2018 Bibbiano Chianti Classico Riserva

220520 2018 Bibbiano Chianti Classico Riserva

with No Comment $30-$40ChiantiChiantiKevin VogtTuscanyUSA

BIBBIANO

CHIANTI CLASSICO
RISERVA 2018

2018 Bibbiano Chianti Classico Riserva
Tenuta di Bibbiano lies in the historic center of the Chianti Classico DOCG, where wine has been a part of the culture for thousands of years. Two brothers, Tommaso and Federico Marrocchesi Marzi, own the winery, and their family has lived on the property for over 150 years in harmony with nature by incorporating organic farming methods.
 
The University of Florence helped identify several different soil types and aspects used to select the proper indigenous clone for each site, with Sangiovese Grosso reigning supreme. The Chianti Classico Riserva is 100% Sangiovese Grosso aged 18 months, half in concrete and half in French oak, creating a balanced integration of complex flavors and offering remarkable quality at this price level.
 
BIBBIANO
CHIANTI CLASSICO
RISERVA 2018
 
Your Price: $34
 
 
“Iron and sanguine elements complement cherry and plum flavors in this old-school red. Loam, tobacco and leafy underbrush elements mingle with dense, dusty tannins as this unwinds through the finish. Best from 2023 through 2032. 420 cases imported”
92 Points
2019 Maritana Pinot Noir Le Russe Russian River Valley

2019 Maritana Pinot Noir Le Russe Russian River Valley

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

MARITANA

PINOT NOIR
LE RUSSE 2019
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

2019 Maritana Pinot Noir Le Russe Russian River Valley
Donald Patz made wine at Patz & Hall for 29 years, working with Pinot Noir from some of California’s premier vineyards, spanning from the northern coast of Mendocino County to the Santa Cruz Mountains. In 2017, Don created the Maritana Vineyards brand to take his wines in a slightly different direction, focusing on fruit from the Russian River Valley.
 
Donald’s love for Pinot Noir comes from the varietal’s complex perfume of intriguing aromas that he believes are enhanced by the valley’s hillsides and valley floor sites, providing a variety of microclimates. Sourcing from some of his favorite vineyards, including Martaella, Browne, and Martinelli River Road, Don gives the 2019 Maritana “Le Russe” his signature style and flair, offering it at a sensational value.
 
MARITANA
PINOT NOIR
LE RUSSE 2019
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
Retails at: $55
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“Aromas of redcurrants, cherries, cola, nutmeg and flowers. Medium-to full-bodied with soft tannins. Juicy and fruity with a silky, caressing texture and a flavorful finish. Drink or hold.”
93 Points
2019 Double Diamond Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville

2019 Double Diamond Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville

with No Comment $70-$80Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA

DOUBLE DIAMOND

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
OAKVILLE 2019

2019 Double Diamond Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville
Fred Schrader founded Double Diamond in 2001 to share Schrader Cellars’ level of commitment to producing some of Napa Valley’s most extraordinary Cabernet Sauvignons with a broader audience of wine lovers. Hiring Thomas Rivers Brown as winemaker, the brand quickly rose to the top, fueled by access to some of Napa Valley’s best grapes, resulting in just under three dozen 100-point scores from some of the world’s most respected critics.
 
This captivating Oakville Cabernet lives up to its pedigree with incredible depth, complexity, and sense of place, showing Brown’s signature style. The 2019 vintage has silky tannins with intense flavors and a sophisticated structure to give the wine approachability in its youth with a solid backbone for aging, allowing for many years of enjoyment.
 
DOUBLE DIAMOND
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
OAKVILLE 2019
Retails at: $80
 
Your Price: $75
 
 
“Released by Schrader as a separate brand, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon from Double Diamond (which is still 70% To Kalon) offers a forward, medium to full-bodied, incredibly sexy style as well as classy notes of cassis, tobacco, incense, orange blossom, and flowers. Readers looking for a touch of that Schrader magic at a slightly more affordable price are going to love this beauty. It’s already drinking nicely, and I see no need to delay gratification.”
94 Points
2020 Macauley Chardonnay Bacigalupi Vineyard Russian River Valley

2020 Macauley Chardonnay Bacigalupi Vineyard Russian River Valley

with No Comment $40-$50ChardonnayKevin VogtRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

MACAULEY

CHARDONNAY 2020
BACIGALUPI VINEYARD
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

2020 Macauley Chardonnay Bacigalupi Vineyard Russian River Valley
Macauley Vineyard was founded in 1980 by Ann Macauley Watson and today is owned and operated by her son Mac. Mac began his love affair in the wine industry after crushing his first vintage in 2001 while working for Rudd Estate. He works closely with his childhood friend Kirk Venge, son of the renowned winemaker Nils Venge, to craft wines representing the next generation of exceptional winemaking.
 
Mac and Kirk share the same goal of producing wines with depth, brilliance, and a range of complexity directly related to each site’s specific terroir. Their Chardonnay beautifully depicts the historic Bacigalupi vineyard, coming from the same block that went into the famed 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, winner at the iconic Judgement of Paris tasting. The wine indulges the senses with its Burgundian finesse, balance, and bright acidity from equal treatments of concrete, oak, and stainless steel, producing a mere 315 cases.
 
MACAULEY
CHARDONNAY 2020
BACIGALUPI VINEYARD
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
 
Your Price: $48
 
 
“The Macauley 2020 Bacigalupi Vineyard Chardonnay opens with rich aromas of apricot, nectarine, honeydew melon, cinnamon apple strudel, toast, and wet rocks. On the palate, the wine has opulent flavors of peach, lemon yogurt, and a hint of vanilla extract with a long, pleasant finish. This wine is ready to drink now and has a structure suitable for aging.”
93 Points
2015 Spence Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

2015 Spence Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

with No Comment $80-$90Cabernet SauvignonHowell MountainKevin VogtNapaUSA

SPENCE

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
HOWELL MOUNTAIN 2015

2015 Spence Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
Spence Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon’s producers set out to create a wine that’s theirs alone, reflective of the specific characteristics of their exceptionally unique plot near Howell Mountain’s summit. Their production team is entirely hands-off in the cellar and keenly focused on extracting what transpires in the vineyard, resulting in this utterly intense, beautifully defined, powerfully expressive wine.
 
Uniquely positioned above a canyon, Spence’s Vineyard benefits from consistent breezes, thickening the grape skins, and contributing color and intensity. The site’s thick surface layer of red volcanic soil laced with rock allows rapid drainage, forcing the roots deep into the earth, extracting site-specific nuance. Winemaker Ted Osborne forms these qualities into this powerful, elegant, and unforgettable wine.
 
SPENCE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
HOWELL MOUNTAIN 2015
Retails at: $110
 
 
 
“Coming from the Spence’s vineyard at 1,900’ elevation on top of Howell Mountain, this blockbuster Cabernet reminds me of watching a Cheetah run in slow motion. It’s firm and bursting with power, yet sleek, graceful, and elegant at the same time. It begins with a gorgeous nose of explosive black plums, fragrant violets, dusty cocoa powder, wet slate, dried mushrooms, and vanilla hints. This mind-blowing concoction is perfectly ripe on the palate, with concentrated crushed blackberries, exotic wild currants, stewed plums, baker’s chocolate, and scorched earth. It is wonderfully firm and amazingly complex and long on the palate, with mouth-quenching crushed-velvet tannins that, time after time, left me yearning for another sip. It is a decadent, amazingly sultry stunner now that will continue to drop jaws for well over another decade.” 
97 Points, Kevin M. Vogt, Master Sommelier
 
2018 Waterstone Merlot Napa Valley

2018 Waterstone Merlot Napa Valley

with No Comment $30 and underCarnerosKevin VogtMerlotNapaUSA

WATERSTONE

MERLOT 2018
NAPA VALLEY

2018 Waterstone Merlot Napa Valley

Founded on a singular goal to craft luxury wines at affordable prices by putting enological knowledge at the forefront, Waterstone Winery launched in 2000. The quality of their wines and brand’s success centers on relationships with some of Napa Valley’s best growers and long-term grape growing contracts throughout Napa Valley.
The Truchard Vineyard in Carneros ascends into the Mayacamas mountains with low-yielding vines that give this Merlot ultimate character, complexity, and freshness. The extra-long hang-time in the 2018 vintage created dynamic flavors and aromas, retained bright acidity, and provided a solid structure for this wine to stand the test of time.
WATERSTONE
MERLOT 2018
NAPA VALLEY
Your Price: $29.99
“The Waterstone 2018 Merlot opens with enticing aromas of red plum, black cherry, clove, mocha, cinnamon, and crushed rocks. On the palate, the wine’s intense depth coats the mouth with flavors of blackberry, milk chocolate, and sweet baking spices. The round mouthfeel and sultry texture warm your soul like a cashmere sweater on a cool, breezy night.”
93 Points
2020 Angeline Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

2020 Angeline Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtPinot NoirRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

ANGELINE

RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
PINOT NOIR 2020

2020 Angeline Pinot Noir Russian River Valley
Centered in the heart of the Russian River Valley, Angeline winery specializes in fermenting small lots of fruit from some of the best regions in California. Their winemaking philosophy involves minimal intervention and sustainability, recycling stems, seeds, and skins from the pomace back into the vineyard, and solar energy supplying 80% of the winery’s power, resulting in wines you can feel even better about drinking. 
 
Angeline’s 2020 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir grapes come from various specially selected sites blended to accentuate Pinot Noirs’ most desired characteristics. Yields were lower for Pinot Noir in 2020, resulting in more concentrated flavors, proving that sometimes less is more, resulting in this beautifully-built, lush, easy-drinking, and delightful value.
 
ANGELINE
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
PINOT NOIR 2020
Retails at: $25
 
Your Price: $19.99
 
 
“Aromas of cherries, ripe raspberries, toasted bread and baking spices with mushroom undertones. Medium body with fine tannins and bright acidity. Lively and sharp on the palate with a fresh, dry finish. Drink now. Screw cap.”
92 Points
2020 Luli Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills

2020 Luli Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtPinot NoirSanta BarbaraSanta Rita HillsUSA

LULI

SANTA RITA HILLS
PINOT NOIR 2020

2020 Luli Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills
Pursuing a new line of handcrafted wines from top fruit sources at affordable prices, Luli was launched in 2007 and propelled by the combined knowledge, skills, and experience of Master Sommelier Sara Floyd, vineyard manager Mark Pisoni, and winemaker Jeff Pisoni. The Pisoni brothers grew up farming in the Santa Lucia Highlands with their father Gary, one of California’s most respected growers, sourcing fruit for Luli from vineyards in or near the same land they call home.
 
Wine is life for Sara and the Pisoni brothers, so the desire to bring family and friends together to swirl a glass of fine wine for a reasonable price is a passion for all three. Possibly one of the best winemaking teams in history, this successful partnership illustrates the talents and strengths of three different masterminds, causing many Pinot Noir lovers to reconsider how great Pinot Noir can be at this price level.
 
LULI
SANTA RITA HILLS
PINOT NOIR 2020
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“The 2020 Luli Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir begins with an intriguing nose that includes fresh strawberries, English rose petals, cotton candy, and Autumn baking spices. The palate mimics these traits, adding cherry cola, red plums, liquid minerals, and a bright freshness combined with a supple texture that beautifully rounds this wine out. Drink it now, and over the next six to eight years.”
92 Points
2016 Immortal Estate Slope Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County

2016 Immortal Estate Slope Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County

with No Comment $70-$80Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtSonomaSonoma MountainUSA

IMMORTAL ESTATE

SLOPE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
SONOMA COUNTY 2016

2016 Immortal Estate Slope Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County
Immortal Estate’s vineyards are among the steepest in California, terracing a 55-degree slope on Spring Mountain that receives ample sunshine with increased airflow and water drainage for the fruit’s greatest possible concentration of flavors. This 100pt capable estate was previously named Hidden Ridge, and, in 2019, Tusk Proprietor Tim Martin, Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander, and Supermodel Kate Upton purchased it.
 
Two-time 100-point winemaker Tim Milos selects harvest dates by tasting grapes from each block and carefully sorts the fruit before fermentation, ensuring that only perfectly healthy grapes make it to fermentation. The 2016 vintage was glorious for Sonoma, and this mountain Cabernet Sauvignon was aged 28 months in 75% new French oak to help soften the tannins for smooth drinkability. It’s no surprise that Immortal Slope receives high scores from enthusiasts and critics with each release.
 
IMMORTAL ESTATE
SLOPE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
SONOMA COUNTY 2016
 
Your Price: $79.99
 
 
“Starting with the 2016 Slope, this beauty is all Cabernet Sauvignon that saw 28 months in 75% new French oak. Dense purple-hued with a rocking bouquet of blackcurrants, sagebrush, sappy green herbs, lead pencil, and tobacco, it hits the palate with a mammoth-sized personality that carries lots of tannins, a plush, sexy texture, no hard edges, and a great finish.”
95 Points
2018 Tinazzi Collezione Di Famiglia Verona Corvina

2018 Tinazzi Collezione Di Famiglia Verona Corvina

with No Comment $30-$40CorvinaItalyKevin Vogt

TINAZZI

COLLEZIONE DI FAMIGLIA
VERONA CORVINA 2018

2018 Tinazzi Collezione Di Famiglia Verona Corvina
Corvina is an Italian grape variety with an integral role in all Valpolicella wines, including Amarone, which must include a minimum of 45% in their blends. This late-ripening variety is low in tannin and high in acidy. Tinazzi’s version is varietally characteristic, manifested with bright cherry, transitioning to juicy dark cherry, spice, and classic hints of almond, a signature of the variety.
 
Located near Verona in Northern Italy, Tinazzi sits in the heart of where the Corvina grape reigns supreme. Proprietor Gian Andrea Tinazzi is passionate about accurately expressing territorial character in his wines, and his Corvina from Verona is a classic example. Fans of juicy Rhone blends, Zinfandel, and Valpolicella wines (and well, anybody with a pulse) would love this 96 Point Red, especially at $25.
 
TINAZZI
COLLEZIONE DI FAMIGLIA
VERONA CORVINA 2018
 
Your Price: $25
 
 
“Deep bright red; Ample and harmonious, ranging from red fruits to spices; Velvety, persistent and full, with great harmony.”
96 Points, Luca Maroni
 
“The 2018 Tinazzi Verona Corvina is concentrated with juicy fruit aromas such as cranberries, red cherries, and black raspberries with spicy hints of cardamom, nutmeg, white pepper, and dried oregano. This medium to full-bodied wine is fresh and delightful with soft tannins and a succulent finish. The depth and complexity of flavor this wine displays puts it on a well-deserved pedestal and can be enjoyed tonight and over the next few years.”
94 Points, #5 WCC Top 5 Wines of 2021