2017 Frederic Magnien Red Burgundy Bourgogne Graviers

2017 Frederic Magnien Red Burgundy Bourgogne Graviers

with No Comment $30-$40BurgandyFranceKevin VogtPinot Noir

FREDERIC MAGNIEN

2017 RED BURGUNDY 
BOURGOGNE GRAVIERS

2017 Frederic Magnien Red Burgundy Bourgogne Graviers
In Burgundy, expressing a vineyard’s terroir and the concept that the land the grapes are grown in bestows qualities unique to that site, hold true. Winemaker Frédéric Magnien’s mantra is to bring out the purest translation of Burgundy terroirs. He differentiates himself from other négociants by working closely with partner growers throughout the year and selecting only organically farmed, older-vine parcels cared for to his exacting standards. His Red Burgundy from Graviers offers remarkable insight into this excellent site, and at $33 it’s as Wine & Spirits writes, a “Crazy-good Bourgogne rouge”.
 
Graviers Vineyard is located in the sub-region of Chambolle-Musigny and is planted over soils rich in clay and gravel. The vines average 40 years in age, and the deep root systems help provide a vivid interpretation of the earth beneath and overall individualistic terroir.
 
Frédéric Magnien is a fifth-generation winemaker from Morey-Saint-Denis, who learned his craft from his father Michel Magnien of Domaine Michel Magnien. He furthered his knowledge by coming to California and working with Josh Jensen at Calera Vineyards before traveling to Australia and making his way back to Burgundy to follow his dream of producing wine under his name. 
 
FREDERIC MAGNIEN
2017 RED BURGUNDY 
BOURGOGNE GRAVIERS
 
Your Price: $33
 
“This fruit comes from a single parcel east of the RN74 in Chambolle-Musigny, where Magnien works with a grower farming 40-year-old vines in clay soils over gravel. He destems the grapes, allows a spontaneous fermentation while controlling the temperature, then ages the wine in older barrels, presenting the kind of depth and richness that could stand in for a Villages wine. The flavors are bold and ripe, almost chunky in their cherry intensity, with tart raspberry and apple-like acidity to brighten the finish. Crazy-good Bourgogne rouge.”
91 Points
2016 Casas Del Toqui' Barrel Series Reserve

2016 Casas Del Toqui’ Barrel Series Reserve

with No Comment $30 and underCarménèreChileKevin VogtSouth America

CASAS DEL TOQUI’

2016 CARMENERE
BARREL SERIES RESERVE

2016 Casas Del Toqui' Barrel Series Reserve
The Carménère grape originates from the Medoc region in Bordeaux and is revered for producing deep, robust red wines with striking aromatics. It’s those classic attributes that made Casas del Toqui’ Carménère stand out in a tasting of around 100 more expensive wines. At $19.99, it’s a great example Carménère from Chile’s Cachapoal Valley, and with 93 Points and the Best Buy designation from tastings .com, you really should try it…
 
Casas del Toqui is a joint partnership between the Court family and historic Bordeaux producer Chateau Larose Trintaudon. The vineyards are located in Alto Cachapoal, where alluvial soils combined with a Mediterranean climate are perfect for ripening Bordeaux grape varietals.
 
Carménère might be a member of the Cabernet Sauvignon family and now rarely found in France, it’s found a stronghold in Chile, where it reigns as king. Interestingly, Chilean growers inadvertently preserved the grape during the last 150 years, mistaking it for Merlot until a couple of decades ago.
 
CASAS DEL TOQUI’
2016 CARMENERE
BARREL SERIES RESERVE
 
Your Price: $19.99
 
“Dull garnet black color. Aromas and flavors of toasty blueberry handpie, grilled veggies, eucalyptus, and violet with a velvety, crisp, fruity medium body and a silky, amusing, medium-length finish that presents touches of grilled watermelon and grenadine with medium, silky tannins and no oak flavor. A silky Carmenère with a touch of sweetness; perfect for spicy fare.”
93 Points, Best Buy
2018 Steps Reserve Barrel Select Proprietary Red

2018 Steps Reserve Barrel Select Proprietary Red

with No Comment $40-$50CalistogaCoombsvilleHowell MountainKevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

STEPS

RESERVE BARREL SELECT
2018 PROPRIETARY RED

2018 Steps Reserve Barrel Select Proprietary Red
Each year STEPS is re-birthed as it’s formed from declassified grapes out of some of Napa Valley’s most coveted vineyards and meticulously blended by winemaker Grant Long, Jr, whom you might know from Aonair, Witchery, and James Joseph. Grant makes the blend with an unwavering goal of producing a showy, hedonistic red that’s guided by the vintage and the varietals that performed best. The 2018 release perfectly reflects the vintages knockout power and underlined elegance, and at $50, the value is nearly inconceivable.
 
Steps 2018 Barrel Select draws on the concentrated flavors of Howell Mountain fruit and brings into play the elegance of Coombsville and the minerality of Calistoga grapes. Each lot was fermented separately and barrel-aged for 23 months before the blend was assembled and guided into bottles. 
 
The final blend is nearly 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, elevated with Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. The 2018 vintage is richly layered and ladened with ripe blackberries, assorted chocolates, minerals, and red flowers on the palate. With just four barrels produced, don’t hesitate to secure this release. 
 
STEPS
RESERVE BARREL SELECT
2018 PROPRIETARY RED
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
“The 2018 Steps Barrel Select begins with an intense, ripe nose of black red currants, graphite, fresh mushrooms and sweet vanilla. The palate is powerful and penetrating with crushed mountain blackberries, lush black fruits, espresso roast and refined minerals. It finishes with satiny tannins, and a long, balanced, supple mouthfeel. Drink now until 2030.” 
94 Points
2019 Martin Ray Chardonnay Dutton Ranch Vineyard Concrete Fermented

2019 Martin Ray Chardonnay Dutton Ranch Vineyard Concrete Fermented

with No Comment $30 and underChardonnayKevin VogtRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

MARTIN RAY

2019 CHARDONNAY
DUTTON RANCH VINEYARD
CONCRETE FERMENTED 

2019 Martin Ray Chardonnay Dutton Ranch Vineyard Concrete Fermented
Chardonnay is highly-expressive and transparent in both the terroir and fermentation method. Most Chardonnays are either barrel or stainless steel tank fermented, but there’s been a resurgence in Concrete Egg fermentation, and for a good reason. The convex shape of a Concrete Egg creates a vortex that persuades the natural lees to be suspended throughout the vessel, resulting in more body, flavors, textures, and softer acidity. Martin Ray’s Dutton Ranch Chardonnay is a brilliant example, and with a 95 point score and priced at just $25, I highly recommend it.
 
Dutton Ranch Vineyard is in the Green Valley sub-appellation of the greater Russian River Valley. The Goldridge sandy loam soils and near-proximity to the Pacific provide the ideal growing conditions for premium Chardonnay grapes. Luminaries Kistler, Patz & Hall, & DuMOL have all sourced grapes from it. 
 
With a 95 point score and priced at just $25/btl, Martin Ray’s Concrete Fermented Dutton Ranch Chardonnay offers detailed tropical fruits, perfect balance, and stony minerality. They aged this incredible wine for ten months sur lie and inside concrete eggs, contributing to the beautiful textures, flavors, and body. 
 
MARTIN RAY
2019 CHARDONNAY
DUTTON RANCH VINEYARD
CONCRETE FERMENTED
Retails at: $35
 
Your Price: $25
 
“This is a Dutton Ranch chardonnay, showing cooked-apple, lemon and peach character with praline and vanilla undertones. Opulent, yet in check. Full-bodied and layered. Very long and flavorful. No wood here. Fermented and aged in concrete eggs. Such a beautiful and pure single-vineyard Sonoma white. Drink or hold. Screw cap.”
95 Points
 
“Vibrant Eureka lemon zest, fresh peach and racy minerality with touches of Acacia flower. Layers of subtle pear and underripe nectarine beneath mouthwatering acidity, over a clean, linear palate.”
2013 Miner Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard

2013 Miner Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard

with No Comment $50-$60Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA

MINER

2013 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
STAGECOACH VINEYARD

2013 Miner Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard
Miner has consistently produced powerfully elegant wines since the late 90s, under the guidance of Gary Brookman, who had honed his skills at Joseph Phelps and Grace Family. In excellent years like 2013, their Cabernets can perform at an exceptionally high level after around five years in the bottle, where they become even more enchanting and powerfully hedonistic. Their 95 Point 2013 Stagecoach Cabernet is a prime example of this, and now it drinks like it should be double the price.
 
Stagecoach Vineyard was developed in 1995 by Dr. Jan Krupp, and it took more than seven years to clear over one billion pounds of volcanic rock. The vineyard stretches from Pritchard Hill to an area overlooking Miner Winery in Oakville, and the well-drained soils produce powerful berries laced with volcanic subtleties. 
 
This wine emerges from a vintage unanimously recognized for its unrivaled quality, and one that Robert Parker alerted readers that it “…may turn out to be the finest vintage I have experienced in tasting North Coast varietals over the last 37 years.” After 21 months in premium French oak barrels and more than five years of development inside the bottle, this wine is stunningly brilliant right now.  
 
MINER
2013 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
STAGECOACH VINEYARD
Retails at: $110
 
 
“Aromas of blackberry, walnut and light, wet earth follow through to a full to medium body, light chocolate and a long finish. Refined and polished. Classic style. Better in 2019”
95 Points
 
“An impressively elegant wine from this rugged mountain top vineyard on the eastern slopes of Napa Valley. With black cherry and licorice flavors, flanked by firm yet lush tannins. A wine as special as this undeniably unique vineyard.”
2014 The Mascot Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2014 The Mascot Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

THE MASCOT

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2014 NAPA VALLEY

2014 The Mascot Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
If you’re looking for a Cabernet Sauvignon that mirrors qualities you’d expect from Napa Valley’s most upper echelon wines, made with the same meticulous farming and skilled winemaking methods, Will Harlan’s The Mascot should top your list… The pedigree of the grapes, combined with high-profile winemaking, makes it a hedonistic pleasure to enjoy.
 
The Mascot Cabernet Sauvignon arose from distinct hillside vineyards; specifically from the comparatively younger vines of BOND, Harlan Estate, and Promontory. Drawing fruit from blocks of more recently replanted vineyards, The Mascot has such deep and expansive flavors and is so compelling, it’ll make you question how you got a wine of this regal quality for this price…
 
While the winery doesn’t specify exact grape varietal percentages in each vintage, The Mascot has historically been 90% or more Cabernet Sauvignon, followed by Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot. 
 
THE MASCOT
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2014 NAPA VALLEY
 
Your Price: $140
 
“…Red fruit and baking spice intermingle on the nose, while on entry, the wine is soft, gently accelerating as it reveals athletic structure and shape, culminating in transparency and poise.”
2016 Tenuta Argentiera Villa Donoratico Bolgheri

2016 Tenuta Argentiera Villa Donoratico Bolgheri

with No Comment $30-$40ItalyKevin VogtProprietary RedTuscany

TENUTA ARGENTIERA

VILLA DONORATICO
2016 BOLGHERI

2016 Tenuta Argentiera Villa Donoratico Bolgheri
Bolgheri is to Tuscany, what the Oakville appellation is to Napa Valley. The area has a dense concentration of 100 point producers, including Italian legends Ornellaia, Sassicaia, and Tignanello. It’s the region’s complex soils and micro-climate, that when combined with producers willing to push boundaries, has made the area what it is today. Tenuta Argentiera’s Villa Donoratico 95 Point Super Tuscan is a splendid example of how great these wines can be, and at less than $40, it’s also a remarkable value.
 
Tenuta Argentiera is the closest winery to the Tyrrhenian coast, and their vineyards are grown at the highest altitude in the entire Bolgheri territory. This wine also makes its entrance from another Blockbuster year in Tuscany, which the Wine Spectator gave an overall vintage rating of 96 points. 
 
In 2016 the blend settled at 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, balanced with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petite Verdot. They harvested the grapes under ideal conditions before transferring them by gravity to the estate’s subterranean facility for production. 
 
TENUTA ARGENTIERA
VILLA DONORATICO
2016 BOLGHERI
 
Your Price: $37.99
 
“The nose provides a beautiful balance betweenfreshness with crushed violets and lavender and deeper elements of blackcurrants, licorice and elderberries. Tea leaves and charcoal, too. Full body, really refined and structured tannins and a long finish. Drink in 2021.”
95 Points
 
“…the 2016 Bolgheri Rosso Villa Donoratico isa sophisticated wine that is full-bodied, with dark concentration and thickness. It has a nice fullness to it, with big, dark fruit. The Villa Donoratico plays its best cards in the mouth, as its texture is very rich and seductive. There is a touch of richness on the tannins, which still need to relax. You also get snap or crunchiness on close. Drink 2019 – 2026”
92 Points
2016 Steele Pinot Noir Sangiacomo Vineyard Green Acres

2016 Steele Pinot Noir Sangiacomo Vineyard Green Acres

with No Comment $30 and underCarnerosKevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaUSA

STEELE 

2016 PINOT NOIR
SANGIACOMO VINEYARD
GREEN ACRES 

2016 Steele Pinot Noir Sangiacomo Vineyard Green Acres
Winemaker Jed Steele has an impressive 50 years of winemaking experience, which began in the cellar at Stony Hill in 1968 after getting his enology degree at UC Davis. It’s taken him all over the Golden State, and he’s worked closely with grape-growers across California throughout that time. Jed settled on Sangiacomo’s Green Acres Vineyard to craft his first Pinot Noir under his namesake. Green Acres was also the Sangiacomo’s first vineyard, which they planted in 1969, and it’s their most sought-after with the greatest number of Sangiacomo-designated wines produced from it. Wines average around $50 from this site, so at $24, it’s a steal. 
 
One might describe Steele’s winemaking approach as minimalistic, and they use a light-handed method that better highlights the wines’ natural aromas and flavor characteristics. They transfer wine by gravity wherever possible and use native yeasts and natural fermentation during the process. 
 
They fashioned the 2016 Green Acres Pinot Noir from 30-year-old vines that produced berries with incredible flavor intensity. The wine spent 16 months in barrel, and now time in the bottle has further developed the remarkable depth and finely detailed flavors in this very special Pinot. 
 
STEELE 
2016 PINOT NOIR
SANGIACOMO VINEYARD
GREEN ACRES
Retails at: $38
 
Your Price: $24
 
“This is a beautiful, and consistent expression of Pinot Noir: medium color and the pronounced aroma of Bing cherries, combined with a smooth structure and perfect balance. Of the many Pinot Noir’s we make this is the lightest and brightest with an unmatched elegance, and lingering finish.”
290 Cases Produced
2017 Court Rollan Pater Cabernet Sauvignon Alto Totihue

2017 Court Rollan Pater Cabernet Sauvignon Alto Totihue

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet SauvignonChileKevin Vogt

COURT ROLLAN

PATER CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2017 ALTO TOTIHUE

2017 Court Rollan Pater Cabernet Sauvignon Alto Totihue
Court Rollan’s roots are deep in Chile’s Cachapoal Valley, but Bordeaux heavily influences their wines. The winery is a partnership between the Court family and historic Bordeaux producer Chateau Larose Trintaudon. Together they produce the brand Court Rollan, and their wine Pater, which is Latin for father, is a pillar of their portfolio and is crafted to showcase the region’s incredible power and strength. Their 2017 vintage is a stunning example of a winery harnessing Chilean fruit’s power and delivering it with balance and elegance. 
 
Pater comes from the high elevation region of Alto Totihue in the Cachapoal Valley, where the alluvial soils and Mediterranean climate create a micro-terroir that produces wine with intense color, bright acidity, and restrained tannins. 
 
The 2017 Pater is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and spent 18 months in barrels. The wine offers a remarkable balance between power and elegance, and at $33, it delivers immense value and enjoyment.
 
COURT ROLLAN
PATER CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2017 ALTO TOTIHUE
Retails at: $45
 
Your Price: $33
 
“This small-production Cabernet is muscular on the nose, with dusty, spicy berry aromas. A full yet fresh palate is balanced and healthy, while this tastes of spicy currant and plum. A smooth finish with silky tannins isn’t overly demanding, indicating that this is more or less ready to drink; enjoy through 2025.”
93 Points
 
“Blackberry, sandalwood and light tile aromas and flavors. Medium to full body. Tangy acidity to the juicy fruit. Drink or hold.”
91 Points
2017 Peter Franus Chardonnay Napa Valley

2017 Peter Franus Chardonnay Napa Valley

with No Comment $30 and underCarnerosChardonnayKevin VogtNapaUSA

PETER FRANUS

2017 CHARDONNAY
NAPA VALLEY

2017 Peter Franus Chardonnay Napa Valley
Wine is a sensual experience for Peter Franus, and he crafts his with this guiding principle. Richness, complexity, harmony, and balance are all key elements that shape his wines, along with a strong sense of place. Robert Parker wrote, “A long-time veteran of the Napa Valley wine scene, Peter Franus continues to make a bevy of intelligent, elegant wines.” His Chardonnay is classy, clean, and well-balanced, and it also happens to be a remarkable value.
 
Peter sources his Chardonnay from the Stewart Vineyard in Carneros, where the clonal selection, soils, and microclimate combine to make it a unique property, perfect for producing high-quality Chardonnay with a distinctive identity. 
 
At the winery, grapes are whole-cluster pressed and barrel fermented and inoculated with a yeast strain chosen for its ability to ferment slowly and not generate much heat, which he believes is critical in preserving aromatics and adding complexity. The results speak for themselves, and at our price, the value is abundant… 
 
PETER FRANUS
2017 CHARDONNAY
NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $38
 
 
“Some dried apples and lime zest here with a touch of vanilla and herbs. Flint, too. Full-bodied with fresh acidity and lively fruit character, as well as a phenolic finish. Hint of stone. Drink now.”
91 Points
 
“Floral and youthful in lively acidity, this is a nicely made, balanced and moderately weighty white. Stone, mineral and a thread of apple skin provide a measured level of fruity fleshy flavor that holds onto some nuance and complexity.”
90 Points
 
“A tantalizing hint of gold announces this is Chardonnay. Consistent with its predecessors, our 2017 offers intriguing and complex aromas of caramelized apple, vanilla, hazelnut, and orange blossom. The background of toasty sweet oak lifts the nose offering additional structure to the wine. Appropriate acidity awakens the palate and keeps the wine refreshing. The hallmark of excellent wine? It keeps drawing you back for more.”