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

Click to Order

 

 

“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
2021 Delmore Pinot Noir Bassi Vineyard Slo Coast AVA

2021 Delmore Pinot Noir Bassi Vineyard Slo Coast AVA

with No Comment $30-$40Central CoastKevin VogtPinot NoirUSA

DELMORE

PINOT NOIR 2021
BASSI VINEYARD
SLO COAST AVA

2021 Delmore Pinot Noir Bassi Vineyard Slo Coast AVA
San Louis Obispo native Darren Delmore cut his teeth in the wine industry, working for Hirsch Vineyard, Whitehorn, Goldeneye, and Two Hands before he became the National Sales Manager at Tablas Creek. His first-hand experience in the vineyards laid the foundation for Delmore wines. He launched his boutique brand in 2017 after purchasing 2,000 pounds of Pinot Noir and a bin of Syrah, setting out to make wild yeast-fermented, unfiltered wines from sea-sprayed coastal terroirs.
 
The biodynamically farmed Bassi Vineyard sits just a mile from the reefs where Darren grew up surfing and within the SLO Coast AVA. His 2021 Pinot Noir is 100% free-run juice, meaning no pressing, giving soft tannins and subtle layers of aromatic complexity before being bottled with love. The wine is an absolute delight.
 
DELMORE
PINOT NOIR 2021
BASSI VINEYARD
SLO COAST AVA
Retails at: $44
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“The 2021 Delmore Bassi Vineyard Pinot Noir begins with a bright, fragrant nose that includes spicy red berries, Spring florals, fresh herbs, wet leather, cold-smoked meat, and crushed stone. The palate is vibrant with zesty red cherries, wild strawberries, fresh pomegranate, and pie spices. The focused palate is penetrating and energetic, with a wonderful balance of freshness and length. Although young, it drinks nicely now and will continue to do so over the next eight years.”
94 Points
2018 Maroon Cabernet Sauvignon Special Reserve Coombsville

2018 Maroon Cabernet Sauvignon Special Reserve Coombsville

with No Comment $60-$70Cabernet SauvignonCoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaUSA

MAROON

SPECIAL RESERVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
COOMBSVILLE 2018

2018 Maroon Cabernet Sauvignon Special Reserve Coombsville
Paul Maroon obtained 37 acres in Coombsville over two decades ago, with 17 of those acres planted with Cabernet Sauvignon that he tended and sold to several of Napa Valley’s top wineries until 2009 when he decided to produce the first vintage of Maroon. Coombsville became an AVA in 2011 and quickly established a reputation for delivering sophisticated wines with elegant structure due to the cooler climate in the southern end of the Valley.
 
Chris Corley has been the winemaker since Maroon’s inaugural vintage and has worked with Paul for over 20 years, creating a symbiotic relationship built around their passion for the vineyards, the beautiful wines, and a solid commitment to quality. The wine team hand-picked the 2018 Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from the Maroon estate in Coombsville, fermented the grapes, and aged the resulting wine for 30 months in 75% new French oak for a complex flavor development that will continue to evolve and express this fantastic vintage.
 
MAROON
SPECIAL RESERVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
COOMBSVILLE 2018
Retails at: $174
 
 
 
“The 2018 Maroon Special Reserve Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon opens with lavender, sage, red plum, blackberry pie, mocha, and crushed rocks. The wine has flavors of dark berries, baking spices, cassis, and dark chocolate with a tension that will soften with time. This beautifully balanced 100% Cabernet Sauvignon captures the essence of the Coombsville AVA with refreshing acidity, structured tannins, and long aging potential that will reveal more profound layers of complexity.”
94-95 Points
2020 Maison Jessiaume Rully White Burgundy

2020 Maison Jessiaume Rully White Burgundy

with No Comment $40-$50BurgandyChardonnayFranceKevin Vogt

MAISON JESSIAUME

RULLY 2020
WHITE BURGUNDY

2020 Maison Jessiaume Rully White Burgundy
Maison Jessiaume’s historic estate, established in 1850, is located in the Santenay region in the Côte de Beaune, with thirty-seven acres of vines planted and wines produced from 15 different appellations. They farm their vineyards organically, and the winemaking approach is minimal, with as little intervention as possible utilizing hand harvesting, hand sorting, ambient yeast fermentation, gravity flow, and natural clarification.
 
Rully is an AOC in the northern Côte Chalonnaise, giving soft, generous whites with “both the coolness and the polish of marble,” according to the Bourgogne Wine Board. Maison Jessiaume fermented the grapes for the 2020 Rully in oak, aged them on the lees for 12 months, and then transferred them to stainless steel for four to six months before bottling, resulting in a pure, focused wine with complex flavor intensity and delightful drinkability.
 
MAISON JESSIAUME
RULLY 2020
WHITE BURGUNDY
 
Your Price: $45
 
 
“The Maison Jessiaume 2020 Rully opens with fresh floral notes of honeysuckle and acacia, ripe yellow apple, quince, bread dough, saffron, and wet rocks. The palate is crisp and clean with flavors of tangerine, lemon, and pineapple balanced with round flavors from lees aging. The finish is long and soft but leaves your mouth watering from bright acidity.”
96 Points
2019 Chateau De Pez Saint-Estephe Bordeaux

2019 Chateau De Pez Saint-Estephe Bordeaux

with No Comment $40-$50BordeauxBordeauxFranceKevin Vogt

CHÂTEAU DE PEZ

SAINT-ESTÈPHE
BORDEAUX 2019

2019 Chateau De Pez Saint-Estephe Bordeaux
Chateau de Pez is the oldest estate in Saint-Estèphe, founded in the 15th century, making it one of the oldest estates on the Left Bank of Bordeaux. The Pontac family, then owners of Chateau Haut-Brion, established the vineyards of Pez and held onto the property until the French Revolution.
 
Champagne producer Louis Roederer purchased Château de Pez in 1995 and was reclassified as a Cru Bourgeois in 2003 in recognition of their continued delivery of premier quality wine. The 2019 growing season was dry and sunny, resulting in wines with focused vibrance, mineral tension, and a delicate balance between power and elegance. Chateau de Pez is an outstanding example of the vintage’s best attributes.
 
CHÂTEAU DE PEZ
SAINT-ESTÈPHE
BORDEAUX 2019
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
“This year’s blend is 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 de Pez comes tumbling out of the glass with an astonishingly beautiful perfume of lilacs, black cherries and black raspberries over a core of stewed plums, clove oil, dark chocolate and Sichuan pepper. The medium-bodied palate is jam-packed with energetic black fruits, supported by a firm foundation of ripe, grainy tannins and lovely freshness, finishing long and perfumed. I love where this once-malingering château is headed—bravo to winemaker Nicolas Glumineau from Pichon Lalande!”
92-94+ Points