, the region balances warm days with dramatic nighttime temperature swings, ensuring fruit that achieves full ripeness while retaining vibrancy and lift. Beneath the vines lie ancient alluvial soils, imparting depth, freshness, and a mineral clarity that defines the best expressions of this AVA.  

The beauty of this wine lies in its duality: supple enough to enchant now, yet structured to evolve gracefully over decades. Aged for two years in Silver Oak’s signature American oak barrels, this is a wine that honors tradition while showcasing innovation. It is a wine that reaffirms why Silver Oak remains one of California’s most iconic names in Cabernet Sauvignon.

Silver Oak
Cabernet Sauvignon
Alexander Valley 2021
Retails at: $100

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“The 2021 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley was harvested between 4 September and 8 October. The blend comprises 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot and 1% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. After blending, it was barrel-aged for 24 months in American oak, 50% of which was new, followed by 14 months of bottle ageing prior to release. The wine is beautifully layered and highly fragrant, with remarkable precision and focus in this vintage. Medium- to full-bodied, it integrates the hallmark Silver Oak American spice character through cedarwood aromatics, elegant whispers of vanilla bean, and nuances of fresh fennel (from more refined American oak barrels crafted after precision trials of both seasoning and toasting from the American oak cooperage they own in Higbee, Missouri). Supple dark-cherry and blackberry fruit are framed by graphite minerality, violets and clove, building in richness and complexity across the palate. Suave and silken, the dark-berry fruit is wrapped in a tapestry of velvety tannins, gliding to a focused finish of brown baking spices and crisp, clean acidity.”

96 Points

2023 Montagu Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

2023 Montagu Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

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

Montagu

Pinot Noir 2023
Santa Lucia Highlands

2023 Montagu Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

Rooted in legend and tracing its lineage to Burgundy, Montagu’s 2023 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir captures a spirit that transcends the ordinary. The wine is crafted entirely from the storied La Tâche clone, a rare cutting believed to have originated from Burgundy’s legendary Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Rich and evocative, this Pinot Noir exudes the deep, nuanced character of its noble lineage.

At the helm of this extraordinary wine is the gifted winemaker Weston Eidson, whose intuitive craftsmanship and meticulous vineyard selection have earned him a rising star status. For this rare 100-case offering, Eidson sourced grapes from a vineyard adjacent to one of the Santa Lucia Highlands’ most illustrious sites.

On the palate, the 2023 Montagu unfolds gracefully. Its seamless texture unfurls luscious layers of ripe cherry, nuanced by intriguing spices and hints of delicate florals. Polished tannins carry each sip toward a lingering finish, exemplifying the elegance that defines the Santa Lucia Highlands.

Montagu
Pinot Noir 2023
Santa Lucia Highlands
Retails at: $75

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“The Montagu Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir 2023 unfurls an enchanting bouquet, where ripe, sweet strawberries intertwine with the refined perfume of English roses. A zesty lift of mandarin peel cuts through, complemented by a subtle hint of nutmeg. On the palate, this wine unleashes waves of concentrated red plum and blood orange, its flavors concentrated and vivid, saturating the senses with intensity. Each sip builds to a finish that stretches long and persistent, leaving an indelible mark of satisfaction. Outright delicious, it embodies the Santa Lucia Highlands’ finest traits—vibrant fruit, structural finesse, and captivating depth. This is a Pinot Noir of exceptional poise and power.”

94 Points

2021 Trujillo Cabernet Sauvignon Gary Morisoli Vineyard Rutherford

2021 Trujillo Cabernet Sauvignon Gary Morisoli Vineyard Rutherford

with No Comment $50-$60Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaRutherfordUSA

Trujillo

Cabernet Sauvignon
Gary Morisoli Vineyard
Rutherford, 2021

2021 Trujillo Cabernet Sauvignon Gary Morisoli Vineyard Rutherford

Some vineyards whisper their pedigree, while others proclaim it boldly. The Gary Morisoli Vineyard, rooted in Rutherford’s gravelly soils since 1902, speaks with unmistakable authority. In 2021, Michael Trujillo captured that voice in pure Cabernet form, yielding a wine that radiates the classic power, elegance, and “Rutherford Dust” that define Napa at its best.

The Morisoli family has farmed this vineyard since 1902, passing its stewardship through five generations, each shaping the evolution of Rutherford’s legendary benchland. Michael Trujillo has walked these rows for over thirty harvests, translating their fruit into wines of depth and authenticity. In 2021, he recognized a harmony of ripeness and structure so compelling that it demanded a vineyard designation.

Every so often, a vintage comes along that defines a winemaker’s career and elevates a vineyard’s legacy. For Michael Trujillo and the Morisoli family, 2021 is such a year. It is both a celebration of over a century of farming and the culmination of a winemaker’s devotion. Claim yours now to enjoy a Cabernet that exemplifies Napa Valley at its pinnacle.

Trujillo
Cabernet Sauvignon
Gary Morisoli Vineyard
Rutherford, 2021
Retails at: $165

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“Always some of the best grapes Trujillo has had to work with, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Gary Morisoli Vineyard marries black cherries and dusty earth with hints of cedar and vanilla. It’s full-bodied, silky yet rich and complete—it’s hard to find anything to critique on the palate, while the long finish adds beguiling hints of licorice and dark chocolate.”

97 Points

2021 Simon Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2021 Simon Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonCoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaOakvilleRutherfordUSAYountville

Simon

Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley 2021

2021 Simon Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Simon’s 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is a thrilling benchmark for what modern Napa can achieve: powerful yet polished, expressive yet restrained. Shaped by star winemaker Maayan Koschitzky, whose journey spans Screaming Eagle and his role as Director of Winemaking at Atelier Melka, it embodies a synthesis of pedigree and precision, earning 97-point acclaim and placing it among the valley’s most compelling wines. 

Its foundation lies in a pantheon of Napa’s most revered vineyards: Sleeping Lady in Yountville, Vine Hill Ranch and Tench in Oakville, Beckstoffer Georges III in Rutherford, and Collinetta in Coombsville. Each site contributes a vital voice: benchland fruit for structure, eastern slopes for intensity and minerality, and Coombsville’s volcanic soils for freshness and aromatic lift.

Koschitzky’s hallmark is clarity, and it shows in every detail of this 2021 Cabernet. The élevage in French oak provides sculpted edges rather than ornament, allowing terroir to speak in a clear, resonant voice. The wine is penetrating but not ostentatious, refined but not restrained—a true reflection of a winemaker at the height of his craft.

Simon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley 2021
Retails at: $180

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“Extremely precise and focused Napa Cabernet sporting black currants, black cherries, and coriander, bright minerality, with fragrant wild herbs and white pepper nuances. Medium to full-bodied. The tannins are very pointed, precise, and long and have a beautifully sweet edge that seamlessly resolves into perfectly ripe black cherry fruit and currants with a mineral-rich finish. It’s fresh, lacy, and compact. A new project with winemaker Maayan Koschitzky at the helm, who, through the owners, is contracting for fruit with Rocca Family Vineyards in Coombsville, the famous Tench Vineyard and Vine Hill Ranch in Oakville, Beckstoffer Georges III in Rutherford, and Sleeping Lady Vineyard in Yountville. This Cabernet includes grapes sourced from Rocca, Tench, and Sleeping Lady.”

97 Points