Janzen To-Kalon Vineyard 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA
JANZEN
TO-KALON VINEYARD
2014 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
If you had to choose just one, what vineyard do you think is THE BEST in the entire New World?  Many would argue that it’s Andy Beckstoffer’s To-Kalon Vineyard which regularly garners worldwide accolades and attracts some of the most talented winemakers to produce  single vineyard To-Kalon wines.  Clinching 97 Points from Robert Parker, this beauty was authored by Kirk Venge, who was named One of the Top 20 New Winemakers in the World by Food & Wine Magazine.  Perfectly illustrating the profound hedonism and highlighting the definitive complexities that make this site so remarkable, with a complete production of only 7 barrels, there’s not much of this high-scoring Cab to go around…
Surrounding Robert Mondavi Winery and in the heart Oakville, the To-Kalon Vineyard has become synonymous with excellence.  This wine unleashes an electrifying perfume of crushed black fruits, espresso roast, graphite and exotic spices that tip the scales in terms of scrumptious mouth-feeling flavors and defined opulence.  Kept for 26 months in new Taransaud French oak barrels, this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon is remarkably generous and highly extracted. I strongly recommend locking up some of this stunning wine.
JANZEN
TO-KALON VINEYARD
2014 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Your Price: $174.99/btl Click to Order
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From Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate,  “The 2014 Janzen Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon sports a very deep garnet-purple color and exotic nose of Indian spices, smoked meats and sandalwood over a core of crème de cassis, baked black berries and blueberry pie with wafts of dried roses and oolong tea. Full-bodied, rich, opulent and seductive, it has beautifully plush tannins and just enough freshness to support the generous fruit, finishing very long and very sexy…” 97 Points

 

Customers who enjoy Janzen’s Beckstoffer To-Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon may also enjoy these two terrific wines…
TOR
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2014 NAPA VALLEY
Your Price $79.99/btl 
With all of the X’s and O’s in just the right place… Tor’s 2014 Napa Valley  Cabernet  Sauvignon is the wine equivalent of an All-Star team of Napa Valley’s top players…  Melanson Vineyard on Pritchard Hill takes on the role as the team captain.  Also taking the field are To-Kalon, Teirra Roja, Cimarossa, Herb Lamb and Vine Hill.  Tor producers single vineyard  Cabernets from each of these MVP’s (Most Valuable Properties), which start around $150/btl, and have near perfect batting records.
SAUNTER
RED HEAD VINEYARD
2014 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Your Price: $110/btl
From Robert  Parker, “… Possessing an extra gear and level of concentration, the wine has an inky bluish purple color and a sweet kiss of blueberry, blackcurrant and spice box as well as a floral note. It is full-bodied, opulent and voluptuously textured, all hallmarks of this 2014 vintage. The finish is opulent, and the wine long, showing complexity and secondary nuances, and giving no excuse to defer one’s gratification. This is a sumptuous beauty to drink over the next 15 or so years.” 94 points

Daniel 2014 Pinot Noir Grand Vent Vineyard

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtNapaPinot NoirSonoma CoastUSA
DANIEL
2014 PINOT NOIR
GRAND VENT VINEYARD
 
What makes this wine and so many of California’s best Pinot Noirs special is not what’s there, but what’s not there… What’s missing is land mass… instead of a continuous range, there is a gap between two Mountains or land masses, which creates a funnel, allowing in cool coastal air that keeps the wine’s natural acidity higher and allows the grapes to achieve their highest potential.  One prime example of this geological masterpiece is the Petaluma Gap. Wineries like Kosta-Browne, DuMOL and Sojourn all source fruit from this area, and vineyards like Gap’s Crown and Grand Vent have become notorious for producing world-class Pinot Noir grapes.  And even better, what’s also not there with this wine is the typically higher price tag that usually comes with Petaluma Gap Pinot… With savings of 50%, Daniel’s Grand Vent Pinot Noir is one of the best Pinot deals we’ve had at $29.99/btl.
 
This profound Pinot was composed by accomplished winemaker Dan Fitzgerald, who got his start working at Williams-Selyem… Created in a silky and extravagant style, remarkably deep and compelling flavors envelope your palate and bring a smile to your face.  With a total production of 90 cases, this Pinot Noir will only go to a lucky few.
 
DANIEL
2014 PINOT NOIR
GRAND VENT VINEYARD
Retails at:  $60.00/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 Wine Enthusiast, “Made in tiny amounts in a light-bodied style, its vineyard site in the cool Petaluma Gap, this wine opens in earthy soapstone and sandalwood, offering an aroma of dried flowers. Delicate acidity supports a funkiness of cranberry, rhubarb and nutmeg, while a suggestion of roses lurks in the background.”
91 Points

Hendry 2014 Zinfandel Block 20 Napa Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtMt VeederRedsZinfandel
HENDRY
2014 ZINFANDEL
BLOCK 28, NAPA VALLEY
 
We taste many different Zinfandels during our weekly tastings, and most of them have origins right in our own backyard… Dry Creek Valley, Russian River or Napa, but we’ve had some from as far away as Croatia.  Few Zinfandels strike me the way that Hendry’s 2014 Block 28 Zinfandel did.  Remarkably penetrating and perfectly balanced, giving way to waves of briary cherry and raspberry fruit, intermixed with holiday spices, cracked black pepper and violets.  The previous vintage was named one of the Year’s Best Zins by Wine & Spirits, and the vintage before that was honored as one of the top 100 wines of the year by the same publication.  I think the 2014 is even better, so don’t wait too long to secure a case.
 
Nestled at the base of Mount Veeder, the Hendry’s have been farming the same vineyard in Napa Valley since the 1930’s… The lessons learned after more than 75 harvests are almost palpable in this extraordinary Zinfandel.  Kept for 15 months in oak barrels, the 2014 is wonderfully long and vibrant, without being the least bit overripe, heavy or jammy. This awesome Zin would be a remarkable compliment to food or delightfully pleasing on it’s own.
 
HENDRY
2014 ZINFANDEL
BLOCK 28, NAPA VALLEY
Your Price: $36/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)
From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, “As for the 2014 Zinfandel Block 28, this is a briary, berry-scented and flavored Zinfandel that spent 15 months in French oak. There is a touch of new oak in the background, the wine shows minerality and earthy, spicy strawberry and black cherry fruit.” 90 Points

 

Customers that would enjoy Hendry’s Block 28 Zinfandel, may also enjoy these two terrific Zins…
GAMBA
2015 ZINFANDEL
STARR ROAD RANCH
Retails at:  $49.00/btl
Your Price: $39.99/btl
 
Fashioned from an organically farmed vineyard planted in 1920, the ancient vines have relied on winter rains as their sole source of irrigation for over 95 years.  Yielding just 1.5 tons per acre of strikingly intense, concentrated, pristinely focused fruit, the 2015 exhibits all the qualities that I look for in Old Vine Zinfandel.
CARLISLE
2015 ZINFANDEL
PAPERA RANCH
Your Price: $47.99/btl
From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, “A killer effort… from a vineyard planted in 1934…  Moreover, he clearly gives the fruit plenty of attention so that it can strut its ripeness and full-bodied character, given the fact that he rarely uses more than 20-25% new French oak, and of course, the wines are bottled with no clarification by fining or filtering. This should drink well for up to a decade or more.”
92-94 Points