NV Marquis de la Mysteriale Cuvee Grand Esprit Champagne

NV Marquis de la Mysteriale Cuvee Grand Esprit Champagne

with No Comment $30 and underChampagneChampagne/SparklingFranceKevin Vogt

MARQUIS de la MYSTERIALE

CUVÉE GRAND ESPRIT
CHAMPAGNE NV

NV Marquis de la Mysteriale Cuvee Grand Esprit Champagne
How much would you expect to pay for a bottle of Champagne? Champagne commands a higher price tag than other sparkling wines due to strict requirements on aging and the fact that the region is roughly 8% of the size of Sonoma County. Champagne wines must spend at least 15 months in the bottle before release, which is longer than any other Sparkling, and they usually start above $40-$60/btl. There’s a reason why Marquis de La Mysteriale Champagne is just $29.99. The company that produces it has decided to discontinue this particular wine, which creates a grand opportunity for you.
 
Maison de Grand Esprit crafts their Champagne in a toasty and rich style, which they achieve through aging on the lees for a full 15 months. Their winemaking team sourced the grapes from small family growers, and they completed the blend with 59% Chardonnay and 41% Pinot Noir. 
 
Winemaker Florent Gauthier has an inherent passion for wine he’s developed in France, Switzerland, Australia, Chile, Argentina, and California, even working for a brief time at Stags’ Leap Winery. He believes in minimal intervention winemaking and allowing for each wine’s finesse and elegance to express itself.
 
MARQUIS de la MYSTERIALE
CUVÉE GRAND ESPRIT
CHAMPAGNE NV
Retails at: $60
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“This wine is soft and well balanced. An attractive predominance of Chardonnay in the blend with Pinot Noir gives an edge of minerality as well as fresh apple flavors. The wine is ready to drink.”
90 Points
 
“Rich and complex yet fresh, our Champagne possesses a beautiful, intricate aroma of toasted bread, almond and nougat combined with a fine, persistent mousse.”
2017 Heinrich Spindler Trocken Riesling Pfalz Germany

2017 Heinrich Spindler Trocken Riesling Pfalz Germany

with No Comment $30 and underGermanyKevin VogtRiesling

HEINRICH SPINDLER

2017 TROCKEN RIESLING
PFALZ, GERMANY 

2017 Heinrich Spindler Trocken Riesling Pfalz Germany
There’s passion in winemaking, and then there’s Markus Spindler, whose heart beats for Riesling. His family has been crafting Riesling in the Pfalz region of Germany for 400 years. He believes premium wines can only arise when a variety of small but crucial conditions occur, and he does everything in his power to make sure these events happen. His 2017 Trocken Riesling is brilliant, and at less than thirty bucks, the quality in the bottle is unmatched. 
 
Markus Spindler farms 20 hectares of vines with a strong focus on organic principles. The vines are grown in shell limestone, basalt, colored sandstone, where the vines’ deep roots draw up the diverse minerals and store them in the grapes. 
 
Pfalz offers a range of microclimates perfectly suited for ripening Riesling. Markus meticulously vinifies each plot individually in all of its variants. His greatest challenge is preserving the full range of natural aromatics, which he achieves through gentle handling, limiting the use of pumps, and utilizing gravity flow whenever possible. 
 
HEINRICH SPINDLER
2017 TROCKEN RIESLING
PFALZ, GERMANY
 
Your Price: $28
 
 
“This is Markus’ bread and butter riesling. The grapes for this wine are sourced from Spindler’s vineyard holdings in Friedelsheim, Niederkirchen and Forst. It was fermented in stainless steel until dry with cultured yeasts. This is a pure expression of Pfalz exotics: passion fruit, peach, almond blossom.”
2017 Silverpoint Chardonnay Petaluma Gap

2017 Silverpoint Chardonnay Petaluma Gap

with No Comment $30-$40ChardonnayKevin VogtNapaPetaluma GapUSA

SILVERPOINT

2017 CHARDONNAY
PETALUMA GAP

2017 Silverpoint Chardonnay Petaluma Gap
Silverpoint’s master plan is to remain small and focused on producing tiny quantities of meticulously made wines. Their strategy parallels winemaker Don Van Staaveren’s patient and minimal intervention approach of winemaking. Don is a seasoned winemaker responsible for authoring the Chateau St. Jean wines that made history when his 1996 Cinq Cepages was the #1 wine on the Spectator Top 100 list. This wine proves that when a winemaker perfectly aligns his style with the proprietor’s goals, great things happen, and with a mere 91 cases made, don’t hesitate to secure yours.
 
Silverpoint Cellars sources their Chardonnay fruit from the renowned Rodgers Creek Vineyard, which sits in the heart of the cool-climate Petaluma Gap AVA. The site has maritime winds and heavy fog influences, along with chalky volcanic ash soils, which create an ideal environment for Chardonnay to develop expressive flavors and maintain natural acidity.  
 
Don barrel-aged the 2017 release for nine months sur lie, which played a crucial role in contributing to the wine’s creamy mouthfeel and opulent textures. With just 91 cases made, this pedigreed and micro-produced Chardonnay guarantees to impress.
 
SILVERPOINT
2017 CHARDONNAY
PETALUMA GAP
Retails at: $45
 
 
 
“Rich and pale gold color with a creamy texture balanced by a lively acidity. Hints of melon and white peach. Voluptuous. A long juicy finish lets you linger with this Chardonnay. 91 cases produced”
2016 Chateau Haut Bergeron Sauternes (375ML)

2016 Chateau Haut Bergeron Sauternes (375ML)

with No Comment $30-$40BordeauxFranceKevin VogtSauvignon Blanc

CHÂTEAU HAUT-BERGERON

2016 SAUTERNES (375ML)

2016 Chateau Haut Bergeron Sauternes (375ML)
Sauternais is a region inside the Graves section of Bordeaux that’s best known for producing Sauternes, sweet dessert wines made from botrytis affected Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle varieties. It’s arguably the most famous region in the world for white dessert wines, and they’ve been made there since the 17th century. The most celebrated of them all is Château d’Yquem, which can top $500 per bottle. Notably, some of Château Haut-Bergon’s parcels sit adjacent to d’Yquem, and at less than $40 for the 375ml bottle, this is an incredibly stunning Sauternes.
 
Château Haut-Bergeron is owned by one of the oldest families in Sauternes, with more than 200 years and nine generations of winemaking. Their Estate consists of 35 hectares of vines in Sauternes and 12 hectares in Graves. 
 
The 2016 release unites 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc, which mirrors Château d’Yquem plantings. On the palate, the wine is graceful, rich and intense, and comes loaded with overripe apricot, nectarine, honey. If you’re searching for a brilliant Sauternes to add to your cellar, this is it.
 
CHÂTEAU HAUT-BERGERON
2016 SAUTERNES (375ML)
 
Your Price: $39.99
(375ML)
 
 
“Pitch-perfect Sauternes, with focused scents of ginger, marmalade, honey and Asian spices. Gorgeous candied apricot palate which is generous with its high quality oak, delivering creamy vanilla custard notes. Everything is In place here.”
96 Points, The Decanter World Wine Awards
 
“This is very serious for this producer with very pretty depth and intensity in terms of rich fruit and a long and intense finish. Excited about this wine.”
92-93 Points
 
“Pale lemon colored, the 2016 Haut-Bergeron has quite a savory nose of baker’s yeast, warm bread, fresh straw and fried spices over a core of lemon meringue pie, baked peaches and beeswax. The palate has wonderful restraint with bags of tightly wound nuances and fantastic freshness, finishing long and honeyed.”
92+ Points
 
“Hint of ginger and well integrated and lush. Streak of green. Needs quite a time. And overall a refreshing style of Sauternes.”
16+/20
2018 Maison Jessiaume Burgogne Chardonnay White Burgundy

2018 Maison Jessiaume Burgogne Chardonnay White Burgundy

with No Comment $30 and underBurgandyChardonnayFranceKevin Vogt

MAISON JESSIAUME

BOURGOGNE CHARDONNAY
2018 WHITE BURGUNDY 

2018 Maison Jessiaume Burgogne Chardonnay White Burgundy
Maison Jessiaume values organic viticulture and a gentle touch to winemaking. This combination means their team intervenes as little as possible during the winemaking processes, ferments with natural yeasts, and relies on gravity to transfer the wine into tanks. The cumulative result is a pure and balanced interpretation of the varietal, location, and vintage, and at just $28, it’s also a stupendous value.
 
Jessiaume is a historic estate constructed in 1850, located in the Santenay region in the Côte de Beaune. The winery has 10 hectares of vines spread over the municipalities of Santenay, Auxey-Duresses, Beaune, Volnay and Pommard. 
 
Santenay has soils rich in limestone, and their Chardonnays often have palpable minerality, floral characteristics, and fresh fruits. Domaine Jessiaume’s 2018 Bourgogne Chardonnay is a perfect representation of the area’s values, and with very little imported in the US, don’t hesitate to secure your case. 
 
MAISON JESSIAUME
BOURGOGNE CHARDONNAY
2018 WHITE BURGUNDY
 
Your Price: $28
 
“Nose of apricots, white flowers. Great mouthfeel, pure, rich, balanced, great structure and expressiveness. Flavors of orange stone fruits, orange citrus, ginger and spice. Hand harvested, aged for 10 months in neutral oak barrels and 2 months in stainless steel tanks before bottling.”
2018 Arbe Garbe White Blend Sonoma County

2018 Arbe Garbe White Blend Sonoma County

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtProprietary WhiteSonomaSonoma ValleyUSA

ARBE GARBE

2018 WHITE BLEND
SONOMA COUNTY

2018 Arbe Garbe White Blend Sonoma County
Arbe Garbe is a local winery inspired by the Friuli region of Italy and created by Italian-born winemakers Letizia Pauletto and Enrico Maria Bertoz to reconnect with their roots. They make the Arbe Garbe Blend with rare white varieties common in Friuli but scarce in the New World. For instance, in 2016, there were 51 acres of Tocai Friulano in California and too little Ribolla Gialla to register on the CDFA report. The style is freshly focused, with citrus fruits, minerals, floral characteristics, and is presented seamlessly on the palate. It’s as Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate writes, “fabulous”.
 
The 2018 release combines roughly 50% Malvasia Bianca with nearly equal parts Ribolla Gialla and old-vine Tocai Friulano. The Malvasia Bianca contributes to the clean and crisp style, while the Ribolla adds stunning floral notes, and the Tocai Friulano lends body and weight. 
 
Winemakers Enrico and Letizia are well-rounded in their skillsets, having worked harvests in Friuli. After arriving in the US, Enrico gained invaluable experience at Sine Qua Non, Joseph Phelps, and Flora Springs. If you enjoy crisp whites with enormous personality, don’t miss this one. 
 
ARBE GARBE
2018 WHITE BLEND
SONOMA COUNTY
 
Your Price: $35
 
“The 2018 White Wine from Arbe Garbe is an unusual—and fabulous—blend of 55% Malvasia Bianca, 25% Tocai Friulano and 20% Ribolla Gialla, what winemaker Enrico Maria Bertoz calls “the Holy Trinity of Friuli,” where he was raised. The Malvasia is split into portions, with one portion whole-cluster pressed, a second portion on skins for 12 hours and a third portion on skins for 24 hours. These lots are then blind tasted to create the final blend. The nose explodes to musk, lychee, warm peaches, charcuterie and beeswax with high-toned notes of fresh green herbs. The medium to full-bodied palate has a gorgeous silken texture, ever-so-slightly creamy, with kaleidoscopic bursts of ripe fruit in the mouth. It’s concentrated while still incredibly light on its feet, addicting in its freshness and long, textured finish. What a gorgeous vintage for this wine!”
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.”
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.”
2017 Heitz Cellar Chardonnay Napa Valley

2017 Heitz Cellar Chardonnay Napa Valley

with No Comment $30-$40ChardonnayKevin VogtNapaSaint HelenaUSA

HEITZ CELLAR

2017 CHARDONNAY
NAPA VALLEY

2017 Heitz Cellar Chardonnay Napa Valley
Heitz Cellar crafts their Napa Valley Chardonnay in a clean and refreshing style that highlights the fruit’s purest expression. They’ve been perfecting their craft for nearly 60 years, and back in the 60s and 70s, they labeled their Chardonnay “Chablis.” In the 80s, they began bottling single-vineyard Chardonnays from Trailside and Heitz Vineyard. Their 2017 is a timeless classic that harkens to the old days of Napa Chardonnay with delicate details and outstanding balance. 
 
The 2017 release combines fruit from Oak Knoll, Rutherford, St Helena, and Yountville. It highlights the rich, ripe fruit characteristics of the warmer climates up-valley and balances them with the structure and acid from the cooler Oak Knoll District. 
 
Aged for an impressive three years in a combination of stainless steel, French oak, and in the bottle before release, the 2017 vintage is fresh and lively, offering vivid island fruits, Meyer lemon, toasted hazelnut, and Key lime. I strongly recommend a case of this classic Napa Chardonnay for your cellar.
 
HEITZ CELLAR
2017 CHARDONNAY
NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $38
 
Your Price: $35
 
“This is one of the last bastions of Napa Chardonnay that retains the ethos of winemaking from the 1970s and ’80s. A blend of mainly Rutherford and Oak Knoll fruit, it undergoes no malolactic fermentation and is aged for 12 months in French oak barrels. Aromas of lemon meringue, key limes and orchard fruit blossoms lead to an angular, focused and pure palate. An authentic example of a past time. Drinking Window 2020 – 2035”
92 Points
 
“The Palate expresses hints of Meyer lemon, pineapple, and freshly baked sweet apple tarts. The fresh fruit aroma is complemented by subtle notes of toasted hazelnut, honey suckle, and white floral characteristics. Its fresh, bright acidity pleases the palate while balanced by a smooth richness that we obtain through sur-lie aging.”
2018 Domaine Guy Robin Chablis Vieilles Vignes

2018 Domaine Guy Robin Chablis Vieilles Vignes

with No Comment $30-$40BurgandyChablisFranceKevin Vogt

DOMAINE GUY ROBIN

2018 CHABLIS 
VIEILLES VIGNES

2018 Domaine Guy Robin Chablis Vieilles Vignes
Vieilles Vignes means old vines, and Guy Robin is one of my favorite producers of old vine Chablis. He began collecting old Chablis parcels back in the 60s, and few other Chablis estates have such a rich collection of older vines. As a result, few wineries can deliver Chablis wines of such character and complexity. At $33, his Chablis VV offers dynamic complexity, laser focus, and optimum balance.
 
Guy’s daughter Marie-Ange leads the Estate and shares her father’s passion for old vines. She creates their Vieilles Vignes Chablis from vines averaging four decades in age, and many of the neighboring plots are premier cru sites, sharing similar soils and climate. 
 
Guy Robin hand-harvests their Chardonnay grapes at the pinnacle of ripeness. He immediately presses them at the winery, where they’re held in a tank for 24 hours to settle naturally. The winery ferments in temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks, and they also age in tanks to preserve the fruit’s most natural expression.
 
DOMAINE GUY ROBIN
2018 CHABLIS 
VIEILLES VIGNES
 
Your Price: $33
 
“Bright, citrusy aromas, with liquid minerals and white flowers, immediately grab you in the nose. On approach, the palate has an amazing richness, with concentrated, penetrating flavors including stone fruits, key lime, and an incredibly focused center palate. The finish is mesmerizing, with an amazing balance of richness and freshness. This is certainly one of my favorite Chablis, each vintage.” 94 Points