2018 Morgan Twelve Clones Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

2018 Morgan Twelve Clones Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtMontereyPinot NoirSanta Lucia HighlandsUSA

MORGAN

TWELVE CLONES
SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS
2018 PINOT NOIR 

2018 Morgan Twelve Clones Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

Dan Lee’s focus on sustainable farming and minimalist winemaking over the past 40 years has made Morgan winery a category leader in high-quality, value wines from the Santa Lucia Highlands. The winery consistently produces balanced wines of distinction, and at less than $30, their Twelve Clones Pinot Noir regularly makes my short-list of California’s best value Pinots.
 
Morgan draws on several of the Santa Lucia Highlands’ top Vineyards, including the Double L Estate, Rosella’s, and Tondre, to create their flagship Twelve Clones Pinot. 
 
The team named Twelve Clones for the diverse Pinot Noir clones inside the Double L Vineyard. The vast selection of clones contributes to the multi-dimensional flavors and aromas that make this wine so revered.
 
MORGAN
TWELVE CLONES
SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS
2018 PINOT NOIR
Retails at: $35
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“Layers of baked berry, pie crust and star anise show on the nose of this clonal combination. It’s clean and direct on the palate, offering tart red-currant and cranberry fla­vors, touched up by thyme, lavender and potpourri elements.”
92 Points
 
“… the light ruby-hued 2018 Pinot Noir Twelve Clones gives up a pretty nose of framboise and strawberries as well as lots of floral, rose petal, sappy herb, and minty aromas and flavors. It’s another lightly textured, medium-bodied, elegant wine from this estate to enjoy over the coming 4-6 years.”
92 Points
 
“Pale ruby color, fresh cherry nose, crisp and bright with cherry, strawberry and rhubarb notes; silky and fresh, charming and long.” – Anthony Dias Blue, October 2020”
92 Points
 
“The 2018 Twelve Clones demonstrates the finesse of Pinot Noir from the Santa Lucia Highlands. It displays aromas of blackberry, cola, and cured meat. Flavors of red and black fruit are complemented by notes of black plum and toasty oak. Perfectly poised, this medium bodied wine is light on its feet and a great reflection of 2018’s elegance…”
 
2018 The Crane Assembly Disciples Proprietary Red

2018 The Crane Assembly Disciples Proprietary Red

with No Comment $40-$50CalistogaKevin VogtNapaProprietary RedRutherfordUSA

THE CRANE ASSEMBLY

2018 DISCIPLES
PROPRIETARY RED

2018 The Crane Assembly Disciples Proprietary Red
The Crane Assembly wines honor the history of the G.B. Crane Vineyard, established around 1885. The eight-acre vineyard has 4 acres of original plantings. For Disciples, winemaker Kevin Fox and consulting winemaker Dave Phinney intermix fruit from other iconic vineyards in the area to replicate the style and structure of G.B. Crane. The 2018 release is richly layered, with supple dark fruits, vast complexity, and is perfectly balanced.
 
The wine’s backbone comes from Morisoli Vineyard, which sits in the center of the Rutherford bench and has been a longtime source for BV Georges de Latour, Elyse, Mercury Head, and the list goes on. The 2018 release also includes fruit from Tofanelli Vineyard in Calistoga, which has attracted producers like Prisoner, Schrader Cellars, and Turley. 
 
In 2018, the final blend is nearly 50% Zinfandel, matched with Bordeaux and Rhone Varieties. This wine deliciously shows off the incomparable skills of Dave Phinney & Kevin Fox. They are masters at creating new, unique blends that are as individualistic as they are enjoyable.
 
THE CRANE ASSEMBLY
2018 DISCIPLES
PROPRIETARY RED
 
Your Price: $45
 
 
“Strawberry preserves leap from the glass initially, followed by a bouquet of floral aromatics: lavender, violets and roses. Rich earthy notes of freshly plowed soil, fresh rain on warm granite and petrichor. Spicy, but not a peppery spice, more of a star anise spiciness, tart raspberries and sweet plouts, with a very long, dusty finish of strawberry cream, vanilla and caramelized sugar that lingers…. smooth and luscious!”
2018 Courtney Benham Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford

2018 Courtney Benham Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaRutherfordUSA

COURTNEY BENHAM

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2018 RUTHERFORD 

2018 Courtney Benham Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford
Courtney Benham wines give tribute to Courtney’s love of terroir and journey through some of Napa Valley’s most distinctive appellations, offering a vivid portrayal of their unique origins. Rutherford is one of the most celebrated terroirs in Napa Valley due to its dynamic complexity, powerful elegance, and dusty tannins. Courtney’s version spotlights each of those hallmark characteristics, as well as the incredible vintage, and at less than $50, it’s one of the best values in the region.
 
Rutherford plays an integral part of Courtney’s terroir expression series, with ideal temperatures coupled with gravel and loam soils and volcanic deposits. These elements produce dense Cabernet Sauvignon fruit heightened with a quintessential earthiness that’s unique to the region. 
 
Winemaker Courtney Benham has three decades of experience, and his talent for selecting vineyards of distinction is highly evident in this wine. The 2018 vintage showcases power and restraint, with concentrated fruit, earthy minerals, and a singular focus.  
 
COURTNEY BENHAM
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2018 RUTHERFORD
Retails at: $65
 
Your Price: $46
 
 
“The blue fruit, fresh flowers, sandalwood and dust are so beautiful in this. Full body, firm and polished tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Really linear and tight. Persistent finish…”
94 Points
2018 Rocca Di Montegrossi Chianti Classico Tuscany Italy

2018 Rocca Di Montegrossi Chianti Classico Tuscany Italy

with No Comment $30 and underChiantiChiantiItalyKevin VogtTuscany

ROCCA DI MONTEGROSSI

2018 CHIANTI CLASSICO
TUSCANY, ITALY 

2018 Rocca Di Montegrossi Chianti Classico Tuscany Italy
Each decision that Marco Ricasoli-Firidolfi of Rocca di Montegrossi makes in his vineyard has the laser-focused goal of balancing growth and production, with his wine’s quality paramount. Together with consultant agronomist Dr. Stefano Dini, he cares for 20 hectares of vines grown in one of the finest sections of Chianti. His flagship 2018 Chianti Classico has explosive aromas of rich dark fruits, wet slate, and wildflowers. It’s, as Vinous writes, “a fabulous wine for the money,” so don’t miss it.
 
The richness of this wine is matched equally by the Estate’s history, which dates back to the 7th century AD. In 1141, the property was passed to the Ricasoli family. To this day, Marco Ricasoli-Firidolfi is dedicated to crafting the best wine from the Estate, and International fame has followed. 
 
The Estate is planted primarily to Sangiovese (13 hectares), followed by Merlot, while the remaining 4.5 hectares includes Canaiolo, Colorino, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pugnitello, and Malvasia Bianca del Chianti. Marco blends 8% Canaiolo and 2% Colorino with 90% Sangiovese to make a more complex and serious wine. If you’re looking for a killer bottle of Italian wine for under $30, this is it. 
 
ROCCA DI MONTEGROSSI
2018 CHIANTI CLASSICO
TUSCANY, ITALY
 
Your Price: $28
 
 
“The 2018 Chianti Classico opens with a burst of sweet red berry fruit, spice and wild flowers. Exuberant and racy, the 2018 is endowed with tremendous energy and tons of personality. Time in the glass brings out the wine’s inner sweetness and radiance, with a closing flourish of red flowers. This is a fabulous wine for the money. Don’t miss it. Drink 2022-2038.”
93 Points
 
“A red with blackberries, black cherries and hints of sliced dark mushrooms that follow through to a medium body, chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. Some bark, too. Always a serious Chianti Classico. Drink now.”
92 Points
 
“It is very youthful with great energy and freshness on the palate but still fairly tightly wound. I’d give it a few more months in bottle before approaching. Drinking Window 2021 – 2027.”
91 Points
 
“Rocca di Montegrossi’s Chianti Classico is the estate’s flagship wine; it is a blend of about 90% Sangiovese, with Canaiolo and Colorino, and is produced every year. It ages mainly in large casks and barrels made with oak from Allier, for 12-14 months. It is unfiltered, and after bottling it ages another 6 months prior to release. In the glass it is lively ruby, with bright violet reflections, and on the nose displays the rich fruity aromas typical of the varietals, particularly forest berry fruit and sour cherries.”
2018 P. Ferraud & Fils Julienas Cru Beaujolais Les Ravinets

2018 P. Ferraud & Fils Julienas Cru Beaujolais Les Ravinets

with No Comment $30 and underBurgandyFranceKevin VogtPinot Noir

P. FERRAUD & FILS

JULIENAS CRU BEAUJOLAIS
2018 LES RAVINETS 

2018 P. Ferraud & Fils Julienas Cru Beaujolais Les Ravinets
Burgundy’s value region of Beaujolais to the South is becoming increasingly known for more than just fruity, easy-drinking wines, and Ferraud’s 95 Point Cru Beaujolais proves it. Beaujolais has ten villages designated Cru, and it’s where the world produces the best examples of the Gamay variety. Julienas is the oldest village, dating back 2000 years, and named after Julius Caesar. Wines from Julienas have deep color, generous bouquets, powerful fruit, and earthy characteristics. At $28, the quality of this one will make you do a double-take.
 
Julienas is in the far Northwest of Beaujolais, and the region has soils ranging from schist and volcanic rocks to ancient alluvial deposits. The varying soils and wide range of terrain lend to the robust, earthy & weighty wines produced there. 
 
Beaujolais is made with the Gamay grape variety, which spawns from Pinot Noir, and produces a more fruit-forward red with refreshing natural acidity and palpable floral and earthy characteristics. With 95 points and a gold medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards, this rare Cru Beaujolais won’t be around for long.
 
P. FERRAUD & FILS
JULIENAS CRU BEAUJOLAIS
2018 LES RAVINETS
 
Your Price: $28
 
“The Domaine Ferraud Julienas “Les Ravinets” 2018 begins with a complex nose including mixed fresh berries, exotic spices, fresh mushrooms, and purple flowers. On the lively palate, penetrating wild cherries, red currants, iron, earthy minerals, and a mouth-quenching acidity carry through to a long, concentrated and satisfying finish.”
93 Points
 
95 Points
 
Gold Medal
 
Decanter World Wine Awards 2019
2018 Maison Jessiaume Burgogne Chardonnay White Burgundy

2018 Maison Jessiaume Burgogne Chardonnay White Burgundy

with No Comment $30 and underBurgandyChardonnayFranceKevin Vogt

MAISON JESSIAUME

BOURGOGNE CHARDONNAY
2018 WHITE BURGUNDY 

2018 Maison Jessiaume Burgogne Chardonnay White Burgundy
Maison Jessiaume values organic viticulture and a gentle touch to winemaking. This combination means their team intervenes as little as possible during the winemaking processes, ferments with natural yeasts, and relies on gravity to transfer the wine into tanks. The cumulative result is a pure and balanced interpretation of the varietal, location, and vintage, and at just $28, it’s also a stupendous value.
 
Jessiaume is a historic estate constructed in 1850, located in the Santenay region in the Côte de Beaune. The winery has 10 hectares of vines spread over the municipalities of Santenay, Auxey-Duresses, Beaune, Volnay and Pommard. 
 
Santenay has soils rich in limestone, and their Chardonnays often have palpable minerality, floral characteristics, and fresh fruits. Domaine Jessiaume’s 2018 Bourgogne Chardonnay is a perfect representation of the area’s values, and with very little imported in the US, don’t hesitate to secure your case. 
 
MAISON JESSIAUME
BOURGOGNE CHARDONNAY
2018 WHITE BURGUNDY
 
Your Price: $28
 
“Nose of apricots, white flowers. Great mouthfeel, pure, rich, balanced, great structure and expressiveness. Flavors of orange stone fruits, orange citrus, ginger and spice. Hand harvested, aged for 10 months in neutral oak barrels and 2 months in stainless steel tanks before bottling.”
2018 Martin Ray Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains

2018 Martin Ray Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet SauvignonCentral CoastKevin VogtSanta Cruz MountainsUSA

MARTIN RAY

2018 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS
2018 Martin Ray Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains
The Santa Cruz Mountains AVA produces powerful Cabernet Sauvignons with appealing savory elements, firm tannins, and intriguing red and black fruits. Martin Ray sources their Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet from three high-elevation sites that produce intensely concentrated fruits. Our panel loved their 2018 vintage, but we weren’t the only ones. With a 95 point score, I’d jump on this sub $35 Cabernet before it’s too late.
 
Martin Ray’s Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet comes from high-elevation vineyards, Fellom Ranch, Cooper-Garrod, and Beauregard, each sharing large diurnal temperature fluctuation shifts, which result in powerfully concentrated fruit. 
 
The 2018 release is a blend of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and fermented on its skins for a month, which extracted the deep purple color. They stored the wine for 18 months in French and American oak barrels, which added compelling vanilla and spice elements.
 
MARTIN RAY
2018 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS
Retails at: $35
 
Your Price: $33
 
“Loads of forest floor, mushrooms, leaves and dark fruit on the nose. It’s full-bodied with juicy fruit and chewy tannins. Hints of toasted oak and cedar, too. This is a structured red that needs two or three years to soften, then you can give it a go. Best Santa Cruz Mountain cab for a long time from here. Try after 2023.”
95 Points
 
“Notes of dense cassis with touches of nutmeg and cherry. Blackberry brush and mountain sage with bright acidity and a touch of graphite. Firm, chalky tannins and well-integrated oak.”
2018 Arbe Garbe White Blend Sonoma County

2018 Arbe Garbe White Blend Sonoma County

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtProprietary WhiteSonomaSonoma ValleyUSA

ARBE GARBE

2018 WHITE BLEND
SONOMA COUNTY

2018 Arbe Garbe White Blend Sonoma County
Arbe Garbe is a local winery inspired by the Friuli region of Italy and created by Italian-born winemakers Letizia Pauletto and Enrico Maria Bertoz to reconnect with their roots. They make the Arbe Garbe Blend with rare white varieties common in Friuli but scarce in the New World. For instance, in 2016, there were 51 acres of Tocai Friulano in California and too little Ribolla Gialla to register on the CDFA report. The style is freshly focused, with citrus fruits, minerals, floral characteristics, and is presented seamlessly on the palate. It’s as Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate writes, “fabulous”.
 
The 2018 release combines roughly 50% Malvasia Bianca with nearly equal parts Ribolla Gialla and old-vine Tocai Friulano. The Malvasia Bianca contributes to the clean and crisp style, while the Ribolla adds stunning floral notes, and the Tocai Friulano lends body and weight. 
 
Winemakers Enrico and Letizia are well-rounded in their skillsets, having worked harvests in Friuli. After arriving in the US, Enrico gained invaluable experience at Sine Qua Non, Joseph Phelps, and Flora Springs. If you enjoy crisp whites with enormous personality, don’t miss this one. 
 
ARBE GARBE
2018 WHITE BLEND
SONOMA COUNTY
 
Your Price: $35
 
“The 2018 White Wine from Arbe Garbe is an unusual—and fabulous—blend of 55% Malvasia Bianca, 25% Tocai Friulano and 20% Ribolla Gialla, what winemaker Enrico Maria Bertoz calls “the Holy Trinity of Friuli,” where he was raised. The Malvasia is split into portions, with one portion whole-cluster pressed, a second portion on skins for 12 hours and a third portion on skins for 24 hours. These lots are then blind tasted to create the final blend. The nose explodes to musk, lychee, warm peaches, charcuterie and beeswax with high-toned notes of fresh green herbs. The medium to full-bodied palate has a gorgeous silken texture, ever-so-slightly creamy, with kaleidoscopic bursts of ripe fruit in the mouth. It’s concentrated while still incredibly light on its feet, addicting in its freshness and long, textured finish. What a gorgeous vintage for this wine!”
94 Points
2018 Kanzler Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

2018 Kanzler Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

with No Comment $50-$60Kevin VogtPinot NoirRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

KANZLER

2018 PINOT NOIR
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

2018 Kanzler Pinot Noir Russian River Valley
Kanzler’s Russian River Pinot is flawlessly balanced and epitomizes cool-climate, domestic Pinot Noir at the highest level, making it the appropriate choice as my number 1 wine in 2020. Even after tasting around 5,000 wines this year, Kanzler is fresh on my mind. Their team utilizes top-level farming practices, skilled winemaking, and they source from some of the best Pinot Noir vineyards in California. At $60, this is one of the finest domestic Pinot Noirs that I’ve tasted. 
 
The winery’s Estate Vineyard in Sebastapol has well-drained Goldridge soils and a fog blanket from the Pacific that’s ideal for growing Pinot Noir. Their vineyard caught the eye of Kosta Browne, who’s made a single-vineyard Pinot from Kanzler for nearly 20 consecutive vintages. This 2018 is primarily Estate fruit and includes almost 25% fruit from Walker Station Vineyard, a source for Paul Hobbs for years. 
 
Kanzler set out to make the best Pinot possible from their Estate. To meet their goal, they exercise everything from meticulous farming to double-hand sorting. They also utilize partial whole-cluster fermentation for added depth. Their winemaking is gentle, precise, and skilled, and the results are simply stunning.
 
KANZLER
2018 PINOT NOIR
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
 
Your Price: $59.99
 
“This gorgeous Pinot Noir begins with a deep, rich, concentrated nose including tart candied red fruits, opulent black fruits, fresh sage, delicate rose petals, and gunflint. On the palate, it combines compact, bright fruit featuring focused Burgundy plums, ripe Bing cherries, tart pomegranates, dried currants, and baking spices. Its finish is decadent, very alluring and complex with an incredible intensity that’s powerful, lush and long, along with an incredible balance that gives me goosebumps.”
96 Points
 
Winery Notes: “The 2018 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir wine is opulent and rich while still displaying great freshness. The classic silky Pinot texture is more chocolate mousse than heavy whipping cream, and the tannins show enough grip to hold and frame the wine without being bitter or obtrusive. The high percentage of once-used barrels imparts a subtle oak characteristic that enhances and compliments the fruit and spice character. After opening for several hours, exotic sweet-spice notes reminiscent of liquors in the Vin Santo or Fernet range begin to appear, further enhancing the intrigue and complexity of this Pinot Noir.”
2018 Vista Atlas Peak Reserve Proprietary Red

2018 Vista Atlas Peak Reserve Proprietary Red

with No Comment $30 and underAtlas PeakKevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

VISTA

ATLAS PEAK RESERVE
2018 PROPRIETARY RED

2018 Vista Atlas Peak Reserve Proprietary Red
Vista’s 2018 Atlas Peak Red is the single most extraordinary $23 wine that I’ve tasted, and for that reason, it made my top 5 list in 2020. The wine has the concentration, depth, complexity, and balance that you’d expect from a remarkable $40-$50 bottle of high-elevation Napa wine, but at $23, it’s hard to wrap your head around how it can be that good, for the modest price. This vintage is a game-changer for superior quality, value-priced Mountain wines, and the 1,000 case production will fall short of what’s needed to match demand once people taste it.
 
At 2,000 feet elevation on Atlas Peak, Vista’s 2018 Reserve Blend was wrought from the rocky red Aiken soils and perfectly shows off the deep, concentrated flavors that make this region famous.
 
Predominately Cabernet Sauvignon, balanced with Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the 2018 vintage envelopes your palate in a blanket of perfectly ripe berries laced with crushed violets, espresso bean, and rocky minerals. If you’re looking for a wine that tastes like it should be at least double or triple the price, this is it.
 
VISTA
ATLAS PEAK RESERVE
2018 PROPRIETARY RED
 
Your Price: $23
 
“While the first vintage of Vista Atlas Peak Red Blend 2017 set a new standard completely unheard of at this modest price, the Vista Atlas Peak Reserve Red Blend 2018 raises that bar even higher. It begins with aromas of crushed dark berries, creme de cassis, black plum, earthy minerals, pencil lead, dried sage, and vanilla. This beauty has an intensely concentrated palate, with blackberry purée, focused black cherries, red currants, mountain blueberries, allspice, and rocky minerals. It is a gorgeous example of Mountain fruit that is mind-bogglingly great at this price. Wow. Drink now through 2028.”
95-97 Points