2015 Chateau Leoville Poyferre Saint Julien Bordeaux

2015 Chateau Leoville Poyferre Saint Julien Bordeaux

with No Comment $100 and overBordeauxBordeauxFranceKevin Vogt

Château Léoville Poyferré

Saint Julien 2015
Bordeaux, France

2015 Chateau Leoville Poyferre Saint Julien Bordeaux

When collectors discuss the renaissance of Bordeaux’s great estates, the 2015 Léoville Poyferré invariably enters the conversation. Decades of thoughtful replanting and thoughtful technical evolution have transformed this historic Second Growth into a property that now produces wines of remarkable depth and polish. In 2015, all those efforts converged, yielding a wine many regard as one of the defining achievements of the vintage.

Set between Pauillac and Margaux, Saint-Julien strikes a perfect balance of strength and finesse, and Léoville Poyferré lies at the very heart of that equilibrium. Its 80 hectares rest on deep, gravelly, and sandy-clay soils that give Cabernet Sauvignon both the structure it demands and the elegance that distinguishes the appellation.

The 2015 vintage is the estate’s defining statement of the modern era: a wine that bridges history and innovation with uncommon grace. Its seamless blend of power, texture, and purity reflects an exceptional year and a château performing at the peak of its abilities. It is the kind of benchmark bottle that becomes a touchstone for the entire Left Bank.

Château Léoville Poyferré
Saint Julien 2015
Bordeaux, France

Your Price: $149.99

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“The 2015 Léoville-Poyferré is spectacular. Inky, dense and explosive, the 2015 possesses off the chart richness, with soft contours, no hard edges and exceptional balance. All the elements are simply fused together. inky blue/purplish fruit, chocolate, new leather, blueberry jam, exotic spice and violet notes are all beautifully delineated throughout. Fresh, vibrant and totally sexy, Léoville-Poyferré is one of the wines of the vintage. Don’t miss it! Tasted two times.”

97 Points

2015 Coplan The Chairman Red Blend Sonoma Valley

2015 Coplan The Chairman Red Blend Sonoma Valley

with No Comment $30-$40CarnerosKevin VogtProprietary RedSonomaUSA

COPLAN 

THE CHAIRMAN
RED BLEND 2015
SONOMA VALLEY

2015 Coplan The Chairman Red Blend Sonoma Valley

Coplan is a limited-production, boutique winery in Sonoma, with an estate vineyard boasting Cabernet Sauvignon vines planted in the Sonoma side of the Carneros region in the 1940s. The Chairman is their flagship red blend that pays homage to the founder’s father, representing the layers of flavors and aromas encountered when opening a beautiful, balanced bottle of wine.

Winemaker Jacqueline Yoakum, known for her past work at Littorai, Amaranthe, and Schramsberg and currently the lead winemaker for Keller Estate, expertly blends each vintage to capture the elements of the growing season and quality of the fruit. 

Drinking beautifully right now, the 2015 Chairman comprises 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, with a portion of the fruit harvested from 70-year-old vines, and 58% Merlot, aged in French oak for 24 months and producing a minuscule release of just 100 cases.

COPLAN 
THE CHAIRMAN
RED BLEND 2015
SONOMA VALLEY
Retails at: $55

Your Price: $35

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“The 2015 Coplan The Chairman Sonoma Valley Red Wine Blend 2015 begins with a supple, seamless nose with red and black currants, ripe blueberries, elegant lavender, sweet vanilla, cardamom, and Spring florals. The palate continues with smooth, deep, rich black and red berries, tart cherry, and black plum with light kitchen spices, coffee hints, saline, and more floral elements. The rich, round fruits are balanced beautifully with just enough bright freshness to keep the opulence from feeling heavy. Tasted in November of 2023, and is perfectly ready to drink now.”

93 Points

2015 Chateau Mascard Haut-Medoc Bordeaux

2015 Chateau Mascard Haut-Medoc Bordeaux

with No Comment $30 and underBordeauxBordeauxFranceKevin Vogt

CHÂTEAU MASCARD

HAUT-MÉDOC
BORDEAUX 2015

2015 Chateau Mascard Haut-Medoc Bordeaux
Château Mascard resides in the Haut-Médoc AOC on the left bank of the Garonne River, a few miles west of the world-famous Pauillac AOC in Bordeaux, France. The soils in the region consist of dense gravel topsoil above clay beds. Well-drained gravel soils are ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon, while Merlot prefers water-retaining clay. The Château’s vineyards are planted accordingly and sustainably farmed.
 
Each lot is fermented separately after harvest before carefully blending into a wine representing the Chateau’s mixed terroir. The wine is then aged for 16 months in French oak barrels before being bottled. This 2015 vintage is a 65% Cabernet Sauvignon blend with 35% Merlot that has developed sensationally well in the bottle, with black cherry, red currant, and hints of pepper and pencil shavings. Enjoy it on its own or with grilled meats or wild game. At $25, this is one of the best values in Bordeaux that we’ve discovered and is sure to impress.
 
CHÂTEAU MASCARD
HAUT-MÉDOC
BORDEAUX 2015
 
 
 
“The Château Mascard 2015 Haut-Médoc has a developed nose with aromas of lavender, plum, red currant, cocoa powder, mushrooms, clove, black olive, and dusty earth. On the palate, the wine has layers of intense flavors, including blackberry, black cherry, baking spices, truffle, and dark chocolate. This wine has savory, nuanced characteristics and soft tannins from its time maturing in the bottle, and though it could age longer, it has reached a sublime point in its journey and is very enjoyable right now.”
95 Points
2015 Altanza Rioja Reserva Rioja Spain

2015 Altanza Rioja Reserva Rioja Spain

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtRiojaSpainTempranillo

ALTANZA

RIOJA RESERVA
RIOJA, SPAIN 2015

2015 Altanza Rioja Reserva Rioja Spain
Founded in 1998 by close friends who shared the dreams and ambitions of making classic Riojan wines, Bodegas Altanza’s state-of-the-art winery is located in Rioja Alta, where many of the region’s oldest wineries thrive. The winery combines tradition with modernity to offer sensibly priced wines of the utmost quality.
 
Tempranillo is Rioja’s most predominant and highly praised red grape variety and has influenced the region’s style for over a century and a half. This 2015 Reserva is one hundred percent Tempranillo that was fermented with natural yeasts and matured in French oak barrels renewed every five years to provide an array of complexity without overwhelming the fruit. 
 
ALTANZA
RIOJA RESERVA
RIOJA, SPAIN 2015
 
 
 
“A fruity red with toasted oak and some chocolate and spice. It’s medium-bodied with medium round tannins and a lightly chewy, fruity finish. Drink or hold.”
92 Points
2015 Casa Piena Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2015 Casa Piena Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSAYountville

CASA PIENA

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2015

2015 Casa Piena Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Located in Yountville, Casa Piena Winery focuses on responsible, sustainable farming techniques that respect the environment and Napa Valley’s natural beauty. The winery’s estate vineyard, the Policy Vineyard, is managed by viticultural icon Jim Barbour, who’s worked with many well-respected, premium vineyards and been a part of some of Napa’s most highly-rated wines.
 
Casa Piena’s founding winemaker, Thomas Rivers Brown, uses a minimalistic approach to craft this profound representation of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Napa Valley’s 2015 harvest produced a small crop of concentrated berries, leading to powerful, intensely flavorful, and complex Cabernet Sauvignon that is entering a seductive period in its aging and is guaranteed to indulge the senses for years to come.
 
CASA PIENA
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2015
Retails at: $175
 
 
 
“The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon is gorgeous. Lifted, floral and beautifully perfumed, the 2015 has come together nicely since I last tasted it. The 2015 has so much to offer. Specifically, it is remarkably nuanced for such an overly ripe, racy wine. A rush of sweet red berry, kirsch, mint and rose petal graces the expressive, inviting finish. This is a terrific showing from proprietor Carmen Policy and winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown.”
94 Points
2015 Altanza Rioja Gran Reserva

2015 Altanza Rioja Gran Reserva

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtRiojaSpainTempranillo

ALTANZA

RIOJA 2015
GRAN RESERVA

2015 Altanza Rioja Gran Reserva
Located in Rioja Alta, the most historic zone in the region, Bodegas Altanza’s vineyards are terraced throughout river valleys primarily south of the Ebro River. This area is where many of Rioja’s oldest wineries are situated. Tempranillo is the principal variety and has been at the forefront of high-quality, age-worthy wines for more than 150 years.
 
Altanza’s state-of-the-art winery creates timeless wines with an authentic style and a touch of modernity using French and American oak in their aging regimen. The wine team aged the 2015 Rioja Grand Reserva for 27 months in oak before bottling. Rioja’s DOCa law for Grand Reserva then requires wine to spend a minimum of 36 months in the bottle before release, ensuring significant maturation and producing a wine that is stunning upon release and can age for many years.
 
ALTANZA
RIOJA 2015
GRAN RESERVA
 
Your Price: $36
 
 
“Beautiful and deep Gran Reserva. You can really taste classicism here. It has an elegant texture, well-integrated tannins, lots of complexity and notes of roasted fruits, sweet spices, cigar box, dried herbs and sweet oak. Fresh acidity enlivens the vivid, spicy and impressively long finish.”
96 Points
2015 Buselli Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville

2015 Buselli Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville

with No Comment $90-$100Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA

BUSELLI

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
OAKVILLE 2015

2015 Buselli Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville
Italo and Rosalia Buselli planted their family vineyard in 1990 on the Eastern slopes of the Vaca Mountains in Oakville, neighboring Tierra Roja Vineyard, and across Silverado Trail from Screaming Eagle. The vineyard site receives fog-infused mornings and warm sunny afternoons as the vines dig deep into the rocky, volcanic soils bringing concentration and complexity to the fruit.
 
This 100% estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon was carefully crafted by winemaking team Stacy Vogel and Tim Milos, focusing on a pure and unpretentious approach without fining or filtering, allowing for full expression of the terroir. The 2015 vintage saw 24 months in 90% new French oak and has nearly six years of bottle age showing brilliantly now and with plenty of longevity ahead for those who wish to cellar this beauty.
 
BUSELLI
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
OAKVILLE 2015
Retails at: $150
 
 
 
“The gorgeous Buselli Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 begins with an opulent nose of ripe black cherries, ripe figs, sweet pipe tobacco, and violets. It is powerful on the palate, which builds on the aromatics with dark chocolate, bright red fruits, concentrated sweet black fruits, and vanilla spice. This beauty is luxuriously rich, decadently supple, and pristinely balanced, with polished fine-grained tannins. The abundant, complex red and black fruits that build to a very long, focused finish is everything I look for in the finest quality Oakville Cabernet Sauvignons.”
96 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
2015 Maroon Cabernet Sauvignon Black Label Napa Valley

2015 Maroon Cabernet Sauvignon Black Label Napa Valley

with No Comment $30 and underCabernet SauvignonCoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaUSA

MAROON

BLACK LABEL
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2015

2015 Maroon Cabernet Sauvignon Black Label Napa Valley
Embodying power and elegance at a value price, Maroon’s Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the winery’s Coombsville-Estate Vineyard and a neighboring property with similar rocky, volcanic, gravely loam soils. Polished by winemaker Chris Corley’s style of introducing as little manipulation as possible, Maroon’s 2015 vintage is beautiful now and has a lot to offer, particularly at our value price.
 
This incredible value emerges from one of Napa Valley’s top vintages, which the Wine Spectator describes as producing “significantly lower yields…Quality is high.” The 2015 vintage is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, offering supple dark fruits and red currants with perfectly balanced acidity. After more than five years inside the bottle, the winery reached deep into their cellar and found this gem for us, which we couldn’t wait to share with you.
 
MAROON
BLACK LABEL
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2015
Retails at: $70
 
 
 
“This wine begins with a beautiful, deep, supple nose of dark berries, purple florals, and light spice. The lively palate has a great presence with a balance of both red and black fruits, including black cherries, red currants, and ripe plums, and sweet vanilla, along with slightly earthy minerals. The finish is focused, long, and very satisfying.”
94 Points

2015 I FavatiI Aglianico Iripina Campi Taurasini

with No Comment $30-$40ItalyKevin Vogt

I FAVATI

IRPINIA CAMPI TAURASINI
CRETAROSSA AGLIANICO 2015

This wine is a mouthful of flavor and syllables, so let me unpack both a bit. I Favati estate is located in the Irpinia region in central Campania, nearby the classic, key winemaking towns of Avellino, Tufo, and Taurasi. Aglianico is one of Italy’s noble red grapes and Campania’s most celebrated red variety, given the nickname “Barolo of the South” because of its notably high tannins and acidity, leading to long-lived wines with complexity and deep flavors.
 
‘Cretarossa’ is the name of the single-vineyard parcel near the village of Taurasi, where I Favati sourced fruit for this remarkable wine, and also represents the namesake DOCG of one of the most famous regions for Aglianico. This stunning example of Aglianico falls under the newer Irpinia-Campi Taursini DOC because of its less stringent aging regulations to produce a more approachable and accessible wine but with all the earth, dark fruit, spice, and mineral-driven components classic to the varietal.
 
I FAVATI
IRPINIA CAMPI TAURASINI
CRETAROSSA AGLIANICO 2015
 
Your Price: $32
 
 
“The 2015 I Favati, Irpinia Campi Taurasini Aglianico ‘Cretarossa’ opens with fresh bergamot, rose petals, black cherry, cloves, dusty earth, cigar box, and leather. On the palate, the wine has flavors of plum, black olive, black peppercorn, and balsamic glaze. This rustic style of wine is supported with bright acidity, well-structured tannins, and intensity of flavor that allows the wine to age gracefully for those who have the patience. The 2015 vintage has a few years in the bottle and is seriously impressive at the moment.”
95 Points