2016 Cru9 As Ever Russian River Valley Chardonnay

2016 Cru9 ‘As Ever’ Russian River Valley Chardonnay

with No Comment $30 and underChardonnayKevin VogtRussian River ValleySonomaSonoma ValleyUSA

CRU9 AS EVER…

2016 Cru9 As Ever Russian River Valley Chardonnay2016 CHARDONNAY
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

 
 
If you’ve been reading my emails this year, you already know how I feel about Cru9. It’s absolutely one of the best new discoveries for us this year, and with a quality-to-price ratio that you simply will not believe. The 2016 Russian River Valley Chardonnay is created from a secret vineyard source that also sells to several high-end producers, but due to a non-disclosure agreement, the fruit source needs to be kept secret.  One taste, however, will tell you everything you need to know.  This wine competes with the best $50 Chardonnays that I’ve tasted, it’s startling how good it is. 
With just 4 barrels produced, you can almost taste the attention to every minute detail that went into producing this wine.  It was aged for 11 months sur lie, a French term meaning literally ‘on the sediment’, the sur lie style plays a large role in contributing to this wine’s rich, opulent texture.  Notably Cru9 also gives back and helps support two nonprofit women shelters, Rudy’s Place in CA and House of Hope in IA.  Every time you buy a Cru9 bottle, you also help level the playing field for survivors of human trafficking, domestic abuse, and homelessness.  
 
CRU9 AS EVER…
2016 CHARDONNAY
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
Retails at: $38.00/btl
 
 
 
Tasting Notes: “This lovely, graciously styled Chardonnay has a beautiful nose of orange marmalade, lemon blossom, citrus oil, wild flowers and chamomile tea. The palate follows through with a mouth watering array of ripe pear, toasted hazelnut, butter cream, subtle toasted oak notes, combined with lively acidity. Nuanced, sumptuous and nicely layered, it has a beautifully soft-textured finish. Drink this classically styled Russian River Chardonnay now and over the next few years. 100 Cases Produced” 
93 Points, Kevin M. Vogt, Master Sommelier
 
Customers who enjoy Cru9’s Russian River Chardonnay may also enjoy these two terrific Chardonnays…

 

2015 Silverpoint Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2014 Red Mare Dutton Ranch Vineyard Russian River Valley Chardonnay
SILVERPOINT
2015 CHARDONNAY
SONOMA COAST
Retails at:  $45.00/btl
 
If the best wines were like a puzzle, this wine would have every piece laid out perfectly.  With everything from an accomplished winemaker, iconic vineyard, blockbuster vintage and a terrific price, this wine truly has it all.  It was authored by Don Van Staaveren who’s responsible for authoring the Chateau St. Jean wines from ’85-’97, and even made history when his 1996 Cinq Cepages was recognized as the #1 wine on the 1999 Wine Spectator Top 100 list.  It was the first Sonoma wine to receive the honor of being the #1 Wine in the World…
RED MARE
2014 CHARDONNAY
DUTTON RANCH VINEYARD
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
Retails at:  $48.00/btl
A luminous interpretation of Dutton Ranch fruit, the 2014 washes over your palate with classic Granny Smith apple, spiced pear, juicy yellow melon and subtle lemon bar.  Big and full across the palate and crafted in a plump, round style, if you’re searching for a top-level California Chardonnay without the high price tag that usually comes with one, I would saddle up and secure a case of Red Mare before this one rides off into the sunset
2015 Failla Sonoma County Chardonnay

2015 Failla Sonoma Coast Chardonnay

with No Comment $30-$40ChardonnayKevin VogtSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

FAILLA

2015 CHARDONNAY
SONOMA COAST

2015 Failla Sonoma County Chardonnay
After dominating one varietal for nearly two decades as winemaker at Turley Wine Cellars, the natural progression is to start a new challenge, create something fresh, then conquer that too… Ehren Jordan’s viticultural training in France greatly influenced his farming and winemaking choices, which are evident in this sensational Sonoma Coast Chardonnay. 
 
Utilizing fruit from Keefer Ranch, Olivet and Flood Gate Vineyards, the 2015 washes over your palate with blissful intrigue as flavors linger on the palate with stunning length.  This Chardonnay romances your palate, cultivating feelings you didn’t think were possible in a white wine…
 
Some say that variety is the spice of life, and that statement certainly holds true in Fallia’s Sonoma Coast Chardonnay.  Aged in a mix of concrete egg, french oak and stainless steel, the 2015 is bright and brilliantly complex.  A Chardonnay this great won’t be “on the market” for long.  We think you’ll FAiLLa in love with it, just like we did… 
 
FAILLA
2015 CHARDONNAY
SONOMA COAST
Your Price: $34.99/btl 
 
 
From The Wine Spectator: “Wins points for purity, offering a clean expression of ripe pear, apple and citrus flavors, with a pleasant dash of cedary oak adding dimension and depth. Drink now through 2020.” 90 Points
 
Customers who enjoy Failla’s Sonoma Coast Chardonnay may also enjoy these two terrific Chardonnays…
2015 Silverpoint Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2014 Red Mare Dutton Ranch Vineyard Russian River Valley Sonoma County Chardonnay
SILVERPOINT
2015 CHARDONNAY
SONOMA COAST
Retails at:  $45.00/btl
 
If the best wines were like a puzzle, this wine would have every piece laid out perfectly.  With everything from an accomplished winemaker, iconic vineyard, blockbuster vintage and a terrific price, this wine truly has it all.  It was authored by Don Van Staaveren who’s responsible for authoring the Chateau St. Jean wines from ’85-’97, and even made history when his 1996 Cinq Cepages was recognized as the #1 wine on the 1999 Wine Spectator Top 100 list.  It was the first Sonoma wine to receive the honor of being the #1 Wine in the World…
RED MARE
2014 CHARDONNAY
DUTTON RANCH VINEYARD
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
Retails at:  $48.00/btl
 
A luminous interpretation of Dutton Ranch fruit, the 2014 washes over your palate with classic Granny Smith apple, spiced pear, juicy yellow melon and subtle lemon bar.  Big and full across the palate and crafted in a plump, round style, if you’re searching for a top-level California Chardonnay without the high price tag that usually comes with one, I would saddle up and secure a case of Red Mare before this one rides off into the sunset
2014 Hollywood & Vine 2480 Napa Valley Chardonnay

2014 Hollywood & Vine 2480 Napa Valley Chardonnay

with No Comment $30-$40Atlas PeakChardonnayKevin VogtNapaUSA

HOLLYWOOD & VINE

“2480” CHARDONNAY
2014 NAPA VALLEY

2014 Hollywood & Vine 2480 Napa Valley Chardonnay
If you asked an expert how to make it in Hollywood, they would likely tell you that you have to stand out above the crowd and have some compelling qualities about you that are unique to you.  The same holds true for wine, and Hollywood & Vine’s 2480 Chardonnay is unique.  For starters it’s sourced from a high-elevation vineyard in Napa Valley’s coveted Atlas Peak AVA.  Even more unique is the wine is crafted entirely from the Harold Weimer Chardonnay clone, which is known for producing exotic and wildly individualistic flavors.  This Chardonnay delights your taste buds with detailed reflections of underripe pineapple, jasmine, orange zest and delicate tropical notes.  
And like a great actor, a great wine also need a talented coach to highlight the best qualities and pull all of the right pieces together… This Chardonnay was authored by Celia Welch, (Scarecrow, D.R. Stephens, Barbour, Dalla Valle…)  And just in case you may not be familiar with Celia’s artistry, just know that she made 5 cases of 2012 Scarecrow that sold for a record $260,000 at the Premiere Napa Valley Wine Auction… If you’re looking for a Chardonnay that stands out above the rest, this one’s for you… 
 
HOLLYWOOD & VINE
“2480” CHARDONNAY
2014 NAPA VALLEY
Your Price: $39.99/btl
 
 
Winery Notes: “The cool-climate origins of this crisp, fruit-driven Chardonnay are evidenced in the aromas that add notes of wet granite and a touch of sweet lemongrass to the jasmine, green apple and bright orange zest notes. This ripe, aromatic Chardonnay was fermented in a combination of new and once-used French oak barrels plus a few barrels of steel, and kept sur-lie with biweekly battonage, so the floral notes are supported by a few deep base notes of toasty vanilla and fresh lees. On the palate, the wine shows integrated, complex flavors of green apple, apricot, a touch of mineral character and a bright, crisp finish which highlights the citrus notes.”
 
Customers who enjoy Hollywood & Vine’s 2480 Chardonnay may also enjoy these two terrific Chardonnays…
2014 SilverPoint Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
 2014 Red Mare Dutton Ranch Vineyard Russian River Valley Chardonnay
SILVERPOINT
2015 CHARDONNAY
SONOMA COAST
Retails at:  $45.00/btl
If the best wines were like a puzzle, this wine would have every piece laid out perfectly.  With everything from an accomplished winemaker, iconic vineyard, blockbuster vintage and a terrific price, this wine truly has it all.  It was authored by Don Van Staaveren who’s responsible for authoring the Chateau St. Jean wines from ’85-’97, and even made history when his 1996 Cinq Cepages was recognized as the #1 wine on the 1999 Wine Spectator Top 100 list.  It was the first Sonoma wine to receive the honor of being the #1 Wine in the World…
RED MARE
2014 CHARDONNAY
DUTTON RANCH VINEYARD
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
Retails at:  $48.00/btl
 
 
A luminous interpretation of Dutton Ranch fruit, the 2014 washes over your palate with classic Granny Smith apple, spiced pear, juicy yellow melon and subtle lemon bar.  Big and full across the palate and crafted in a plump, round style, if you’re searching for a top-level California Chardonnay without the high price tag that usually comes with one, I would saddle up and secure a case of Red Mare before this one rides off into the sunset
2014 Red Mare Chardonnay Dutton Ranch Russian River Valley Sonoma County

2014 Red Mare Chardonnay Dutton Ranch Russian River Valley Sonoma County

with No Comment $30 and underChardonnayKevin VogtRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

RED MARE

2014 CHARDONNAY
DUTTON RANCH VINEYARD
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

2014 Red Mare Chardonnay Dutton Ranch Russian River Valley Sonoma County
With everything you would want in a world-class California Chardonnay, Red Mare’s 2014 emerges from the famed Dutton Ranch Vineyard in the heart of the Russian River Valley. Fruit from Dutton Ranch has gone to top producers like Kistler, Patz & Hall, & DuMOL…  This one was expertly guided from grape to bottle by Anne Vawter, who’s experience includes assistant winemaker at Paradigm Winery in Oakville for four years, under the leadership of legendary winemaker Heidi Barrett. 
 
A luminous interpretation of Dutton Ranch fruit, the 2014 washes over your palate with classic Granny Smith apple, spiced pear, juicy yellow melon and subtle lemon bar.  Big and full across the palate and crafted in a plump, round style, if you’re searching for a top-level California Chardonnay without the high price tag that usually comes with one, I would saddle up and secure a case of Red Mare before this one rides off into the sunset.  
 
RED MARE
2014 CHARDONNAY
DUTTON RANCH VINEYARD
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
Retails at:  $48.00/btl
 
 
Winery Notes: “True to the vintage with intense aromatic notes of ripe pear, rose petals, tropical flowers and warm honeycomb. This wine is a complex interplay of rich and warm contrasting with bright and fresh showing vanilla wafer, white cake, nougat along with lemon peel and asian pear. In the mouth, a long, slow, malolactic fermentation, lees stirring and barrel aging in small french oak barrels brings a rich and complex mouthfeel balanced with classic Russian River Valley acids to carry through to a warm, creamy finish.”
3026 Leeuwin Estate Prelude Chardonnay

Leeuwin 2015 Prelude Chardonnay Margaret River Austrailia

with No Comment AustraliaChardonnayKevin VogtMargaret RiverWestern Australia

LEEUWIN

2015 PRELUDE CHARDONNAY
MARGARET RIVER, AUSTRALIA 

3026 Leeuwin Estate Prelude Chardonnay
As one of the most iconic Chardonnays from the entire Southern Hemisphere, Leeuwin has built a reputation for a style that perfectly reflects the new and old world.  With Burgundian complexity and keen acidity, marrying perfectly with new world weight and power, Leeuwin is no stranger to high scores…  Even their value-priced Prelude Chardonnay has already earned nearly a half dozen 92-95 point ratings, and at around half the price of the winery’s upper-end Artist Series, it’s an unbeatable value. 
Created from 100% Estate fruit grown inside Australia’s famed Margaret River district, the 2015 Prelude was crafted under the guidance of two generations of winemakers. Spending just 9 months in French oak, the 2015 is wonderfully bright and lively across the palate, and beautiful expressions of ripe melon, honey dipped peach, Bosc pear and roasted hazelnut.  Leeuwin’s Prelude Chardonnay is made in a style that should appeal to just about anyone with a pulse… 
 
LEEUWIN
2015 PRELUDE CHARDONNAY
MARGARET RIVER, AUSTRALIA 
Retails at:  $46.00/btl
Your Price: $34.99/btl 
YOU SAVE 24%
 
 
“If you didn’t know about its Art Series sibling, you would be perfectly happy to accept this as a high class part of the Leeuwin Estate portfolio (which in a sense it is). A beautifully balanced wine, in terms both of its suite of stone fruit, citrus and pear flavors, and of the subtle barrel-ferment oak inputs. Its length is no less impressive.”
 
 
95 Points
“From one of Margaret River’s leading Chardonnay producers, the 2015 Prelude doesn’t disappoint. It’s a nutty, smokey, toasty, melony beauty. Perfectly in balance, with a chalky texture and medium to light body, it wears its heart on its sleeve and is drinking perfectly now, but will gain more even more complexity with a few years in bottle. Drink now-2022.”
 
92 Points, Editor’s Choice

 

 

Customers who enjoy Leeuwin’s Prelude Chardonnay, may also enjoy these two wonderful wines…
DOMAINE De BEAURENARD CHATEAUNEUF du PAPE BLANC AC, 2016
DOMAINE de CHANTEMERLE
PREMIER CRU CHABLIS
2016 FOURCHAUME
Your Price: $34.99/btl 
Unfolding sensually in the glass, Adhemar & Francis Boudin’s Premier Cru Fourchaume is a whole new level of detail and delineation.  Layers of honeyed melon, apple pie, and ripe peaches caress the palate with sheer purity and beautiful focus.  A host of juicy nectarines, orange blossom and jasmine emerge from the glass with vibrant energy. 
DOMAINE De BEAURENARD
CHATEAUNEUF du PAPE 
BLANC AC, 2016
Your Price: $44.99/btl
 
From The Wine Spectator,  “Delicious pear, green apple and green melon flavors show both a creamy and a racy feel, while light meringue, acacia and honeysuckle notes fill in through the finish. Thoroughly delicious. Drink now through 2022…” 
 
 
 
 94 Points

Hungry Blonde 2015 Chardonnay Napa Valley Carneros

with No Comment $30 and underCarnerosChardonnayKevin VogtNapaUSA

HUNGRY BLONDE

2015 CHARDONNAY
NAPA VALLEY, CARNEROS

Unapologetically bold, Hungry Blonde’s 94 Point Napa Valley Chardonnay makes no excuses for being made in a rich and buttery style that defines classic California Chardonnay to the fullest.  Authored by the iconic Cary Gott, the fruit for this captivating Chardonnay comes from the Poe Vineyard, which sits adjacent to the world renowned Hyde Vineyard.  Fittingly, Larry Hyde’s HDV Chardonnay, sells for $60… It’s consistently been an originator of numerous enthusiastic utterances and significant re-orders, and as Jeb Dunnuck, former critic for Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate wrote, “At 30 bucks it’s a killer value.”

For those of you who love the classic “California Style” of Chardonnay, a la Beringer Private Reserve, Rombauer, Frank Family, Paul Hobbs, Far Niente, etc., Hungry Blonde should pique your interest…  If you’re looking for a leaner, more Burgundian style Chardonnay, then this is simply not for you.  With delectable flavors spanning white peach, smoky hazelnuts, buttered citrus and honeysuckle, at just $29.99/btl, Hungry Blonde delivers everything you might expect from an upper echelon Napa Valley Chardonnay.

HUNGRY BLONDE
2015 CHARDONNAY
NAPA VALLEY, CARNEROS
Your Price: $29.99/btl
From Jeb Dunnuck, “There’s 2000 cases of the 2015 Chardonnay Hungry Blonde, and it’s one seriously good Chardonnay. Aged sur lie in 20% new French oak, this classic beauty gives up lot of orchard fruits, some buttered citrus and peach, medium to full-bodied richness, and terrific balance. It’s thereal deal and will keep for 5+ years. At 30 bucks it’s a killer value.” 94 Points

Customers who enjoy Hungry Blonde’s 2015 Chardonnay may also enjoy these two terrific wines…

Silverpoint 2015 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

with No Comment ChardonnayKevin VogtNapaSonoma CoastUSA
SILVERPOINT
2015 CHARDONNAY
SONOMA COAST
 
If the best wines were like a puzzle, this wine would have every piece laid out perfectly.  With everything from an accomplished winemaker, iconic vineyard, blockbuster vintage and a terrific price, this wine truly has it all.  It was authored by Don Van Staaveren who’s responsible for authoring the Chateau St. Jean wines from ’85-’97, and even made history when his 1996 Cinq Cepages was recognized as the #1 wine on the 1999 Wine Spectator Top 100 list.  It was the first Sonoma wine to receive the honor of being the #1 Wine in the World… This wine makes no excuses at the winery’s $45/btl retail price, in fact it performs at a level even higher than that… At $29.99/btl the only puzzle piece missing is how many cases you can find room for…
 
This wine arose from the Rodgers Creek Vineyard located in the Petaluma Gap, this vineyard produces single vineyard wines from Ramey, Sojourn and Cherry Pie. Spending 15 months in oak and aged sur lie, a French term meaning literally ‘on the sediment’, the sur lie style aging plays a large role in contributing to this wine’s rich, opulent texture.  If you’re searching for an incredibly high quality Chardonnay to share with your friends and family and selling way below its true value… This is it.
 
SILVERPOINT
2015 CHARDONNAY
SONOMA COAST
Retails at:  $45.00/btl
+ Ground Shipping Included on ANY Full or Mixed 15-Pack
(Upgrade your 15-Pack to UPS 3-DAY AIR for $39, Available in select States)
 
From the Wine Enthusiast, “Don Van Staaveren is the winemaker of this well-crafted wine sourced from Rodger’s Creek Vineyard in the Petaluma Gap area.  Opulent on the nose, it follows up in richness and robust flavors of toasted oak and apple, finishing awash in butterscotch...” 90 Points


 

Walter Hansel 2015 Estate Pinot Noir & 2014 Cahill Lane Chardonnay

with No Comment $30-$40ChardonnayKevin VogtNapaPinot NoirRussian River ValleyUSA
WALTER HANSEL
2015 ESTATE PINOT NOIR

2014 CAHILL LANE CHARDONNAY
Like sitting front-and-center at the grand opera, and instead of string, woodwind and percussions vibrating throughout, penetrating flavors permeate your palate, hitting every note along the way with perfect clarity.  Consistently rated in the mid 90’s, and with each performance like a sold-out show, and yet the ticket price has remained almost unchanged over the past decade… Walter Hansel voices the best of the Russian River Valley, and Robert Parker writes that they’re “… consistently terrific wines… realistically priced… consumers couldn’t have a better friend than proprietor Stephen Hansel.”
Originating from famous clones, strategically planted to specific areas of Walter Hansel’s Estate Vineyard, the new releases are hitting the high notes that you wouldn’t think possible at this price level…

 

WALTER HANSEL
2014 CHARDONNAY
CAHILL LANE
Your Price: $34.99/btl
From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, “The 2014 Chardonnay Cahill Lane emerges 100% from the Old Wente clone. This is in heavy clay and fertile Goldridge soils and cropped in by at least 30% to improve concentration. This wine, which is less intense than his other Chardonnays, offers notes of lime and other citrus, with crisp acidity…” 
92 Points
WALTER HANSEL
2015 PINOT NOIR
ESTATE VINEYARD
Your Price: $37.99/btl
From Vinous, “The 2015 Pinot Noir The Estate Vineyard boasts off the charts intensity, richness and texture. Soaring aromatics and a core of dark red and bluish fruit are front and center. Racy and voluptuous to the core, the Estate captures all the intensity of this vintage. This is a dazzling Pinot from Stephen Hansel, not to mention one of the best values readers will find.”
94 Points

Transverse 2015 Chardonnay Santa Rita Hills

with No Comment $30 and underChardonnayKevin VogtSanta BarbaraSanta Rita HillsWhites
TRANSVERSE
2015 CHARDONNAY
SANTA RITA HILLS
Transcending value at levels previously uncharted, if I could tell you the fruit source and winemaker behind this Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay,  you wouldn’t hesitate to secure a case.  Some things in life are better kept secret, because if details on the winemaker and vineyard sources were disclosed, the wine would retail for a much higher price.  Created in a fresh, vibrant style, exquisite flavors wrap your palate in a delicate opulence, laced with lemon drops, nectarine, warm apple, tangerine oil and melon.   At under thirty per bottle, it’ll leave your taste buds yearning for another sip and your wallet looking for more.
This gorgeous wine is from the region thrust into the spotlight in 2004 with the debut of the hit movie Sideways. The Santa Rita Hills AVA is known for producing wines with exceptional aromatics, terrific acidity and remarkable focus. While the movie highlighted a few stars including Sanford, Foxen and Sea Smoke, there are approximately 60 vineyards inside the Santa Rita Hills AVA, and most have been planted within the last two decades.  If you’re looking for a top quality white wine to enjoy anytime, you may want to grab a case or two of this while supplies last.
TRANSVERSE
2015 CHARDONNAY
SANTA RITA HILLS
Your Price: $24.99/btl Click to Order
+ Ground Shipping Included on ANY Full or Mixed 15-Pack
(Upgrade your 15-Pack to UPS 3-DAY AIR for $39, Available in select States)
Tasting Notes: “Releasing an aromatic voyage which begins with vibrant pear, spiced apple, nectarine, with hints of lemon drops and toasted hazelnuts.  The palate expands with a richness that perfectly frames the bright fruit, subtle oak and elegant acid. The energetic and friendly personality this wine is incredibly balanced and has a freshness making it nearly impossible to resist.  The delicate texture and lovely mineral component really make it shine.”
 
Customers that enjoy Transverse Chardonnay may also enjoy these two terrific white wines…
PRISONER WINE CO.
2015 BLINDFOLD
PROPRIETARY WHITE
Retails at:  $32.00/btl
Your Price: $26.99/btl
As the sister version to the popular Prisoner Red, the Blindfold White administers what feels like Cirque du Soleil performance on your palate, with its ebullient zest, delineation and stunning vibrancy.  This wine is surprisingly delicate and nuanced, and simply fascinating to swirl and taste…
HANZELL
SEBELLA CHARDONNAY
2015 SONOMA COUNTY
Retails at:  $36.00/btl
Your Price: $29.99/btl
California’s answer to classic Chablis, the 2015 Hanzell Sebella Chardonnay induces an immediate feeling of contentment, followed by a rush of exhilarating flavors and an array of fresh nectarines, citrus blossom, warm pear, liquified stones and floral infused honey.