2015 Spence Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

2015 Spence Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

with No Comment $80-$90Cabernet SauvignonHowell MountainKevin VogtNapaUSA

SPENCE

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
HOWELL MOUNTAIN 2015

2015 Spence Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
Spence Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon’s producers set out to create a wine that’s theirs alone, reflective of the specific characteristics of their exceptionally unique plot near Howell Mountain’s summit. Their production team is entirely hands-off in the cellar and keenly focused on extracting what transpires in the vineyard, resulting in this utterly intense, beautifully defined, powerfully expressive wine.
 
Uniquely positioned above a canyon, Spence’s Vineyard benefits from consistent breezes, thickening the grape skins, and contributing color and intensity. The site’s thick surface layer of red volcanic soil laced with rock allows rapid drainage, forcing the roots deep into the earth, extracting site-specific nuance. Winemaker Ted Osborne forms these qualities into this powerful, elegant, and unforgettable wine.
 
SPENCE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
HOWELL MOUNTAIN 2015
Retails at: $110
 
 
 
“Coming from the Spence’s vineyard at 1,900’ elevation on top of Howell Mountain, this blockbuster Cabernet reminds me of watching a Cheetah run in slow motion. It’s firm and bursting with power, yet sleek, graceful, and elegant at the same time. It begins with a gorgeous nose of explosive black plums, fragrant violets, dusty cocoa powder, wet slate, dried mushrooms, and vanilla hints. This mind-blowing concoction is perfectly ripe on the palate, with concentrated crushed blackberries, exotic wild currants, stewed plums, baker’s chocolate, and scorched earth. It is wonderfully firm and amazingly complex and long on the palate, with mouth-quenching crushed-velvet tannins that, time after time, left me yearning for another sip. It is a decadent, amazingly sultry stunner now that will continue to drop jaws for well over another decade.” 
97 Points, Kevin M. Vogt, Master Sommelier
 
2015 Chateau Trapaud Saint Emilion Grand Cru Bordeaux

2015 Chateau Trapaud Saint Emilion Grand Cru Bordeaux

with No Comment $30-$40BordeauxBordeauxFranceKevin VogtSaint Emilion

CHÂTEAU TRAPAUD

SAINT-EMILION GRAND CRU
BORDEAUX 2015

2015 Chateau Trapaud Saint Emilion Grand Cru Bordeaux
Beatrice Larribiere is the fourth generation owner and winemaker of Château Trapaud, located just a few hundred meters from Château Valandraud and a close neighbor to the renowned Château Pavie. Beatrice’s winemaking style reveals the intricate balance between fruit, tannic structure, and expression of terroir from her vines organically farmed since 2009. She achieved this balance in the glorious 2015 vintage Saint-Emilion Grand Cru.
 
Saint Emilion Grand Cru AOC adheres to strict yields, a minimum alcohol level, and must be estate-bottled, ensuring a higher quality product. 2015 vintage is considered an excellent growing season for the region, which produced concentrated wines with soft tannins that are ready to drink now but likely have many years of potential in the cellar. At under $40, this remarkable Bordeaux is a staple in our shop, and the 2015 vintage is among their best yet.
 
CHÂTEAU TRAPAUD
SAINT-EMILION GRAND CRU
BORDEAUX 2015
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“Impressive concentration here; this smells of dark-berry pastries, plums and fresh cedary wood. Slick and flavor-packed palate with blueberry and deep-set plum-fruit flavors. Drink or hold.” 
92 Points
2015 Monchiero Barolo Piedmont Italy

2015 Monchiero Barolo Piedmont Italy

with No Comment $40-$50BaroloBaroloItalyKevin VogtPiedmont

MONCHIERO

2015 BAROLO
PIEDMONT, ITALY

2015 Monchiero Barolo Piedmont Italy
The Monchiero winery was established by Vittorio Monchiero’s grandfather, who decided to stay in the Langhe after World War II to tend to his treasured land, unlike his six brothers who left Italy for the United States. Vittorio took over the winery at the end of the 1980s and began examining each plot and replanting vines as necessary, adapting his vineyards to modern agriculture, which is reflective in the balance of his wines.
 
Vittorio aims to bring modernity into the vineyards and winery without losing the traditions that helped shape the historic region and its wines for centuries. The 2015 Barolo is divine and elegant with excellent fruit concentration accented with minerality, earth, and spice, producing a quality level rarely found for less than $50.
 
MONCHIERO
2015 BAROLO
PIEDMONT, ITALY
Retails at: $50
 
Your Price: $45
 
 
“A red showing ripe-berry and chocolate character with polished tannins and a flavorful finish. Medium to full body. Intense and focused ending. Drink after 2021.” 
92 Points
2015 Morlet Cabernet Sauvignon Les Petits Morlet

2015 Morlet Cabernet Sauvignon Les Petits Morlet

with No Comment $90-$100Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapa

MORLET

2015 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
LES PETITS MORLET 

2015 Morlet Cabernet Sauvignon Les Petits Morlet
Fifth-generation winemaker Luc Morlet grew up in Avenay-Val d’Or, France, working with his family on their estate, kindling an early passion for wine and tradition. During his university studies in Viticulture and Enology, he worked vineyards in Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Southern France, creating a traditional, time-tested technique foundation, which he brought to America. 
 
Luc left France in 1996, joining his wife Jodie in California, bringing with him his savoir-faire of Old-World winemaking techniques, becoming known and respected in Napa and Sonoma for crafting superbly balanced, terroir focused wines. His Les Petits Cabernet is a Cuvée style blend constructed from younger vines grown on many of the A-list properties where Luc sources fruit, offering the power, persistence, and balance that you’d want from a top-tier Napa Valley wine.
 
MORLET
2015 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
LES PETITS MORLET
 
Your Price: $95
 
 
“Slightly deeper colored than the ’14, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Les Petits Morlet offers more black fruits, graphite, scorched earth, and tobacco. It’s another full-bodied yet finesse-driven wine from this estate that has good acidity, ripe tannin, and plenty of class. As with the 2014, it will keep for over a decade.”
93 Points
 
“…Very deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Les Petits Morlet gives up expressive red and black currants notes with underlying hints of Chinese five spice, bay leaves, pencil lead and dark chocolate with a waft of lavender. Medium to full-bodied, it coats the mouth with black fruits and red berry sparks, framed by grainy tannins and lovely freshness, finishing long and juicy…”
92 Points
2015 Corley Proprietary Red Napa Valley

2015 Corley Proprietary Red Napa Valley

with No Comment $70-$80Kevin VogtNapaOak KnollProprietary RedRutherfordSaint HelenaUSAYountville

CORLEY

PROPRIETARY RED
2015 NAPA VALLEY

2015 Corley Proprietary Red Napa Valley
The Corley family and their dedicated team are well known for creating single vineyard premium Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from their vineyards in Rutherford, St. Helena, Yountville, and Oak Knoll. In 1990 they planted Cabernet Franc in their Oak Knoll vineyard with the vision of producing a Meritage of the three varieties.
 
The 2015 vintage is a small production of just 506 cases comprised of 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Cabernet Franc, and 32% Merlot, created to be approachable in its youth while also having the capability to age and can be enjoyed at every phase of its development. With over five years in the bottle, the 2015 perfect showcases Chris Corley’s winemaking ability, the strong vintage, and choice of vineyards.
 
CORLEY
PROPRIETARY RED
2015 NAPA VALLEY
 
Your Price: $75
 
 
“The 2015 Corley Proprietary Red Wine opens with lavender, cassis, freshly picked blackberries, cherry cola, cloves, and crushed volcanic rocks. The palate is intense and complex, with flavors of black plums and cocoa powder with a hint of savory black olives. This wine is simply stunning at the moment and is an excellent food wine that will age gracefully for the next decade or so.”
96 Points
2015 Dyer Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain District

2015 Dyer Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain District

with No Comment $80-$90Cabernet SauvignonDiamond MountainNapaUSA

DYER

2015 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
DIAMOND MOUNTAIN DISTRICT 

2015 Dyer Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain District
Diamond Mountain District is known for its upland volcanic soils formed during the Pliocene era, giving its fruit a distinctive minerality, firm tannic structure, and extensive suitability for aging. The mountain’s proximity to the cold Pacific Ocean causes a substantial moderating effect with up to 40-degree differences between nighttime and daytime temperatures, enhancing the freshness and acidity in the grapes.
 
Bill and Dawnine Dyer have over 80 years of combined experience in winemaking both in Napa Valley and around the world, evident in Dyer wines with a focus on the exceptional terroir of Diamond Mountain. The Dyers have moved towards dry farming their vineyard, creating an opportunity for the best possible quality to flourish, as is evident in this riveting expression of Diamond Mountain District Cabernet.
 
DYER
2015 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
DIAMOND MOUNTAIN DISTRICT
Retails at: $95
 
Your Price: $89
 
 
“Translucent and super-expressive, Dyer’s 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon is magnificent. Sweet plum, graphite, lavender and spice develop in the glass, but it is the wine’s exceptional balance and captivating beauty that stand out most. The richness of the vintage has filled out the wine’s classically built frame nicely. Even so, what comes through is a powerful, structured Diamond Mountain Cabernet that exudes class and polish from the first taste to the last. Don’t miss it.”
95 Points
 
“A blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain shows the more pretty, elegant side to this appellation. Cassis, blueberries, liquid violets and incense are just some of the nuances here. This beauty from winemaker Dawnine Dyer is full-bodied, has notable freshness, polished tannin, and again, a beautiful elegance. Drink it anytime over the coming 15-20 years.”
93+ Points
 
“Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain displays understated blackberries, black cherries, cedar and herbs notes with damp earth and black truffles nuances. Medium to full-bodied and built like a brick house, it is packed with restrained, muscular fruit, framed by grainy tannins and great tension, finishing long and earthy. Give it another year or two in bottle and drink it over the next 15-20+.”
93+ Points
2015 Marques De La Concordia Reserva Rioja, Spain

2015 Marques De La Concordia Reserva Rioja, Spain

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtRiojaTempranilloUSA

MARQUES DE LA CONCORDIA

2015 RESERVA RIOJA 
RIOJA, SPAIN

2015 Marques De La Concordia Reserva Rioja, Spain
Concordia is a Spanish word for an agreement, trust, or harmony between people or groups, in which the will and common goals of those involved become a reality. Marques de la Concordia’s dream to make the finest wines in Rioja is the “Concordia” the winery strives to achieve, exceeding expectations at their value price.
 
Located in the northern Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa, their vineyards are influenced by a higher elevation and closer proximity to the cold Atlantic Ocean, creating sophisticated wines with fresh acidity, lower alcohol levels, and promising aging potential. The 2015 Reserva was fermented in stainless steel for optimal temperature control and then aged in French and American barriques for 24 months, plus another year in bottle, producing a silky smooth, complex wine upon release.
 
MARQUES DE LA CONCORDIA
2015 RESERVA RIOJA 
RIOJA, SPAIN
 
Your Price: $24
 
 
Marques de la Concordia 2015
Reserva, Rioja, Spain
 
has been awarded a 
 
Gold Medal & 
95 Points
 
“The 2015 Marqués de la Concordia Reserva opens with a nose of incense, white pepper, and leather, followed by fruity notes of black raspberries, plums, wild strawberries, and a hint of milk chocolate. The palate is round but balanced by fresh acidity, smooth tannins, and flavors of black cherry, vanilla bean, and sweet spices. This wine is a classic, old-world style charmer that is enjoyable to drink now but has the structure to age for another decade.”
92 Points
2015 Heitz Cellar Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

2015 Heitz Cellar Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA

HEITZ CELLAR

MARTHA’S VINEYARD
2015 CABERNET SAUVIGNON

2015 Heitz Cellar Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
Martha’s Vineyard is one of the most prized vineyards in all of Napa Valley, boasting some of the New World’s longest-lasting, alluring Cabernet Sauvignons, capable of 100 point scores. Heitz has had a contract with Martha’s Vineyard since 1966, after Tom and Martha May, founders of Martha’s Vineyard, tasted Heitz Cabernet and were so impressed with the quality, they sealed a deal with their precious fruit.
 
Located on Oakville Bench bordering To-Kalon and below Harlan and BOND wineries, Martha’s Vineyard is fringed with eucalyptus trees believed to be the source of the wine’s signature minty, menthol character that makes it so memorable. The 2015 release is powerfully complex and loaded with the Vineyard’s hallmark savory undertones and is an absolute classic.
 
HEITZ CELLAR
MARTHA’S VINEYARD
2015 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
 
Your Price: $260
 
 
“Enticing, with the frankly ripe profile of the vintage showing off in a display of slightly exotic plum and blackberry coulis flavors, while dark licorice, menthol and sassafras notes course through. Sweet spice accents sparkle through the finish, revealing a lingering hint of singed juniper. The long finish features rippling acidity…” 
95 Points
2015 Caiarossa Toscana IGT Tuscany, Italy

2015 Caiarossa Toscana IGT Tuscany, Italy

with No Comment $50-$60ItalyKevin VogtProprietary RedTuscany

CAIAROSSA

2015 TOSCANA IGT
TUSCANY, ITALY

2015 Caiarossa Toscana IGT Tuscany, Italy
Caiarossa describes their flagship Super Tuscan as a liberation of the senses, achieved by artfully blending seven varieties, biodynamically farmed and woven into a luxurious tapestry, encapsulating the Estate’s dynamic terroir. Tuscany’s 2015 vintage embellished the wine’s already alluring qualities, naturally producing wines, “Ripe and opulent, with plenty of fruit,” as noted by the Wine Spectator, and with 96 points and priced less than $60, I highly recommend adding this Italian legend to your cellar. 
 
The Estate’s 16-hectare vineyard on the Tuscan coast was resurrected in 2004 by the late Eric Albada Jelgersma of Grand Cru Margaux houses Château Giscours and Château du Tertre. The winery’s deep ties to Bordeaux are present in their wines, telling an authentic tale of their origin. 
 
CAIAROSSA
2015 TOSCANA IGT 
TUSCANY, ITALY
Retails at: $65
 
Your Price: $58
 
 
“The nose immediately shows a fabulous contrast between riper mulberries and blackberry crumble and freshly ground herbs, citrus and incense. The palate shows much the same polish, carrying bright blue-fruit flavors across a bedrock of muscular tannins and driven acidity. This finishes long and very grainy yet succulent. A blend of merlot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, syrah, sangiovese, petit verdot and alicante.”
96 Points
2015 Spence Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

2015 Spence Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

with No Comment $80-$90Cabernet SauvignonHowell MountainKevin VogtNapaUSA

SPENCE

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2015 HOWELL MOUNTAIN 

2015 Spence Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
The producers of Spence Howell Mountain Cabernet set out to create a wine that’s theirs alone, reflective of the specific characteristics of their exceptionally unique plot near Howell Mountain’s summit. Keenly focused on extracting what transpires in the vineyard, voiced in your glass with eloquence, purity, and individuality, their team is hands-off in the cellar. Their 2015 Howell Mountain Cabernet is sensationally intense, rivetingly defined, powerfully expressive, and an incredible value. 
 
Uniquely positioned above a canyon, Spence’s Vineyard benefits from consistent breezes, thickening the grape skins, contributing color and intensity. The site’s thick surface layer of red volcanic soil laced with rock allows rapid drainage, forcing the roots deep into the earth, extracting site-specific nuance.
 
Spence’s winemaker Ted Osborne began his career at Cakebread before gaining global experience in Australia, South Africa, and Bordeaux and returning to Napa Valley to make wine at Piña and Storybook Mountain. His focus is on vineyard-defined wines that unveil the site’s character in a balanced, elegant, and unique fashion through minimal-intervention winemaking.
 
SPENCE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2015 HOWELL MOUNTAIN
Retails at: $110
 
 
 
“Coming from the Spence’s vineyard at 1,900’ elevation on top of Howell Mountain, this blockbuster Cabernet reminds me of watching a Cheetah run in slow motion. It’s firm and bursting with power, yet sleek, graceful, and elegant at the same time. It begins with a gorgeous nose of explosive black plums, fragrant violets, dusty cocoa powder, wet slate, dried mushrooms, and vanilla hints. This mind-blowing concoction is perfectly ripe on the palate, with concentrated crushed blackberries, exotic wild currants, stewed plums, baker’s chocolate, and scorched earth. It is wonderfully firm and amazingly complex and long on the palate, with mouth-quenching crushed-velvet tannins that, time after time, left me yearning for another sip. It is a decadent, amazingly sultry stunner now that will continue to drop jaws for well over another decade.” 
97 Points, Kevin M. Vogt, Master Sommelier