2017 Farella Estate Merlot Coombsville

2017 Farella Estate Merlot Coombsville

with No Comment $30-$40CoombsvilleKevin VogtMerlotNapaUSA

FARELLA

ESTATE MERLOT
COOMBSVILLE 2017

2017 Farella Estate Merlot Coombsville
Tom Farella’s decades of farming experience and work in Burgundy and Oregon, combined with his lifelong passion for wine, resulted in many of Coombsville’s most memorable wines. Realm Winery recognized the quality of Tom’s grapes nearly two decades ago, and they’ve produced a single-vineyard wine from Farella, earning numerous 95 and above scores. Tom’s namesake wine is consistently outstanding and offers impressive quality, a sense of place, and balance, well above what you’d expect at this price level.
 
Farella’s hillside vineyard, planted in 1979, gives a Right Bank Bordeaux-style Merlot with supple tannins and bright acidity due to the proximity of the San Pablo Bay and its cooling effects. The 2017 Merlot is nuanced and spicy with grace and elegance blossoming from a rich Napa core, continuing in the Farella legacy of small-production fine wine for over 42 years.
 
FARELLA
ESTATE MERLOT
COOMBSVILLE 2017
Retails at: $45
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“Lots of plum and currant aromas here with some flowers and green olives. It’s full-bodied with round, ripe tannins and a generous finish of fruit. Drinkable now, but better in 2023.”
92 Points
2017 MC4 Cabernet Sauvignon Martin & Croshaw Vineyard St. Helena

2017 MC4 Cabernet Sauvignon Martin & Croshaw Vineyard St. Helena

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaSt. HelenaUSA

MC4

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
MARTIN & CROSHAW VINEYARD
ST. HELENA 2017

2017 MC4 Cabernet Sauvignon Martin & Croshaw Vineyard St. Helena
Neighbors Paul Martin and Fred Croshaw joined forces to produce their first vintage of just eight cases of Cabernet Sauvignon in 2009. The two have intimate knowledge of their vineyard located in a prime stretch of St. Helena near AXR and Turley Estate. They’ve farmed the vineyard organically and by hand since its initial planting using cuttings from Chateau Margaux.
 
MC4 winemaker Victoria Coleman assisted Michael Silacci at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars while earning her Enology degree from UC Davis, leading to International experience working at Chateau Mouton Rothschild. The 2017 production was a mere 196 cases that encompass the spirit of Napa Valley Cabernet by showcasing varietal purity, soft tannins, and depth of flavors suitable for further aging but are beginning to shine at the present moment.
 
MC4
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
MARTIN & CROSHAW VINEYARD
ST. HELENA 2017
Retails at: $75
 
 
 
“The MC4 Saint Helena Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 begins with blackberry preserves, coffee, vanilla spice, white rose petals, and dried mushrooms on the nose. The palate is dominated by red currants, Kalamata olives, and black cherries, with a lively style and satiny tannins. Drink now through 2030.”
93 Points
2017 Castello Romitorio Brunello Di Montacino

2017 Castello Romitorio Brunello Di Montacino

with No Comment $60-$70BrunelloBrunelloItalyKevin Vogt

CASTELLO ROMITORIO 

BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO
MONTALCINO 2017

2017 Castello Romitorio Brunello Di Montacino
Castello Romitorio’s history is extensive, beginning as a temple in Roman times with many transformations before its purchase in 1984 by Italian artist Sandro Chia, who restored the property into a winery and art workshop. Sandro believes art and wine thrive on minute details and that natural progression should never be altered or changed but enhanced.
 
The winery is dedicated to promoting the Brunello di Montalcino DOCG region, recognized over several centuries for its suitability for viticulture, now with sustainable farming practices that respect the environment and surrounding biodiversity. This flagship bottling from the 2017 vintage reflects the proprietor’s intimate understanding of the estate’s terroir that brilliantly transforms after maturing for 24 months in oak and one year in the bottle before release, creating a magnificently impressive wine.
 
CASTELLO ROMITORIO 
BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO
MONTALCINO 2017
Retails at: $70
 
Your Price: $65
 
 
“The Castello Romitorio 2017 Brunello di Montalcino comes from an estate that is quickly becoming a leader in a special niche of the Montalcino market. The wine is modern and soft, showing lots of contained ripeness and creaminess, yet it successfully embraces the fundamentals of the appellation and Sangiovese, thanks to its bright acidity and finely tuned structure. Few wines reach this level of precision, especially in a challenging vintage such as this.”
94 Points
2017 Pecchenino Barolo San Giuseppe

2017 Pecchenino Barolo San Giuseppe

with No Comment $50-$60BaroloBaroloItalyKevin VogtPiedmont

PECCHENINO

BAROLO 2017
SAN GIUSEPPE

2017 Pecchenino Barolo San Giuseppe
The same family has run Pecchenino Winery since the end of the 20th century. They own 86 acres of vineyards in Dogliani, Bossolasco, and Monforte d’Alba, where they have a modern winery dedicated to Barolo production. The vineyards within Monforte d’Alba cover several different Menzione Geografica Aggiuntivas (MGAs), which are specially delineated areas of Barolo similar to a French cru and represent quality and distinction.
 
The age of the vines is between 15 and 40 years, giving a complex range of fruit, spice, and earth components further enhanced by 24 months in large casks and 12 months in cement tanks. The wine is a signature classic of the region on the palate with a rustic, robust structure, intense flavors, and silky tannins, resulting in this bottle being the first emptied at our recent tasting and one that you won’t want to miss.
 
PECCHENINO
BAROLO 2017
SAN GIUSEPPE
Retails at: $65
 
Your Price: $59.99
 
 
“A rather soft and rich young Barolo with strawberry and floral character and hints of watermelon. It’s full-bodied and layered. Rich finish. So attractive now, but will age nicely. Try after 2023.”
94 Points
2017 Aspara Syrah Las Madres Vineyard

2017 Aspara Syrah Las Madres Vineyard

with No Comment $30 and underCarnerosKevin VogtSonomaSyrahUSA

APSARA

SYRAH 2017
LAS MADRES VINEYARD

2017 Aspara Syrah Las Madres Vineyard
The word apsara originates from the Sanskrit language, symbolizing an angelic dancer with balance, purity, and expression, accurately describing each of Apsara Cellars’ exquisite wines. The winery’s founders, Robin and Aneeta Akhurst, met 20 years ago while studying biology and environmental science in Indonesia, broadening the scope of their interests in preserving nature with organic, biodynamic, and sustainable practices.
 
After Robin obtained his degree in Enology, he spent the next four years working with legendary winemakers worldwide, including Anne Claude Leflaive in Burgundy, Matt Wenk in the Barossa Valley, and Thomas Rivers Brown in the Napa Valley. The 2017 Apsara Syrah was grown in the meticulously farmed Las Madres Vineyard in Sonoma Carneros and is known for its cool climate Syrah with spice, depth, and style similar to the celebrated wines of the Northern Rhône. With only 100 cases produced, it won’t last long at this price.
 
APSARA
SYRAH 2017
LAS MADRES VINEYARD
Retails at: $80
 
 
 
“The 2017 Apsara Las Madres Vineyard Syrah begins with notes of violets, rose petals, garrigue, white pepper, blackberry, and chocolate mousse. The wine envelopes and coats the palate with silky tannins and flavors of black plum, bramble, chocolate chip cookies, and aniseed. This style of Syrah is seductive but not heavy and sweetly coaxes you into the perfect state of relaxation.”
94 Points
2017 Marques De Murrieta Finca Ygay Reserva Rioja Spain

2017 Marques De Murrieta Finca Ygay Reserva Rioja Spain

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtRiojaSpainTempranillo

MARQUÉS DE MURRIETA

FINCA YGAY RESERVA
RIOJA SPAIN 2017

2017 Marques De Murrieta Finca Ygay Reserva Rioja Spain
Luciano Murrieta was one of the first winemakers to establish a winery in Rioja after his studies in Bordeaux in 1852. He achieved worldwide recognition for his signature style of producing powerful, complex, and elegant wines. The Marqués de Murrieta Reserva is a traditional Riojan wine that embodies Luciano’s passion and pays tribute to one of Rioja’s pioneers.
 
The vineyards are located in Rioja Alta at 320 to 485 meters above sea level and are rooted in a traditional, iconic history with modern innovation. The 2017 Reserva is 82% Tempranillo, 9% Graciano, 6% Mazuelo, and 2% Garnacha aged 16 months in a mixture of new and used American oak with a year and a half in the bottle before release for a balanced integration and sophisticated drinkability.
 
Notably, this winery also produces Castello Ygay Gran Reserva, ranked #1 on the 2020 Wine Spectator’s list of the Top 100 wines worldwide.
 
MARQUÉS DE MURRIETA
FINCA YGAY RESERVA
RIOJA SPAIN 2017
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“Incredible depth and intensity on the nose with chocolate, walnut, blackberry and wet-earth aromas. Some iodine, too. All this follows through to a full body with very silky tannins that give the wine depth and length. It’s really framed beautifully. Reserved and tight at the finish. A terrific wine for the cellar. Give this three to five years to open.”
96 Points
2017 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages Sonoma County Red

2017 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages Sonoma County Red

with No Comment $70-$80Alexander ValleyDry Creek ValleyKevin VogtKnight's ValleyMoon MountainProprietary RedSonomaSonoma ValleyUSA

CHATEAU ST. JEAN 

CINQ CEPAGES 2017
SONOMA COUNTY RED

2017 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages Sonoma County Red
Chateau St. Jean was founded in the Sonoma Valley in 1973 and quickly established a reputation for single vineyard-designated wines that captured the individual character of each site. Cinq Cépages is the winery’s flagship wine that winemaker Margo Van Staaveren creates from specially selected fruit from outstanding vineyard locations throughout Sonoma. The wine has an incredible history of exceptional accomplishments, including ranking as the #1 wine on the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list in 1999, followed by the #2 spot in 2002. 
 
This Cabernet Sauvignon dominant Bordeaux-style blend has fruit sourced from Knights Valley, Moon Mountain, Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley, and the Sonoma Valley estate. The yields for the 2017 vintage were lower than average, leading to wines of fine quality with depth, dimension, and silky smooth tannins.
 
CHATEAU ST. JEAN 
CINQ CEPAGES 2017
SONOMA COUNTY RED
Retails at: $90
 
Your Price: $79.99
 
 
“Beautiful blackberry, mushroom, bark and oak leaf. Some pine cone, too. Full-bodied, round and savory with layers of ripe fruit. Rather chunky wine, but nicely done. Drink after 2025.”
94 Points
2017 Immortal Estate Slope Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County

2017 Immortal Estate Slope Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County

with No Comment $70-$80Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtSonomaSonoma MountainUSA

IMMORTAL ESTATE

SLOPE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
SONOMA COUNTY 2017

2017 Immortal Estate Slope Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County
The magnificently steep vineyards of Immortal Estate are among the steepest in California, planted on a dramatic 55-degree slope on the Mayacamas range. The winery was formerly known as Hidden Ridge, and in 2019, Tusk Proprietor Tim Martin partnered up with Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander and Supermodel Kate Upton as the winery’s owners.
 
Winemaker Tim Milos made wine at Opus One, Stag’s Leap, and Cliff Lede and has two 100-Point wines under his belt, so it’s no wonder Immortal wines receive high scores from enthusiasts and critics with each new vintage. Individual barrels from eight lots were selected for the final blend of the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon producing complexly flavored, concentrated, age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon.
 
IMMORTAL ESTATE
SLOPE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
SONOMA COUNTY 2017
 
Your Price: $79.99
 
 
“A big beast of a wine, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Slope has loads of blackcurrant and blackberry-styled fruits as well as toasted spice, graphite, licorice, and crushed stone-like aromas and flavors. Structured, full-bodied, and tannic, it has masses of baby fat that will take at least 7-8 years to melt away, yet it’s one satisfying mouthful of a Cabernet today.”
94 Points
2017 Juslyn Perrys Blend Spring Mountain

2017 Juslyn Perrys Blend Spring Mountain

with No Comment $50-$60Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedSpring MountainUSA

JUSLYN

PERRY’S BLEND
SPRING MOUNTAIN 2017

2017 Juslyn Perrys Blend Spring Mountain
Juslyn Vineyards’ proprietors, Perry and Carolyn Butler, came to Napa in 1997 from the tech industry, bringing a high level of quality expectations and detail-oriented nature. Winemaker Angelina Mondavi exceeded those expectations beginning her career at age 10 in the lab at her family’s winery, Charles Krug, and now has 28 harvests under her belt. She also has an undergraduate degree from Villanova University with a major in Chemistry and a Master’s degree in Oenology from the University of Adelaide’s Waite Campus.
 
Since her return to Napa in 2007, Angelina’s had the opportunity to work with many acclaimed winemakers, including Stacy Clark at Pine Ridge and Jayson Woodbridge of Hundred Acre. She carefully crafts Perry’s Blend as a Left Bank Bordeaux-style Red that changes each vintage but is based around a core of Cabernet Sauvignon enhanced primarily with Cabernet Franc, proudly conveying the Spring Mountain prestige and classic character.
 
JUSLYN
PERRY’S BLEND
SPRING MOUNTAIN 2017
Retails at: $110
 
 
 
The 2017 Juslyn Vineyards Perry’s Blend is an exceptional example from Spring Mountain opening with an incredible depth of aromas, with wild black currants, black tea, balsamic, cloves, fresh roses, and volcanic rock. The palate mimics the nose with its deeply concentrated flavors adding blackberries, black olives, dark chocolate, and a hint of aniseed. A linear structure of flavors reveals a very concentrated and focused wine with a solid tannic structure and bright acidity that will keep this wine fresh, alive, and age-worthy for at least another 12 to 15 years.” 
94 Points
2017 Alba De Domus Cabernet Sauvignon Blend Maipo Valley

2017 Alba De Domus Cabernet Sauvignon Blend Maipo Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet SauvignonChileKevin VogtMaipo Valley

ALBA DE DOMUS

CABERNET SAUVIGNON BLEND
MAIPO VALLEY 2017

2017 Alba De Domus Cabernet Sauvignon Blend Maipo Valley
The Peña family was one of the first to plant Cabernet Sauvignon in 1970 on the foothills of the Andes in the Alto Maipo, an elevated part of the Maipo Valley known for a number of the region’s best wines today. Before the family knew their vineyard’s potential, they sold fruit to some of the country’s top wineries, resulting in many of Chile’s most sought-after wines.
 
Clos Quebrada de Macul is a single vineyard on low-yielding hillside sites producing wines with deeper color, more structured tannins, and concentration. The 2017 Alba de Domus experienced low yields across the region, meaning that sloped vineyards with altitude saw meager production, increasing concentration and contributing to the lengthy and glorious finish.
 
ALBA DE DOMUS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON BLEND
MAIPO VALLEY 2017
Retails at: $45
 
Your Price: $38
 
 
“The 2017 Alba de Domus shows some toasty aromas and abundant ripe fruit. It’s a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, quite different from previous years with a lot more Merlot. It matured in 90% new French oak barrels for 16 to 18 months, and the wine still feels quite marked by the élevage….”
92 Points
 
“Very savory, with eucalyptus, bay leaf and olive notes paving the way for dried berry and cherry flavors, which are framed by fresh acidity. Ends with a note of kirsch and a slight tug of tannins. Distinctive but will have its fans. Drink now through 2026.”
92 Points