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
2017 Sequum Syrah Kidd Ranch Napa Valley

2017 Sequum Syrah Kidd Ranch Napa Valley

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtNapaSyrahUSA

SEQUUM

KIDD RANCH SYRAH
NAPA VALLEY 2017

2017 Sequum Syrah Kidd Ranch Napa Valley
After decades of consulting super-premium grape growing, Paul Skinner launched his Sequum label in 2003, which is now blended and bottled at Pride Mountain Vineyards. “Sequum” is a scientific term describing layers of soil, and it turned out to be the perfect name for Paul’s wines as he combined his Ph.D. background in viticulture and soil science with years of experience in the vineyard and his passion for wine.
 
Paul takes a hands-on approach to his Kidd Ranch vineyard, noting subtle changes in soil composition and planting vines onto corresponding rootstocks for optimum health and vitality. His 2017 Syrah is a prime example of his expertise, delivered in a pure, focused, and complex wine that speaks of its place of origin with varietal typicity.
 
SEQUUM
KIDD RANCH SYRAH
NAPA VALLEY 2017
Retails at: $54
 
Your Price: Insider Club Members Only 

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“Herbal, earthy and complex, this is a well-structured wine, rich and layered in blueberry and strawberry flavors. From a two-acre estate, it has length and breadth and is intensely flavorful, finishing in bolts of white and black pepper.”
92 Points
2019 Emiliana Coyam Valle De Colchagua

2019 Emiliana Coyam Valle De Colchagua

with No Comment $30-$40ChileKevin VogtProprietary Red

EMILIANA 

COYAM 2019
VALLE DE COLCHAGUA

2019 Emiliana Coyam Valle De Colchagua
Visionaries Rafael and José Guilisasti noticed a change in the global wine market in the late 1990s, with consumers consciously choosing wines, not just for health reasons but also looking into environmental and social aspects. Rafael and José partnered with winemaker Álvaro Espinoza converting a traditional Chilean winery into a 100% organic and biodynamic production facility focused on respecting the environment and creating wines of the highest quality.Colchagua Valley
 
 
Coyam is the winery’s proprietary red blend sourced from the Los Robles Estate in the Colchagua Valley, known for producing complex Syrah, Carmenere, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. The grapes ripen slowly due to a mixture of ocean breezes and winds from the Andes Mountains. This wine represents the entire wine team’s commitment to excellence and responsibility, with a delicious balance of Chilean spice and fruit character, earning outstanding scores.
 
EMILIANA 
COYAM 2019
VALLE DE COLCHAGUA
 
Your Price: $38
 
 
“The 2019 Coyam is a blend of 38% Syrah, 33% Carmenere and several other grape varieties from the Los Robles vineyard in Colchagua, aged for 18 months, 75% in barrels and the rest in foudres and eggs. Expressive, complex and ripe on the nose; the oak lends cedar aromas to accompany the blackberry, raspberry and hints of spice. In the mouth, it’s fleshy with juicy freshness, a smooth texture and delicate, concentrated, relaxed tannins before the lengthy finish.” 
94 Points
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