2018 Domaine Guy Robin Chablis Vieilles Vignes

2018 Domaine Guy Robin Chablis Vieilles Vignes

with No Comment $30-$40BurgandyChablisFranceKevin Vogt

DOMAINE GUY ROBIN

2018 CHABLIS 
VIEILLES VIGNES

2018 Domaine Guy Robin Chablis Vieilles Vignes
Vieilles Vignes means old vines, and Guy Robin is one of my favorite producers of old vine Chablis. He began collecting old Chablis parcels back in the 60s, and few other Chablis estates have such a rich collection of older vines. As a result, few wineries can deliver Chablis wines of such character and complexity. At $33, his Chablis VV offers dynamic complexity, laser focus, and optimum balance.
 
Guy’s daughter Marie-Ange leads the Estate and shares her father’s passion for old vines. She creates their Vieilles Vignes Chablis from vines averaging four decades in age, and many of the neighboring plots are premier cru sites, sharing similar soils and climate. 
 
Guy Robin hand-harvests their Chardonnay grapes at the pinnacle of ripeness. He immediately presses them at the winery, where they’re held in a tank for 24 hours to settle naturally. The winery ferments in temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks, and they also age in tanks to preserve the fruit’s most natural expression.
 
DOMAINE GUY ROBIN
2018 CHABLIS 
VIEILLES VIGNES
 
Your Price: $33
 
“Bright, citrusy aromas, with liquid minerals and white flowers, immediately grab you in the nose. On approach, the palate has an amazing richness, with concentrated, penetrating flavors including stone fruits, key lime, and an incredibly focused center palate. The finish is mesmerizing, with an amazing balance of richness and freshness. This is certainly one of my favorite Chablis, each vintage.” 94 Points
2018 Turley Zinfandel Juvenile

2018 Turley Zinfandel Juvenile

with No Comment $30 and underCentral CoastKevin VogtUSAZinfandel

TURLEY

2018 ZINFANDEL
JUVENILE

2018 Turley Zinfandel Juvenile
Turley Wine Cellars prides itself on being stewards of historic vineyards and producing forty-seven wines from over fifty Certified Organic sites. The winery has been a benchmark producer of Zinfandel for nearly three decades, which started with their first vintage of 1993 Hayne Zinfandel when it ranked #11 on the Wine Spectator Top 100. They’ve remained a paragon in their field ever since, and their Juvenile Zin made from younger vines is a beautiful introduction to the magic of Turley. 
 
They created the 2018 Juvenile from vines ranging 6 to 25 years pulled from a vast selection of renowned vineyards, including Hayne, Pesenti, Salvador, Fredericks, and Turley Estate. This release encompasses 29 separate vineyards and offers a beautiful snapshot of the vintage and Turley’s winemaking style. 
 
The winery has always attracted some of California’s most talented winemakers, beginning with Helen Turley. Helen passed the torch to winemaker Ehren Jordan, and now Ehren to Tegan Passalacqua, who worked under Jordan before becoming Director of Winemaking.
 
TURLEY
2018 ZINFANDEL
JUVENILE
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
“The 2018 Zinfandel Juvenile has a medium ruby-purple color and gentle aromas of perfumed red berries and earth. The palate is medium-bodied with soft, restrained fruits, a grainy frame, good freshness and an easy finish.”
90 Points
 
“The 2018 Zinfandel Juvenile is a pretty, fragrant wine that will drink well right out of the gate. Bright floral and red-toned fruit notes convey a real sense of energy in this perfumed, entry-level Zinfandel from Turley. This is such a pretty wine. I very much like the energy here.”
89 Points
 
“A luscious fruit bomb, jammed with fresh cherry and spiced caramel flavors that flesh out on a long, fruit-friendly finish. Drink now through 2025…”
89 Points
 
“Bright, vibrant pepper and spice with lovely lifted red fruits, satiating acidity and a hint of blue fruits as well. Lithely textured with pure precision and tons of energy on the palate.”
2018 Forturne 1621 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2018 Fortune 1621 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $30 and underCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOak KnollUSA

FORTUNE 1621

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2018 NAPA VALLEY

2018 Forturne 1621 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
I love it when a family-owned winery has a break-out vintage that shows off their expert winemaking and excellent fruit sources. Fortune 1621 Cabernet is a staple in our shop’s value area, and their 2018 is an even higher level of quality, concentration, and balance. At under $30, you honestly do not want to miss the boat on this one. 
 
The 2018 release of the Fortune 1621 Cab is the handiwork of winemaker Brian Mox, who spent several vintages at Lewis Cellars, and he’s also the winemaker at Laird. The 2018 growing season was faultless and virtually uninterrupted by significant heat spikes. This environment provided a prolonged hang-time, allowing the fruit to accumulate intense flavor and complexity. 
 
Located in Oak Knoll, the vineyard benefits from the evening shadows of the Mayacamas Mountain range, where the micro-climate is one of the coolest in Napa Valley. It produces gorgeous fruit with incredible character, and the 2018 release is something special. At $30, it’s one of the best Cabs that I’ve tasted this year.
 
FORTUNE 1621
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2018 NAPA VALLEY
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
 
“Fresh nose of toasty oak, vanilla, blackberry, Bing cherry and touches of chocolate. The palate is full bodied with jammy fruit entry of ripe cherry, blackberry and hints of oak spice. Can be enjoyed on its own, but has enough structure and concentration to go with grilled meats.”
 
2018 Archery Summit Pinot Noir Dundee Hills Willamette Valley

2018 Archery Summit Pinot Noir Dundee Hills Willamette Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtOregonPinot NoirUSAWillamette Valley

ARCHERY SUMMIT

2018 PINOT NOIR
DUNDEE HILLS
WILLAMETTE VALLEY

2018 Archery Summit Pinot Noir Dundee Hills Willamette Valley
Pinot Noir is like a blank canvas, and more than any other grape I can think of, wherever it’s planted, it begins to reflect and channel the vineyard, land, and other environmental factors straight to the grapes, then to the glass. Pinot Noir from Oregon tends to have a distinct lushness of fruit and earthy characteristics that make it truly special. Archery Summit’s 2018 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir is a picture-perfect example, and it absolutely should be in the lineup for any Pinot lover. 
 
The 2018 Dundee Hills bottling is a compilation of fruit from Red Hills, Arcus, Summit View, Renegade Ridge, and Archer’s Edge Vineyard that offers a unique glimpse into Dundee Hills terroir, as well as the dynamic 2018 vintage. The winery was the brainchild of veteran winemaker Gary Andrus, who founded Pine Ridge in 1978.
 
The winemaking team fermented the 2018 vintage in a combination of oak barrels, concrete, and stainless steel open-top tanks, which contributed to the layered mouthfeel. On the palate, this release is rich with ripe red fruits, plum, and chocolate. Bullseye.
 
ARCHERY SUMMIT
2018 PINOT NOIR
DUNDEE HILLS
WILLAMETTE VALLEY
Retails at: $65
 
Your Price: $48
 
“This cuvée is the first to be released from each new vintage, and the most widely available. The 2018 marks the debut (from harvest to bottling) of winemaker Ian Burch, and it’s a promising one. Full bodied and open, this mixes ripe red and purple fruits, especially plums and cherries, with a touch of lightly minty chocolate. Delicious and ready for near-term enjoyment.” 91 Points
 
“Aromatically, the wine is boisterous and full of harmony, drawing on every fetching fragrance from the volcanic Red Hills. Equal parts rhubarb, clove, graham cracker, bay leaf, rose water, and carnation sync to provide a layered nose. On the palate, the wine shows fine, cocoa-like tannins with deep, marinated black currant flavors and a savory, dramatic finish. Flexing robust flavor while still offering restraint, this wine is a telling glimpse of a remarkable 2018 vintage.”
2018 Black Powder Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

2018 Black Powder Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet SauvignonHowell MountainKevin VogtNapaUSA

BLACK POWDER

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2018 HOWELL MOUNTAIN 

2018 Black Powder Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
With the average price of Howell Mountain Cabernet upwards of $150 per bottle, finding one at $40 will make just about anyone do a double-take. We found one, and the wine is dynamite. It’s everything that you’d expect from this iconic AVA and offers a blast of dark mountain berries, dominant focus, and towering structure. Occasionally, we’ll offer a wine that screams for you to stock-your-cellar, and this is undoubtedly one of them. This wine is ridiculously delicious now and will pay dividends in the cellar for 20 years if you can hang on to it that long…
 
Black Powder exploded from the Western Slopes of Howell Mountain at a staggering 2100 feet in elevation, where the vines produce potent berries. In 2018 mother nature helped guide them to the peak of perfection. 
 
This is a hot new project made by Bobby Moy, who passed the trial-by-fire in the wine industry mentoring under Thomas Rivers Brown. This 2018 is poised to blow-up all expectations of what you thought was possible for Howell Mountain Cabernet at a value price. 
 
BLACK POWDER
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2018 HOWELL MOUNTAIN
Retails at: $50
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“The Black Powder Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 is an absolutely delightful wine, starting with a lush nose of blackberries, black plums, violets, crushed granite and baking spices. The palate beautifully displays mixed berry cobbler, dark chocolate, espresso roast and fresh sage. This is a textbook version of a Howell Mountain Cab, with firm, slightly dusty tannins, focused fruit, complex minerals, and a long finish. While it is drinking better at this point than I would expect for a 2018 Howell Mountain Cab, I see potential for even greater depth and complexity with bottle age and and/or more time in the glass.” 93-95 Points
2018 Sans Liege The Offspring Proprietary Red

2018 Sans Liege The Offspring Proprietary Red

with No Comment $30 and underCentral CoastKevin VogtProprietary RedSanta BarbaraUSA

SANS LIEGE

2018 THE OFFERING
PROPRIETARY RED

2018 Sans Liege The Offspring Proprietary Red
Sans Liege The Offering is a fusion of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre that was inspired by the deliciously complex wines from the Southern Rhone Valley, and crafted with the New World winemaking freedom. Each subsequent vintage develops an even more intense following, and it’s the wines’ magnetic style, with a plush mouthfeel and abundance of complexity that makes it so unforgettable. All of that combined with a retail price of under $30, and the quality is unmatched when it comes to juicy red blends. 
 
With origins from top vineyards in California’s iconic Santa Barbara County, winemaker Curt Schalchlin selects each vineyard based on flavor characteristics and distinct qualities that add layers to the diversity of the overall blend. 
 
This remarkable and highly-expressive blend spent around 16 months in barrel, and Curt made it with a technique of utilizing partial whole cluster fermentation, contributing to greater depth and structure in the wine.
 
SANS LIEGE
2018 THE OFFERING
PROPRIETARY RED
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
“The early fall breeze brushes through the orchard, bringing with it aromas of red plum, cinnamon bark, cocoa, and freshly oiled leather. The harvest table is bountiful; friends and family all gather round. Wooden bowls full of green olives and mixed berries are passed as you warm your hands on a rustic mug filled with anise black tea.”
2018 Castello Romitorio Rosso Di Montalcino Italy

2018 Castello Romitorio Rosso Di Montalcino Italy

with No Comment $30 and underItalyKevin VogtRosso

CASTELLO ROMITORIO

2018 ROSSO DI MONTALCINO
MONTALCINO, ITALY

2018 Castello Romitorio Rosso Di Montalcino Italy
Rosso di Montalcino from a great producer can offer immense value, and provide one of the purest and most vivid interpretations of Sangiovese Grosso grape. Rossos require only one year of age before release, which often results in a fresher and more vibrant Sangiovese that can also be enjoyed young. Castello Romitorio Brunello gets monster scores, and they fashioned their Rosso from younger vines on the Estate. And, they made it with the same exacting standards that make their Brunellos so great. At about 1/2 the price of their Brunello, the value is abundant.
 
Castello Romitorio has Italian history embedded in its DNA. The Estate dates back to the Middle Ages, and through time, transitioned from a temple to a fortress, a monastery, a castle, a Manor House, and now, lucky for us, a winery… 
 
Located northwest of Montalcino’s town, the vineyard has soils composed of clay and Albarese, from which fossils and shells emerge, evidence of an ancient coastal seabed. Their 2018 Rosso is robust, vibrant, and unleashes a flurry of concentrated red and blue fruits, rose garden, and intriguing spice. 
 
CASTELLO ROMITORIO
2018 ROSSO DI MONTALCINO
MONTALCINO, ITALY
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“The 2018 Castello Romitorio Rosso di Montalcino takes time to blossom in the glass, yet it is totally worth the wait. A pretty and understated display of cherry and strawberry mixed with dusty earth, roses and hints of undergrowth opens nicely. Soft, silky textures flood the palate with ripe red and hints of blue fruit, sweet yet perfectly contrasted by saline-minerality, along with hints of fine tannin that slowly mount toward the close. The finish is remarkably long, as notes of dried wild berries, blueberry skins and hints of violet florals linger.” 91 Points
 
 
“Limpid garnet color, translucent. Appetizing nose so typical for Sangiovese: the tangy aroma of Marasca cherry. With increasing bottle age, this cherry fruit turns from fresh and crisp to mellow and dried, in the young wines the fruit is pristine, varying in intensity with each vintage. The body is sinewy and bone-dry: not a prettified, mollified Sangiovese but a wine as rugged as the land. There is fine, bright acidity and a lovely tannic grip. This has impact but is not heavy. A little age sits wonderfully on this rustic charmer: bottle age will give you scents of leather, wild thyme and polished wood.” Anne Krebiehl MW
2018 Hunter Glenn Chardonnay RRV

2018 Hunter Glenn Chardonnay RRV

with No Comment $30 and underChardonnayKevin VogtRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

HUNTER GLENN

2018 CHARDONNAY
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

2018 Hunter Glenn Chardonnay RRVWhen you find a tiny producer making stratospherically high-quality wines from great vineyards, AND, they price them like they’re making them for friends and family, enjoy it while you can… Hunter Glenn sources their 150 case production Chardonnay exclusively from the Starscape Vineyard, located near icons Ritchie and Kistler. The Vineyard was previously known as Floodgate, and Gary Farrell fans likely recognize it. At $30, this micro-produced Chardonnay is ridiculously good. 

The Shifflett family’s home ranch neighbors icons Dominus and Trethefen in Napa Valley, but they source their grapes from Starscape for their Chardonnay. The Vineyard’s maritime influence and Pájaro Clay Loam soils make it perfect for ripening Chardonnay to the peak of perfection. 
 
Proprietor Jeff Shifflett isn’t just a talented grower, but he’s also a gifted winemaker. Jeff worked harvest in Australia before spending time at both Cakebread and Elyse. His Chardonnay has vibrant, opulent fruit that is perfectly balanced, and an absolute joy to drink. 
 
HUNTER GLENN
2018 CHARDONNAY
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
 
 
“Sunny pale yellow in color, with aromas of crisp, sweet apples and wet river rocks. A vein of minerality runs from the nose through the palate, supporting a creamy mouth of subtle tropical fruits combined with lemon curd and stone fruit. A pleasing, lingering finish is ripe, without being any bit oakey or buttery. This is the Chardonnay for everyone!” 
2018 Robert Biale Black Chicken Zinfandel Napa Valley

2018 Robert Biale Black Chicken Zinfandel Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtNapaReviewUSAZinfandel

ROBERT BIALE

BLACK CHICKEN ZINFANDEL
2018 NAPA VALLEY

2018 Robert Biale Black Chicken Zinfandel Napa Valley

 
The Biale family has deep roots in Napa Valley agriculture, and their flagship Black Chicken Zinfandel is an absolute classic. The story of how the wine got its name is as rich and intriguing as the wine itself. In the 1940s, the Biale’s were also poultry farmers, but had a multiparty phone line. To stay incognito with their wine sales, customers would call and ask for a dozen eggs and a Gallo Nero or Black Chicken, which was the code-word for a jug of Aldo Biale’s homemade Zin. Fast-forward some 80 years later, and Black Chicken Zinfandel has a rock solid reputation for its relentless quality.
 
The Biale’s source the iconic Black Chicken Zinfandel grapes from the same vineyard that they’ve farmed for generations. This vineyard is in Napa Valley’s Oak Knoll district, where the complex soils and a micro-climate that’s one of the coolest in Napa Valley produces gorgeous fruit with incredible character.  
 
The 2018 vintage was a faultless growing season, that was virtually uninterrupted by significant heat spikes, providing a prolonged hang-time, allowing the fruit to accumulate intense flavor and complexity. The resulting wine is penetrating, deep and supple, with laser definition and a mouth-quenching elegance that’s a hallmark for the wine. 
 
ROBERT BIALE
BLACK CHICKEN ZINFANDEL
2018 NAPA VALLEY
  
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
 
 “… The nose is full of vibrant black cherries, raspberries, cinnamon, white cake, fresh purple flowers, and subtle dried herbs. The entry is bright and gives way to supple, round tannins with a kiss of toasted oak. The lovely finish is the signature of this elegant and remarkably balanced Zinfandel.”
2018 Vista Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Reserve

2018 Vista Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Reserve

with No Comment $30 and underCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaRutherfordUSA

VISTA

RUTHERFORD RESERVE
2018 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 

2018 Vista Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford ReserveFollowing up on Vista 2017, our most successful wine of all time, there’s only one direction for us to go, and that’s up… Up in terms of concentration, quality, and length of finish, and up in terms of value for the region. How many Reserve Rutherford Cabernets can you list at $25/btl? I can’t think of another one. In the 2018 vintage, there was enough Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon available to label this vintage a Cabernet instead of a blend, and the wine powerfully reflects this. If you’re looking for a wine that tastes like it should be at least double the price, this is it…

This 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon originates from Rutherford’s Western side, where the soils and microclimate produce pristine, complex fruit. The Cabernet is clone 337, a clone often used in cult wines, and it’s balanced with 15% Oakville Cabernet Franc and 6% Rutherford Merlot. 
 
In the 2018 vintage, Mother Nature gifted the valley with a long, trouble-free growing season that allowed the grapes more time on the vines to develop more profound, complex flavors. Vista’s 2018 Reserve Cabernet perfectly reflects the vintage with a purity of fruit and striking complexity that expands into mineral-laced black fruits, blue violets, iron, and hints of Rutherford dust.
 
VISTA
RUTHERFORD RESERVE
2018 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
 
Your Price: $25
 
 
 
“The Vista Reserve Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 has a gorgeous, powerful nose of blackberry pie filling, French lavender, sweet vanilla and brioche. On the palate, this opulent beauty is rich and concentrated, with a core of focused fruits and flavors including mountain blackberries, red plums, ripe blueberries, menthol, vanilla spice, and dark chocolate, all supported by fine grained fruit tannins. It is amazingly ready-to-drink now, but has the structure to cellar for a decade.” 
95 Points, Kevin M. Vogt, Master Sommelier