2014 Arbor Bench Estate Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

2014 Arbor Bench Dry Creek Valley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $30 and underCabernet SauvignonDry Creek ValleyKevin VogtNapaUSA

ARBOR BENCH

2014 Arbor Bench Estate Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon2014 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
DRY CREEK VALLEY, ESTATE

Most people might think of world-class Zinfandel when they think of Dry Creek Valley, however there’s a lot more to love about California’s oldest AVA.  With roots going back more than 140 years, it’s among the longest in the New World.  The fertile landscape provides exceptional fruit to over 70 wineries, the majority of which are family owned.  And while the area might be best known for Zinfandel, there are pockets that produce exceptional Cabernet.  With an obvious difference in terroir and micro-climate, this Cabernet has a hedonistic mix of majestic fruits laced with savory undertones that makes it unique. Arbor Bench had our entire panel nodding our heads in approval, and at the winery’s $48 retail price it’s a solid bottle of Cab and you’ll want to stock your shelves for near and long term enjoyment.
 
This beautiful Cabernet is created by veteran winemaker Christopher Markell, whose nearly four decades of winemaking experience shines bright. Peaking from nearly two years in French oak and made from 100% Estate grown fruit, it saturates your taste buds in brilliantly expressive, yet supple flavors of Mountain berries, black chocolates, tobacco leaf and baking spices.  This wine is irresistible now, yet will age gracefully for another 7-8 years.  I highly recommend a case. 
 
ARBOR BENCH
2014 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
DRY CREEK VALLEY, ESTATE
Retails at:  $48.00/btl
 
 
 
From the Wine Enthusiast: “Full bodied and fleshy, this 100% varietal wine offers polished tannin and toasty oak, the flavors lean and classically defined in pencil, cedar and soy. Notes of black pepper and tobacco etch themselves onto a lengthy finish.”  90 Points
 
Customers that would enjoy Arbor Bench Estate Cabernet Sauvignon may also enjoy these two stunning Cabs…
2015 Fortune 1621 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 Sailor's Grave Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
FORTUNE 1621
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2015 NAPA VALLEY
 
Your Price: $29.99/btl 

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Fortune 1621’s 2015 Napa Valley Cabernet reveals concentrated black fruits threaded together with crushed rock, espresso roast and violets, this absolutely classic Napa Cab was authored by Brian Mox, who spent several vintages at Lewis Cellars and he’s also the current winemaker at Laird.  The 2015 is marked by a dense, concentrated core that’s rarely found at this price… 
SAILOR’S GRAVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2015 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at:  $40.00/btl
 
Your Price: $29.99/btl 

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The 2015 unfurls intense aromas of black raspberries, spring flowers, espresso roast, black chocolates.  Washing over the palate with dark berries, creme de cassis and camphor, deliciously governed by the wines voluptuous, rich texture.  Kept for 20 months in oak barrels, magnificent flavors cascade over your palate and tattoo a lasting impression in your mind…
2014 Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir

2014 Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir

with No Comment $60-$70Kevin VogtOregonPinot NoirUSAWillamette Valley

DOMAINE SERENE

2014 PINOT NOIR
EVENSTAD RESERVE

2014 Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir
I’m often asked about wineries to visit in Willamette Valley, and for as long as I can remember Domaine Serene has topped my list.  It’s simply my favorite producer of classic, profound and hedonistic Oregon Pinot Noir.  When the winery went up against Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (one of the most expensive Pinot Noirs in the world) in a blind tasting of 3 wines from each producer in vintages 1998,  1999, and 2000, Domaine Serene placed first, second and third with the 1998 and 1999 vintages and first and second with their 2000…  Domaine Serene’s Evanstad Reserve is an undeniable reference standard for Oregon Pinot Noir and with the 94 and 95 point scores, it simply won’t be available for long…
 
One of the keys to the wineries success is the diversity of soils, clones and microclimates found on their 240 acres of dry farmed, Estate Vineyards.  The diversity in their vineyards allow them to create the best representation of the vintage, every year… With accolades like #1 Pinot in the world on the Wine Spectator top 100 for 2013, this is one you don’t want to miss. 
 
DOMAINE SERENE
2014 PINOT NOIR
EVENSTAD RESERVE 
Retails at:  $75.00/btl
 
Your Price: $64.99/btl 
YOU SAVE 13%
 
“A soft and silky pinot with beautiful dried strawberries, blueberries and hints of vanilla to close. Medium to full body, ultra-fine tannins and a fruity finish. This is all about subtlety and freshness.”  95 Points
“There is a darker fruit spectrum evident in the reserve, with notes of coffee, smoke, black fruits, a touch of charred wood all worked through, and without damping the core fruit flavors. Those bright flavors spotlight raspberry, plum and black cherry...”  94 Points, Editors’ Choice

 

Customers who would enjoy Domaine Serene’s Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir, may also enjoy these two terrific Pinots…
 
2013 Williams Selyem Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2015 Three Sticks PFV Estate Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
WILLIAMS SELYEM
2013 PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COUNTY
 
Your Price: $64.99/btl 

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THREE STICKS
2015 “PFV” PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST, ESTATE
Retails at:  $64.99/btl
 
Your Price: $54.99/btl 

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2014 Foley Johnson Rutherford Estate Meritage

2014 Foley Johnson Rutherford Estate Meritage

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedRutherfordUSA

FOLEY JOHNSON

2014 MERITAGE
RUTHERFORD, ESTATE  

2014 Foley Johnson Rutherford Estate Meritage
Victory is a thousand times sweeter when you’re the underdog… Just ask Bill Foley who’s Las Vegas Golden Knights just shocked the world by making it to the Stanley Cup finals in their inaugural season. And scoring yet another goal, Bill’s 2014 Rutherford Estate Meritage pulls a hat trick with its mouth puckeringly good, deep, velvety flavors and scores a power play goal with thundering authority.  With an entry price significantly lower than others in its division you could say that this Meritage is an underdog story of it’s own.  In this case the victory will be yours, when you score this wine for less than forty bucks.
 
Carved from Rutherford, an area long celebrated for its exceptional terroir and dusty tannins, as conveyed by Andre Tchelistcheff, legendary winemaker at Beaulieu Vineyards, “Cabernets need a touch of that Rutherford dust,” and this one grabbed my full attention. These players are made up of all five Bordeaux varietals and bursts onto the scene with pulverized dark berries, dried violets dusted with cocoa, pipe tobacco and subtle cedar.  At $45/btl this wine cross-checks every box… At $39.99/btl, you’ll want to clear some serious room in the wine cellar…
 
FOLEY JOHNSON
2014 MERITAGE
RUTHERFORD, ESTATE  
Retails at:  $45.00/btl
 
Your Price: $39.99/btl
YOU SAVE 11%
 
From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate: “Their 2014 Proprietary Red Meritage is a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, and the rest Malbec and Cabernet Franc. It is another striking value among the stratospherically priced wines of Napa. More floral than its counterpart, with more uplifted aromatics, but similar weight and richness, this full-bodied, pure, ripe, delicious and complex wine has attractive aromatics, medium to full body and velvety tannins. Drink it over the next 10-12 years.”  92 Points
 
Customers that enjoy Foley Johnson’s Meritage may also enjoy these two terrific Reds… 
2016 Chappellet Mountain Cuvee Proprietary Red
 2014 Laird Jillian's Blend Proprietary Reserve
CHAPPELLET
2016 MOUNTAIN CUVEE
PROPRIETARY RED
Retails at:  $35.00/btl
 
Your Price: $31.99/btl 

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An absolute crowd-pleaser, and those of you who’ve enjoyed this blend each vintage might notice the 2016 exploits a greater percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon than their previous 6 vintages.  With Cabernet as the dominant grape, the 2016 is nicely concentrated, and on the palate, the wine’s hallmark velvety embrace comes dressed with provocative black cherries, blueberries, dried violets and cocoa. 
LAIRD
JILLIAN’S BLEND
2014 NAPA VALLEY 
Retails at:  $48.00/btl
 
Your Price:
 
When Napa Valley’s preeminent farming family uses just 3% of their grapes to produce their own wine, they’re able to hand select the absolute best grapes, producing wines of unrivaled quality.  We’ve always loved Laird’s Jillian’s Blend, but our affection was further solidified when we tasted the new vintage side-by-side another Napa Cab Blend that we love, which retails at $70/btl. We unanimously agreed that the Laird eclipsed it by a healthy margin.  


2014 Calculated Risk Mount Veeder Proprietary Red

2014 Calculated Risk Mount Veeder Proprietary Red

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtMt VeederNapaProprietary RedUSA

CALCULATED RISK

PROPRIETARY RED
2014 MOUNT VEEDER

2014 Calculated Risk Mount Veeder Proprietary Red
I’ve always found a mystical element in Mount Veeder fruit that always draws me in.  It’s the largest AVA within Napa Valley but the rugged terrain limits production to just 1.3% of Napa Valley grapes.  Yielding small, powerful berries, the sandstone and shale soils set this Mountain apart from all others in Napa.  It’s also the coolest Mountain which allows the grapes to have a longer hang-time so they can develop into something majestic.  One of the area’s hallmarks is the fine-grained tannins, along with brambly Mountain berries, stony minerality, and exceptional concentration.  The only thing keeping us from enjoying Mount Veeder wine every day is their scarcity and the often high-elevation price tag.  Of the ten 2014 Mount Veeder Cabernets that I found listed in the Wine Spectator, the average price was well over $100/btl. This Calculated Risk is sure to pay off…
 
A calculated blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon this remarkable representation of Mount Veeder hails from a vintage unanimously recognized for its unrivaled quality.  Exhibiting all of the characteristics of Mount Veeder fruit, from the stunning weight and concentration to the stony minerality, mystical bramble fruits and floral, this wine has it all.  The only risk will be waiting too long to secure your case…
 
CALCULATED RISK
PROPRIETARY RED
2014 MOUNT VEEDER
Retails at:  $65.00/btl
 
 
Winery Notes: “Coming from the exclusive Mt. Veeder appellation, where almost all work is done by hand due to the rugged and steep terrain, this elegant wine offers beautiful notes of black raspberry, currant and tobacco. Tannins are well integrated and beautifully balanced.”
 
2014 Horse & Plow Blockhouse Vineyard Grenache

2014 Horse & Plow Blockhouse Vineyard Grenache

with No Comment $30 and underGrenacheKevin VogtNapaUSAYountville

HORSE & PLOW

2014 GRENACHE 
BLOCKHOUSE VINEYARD

 
2014 Horse & Plow Blockhouse Vineyard GrenacheA farmer needs faith that a bountiful harvest will come, and sometimes when trying new wines, faith plays a role when discovering one that could completely change your perspective on an unfamiliar varietal. It just might open up new fields of curiosity and paths to enjoyment. Horse & Plow’s single vineyard Grenache is from Yountville, just a stone’s throw from our shop, and it completely rocked my world when I tasted it.  This beautifully proportioned and profoundly pleasing red should be the wikipedia reference for California Grenache.  With a round, velvet lined core, the 2014 envelopes your palate in a bumper crop of plump, juicy flavors with red plum, wild berries, mineral, cocoa and subtle spice.  The only down-side comes from the realization that there were only 6 barrels produced.
Unearthed by husband and wife winemaking team Chris Condos and Suzanne Hagins, who combined their talents to really shine in this remarkable expression of Grenache. Chris began his career as winemaker at Pine Ridge, and he’s also consulting winemaker at Kathryn Kennedy, and Suzanne gained valuable experience in the cellar at DeLoach, David Bruce and Goldeneye wineries… I strongly recommend filling your saddle bags with as much as you can carry… You’ll be glad you did.  
 
HORSE & PLOW
2014 GRENACHE 
BLOCKHOUSE VINEYARD
Retails at:  $34.00/btl
 
 
 
Winery Notes: “Lovely notes of cherry and vanilla, wild herbs and black plum compose this bright and fruity red with plenty of spice to balance.”
 
Customers that enjoy Horse & Plow’s Grenache may also enjoy these two terrific Reds… 
2015 Sans Liege The Offering Proprietary Red 2013 Titus Napa Valley Malbec
SANS LIEGE
2015 THE OFFERING
PROPRIETARY BLEND
 
Your Price: $29/btl 
Made in a magnetic style that draws you in with lavish aromas that become increasingly compelling with aeration, Sans Liege’s Southern Rhone inspired blend The Offering is wine that I simply love.  A remarkable fusion of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre, the 2015 saturates your taste buds with a velvety texture, intermixed with vibrant red fruits, crème de cassis, juicy blackberries, and savory spices that you coming back for more.
TITUS 
2013 MALBEC
NAPA VALLEY
Retails at:  $45.00/btl
 
 
There are a handful of California winemakers whom many would refer to as legendary or iconic, and whose triumphs and experience are so profound that their very name rings with excellence.  Philip Titus is etched permanently onto that list…  Revered for his work authoring Chappellet’s Pritchard Hill wines for nearly three decades, leaving countless World Class wines in his wake.  
2014 Laird Jillian's Blend Proprietary Red

2014 Laird Jillian’s Blend Napa Valley Proprietary Red

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSAYountville

LAIRD

JILLIAN’S BLEND
2014 NAPA VALLEY

2014 Laird Jillian's Blend Proprietary RedWhen Napa Valley’s preeminent farming family uses just 3% of their grapes to produce their own wine, they’re able to hand select the absolute best grapes, producing wines of unrivaled quality.  We’ve always loved Laird’s Jillian’s Blend, but our affection was further solidified when we tasted the new vintage side-by-side another Napa Cab Blend that we love, which retails at $70/btl. We unanimously agreed that the Laird eclipsed it by a healthy margin.  The 2014 is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, which is sourced from the winery’s renowned Mast Ranch and Linda Vista Vineyards.  Their Mast Ranch Cab sells for $80/btl… Because we love it so much, we worked some magic to be able to offer you the wine at our lowest price since their 2011 vintage.
 
Developing for 21 months in oak, the 2014 has a striking core with layers of blueberry and blackberry fruit, intertwined with espresso roast, liquid floral, cassis and black chocolate.  Those of you who’ve enjoyed earlier vintages of Laird’s popular Jillian’s Blend, likely need no further convincing.  l can’t wait for you to try the 2014… 
 
LAIRD
JILLIAN’S BLEND
2014 NAPA VALLEY 
Retails at:  $48.00/btl
 
Winery Notes: “Complex and precocious just like the real Jillian. Its deep, ruby red appearance accompanied by viscous legs leads the way to a seductive bouquet of toasted oak, lavender and ripe strawberries. A medium bodied palate, with delicate tannins and acidity, leads the way to tart dusty cherries and boysenberries that dance across your palate, while flavors of clove, vanilla and blueberry custard unfold on the finish.”
 
Cabernet Sauvignon 65% | Syrah 18% | Merlot 10% | Malbec 5% | Petit Verdot 2%

 

Customers who enjoy Laird’s Jillian’s Blend may also enjoy these two outstanding wines from Laird…
2014 Laird Phantom Ranch Pinot Noir 2013 Laird Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
LAIRD
2014 PINOT NOIR
PHANTOM RANCH
Retails at:  $55/btl
 

Click to Order

 
Composed in a chillingly deep, velvety style that I love, and we don’t have anything else quite like it on our tasting menu in Yountville…  Laird’s 2014  Phantom Ranch is haunted by spine-tingling allure, laced with shades of wild blueberries, spring flowers, vanilla and spices. If you enjoy full-bodied, deep, velvety Pinots, I strongly recommend a case of this limited release.
LAIRD
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2013 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at:  $60.00/btl
 
Your Price: $52.99/btl
 
Laird’s 2013 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is built from almost equal parts Mast Ranch and Flat Rock vineyards.  The winery produces single vineyard Cabernets from both of these sites which retail for $80 to $90 per bottle…  It’s a brand that I love, and in fact we featured their 2012 vintage as one of our top 5 wines of the year in 2017.

 

2014 Solamente Terra Blanca Vineyard Pinot Noir

2014 Solamente Terra Blanca Vineyard Pinot Noir

with No Comment $30-$40CarnerosKevin VogtNapaPinot NoirUSA

SOLAMENTE

2014 PINOT NOIR
TERRA BLANCA VINEYARD

2014 Solamente Terra Blanca Vineyard Pinot Noir
Appropriately named Solamente (translates to only), this was the only Pinot Noir on my mind, after a grueling 100 wines tasted.   All I could think about is how perfectly this wine hit the spot, with it’s layered and silky mouthfeel, depth and elegance, this gorgeous Pinot tastes every bit like a top-level California Pinot Noir, and the only difference is that it doesn’t have the premium price tag that normally comes with one…  It was composed by Rolando Herrera, who gained valuable first-hand experience as Director of Winemaking for legendary winemaker Paul Hobbs.  Layers of dark fruits emerge, delicately woven throughout are subtle expressions of sassafras, wild flowers, English tea and spice.  At $65/btl retail this wine would put a big smile on your face.
 
Arising from the Terra Blanca Vineyard located Carneros, the 2013 perfectly marries Dijon and Pommard clones, both icons for producing wines of notable elegance with profound aromas.  After quietly resting for 12 months in oak barrels, this 2014 Pinot Noir is shining brightly now and is poised to drink beautifully over the next 5-7 years. 
 
SOLAMENTE
2014 PINOT NOIR
TERRA BLANCA VINEYARD
Retails at:  $65.00/btl
Your Price:
 
Cellar Tracker Tasting Notes: “This deep ruby wine flaunts bright aromas of cranberries, black cherries, raspberries, pickling spice and violets. Medium-bodied, fresh, seamlessly alcoholic (14.5%) and with medium-weight but grippy tannins, it has impressive presence on the mid-palate. The medium length finish concludes with a wisp of oak. This is an outstanding Pinot…“
 
Customers that enjoy Solamente’s Terra Blanca Vineyard Pinot,  may also enjoy these two terrific Pinots…
2014 Black Kite Knight's Rest Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014
BLACK KITE
2014 PINOT NOIR
KITE’S REST VINEYARD
Retails at:  $50.00/btl
Your Price: $44.99/btl 
 
From The Wine Enthusiast, “Great fruit concentration and grace make this wine a winner. It feels medium-bodied despite its high degree of ripeness, showing that balance is attainable with significant power. It has ripe, plummy aromas, fresh red cherry and cranberry flavors, supportive tannins and excellent acidity.” 
 
93 Points, Editor’s Choice
JOSEPH JEWELL 
2014 PINOT NOIR
HALLBERG VINEYARD
Retails at:  $55.00/btl
Your Price:
 
Tasting Notes, “… Pristine elegance combined with an incredibly delicate balance, weaving in all of the intricate details and building like a romance novel. This wine may not be my first love, but it is the first California Pinot Noir that simply left me speechless and completely satisfied...”
 

 97 Points Kevin M Vogt, Master Sommelier
2014 Paradigm Oakville Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

2014 Paradigm Oakville Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $70-$80Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA

PARADIGM 2014 Paradigm Oakville Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

2014 OAKVILLE ESTATE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON  

 
When considering a list of Napa Valley wineries that best represent all of the qualities, charm and history that the area has to offer, Paradigm is etched deeply on my list.  This absolutely stunning wine made by Heidi Barrett comes from the Oakville AVA of Napa Valley, an area widely considered the epicenter of Grand Cru quality Cabernet Sauvignon.  Paradigm’s neighbors include icons, Dominus, Harlan Estate, Opus One, To-Kalon and Martha’s Vineyard…  The average price of wine from those vineyards is likely well over $200 per bottle… At $79.99/btl Paradigm tips the scales with groundbreaking levels of quality.
 
A perennial favorite, the 2014 is made in a round and supple style, and is brimming with wild blackberries, dark chocolate covered blackberries, cigar box and classic Oakville minerality. Supple yet fine-grained tannins wrap effortlessly around your palate in every direction, as a parade of vivid black fruits, spice box, cocoa and violets seduce your senses.  Spending 18 months in French oak barrels, Paradigm remains one of the best values in the coveted Oakville Appellation.  Here’s a fantastic opportunity to taste a Heidi Barrett made Cabernet, sourced from one of Napa Valley’s crown jewel growing regions, and at a fraction of the price of many of its neighbors…
 
PARADIGM
2014 OAKVILLE ESTATE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Retails at:  $84.00/btl
 
Your Price: $79.99/btl 
 

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Winery Notes: “The 2014 vintage produced some delicious rich wines and this deeply colored Cab is no exception.  The aromas are enticing and open, showing ripe fruit, complexity, and layers of refined French Oak.  This is a very expressive complete wine that will age beautifully.  Mouth-coating flavors of black cherry, currant, and blackberry followed by chewy tannins lead to an overall palate feel that is delicious. With perfect balance and ripeness, this is a stellar vintage.”
 
Customers who enjoy Paradigm’s Oakville Cabernet may also enjoy these two terrific Reds…
2014 La Sirena Pirate TreasuRed Proprietary Blend 2014 Tamber Bey Rabicano Cabernet Sauvignon
LA SIRENA
PIRATE TREASURED
2014 PROPRIETARY BLEND
 
Your Price: $64.99/btl 
 
Wine doesn’t always have to be serious to be great… This wine is both fun and great at the same time, and it was authored by the ever Iconic winemaker Heidi Barrett. Heidi’s list of past and present clients includes Amuse Bouche, Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle, Grace Family, Revana, David Arthur and  Barbour. In 2000 Heidi made history at the Napa Valley Wine Auction when a single 6L bottle of ’92 Screaming Eagle sold for a record $500,000. 
TAMBER BEY
2014 RABICANO
DEUX CHEVAUX VINEYARD
 
Your Price: $59.99/btl 
 
 Tamber Bey’s Deux Chevaux Vineyard in Yountville is in a prime location and lies just across the Napa River from the 100 Point producing Kapcsandy Estate Vineyards, and with the iconic Ghost Block Vineyard just a stone’s throw away, this vineyard is definitely in the right neighborhood.  This fruit was then given a voice by winemaker Andy Jones, who began working alongside winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown in 2008 at Black Sears Winery…
2014 Lobo Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon

2014 Lobo Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $40-$50Atlas PeakCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

LOBO

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2014 ATLAS PEAK

2014 Lobo Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon
One of the greatest benefits of having our shop in Yountville is the people that we meet. The connections that we make often result in discovering great wines that are still flying somewhat under the radar.  Lobo is the perfect example.  Proprietor Randy Wulff moved in just behind our shop after he lost his home in the Atlas fire.  We quickly fell in love with his wines for how expressive, profound and hedonistic they were.  Their 2014 Cabernet from Atlas Peak is made in a round, supple yet deeply focused style that comes intermixed with rocky and mineral qualities classic to Atlas Peak. This wine will put a smile on your face, but your hair will be bristling that you didn’t buy a second case.
 
The winery’s flagship bottling of the Atlas Peak Estate Cabernet was carved from Randy’s (former) home vineyard which is perched at 1,350 feet elevation and planted in volcanic, rocky soils.  They use tight spacing to encourage the vines to struggle, which in turn helps to create the incredibly expressive and deep flavors.  Housed for 24 months in oak barrels, this 2014 is brilliant right now, with flavors prowling your taste buds with perfect balance and precision.  Don’t be the lone wolf that misses out on this one…
 
LOBO
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2014 ATLAS PEAK
Retails at:  $80/btl
 
Tasting Notes: “Showcasing classic Mountain fruit character, the Lobo Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 displays a pristinely focused and firm bounty of red currant, black cherry and red plum, perfectly balanced with the fine grained yet slightly dusty tannins.  Secondary characteristics of cherry cough drop, sweet tobacco leaf, spice box,  fresh sage leaf and sweet vanilla oak dance in perfect step with the concentrated fruit, then followed by a long, velvety finish.  First impressions are always important and looking back at my initial tasting notes, I wrote ‘Wow, this is really killer stuff…’ Drink now through 2030.“
94 Points, Kevin M. Vogt, Master Sommelier
 
2014 Bibbiano Riserva Chianti Classico

2014 Bibbiano Riserva Chianti Classico

with No Comment $30 and underChiantiChiantiItalyKevin VogtTuscany

BIBBIANO

2014 Bibbiano Riserva Chianti Classico2014 RISERVA
CHIANTI CLASSICO

As much as I love the innovative and forward styles of New World wines (wines from countries where Vitis Vinifera or wine grapes did NOT originate), there’s something to be said about a winery that’s been around in the Old World (think Europe) since 1865.  With trials and tribulations that span more than 150 years, many of the best wines in the Old World give you that feeling of antiquity and historical relevance when you taste them.  I gained that very impression when I tasted Bibbiano’s Chianti Classico Riserva.  With rock-solid poise, immense depth and precisely delineated flavors, the wine’s powerfully complex dark fruits, spices and subtle smoke are classic to the Old World style, and are intermixed with a newfound love and appreciation for a region that produces some of the best wines in the world.
 
Created from 100% Sangiovese and aged for the required 24 months before bottling, this wine has a lovely dense and satiny texture that comes lined with spices, dried flowers and cassis.  At under thirty per bottle this Riserva has everything that I look for in great Chianti Classico.  I wouldn’t wait for the scores to come out before securing your case, because there are few cases imported of this stunning wine.   
 
BIBBIANO
2014 RISERVA
CHIANTI CLASSICO
 
Your Price: $29.99/btl 
 
 
Winery Notes: “2014 Bibbiano Chianti Classico Riserva is a well-balanced, flavorful wine that is especially good for the vintage. It offers attractive red cherries and berries and spicy, garrique and lapsang suchong smoky tea notes on the nose and palate. It has a silky attack, a well-balanced palate and a persistent finish.”
 
Customers who enjoy Bibbiano’s Chianti Classico Riserva, may also enjoy these two terrific Italian wines…
2012 Salcheto Riserva Vino Nobile di Montelpulciano 2013 Bibbiano Gran Selezione Chianti Classico Vigna Del Capannino
SALCHETO
2012 RISERVA
VINO NOBILE di MONTELPULCIANO
Your Price: $34.99/btl 
From The Wine Spectator: “Dark notes of blackberry and plum are reinforced by molasses and licorice flavors. Dense and meaty, this red is surprisingly nimble given the power & concentration. What this needs is an aged, grilled steak. Drink now through 2025.”   93 Points
BIBBIANO
GRAN SELEZIONE
2013 CHIANTI CLASSICO
VIGNA DEL CAPANNINO
Your Price: $34.99/btl 

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From The Wine Spectator, “A savory example, featuring tobacco, earth, wild herb and underbrush notes enveloping a core of fading cherry. Balanced and finishing dry, with tobacco and iron accents lingering. Settling in nicely, with a few years more to go…”    93 Points