2018 Sixto Chardonnay Uncovered Washington State

2018 Sixto Chardonnay Uncovered Washington State

with No Comment $30 and underChardonnayKevin VogtUSAWashington State

SIXTO

CHARDONNAY UNCOVERED
WASHINGTON STATE 2018

2018 Sixto Chardonnay Uncovered Washington State
Charles Smith is the visionary Washington State winemaker behind several successful brands that have received over 200 scores of 95 Points and above. Musician Sixto Rodriguez and the documentary Searching for Sugar Man inspired the SIXTO label. It’s a project from Charles Smith and his VP of Winemaking and Viticulture Brennon Leighton that focuses on old-vine Chardonnay grown at higher elevations from cooler climate vineyards throughout Washington.
 
The ‘Uncovered’ Chardonnay is a cuvée of three single vineyards, including the Moxee Vineyard planted in 1973, the Rosa Hills Vineyard planted in 1977, and the Frenchman Hills Vineyard planted in 1998. The 2018 growing season began with mild temperatures followed by a long, dry fall enabling the fruit a long hang time and complete flavor development marking an outstanding vintage.
 
SIXTO
CHARDONNAY UNCOVERED
WASHINGTON STATE 2018
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“This is always a pretty chardonnay with transparent cooked-apple, lemon-rind and ripe-pineapple character. It’s full-bodied, layered and beautiful. Drink now.”
93 Points
2020 Pascal Bouchard Chablis 'Le Classique' Burgundy

2020 Pascal Bouchard Chablis ‘Le Classique” Burgundy

with No Comment $30-$40BurgandyChablisFranceKevin Vogt

PASCAL BOUCHARD

CHABLIS ‘LE CLASSIQUE’
BURGUNDY 2020

2020 Pascal Bouchard Chablis 'Le Classique' Burgundy
Located in the heart of Chablis, Pascal Bouchard is passionately committed to delivering the finest expression of Chardonnay from this world-renowned region. The winery is equipped with state-of-the-art stainless steel fermentation tanks, allowing vibrant fruit characteristics to highlight their wines.
 
Florent Denieuil has been making Pascal Bouchard wines for over 20 years and has an intimate knowledge of their vineyards. He vinifies individual plots separately to ensure each site’s terroir transfers transparently into the final wine. “Le Classic” is his homage to the traditional Chablisienne wines, arguably the purest expression of Chardonnay worldwide. The 2020 vintage showcases the region’s hallmark minerality, perfectly balanced with fruit intensity in this delightful Chablis.
 
PASCAL BOUCHARD
CHABLIS ‘LE CLASSIQUE’
BURGUNDY 2020
 
Your Price: $38
 
 
“The Pascal Bouchard 2020 “Le Classic” Chablis opens with intense aromas of jasmine, chamomile, lemon, white peach, nectarine, cantaloupe, and a wet chalk minerality. The palate is complex with flavors of green apple, passion fruit, green guava, and apricot. This wine is bright and delightful, with a depth of flavors that envelops your taste buds with hedonistic pleasure.”
94 Points
2019 Mader Rosacker Grand Cru Riesling Alsace

2019 Mader Rosacker Grand Cru Riesling Alsace

with No Comment FranceKevin VogtRiesling

MADER

ROSACKER
GRAND CRU RIESLING
ALSACE 2019

2019 Mader Rosacker Grand Cru Riesling Alsace
Domaine Mader was founded in 1981 by Jean-Luc and Anne Mader and continues to be family owned and operated, with their son Jèrome taking over in 2005 after studying enology. They converted their vineyards to organic farming in 2007, helping preserve each site’s unique expression of Alsatian terroir, consisting of thirteen distinct soil types.
 
The fruit for this wine comes from the family’s small 3.2 acres in the Grand Cru Rosacker, known for producing Rieslings with ripe fruit aromas, salinity, and laser focus. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats at low temperatures, protecting the variety’s fruit purity and flavor intensity, balanced with vibrant acidity that will allow this wine to age for added complexity, although it’s brilliant right now.
 
MADER
ROSACKER
GRAND CRU RIESLING
ALSACE 2019
 
Your Price: $45
 
 
“The 2019 Domaine Grand Cru Rosacker Riesling opens with opulent notes of elderflower, lime blossom, lime zest, honey crisp apple, and fresh honeydew melon. The palate had bright acidity, intense flavors of fresh herbs, and citrus zest with a fresh pastry dough that pulls everything into a perfect balance. This wine is an absolute joy to indulge and has a few years left to develop in the bottle.”
94 Points
2021 Pop 300 Chardonnay Oakville

2021 Pop 300 Chardonnay Oakville

with No Comment $30-$40ChardonnayKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA

POP 300

CHARDONNAY
OAKVILLE 2021

2021 Pop 300 Chardonnay Oakville
The Oakville AVA produces some of the world’s most enchanting and complex Cabernet Sauvignon, but very few people know that Chardonnay also exists in the region. Proprietor Luke Russ was raised in Oakville and maintained close relationships with his neighbors, allowing him to obtain Chardonnay grapes from a hidden parcel near a creek, offering the much-needed cooling influence for the Chardonnay grapes.
 
Luke is the Commercial Director at O’Shaughnessy Estate Winery on Howell Mountain, and with this wine, he showcases his deep roots and impressive connections. Crafted in a rich, opulent, California-style, POP 300’s 2021 vintage was aged on the lees for ten months in new French oak barrels, adding body and creaminess to this delightful Oakville Chardonnay.
 
POP 300
CHARDONNAY
OAKVILLE 2021
 
Your Price: $35
 
 
“The 2021 Pop 300 Oakville Chardonnay begins with rich aromas of honeysuckle, peach, melon, toast, and meringue. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied with flavors of apricot, nectarine, passion fruit, and roasted marshmallow. The finish is long and strong with deep flavor intensity and a round mouthfeel.”
91-92 Points
2018 Sixteen by Twenty Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

2018 Sixteen by Twenty Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

with No Comment $30-$40ChardonnayKevin VogtSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

SIXTEEN by TWENTY

CHARDONNAY 2018
SONOMA COAST

2018 Sixteen by Twenty Chardonnay Sonoma Coast
Sixteen by Twenty Winery gets its name from an artist’s most common canvas size used for oil paintings because the dimensions create an ideal balance for displaying their artwork. As artists, owners David and Karen Dunphy apply this balance philosophy to every wine they produce.
 
The vineyard team is hands-on in the vineyards, individually positioning each vine shoot, removing unhealthy or damaged clusters, and ultimately harvesting by hand for utmost quality fruit. The Sonoma Coast AVA is their favorite region for Chardonnay because of the oceanic influence that gives a distinct minerality, ripe fruits, and fresh acidity. The 2018 vintage is noticeably softer and more elegant than previous vintages and celebrates the unique personality of the vineyards, displayed brilliantly.
 
SIXTEEN by TWENTY
CHARDONNAY 2018
SONOMA COAST
Retails at: $50
 
 
 
“The 2018 Sixteen by Twenty Sonoma Coast Chardonnay has inviting aromas of acacia blossoms, peach, passion fruit, butterscotch, sweet baking spices, and wet stones. On the palate, the wine is rich and creamy in texture with flavors of apricot, melon, vanilla cream sauce, and honeycomb. The pronounced flavors are balanced by bright acidity that promotes a long-lasting finish.”
93 Points
Goldeneye Brut Rose North Coast NV

Goldeneye Brut Rose North Coast NV

with No Comment $30-$40Champagne/SparklingKevin VogtNorth CoastSonoma CoastUSA

GOLDENEYE

BRUT ROSÉ
NORTH COAST NV

Goldeneye Brut Rose North Coast NV
Dan and Margaret Duckhorn founded Goldeneye Winery in 1996 to expand their winemaking repertoire into cool-climate, Burgundian varietals in Northern California. The Pacific marine influence brings mild temperatures, fog, and wind to the vineyards, providing an ideal environment for growing classic sparkling wine grapes Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay.
 
The fruit for this wine was sourced from some of the finest and coldest vineyard sites in the North Coast AVA, maintaining high levels of refreshing acidity and brightness. The North Coast Brut Rosé was made in the traditional Champagne method with 26 months en tirage creating a beautiful balance of vibrant fruit and yeasty brioche notes that are almost too easy to enjoy. This lovely wine is my new favorite domestic sparkler.
 
GOLDENEYE
BRUT ROSÉ
NORTH COAST NV
Retails at: $45
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“The Goldeneye North Coast Brut Rosé Sparkling Wine opens with aromas of orange blossom, strawberry cream cheese, sour cherry, apricot, and brioche. On the palate, the wine has a creamy, supple mousse and flavors of strawberry, grapefruit, and toasted pastry dough. The depth of flavors is impressive and contributes to a long, delightful finish.”
94 Points
2020 Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio Collio

2020 Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio Collio

with No Comment $30 and underItalyKevin VogtPinot Grigio

LIVIO FELLUGA

PINOT GRIGIO
COLLIO 2020

2020 Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio Collio
Livio Felluga has identified with Friuli’s most traditional and passionate winemaking traditions for six generations and continues today in that same pursuit in the vineyards that Livio renovated in Rosazzo. Their vineyards are a part of the “Geographic Map” of the region and symbolize Friuli’s prestige, proudly displayed on their wine labels since 1956. 
 
Livio passed down the respect for the environment, terroir, attention to detail, and quality control to his children, who nurture and maintain the estate. The 2020 Pinot Grigio exemplifies Friuli’s cultural adoration for the varietal and celebrates its fun and playful nature in a refreshing, easy-drinking wine.
 
These guys are a reference standard for high-quality Friuli Pinot Grigio, and they should be on everybody’s radar.
 
LIVIO FELLUGA
PINOT GRIGIO
COLLIO 2020
 
Your Price: $27.99
 
 
“A textbook pinot grigio with peach and sliced cooked apple, as well as lemon curd. Medium body. Flavorful finish. Drink or hold. Screw cap.”
92 Points
2015 Louis Roederer Brut Rose Champagne France

2015 Louis Roederer Brut Rose Champagne France

with No Comment $80-$90ChampagneChampagne/SparklingFranceKevin Vogt

LOUIS ROEDERER

BRUT ROSÉ 2015
CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE

2015 Louis Roederer Brut Rose Champagne France
The Louis Roederer Champagne house was one of the first to be founded in the region in 1776 and has been a leader in outstanding quality since. They source the fruit from vineyards in the villages of Montage de Reims, Côtes des Blancs, and Valleé de la Marne, maintaining an average score of 98 percent on the Champagne classification scale, offering an extraordinary level of quality. 
 
The Pinot Noir for this wine sees a long and soft extraction to integrate the most delicate and exquisite flavors before adding Chardonnay to the fermentation vessels. This wine has a mind-blowing balance of fruit, vanilla, minerality, and salinity that dances on the palate with levity and a lengthy, complex finish.
 
If you love Rosé Champagnes like Billecart-Salmon and Ruinart, I bet this one will be your new favorite.
 
LOUIS ROEDERER
BRUT ROSÉ 2015
CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE
 
Your Price: $85
 
 
“The 2015 Brut Vintage Rosé is generous and demonstrative, bursting with aromas of peach, orange and pear mingled with hints of red berries, fresh bread and ginger. Full-bodied, layered and vinous, it’s rich and enveloping, its textural attack segueing into an ample, fleshy core that’s girdled by bright acids and enlivened by a pillowy mousse. Long and expansive, it’s more generous and gourmand than its racier 2014 predecessor, but just as good.”
94 Points
 
“This shows lots of cotton candy and peach, together with strawberries and cream. But not overpowering. Some cranberry, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with fine bubbles and a lively finish. Dosage 8g/L. Drink now or hold.”
94 Points
2021 Aspara Cellars Rose of Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

2021 Apsara Cellars Rose of Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtRoséSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

APSARA CELLARS

ROSÉ of PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST 2021

2021 Aspara Cellars Rose of Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
Founders of Apsara Cellars, Robin and Aneeta Akhurst, met 20 years ago while studying biology and environmental science in Indonesia. Their travels broadened their interest in preserving nature with organic, biodynamic, and sustainable practices. Robin obtained his degree in Enology and spent the next four years working with Anne Claude Leflaive at Domaine Leflaive in Burgundy, Matt Wenk of Two Hands Wines in the Barossa Valley, Thomas Rivers Brown of Schrader and Outpost Cellars, and Mike Smith of Myriad and Carter Cellars in the Napa Valley.
 
Nothing could have prepared Robin better than his time spent with some of the world’s top winemakers, and today he sources fruit for Apsara wines with growers who share the same ecological ideals. Robin harvested the grapes for this 2021 Rosé of Pinot Noir early to maintain a vibrant acidity, low alcohol, and delicate fruity and floral notes that make a perfectly indulgent summer wine. 
 
APSARA CELLARS
ROSÉ of PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST 2021
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“The 2021 Apsara Rosé begins with aerial notes of rose petals, pink grapefruit, mandarin orange, ginger, and fresh sage. The wine has a light body with mouthwatering acidity and refreshing flavors of peach, strawberry, and white cherry. This elegant wine is uplifting to the senses from the first sip through the delightful, zesty finish.”
94 Points
2019 Pont Neuf Pnt Royal Chardonnay Russian River Valley

2019 Pont Neuf Pont Royal Chardonnay Russian River Valley

with No Comment $60-$70ChardonnayKevin VogtRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

PONT NEUF

PONT ROYAL CHARDONNAY
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY 2019

2019 Pont Neuf Pnt Royal Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Douglas Danielak completed the Professional Winemaking Program at the Lycée Agricole et Viticole de Beaune in Burgundy while working with Wine Exporter Rebecca Wasserman, gaining an impressive knowledge of Burgundian wines and barrels. Upon returning to California, Douglas completed his degree in Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis and, for over twenty years, has made wine for some of Napa Valley’s most respected wineries.
 
Douglas and his wife Mary named Pont Neuf wines after the oldest standing bridge in Paris, symbolizing the bridge between Burgundian and Californian winemaking. By carefully applying low-intervention techniques, native yeasts, and slow malolactic fermentation, this 2019 Russian River Valley Chardonnay possesses Burgundy’s sophistication and finesse matched with California’s opulent, stunning fruit. It’s one of the most popular Chardonnays we feature by pouring in the shop and is a must-try if you love top-quality Chardonnay.
 
PONT NEUF
PONT ROYAL CHARDONNAY
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY 2019
 
Your Price: $65
 
 
“The Pont Neuf 2019 ‘Pont Royal’ Chardonnay opens with aromas of golden apple, apricot, toast, roasted almond, and crème brûlée. On the palate, the wine has a rich body with flavors of peach, cantaloupe, and macadamia nut balanced by a crisp minerality and bright acidity. The finish is long and sultry, leaving a lasting impression.”
94 Points