2020 Widows Peak Pinot Noir by Beau Vigne Sonoma County

2020 Widows Peak Pinot Noir by Beau Vigne Sonoma County

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

WIDOW’S PEAK

BY BEAU VIGNE
PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COUNTY 2020

2020 Widows Peak Pinot Noir by Beau Vigne Sonoma County
Beau Vigne’s signature style was developed by founding winemaker Dave Phinney, making rich, balanced, multidimensional wines, with Robert Parker calling the boutique estate “one of my favorite wineries.” Kirk Venge succeeded Dave Phinney, and Julien Fayard, former Director of Winemaking for Philippe Melka, is the mastermind behind the wines known for producing California varietals with a French twist.
 
The Widow’s Peak Sonoma County Pinot Noir was sourced from a single vineyard in the Green Valley of the Russian River Valley, with several aspects and microclimates creating a range of diversity within the vines. The grapes producing the 2020 wine are from four separate clones, including 667, 777, and two California Heritage clones. The fermented juice spent eight months in 40% new French oak, delivering a wine that energetically showcases the complexity of the variety.
 
WIDOW’S PEAK
BY BEAU VIGNE
PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COUNTY 2020
Retails at: $85
 
 
 
“Beau Vigne 2020 Widow’s Peak Sonoma County Pinot Noir opens with lush notes of ripe red plum, maraschino cherry, Christmas cake, vanilla, cocoa powder, and earth. The wine is full-bodied on the palate with flavors of sweet red fruit, orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, cola, and espresso bean. The rich flavor intensity carries into a long finish, and the spice component will make a perfect match for holiday pairings.”
93-94 Points
2019 La Pitchoune La Revolte Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

2019 La Pitchoune La Revolte Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

with No Comment $30-$40ChardonnayKevin VogtSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

LA PITCHOUNE

LA RÉVOLTE CHARDONNAY
SONOMA COAST 2019

2019 La Pitchoune La Revolte Chardonnay Sonoma Coast
Inspired by a small family property in Southern France, La Pitchoune Winery’s name translates to “the little one.” The winery is proud of its small size and production, which the owners consider their most significant asset because they can spend more time, attention, and focus to every bottle they produce. 
 
Winemaker Andrew Berge’s Master’s degree in Agriculture gives him a deep understanding of geography, soil, and vines that are the foundation of his wines. The 2019 La Révolte Chardonnay was sourced from the Pratt and Falcon Crest Vineyards and hand-crafted using Old-World style techniques, including barrel fermentation without fining or filtering for opulent flavor and impeccable balance.
 
LA PITCHOUNE
LA RÉVOLTE CHARDONNAY
SONOMA COAST 2019
Retails at: $48
 
 
 
“La Pitchoune 2019 La Révolte Chardonnay begins with rich notes of apricot, honeydew melon, vanilla, and beeswax. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied with opulent flavors of ripe peach, nectarine, honey, and toasted brioche. The flavor intensity lingers into a pleasant finish balanced by refreshing acidity.”
92 Points
2018 Patz & Hall Chardonnay Dutton Ranch Vineyard

2018 Patz & Hall Chardonnay Dutton Ranch Vineyard

with No Comment $30-$40ChardonnayKevin VogtRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

PATZ & HALL

CHARDONNAY 2018
DUTTON RANCH VINEYARD

2018 Patz & Hall Chardonnay Dutton Ranch Vineyard
Donald Patz and James Hall were colleagues at Flora Springs Winery before a shared passion for wines with a sense of place brought them together to create Patz & Hall, one of California’s crown jewel Chardonnay and Pinot Noir producers. In 1988 Patz & Hall was founded by Donald and Heather Patz, James Hall, and Anne Moses. The winery, to this day, maintains a reputation of excellence by consistently producing brilliant wines from some of Sonoma’s most renowned growers.
 
The Dutton Ranch vineyard is home to some of the oldest Chardonnay vines in western Sonoma County, with partial dry farming producing intensely concentrated berries. The 2018 Dutton Ranch Chardonnay is a blend of five clones- Hyde-Wente, Robert Young, Rued, UC Davis Clone 4, and Spring Mountain, aged in 35% new Burgundian French oak, giving the wine some spice while allowing the fruit to shine radiantly.
 
PATZ & HALL
CHARDONNAY 2018
DUTTON RANCH VINEYARD
Retails at: $44
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“James Hall selects the fruit for this wine from 11 blocks farmed by the Dutton family. Most of the vines are older plantings of heritage clones and selections, a mix that seems to respond to a slow, spontaneous fermentation and development in French oak barrels (35 percent new). The 2018 builds to a savory and ornate chardonnay, a wine with traction that digs into scents of violets and game, jasmine and butterscotch, giving a sweet impression without any actual sweetness. There’s yellow and orange citrus fruit, but the main impression is earthy, with notes of lobster mushroom and lobster broth in a mineral finish. It’s floral, clean, intense wine, with stature and resistance to oxygen. Decant it for crab Louis, or cellar it for years.”
94 Points
 
20121 Hanzell Pinot Noir Sebella Sonoma Coast

2021 Hanzell Pinot Noir Sebella Sonoma Coast

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

HANZELL

SEBELLA PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST 2021

20121 Hanzell Pinot Noir Sebella Sonoma Coast
Hanzell Vineyards is a historic Sonoma property planted in 1953 after the founder, James D. Zellerbach, spent several years in Burgundy, falling in love with the region’s style, techniques, and wine culture. The De Brye family acquired the estate in 1975, focusing on sustainability and maintaining the original, holistic farming approach.
 
The Sebella Pinot Noir celebrates this site and soil selection and sources fruit from like-minded partner growers in the Sonoma Coast AVA. The 2021 Sebella was aged for ten months in 100% neutral French oak to maintain a fresh coastal charm, complex fruit intensity, and depth, emulating the estate wines for a third of the price.
 
HANZELL
SEBELLA PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST 2021
Retails at: $45
 
Your Price: $32
 
 
“The Hanzell 2021 Sebella Pinot Noir opens with lilacs, fresh red cherry, and plum accented by savory spice, sweet tobacco, and a sea shell minerality. The wine has a light to medium body and flavors of pomegranate, cranberry, blood orange, and cinnamon. The bright, playful character is in a delicate balance with soft tannins, ready to drink now or lay down for a few years.”
93 Points
2020 Leviathan Proprietary Red California

2020 Leviathan Proprietary Red California

with No Comment $30-$40CoombsvilleKevin VogtMoon MountainProprietary RedSonomaUSA

LEVIATHAN

PROPRIETARY RED
CALIFORNIA 2020

2020 Leviathan Proprietary Red California
Andy Erickson grew up in the Midwest, and after spending a summer in France, he began his winemaking journey in Napa Valley before moving to Mendoza, Argentina. Upon his return to Napa, he worked under several renowned winemakers, including Paul Hobbs, John Kongsgaard, and Michel Rolland, and earned his Master’s Degree in Enology from UC Davis. During his college studies, he worked at Spottswoode and Saintsbury wineries before making wine for some of Napa Valley’s top estates, including Harlan Estate, Screaming Eagle, and Staglin Family Vineyards.
 
Propelled by his access to some of the most exceptional vineyards in Northern California, Andy founded Leviathan in 2004 to showcase the freedom of American winemaking without rigid appellation requirements. For the 2020 blend, he sourced Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petite Syrah, Syrah, Petite Verdot, and Cabernet Franc from some of his favorite plots in Red Hills, Coombsville, and Moon Mountain, combining his advanced knowledge and skillset for this delicious blend.
 
LEVIATHAN
PROPRIETARY RED
CALIFORNIA 2020
Retails at: $40
 
Your Price: $38
 
 
“Lots of black olive, tar and asphalt with black fruit. Medium to full body with firm and linear tannins that run the length of the wine. This is a multi-region blend with a large percent from Sonoma. 56% cabernet sauvignon, 15% merlot, 13% petite syrah, 7% syrah, 5% petit verdot and 4% cabernet franc. Drink or hold.”
93 Points
2019 Anakota Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota Vineyard

2019 Anakota Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota Vineyard

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtKnight's ValleySonomaUSA

ANAKOTA 

HELENA DAKOTA VINEYARD
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019

2019 Anakota Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota Vineyard
Anakota’s vineyards lie at the base of Mount St. Helena in the remote Knights Valley AVA, which cuts through the Mayacamas Mountains and receives cool breezes directly from the Pacific Ocean. 100-point winemaker Pierre Seillan believes that Knights Valley is one of the best places in the world to grow Cabernet Sauvignon and aims to create a style similar to Pauillac or Saint-Estèphe.
 
The Helena Dakota Vineyard is a sloping 12-acre parcel that has produced powerful yet sophisticated wines over the decades. Structure, elegance, and ability to stand the test of time are all classic hallmarks of these wines. The outstanding 2019 vintage produced grapes with rich complexity, intense flavors, and supple opulence, resulting in a wine that shows beautifully now, and will continue to do so over its formidable lifespan.
 
ANAKOTA 
HELENA DAKOTA VINEYARD
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019
Retails at: $180
 
 
Your Price: $175
 
 
“The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota Vineyard explodes with violets, aniseed and cast iron, with a deep core of crushed blueberries and black cherries, evolving continually with each approach to the glass. The palate is stunning with its intensity and lift, pure fruits, pixelated tannins and focused acidity that drives the very long finish. Its exceptional balance and super pure flavors, plus that characteristic streak of iron that appears across the Anakota portfolio, really take the 2019 Helena Dakota to the next level. 793 cases were made.”
99 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 Sea Slopes Pinot Noir By Fort Ross Winery Sonoma Coast

2021 Sea Slopes Pinot Noir By Fort Ross Winery Sonoma Coast

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

SEA SLOPES

BY FORT ROSS WINERY
PINOT NOIR 2021
SONOMA COAST

2021 Sea Slopes Pinot Noir By Fort Ross Winery Sonoma Coast
Lester and Linda Schwartz purchased a section of forest straddling the edge of the Sonoma Coast in 1988, where wind-swept, foggy ridges overlook the Pacific. Experts advised against planting vines in this cool-climate area, claiming it was too risky for viticulture. Still, after six years of experimentation with different clones, rootstocks, and trellising systems, Lester and Linda produced their first vintage, proving the site’s ability to grow exceptional Burgundian varieties.
 
Jeff Pisoni, son of the legendary winemaker Gary Pisoni, joined the team in 2009, bringing his experience gained from growing up immersed in wine culture and his degree in Enology from the California State University Fresno. The 2021 growing season was drier than average, forcing the vines’ roots to dig deep into the earth for nutrients and water, resulting in very concentrated Pinot Noir fruit, with flavors carefully integrated by aging the wine in 80% neutral and 20% new French oak for nine months.
 
SEA SLOPES
BY FORT ROSS WINERY
PINOT NOIR 2021
SONOMA COAST
Retails at: $35
 
Your Price: $33
 
 
“The Sea Slopes Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2021 is a virtual basket of red fruits on the nose and palate, with bright and fresh red raspberries, red cherries, and ripe plum, along with violets, cola, and fresh sage. It has an excellent concentration of fruit on the finish, surrounded by slightly chalky tannins in its youth, which will soften over the next few months.”
92 Points
2019 Details Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County

2019 Details Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County

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

DETAILS

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
SONOMA COUNTY 2019

2019 Details Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County
Details Cabernet Sauvignon fuses sublime talent, assiduous fruit selection, and rigorous science in creating this value-focused beast, which hails from the Sonoma, Knights, and Alexander Valleys. Their team, led by Ryan Knoth, who previously worked under the tutelage of icons David Abreu, Michel Rolland, and Fredrik Johansson at Staglin, handpicks the fruit to precise analytics, conjuring optimized flavors and aromas.
 
Possessed in their blending of four of Bordeaux’s top five varietals; Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, and Petit Verdot, then adding Petite Sirah, Sinegal’s winemaking team’s obsessive attention to detail paid off. Their efforts result in an enchantingly divine wine that tastes otherworldly.
 
DETAILS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
SONOMA COUNTY 2019
Retails at: $50
 
 
 
“The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Details is stunning. Vibrant and explosive in the glass, the Details Cabernet shows just how compelling Cabernet can be beyond Napa Valley. Gravel, crushed rocks, menthol, licorice, plum and incense saturate the palate. This inky, structured Cabernet is one of the very finest Cabernets readers will find in its price point, or virtually any price point, for that matter. The 2019 is a blend from sites in Sonoma Valley, Alexander Valley and Knights Valley.”
96 Points
2019 Goldeneye Pinot Noir Gowan Creek Vineyard Anderson Valley

2019 Goldeneye Pinot Noir Gowan Creek Vineyard Anderson Valley

with No Comment $70-$80Anderson ValleyKevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaUSA

GOLDENEYE

PINOT NOIR
GOWAN CREEK VINEYARD
ANDERSON VALLEY 2019

2019 Goldeneye Pinot Noir Gowan Creek Vineyard Anderson Valley
Dan Duckhorn recognized the potential for cultivating some of the world’s finest Pinot Noir in California’s Anderson Valley in the 1990s and founded Goldeneye Winery in 1996. He knew that the oceanic influence brings mild temperatures, fog, wind, and a considerable diurnal temperature variation providing an ideal environment for growing cool-climate varietals.
 
The Gowan Creek Vineyard offers a southwestern exposure with several blocks planted with clones of Pinot Noir expertly matched by each block’s particular soil type. The 2019 vintage is considered one of the top vintages in Goldeneye’s near three-decade history due to the length and quality of the growing season that produced Pinot Noir with pronounced aromatics, deep flavor complexity, and a silky texture.
 
GOLDENEYE
PINOT NOIR
GOWAN CREEK VINEYARD
ANDERSON VALLEY 2019
Retails at: $88
 
Your Price: $79.99
 
 
“An impressive vintage bolsters this wine’s already stellar reputation. Following scents of nutmeg, cardamom, and watermelon rind, the earthy liquid spreads across the palate, anchored by animale, plum, heather, wet soil, and gingerbread. Cinnamon takes shape on the mid-palate with candied yam, iron, and rhubarb. Exotic and profound.”
97 Points
 
“A dried-floral nose with notes of coffee, ripe strawberry and sage. Medium-to full-bodied with a cool profile of redcurrants and ripe raspberries. Silky tannins. A pleasant lavender note, too. Really well layered and complex with balance and precision. Drink or hold.”
95 Points