2019 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley One Liter Bottles

2019 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley One Liter Bottles

with No Comment $90-$100Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

CAYMUS

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2019 NAPA VALLEY
ONE LITER BOTTLES

2019 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley One Liter Bottles
Caymus Vineyards pioneered the art of crafting beautifully ripe Cabernet Sauvignon with velvety tannins that are almost impossible to detect. They achieve this through extended hang-time, a technique where the fruit is kept on the vine unusually long, allowing the berries to develop an attractive suppleness and perfectly mature flavors. At around $100, their Napa Cabernet in special 1-liter bottles delivers immense satisfaction.
 
The 2019 vintage was born from a compilation of strategically selected sites throughout Napa Valley. This wine remains a consistent model for the Caymus signature style because of the winery’s relationships and collaboration with their growers. 
 
The winery excelled in 2019, and this new release asserts enormous extract, followed by a compelling crescendo of sweet blue fruits, dark chocolate, and cassis. The best news is the 1 Liter Bottles contain 33% more wine than 750ML, which are a necessity in a vintage as great as this one.
 
CAYMUS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2019 NAPA VALLEY
ONE LITER BOTTLES
 
Your Price: $99.99
 
 
“Caymus has a signature style that is dark in color, with rich fruit and ripe, velvety tannins – as approachable in youth as in maturity. We farm Cabernet grapes in eight of Napa’s 16 sub-appellations, with diversification enabling us to make the best possible wine in a given year. This Cabernet offers layered, lush aromas and flavors, including cocoa, cassis and ripe dark berries.”
2019 Alma De Cattleya Chardonnay Sonoma County

2019 Alma De Cattleya Chardonnay Sonoma County

with No Comment $30 and underChardonnayKevin VogtSonomaSonoma ValleyUSA

ALMA de CATTLEYA

2019 CHARDONNAY 
SONOMA COUNTY 

2019 Alma De Cattleya Chardonnay Sonoma County
Bibiana González Rave’s unwavering commitment to superior quality, accessible prices, varietal purity, and origin in her wines is highly transparent. She makes wines in a bright and cheerful style tied to the year’s hallmarks and location of the grapes. I’ve stopped asking how she can create wines with such surreal quality, sense of place, and value, and I’m just simply going to enjoy them and share them with you.
 
Bibiana created this brilliant 2019 Chardonnay from methodically selected vineyards, each with a strong coastal influence that lends to the perfect balance of acidity, texture, softness, and length. She then crafted this wine using the same exacting standards as the Cattleya single-vineyard Chardonnays, which retail for around $70 per bottle. 
 
Bibiana has extensive experience making wine in Bordeaux and the Rhone Valley in France and South Africa. When she came to California, industry leaders immediately recognized her talents as she helped shape brilliant wines at Peay, Lynmar, and Pahlmeyer, to name a few. At just $26, you have to try this.
 
ALMA de CATTLEYA
2019 CHARDONNAY 
SONOMA COUNTY
 
Your Price: $26
 
 
“Lush notes of red apple and juicy pear balance beautifully with notes of lemon curd, honeysuckle and hints of toasted vanilla. Bright acidity and a rich mouthfeel add complexity and a textured, complex finish.”
2019 Quinta de Soalheiro Alvarinho (Albarino) Moncao e Melgaco Portugal

2019 Quinta de Soalheiro Alvarinho (Albarino) Moncao e Melgaco Portugal

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtPortugal

QUINTA de SOALHEIRO 

2019 ALVARINHO (ALBARINO)
MONCAO e MELGACO, PORTUGAL

2019 Quinta de Soalheiro Alvarinho (Albarino) Moncao e Melgaco Portugal
Soalheiro is a benchmark producer of high-quality Albariño wines from the Monçao region of Northern Portugal. Their journey started nearly 50 years ago when Joгo Antуnio Cerdeira and his father planted the area’s first Albariño vines. The region is uniquely protected by surrounding mountains, creating atmospheric conditions ideal for ripening the coveted Spanish variety. They produce their Albariño in a super-clean, minerally, bright, and refreshing style, and with the 95 point score and modest price, everybody should try it.
 
Albarino grows best in areas with a strong maritime influence, which helps the grapes maintain a lively acidity. Soalheiro’s Vineyards are positively affected by the Minho River, which carries marine winds inland from the Atlantic. 
 
Joгo decants the freshly pressed juice for 48 hours at low temperatures before fermentation to concentrate the grapes’ qualities and allow room for evolution in the bottle. His wines are stunning upon release and can age for more than a decade.
 
QUINTA de SOALHEIRO 
2019 ALVARINHO (ALBARINO)
MONCAO e MELGACO, PORTUGAL
 
Your Price: $24.99
 
“A delicate but beguiling, lifted nose, with lychee and fennel notes that follow through on a cool elegant palate, alongside white peach, nectarine, pear, pear skin and a touch of passionfruit. Steely, grapefruit acidity makes for a well-focused, long, mineral finish. Lovely purity, balance and restraint. Drinking Window 2020 – 2034”
95 Points
 
“…a blend from their own parcels in Melgaco as well as neighboring vines they help farm…. Their flagship bottling is a blend of estate and purchased fruit, and this 2019 is the best version we’ve tasted in recent years. It captures their placement between the mountains and sea, where the Minho River carries winds inland from the Atlantic. Bright and fresh when first poured, the wine’s flavors of lemon pith and crunchy apple extend with air, gaining depth and length while holding the cool, airy feel of a summer rain.”
93 Points
 
“… The expression of fruit here is pure Alvarinho… It’s pretty tasty in its youth too. Like the Granit, though, this might be better next year—although this is more approachable. They both will age well, as the winery’s track record in general has frequently demonstrated over the years… This looks terrific this year, and it’s a typically super value. Drink 2020 – 2031”
92 Points
2019 Desante L'Atelier Proprietary White Napa Valley

2019 Desante L’Atelier Proprietary White Napa Valley

with No Comment $30 and underNapaProprietary WhiteSauvignon BlancUSAYountville

DESANTE 

2019 L’ATELIER
PROPRIETARY WHITE
NAPA VALLEY
 
2019 Desante L'Atelier Proprietary White Napa Valley
Desante’s L’Atelier proves that certain grape varietals can complement one another by accentuating specific characteristics. In this case, Semillon adds richness and opulence to the bright, piercing Sauvignon Blanc elements, resulting in a supremely focused white with enough richness to keep you coming back for more.
 
Dave Desante’s admiration for winemaking began at age ten, and it’s taken him all over the world, from Margaret River, Australia, to Chateau Petrus in Bordeaux. He’s revered as an expert winemaking consultant in Napa Valley and was the founding winemaker for Tierra Roja.
 
The Semillon grapes are from 45-year-old, dry-farmed vines in Yountville, and contribute to the wine’s textural depth, richness, and floral complexity. The Sauvignon Blanc came from the nearly half-century-old Varozza Vineyard in St. Helena, which brings intense minerality and bright citrus fruits.
 
DESANTE 
2019 L’ATELIER
PROPRIETARY WHITE
NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $28
 
 
 
“Surprising with its vivid aromatic references to flint and peach, this refreshing summer white could be mistaken with ease for one of the best offerings from Bordeaux. True to this reference, there is a harmonic balance of Semillon (30%) that rounds the vibrant edge of the crisp Sauvignon Blanc. The Semillon adds mid-palate weight without making this marriage a clumsy one. Spiced pear and fresh mandarin are the flavors that result with a flourish of toast and mineral in the pleasing finish. This is the wine to enjoy with prawns, grilled vegetables and salmon.”
2019 Sidebar Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley

2019 Sidebar Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtRussian River ValleySauvignon BlancSonomaUSA

SIDEBAR

2019 SAUVIGNON BLANC
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

2019 Sidebar Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley
Sidebar is the second label for Ramey Wine Cellars, and the wines are designed for instant gratification while waiting for the Ramey bottlings to mature. They make their Sauvignon Blanc in a brightly focused style that balances floral and citrus characteristics. Since their inception, the wines have generated a bevy of positive reviews that are themed by terrific value, quality, and bang-for-the-buck. 
 
The 2019 vintage balances two distinct Russian River terroirs, with the primary fruit component located at the Northeast part of the Valley and the second one positioned on the Western edge. 
 
Dave’s associate winemaker at Ramey, and winemaker at Sidebar, Lydia Cummins, combines clone 1, which originated from Chateau d’Yquem, with Musque Clone, resulting in a fresh, brightly focused wine. The results are divine, and at $22, a single case may not be enough.
 
SIDEBAR
2019 SAUVIGNON BLANC
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
Retails at: $25
 
Your Price: $22
 
 
 “The nose of the 2019 Sauvignon Blanc is gregarious with gooseberries, white peaches, fresh herbs and lychee. The palate is light-bodied, bright and crisp with fresh fruit flavors and lifted acidity, finishing clean.”
90 Points
 
“White grapefruit, crushed citrus, and a kiss of lemon rind all emerge from the 2019 Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley, a juicy, medium-bodied, lightly textured white that’s about as gulpable as they come. Drink it over the coming year or two. These Sidebar Cellars releases from David Ramey continue to offer loads of bang for the buck.”
88 Points
2019 Limerick Lane Zinfandel Russian River Valley

2019 Limerick Lane Zinfandel Russian River Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtRussian River ValleySonomaUSAZinfandel

LIMERICK LANE

2019 ZINFANDEL
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

2019 Limerick Lane Zinfandel Russian River Valley
Limerick Lane dials in an ideal balance of rich, powerful, and expressive Zinfandel that’s simultaneously fresh, bright, and focused. The winery is run by fourth-generation winemaker Jake Bilbro who grew up at his father’s Marietta Cellars. The wines are made by Chris Pittenger, who gained first-hand experience working at iconic wineries Biale, Torbreck, Marcassin, and Williams-Selyem. The previous vintage earned a monstrous 95 point rating from Jeb Dunnuck, and this new vintage is even better.
 
Limerick Lane’s Russian River Zinfandel at the core is a field blend, which includes ancient Zinfandel vines interplanted with other rare varieties like Pelousin and Negrette. The fruit is co-fermented and offers unparalleled power, depth, and stunning definition.  
 
The 2019 vintage is built around a base of Estate fruit and includes grapes from 5 carefully selected sites, including Sodini vineyard, which Bedrock and Carlisle fans might recognize. Chris ages this Zinfandel for 18 months in predominantly neutral barrels to maintain the beautiful fresh fruit and striking acidity that makes their Zin’s unique. 
 
LIMERICK LANE
2019 ZINFANDEL
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY 
Retails at: $42
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
“Our Russian River Zinfandel is our flagship wine. Originally planted by Italians at the start of the 1900’s, this wine hearkens back, in some ways, to a different time. While seamless and with an unparalleled clarity of flavor and aromas, there is also an undeniable gravity that Limerick Lane Zinfandel seems to exude. It may be nothing more than a romantic appreciation for the hands that have tended these vines for over a century. It’s possible that it is a result of the other varieties, now all but extinct, save for a few old Zinfandel vineyards like Peloursin, Negrette, and Petite Sirah, that add more structure, color, and acid than normally found in Zinfandel. Maybe the rocks, the dirt, the morning fog and the afternoon sun come together in this place a little differently than anywhere else. It may even be all of these special characteristics combined, but the Zinfandel grown at the end of this little lane is undeniably special, undeniably unique, and undeniably “Limerick Lane.”
2019 Martin Ray Chardonnay Dutton Ranch Vineyard Concrete Fermented

2019 Martin Ray Chardonnay Dutton Ranch Vineyard Concrete Fermented

with No Comment $30 and underChardonnayKevin VogtRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

MARTIN RAY

2019 CHARDONNAY
DUTTON RANCH VINEYARD
CONCRETE FERMENTED 

2019 Martin Ray Chardonnay Dutton Ranch Vineyard Concrete Fermented
Chardonnay is highly-expressive and transparent in both the terroir and fermentation method. Most Chardonnays are either barrel or stainless steel tank fermented, but there’s been a resurgence in Concrete Egg fermentation, and for a good reason. The convex shape of a Concrete Egg creates a vortex that persuades the natural lees to be suspended throughout the vessel, resulting in more body, flavors, textures, and softer acidity. Martin Ray’s Dutton Ranch Chardonnay is a brilliant example, and with a 95 point score and priced at just $25, I highly recommend it.
 
Dutton Ranch Vineyard is in the Green Valley sub-appellation of the greater Russian River Valley. The Goldridge sandy loam soils and near-proximity to the Pacific provide the ideal growing conditions for premium Chardonnay grapes. Luminaries Kistler, Patz & Hall, & DuMOL have all sourced grapes from it. 
 
With a 95 point score and priced at just $25/btl, Martin Ray’s Concrete Fermented Dutton Ranch Chardonnay offers detailed tropical fruits, perfect balance, and stony minerality. They aged this incredible wine for ten months sur lie and inside concrete eggs, contributing to the beautiful textures, flavors, and body. 
 
MARTIN RAY
2019 CHARDONNAY
DUTTON RANCH VINEYARD
CONCRETE FERMENTED
Retails at: $35
 
Your Price: $25
 
“This is a Dutton Ranch chardonnay, showing cooked-apple, lemon and peach character with praline and vanilla undertones. Opulent, yet in check. Full-bodied and layered. Very long and flavorful. No wood here. Fermented and aged in concrete eggs. Such a beautiful and pure single-vineyard Sonoma white. Drink or hold. Screw cap.”
95 Points
 
“Vibrant Eureka lemon zest, fresh peach and racy minerality with touches of Acacia flower. Layers of subtle pear and underripe nectarine beneath mouthwatering acidity, over a clean, linear palate.”
2019 Prisoner Proprietary Red Napa Valley

2019 Prisoner Proprietary Red Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSAYountville

PRISONER

PROPRIETARY RED
2019 NAPA VALLEY

2019 Prisoner Proprietary Red Napa Valley
The Prisoner wine was inspired by “Mixed Blacks,” which are field blends that were common in California more than 100 years ago. These interplanted vineyards were predominantly Zinfandel vines intermixed with varieties like Petite Sirah, Carignane, and Alicante Bouchet. With the right ‘mix’ of grape varieties, these vineyards can produce intensely flavored wines with profound character and charm. The Prisoner comes from multiple sites, so it’s not technically a Mixed Blacks wine; however, the style, varietal mix, and flavors share similarities.
 
Created from a compilation of strategically selected sites throughout Napa Valley, including Korte Ranch in St. Helena and Tiedemann Ranch in Yountville, The Prisoner exists because of the relationships and collaboration from each of their growers. 
 
The 2019 release served time in French and American barrels and was built around a core of Zinfandel, enhanced with Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Charbono. This latest release condemns your taste buds to a sentence filled with provocative red, blue and black fruits, sweet tannins, and elaborate flavors, and even the toughest restraints couldn’t contain the fun and excitement this wine exudes.
 
PRISONER
PROPRIETARY RED
2019 NAPA VALLEY
 
Your Price: $48
 
“Features enticing aromas of Bing cherry, dark chocolate, clove, and roasted fig. Persistent flavors of ripe raspberry, boysenberry, pomegranate, and vanilla linger harmoniously, for a smooth and luscious finish.”
2019 Laird Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley

2019 Laird Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtNapaSauvignon BlancUSA

LAIRD

2019 SAUVIGNON BLANC
NAPA VALLEY 

2019 Laird Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley
There are many different styles of Sauvignon Blanc, from brightly focused, to silky and rich, with everything in between. Laird’s 2019 falls into the brightly focused category, but what puts this wine over the top in terms of quality/value was the remarkably concentrated fruit. Laird has their choice of premium vineyards, as one of Napa Valley’s preeminent farming families, and for this wine, they undoubtedly chose right…
 
Laird’s 2019 Sauvignon Blanc emanates from the winery’s Big Ranch Estate Vineyard, which is also home to Mario Andretti’s winery. Here, the gravel and silty clay loam soils, combined with the San Pablo Bay cooling influences, are ideal for ripening Sauvignon Blanc. 
 
Winemaker Brian Mox fermented 15% of the grapes sur lie, and in neutral oak barrels. The balance was fermented in stainless steel tank, preserving the brightly focused fruit, and the combination of the two methods creates a beautiful tension on the palate that’s simply irresistible.
 
LAIRD
2019 SAUVIGNON BLANC
NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $30
 
Your Price: $26.99
 
“Inviting aromas of elderflower, passion fruit, melon, and Kefir lime lead the way to a medium-bodied white wine with a refreshing zing of bright acid, followed by flavors of white peach, Asian pear, and lemongrass. The well-balanced nature of this wine is evident in its soft, lingering finish.”
2019 Brevity Pinot Grigio Santa Barbara County

2019 Brevity Pinot Grigio Santa Barbara County

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtSanta BarbaraUSA

BREVITY

2019 PINOT GRIGIO
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY

2019 Brevity Pinot Grigio Santa Barbara County
As a fan of Pinot Noir, I can’t help but admire Pinot Grigio. After all, Pinot Grigio came from a genetic mutation of the Pinot Noir grape, removing the color pigmentation and making it a grayish-blue color, rather than purple. And this didn’t just happen yesterday; Pinot Grigio has been around since the Middle Ages. It’s now the second most popular white wine grape in the US, behind Chardonnay, and it’s also found a stronghold in Northern Italy and Alsace. We don’t feature them in our emails often, but then again, we’ve never tasted one as great as this…
 
There are many different styles of Pinot Grigio, from dry and minerally, (common in Northern Italy), to sweet & fruity which is common in Alsace (and also referred to as Pinot Gris.) In the New World, Pinot Grigio is often both fruity and dry. This wine stands out for having concentrated fruit, lively acidy, brilliant details, and powerful intensity. 
 
Brevity is a brand new project made by Bobby Moy, who got his feet wet in the wine industry mentoring under Thomas Rivers Brown before launching this label. It’s farmed organically, and the grapes were whole-cluster pressed and cold fermented for 42 days, which both contributed to the concentrated fruit and bright acid. If you know anyone that loves Pinot Grigio, they should not miss this one.
 
BREVITY
2019 PINOT GRIGIO
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY
 
Your Price: $22
 
 
“The Brevity 2019 Santa Barbara County Pinot Grigio is an absolute delight to taste. This stunning wine is defined and focused on the nose with bright citrus, Spring flowers, and green apple hints. The palate is exceptionally concentrated, with intense key lime, passionfruit, and pomelo. There is a steeliness on the palate with this one combined with a very crisp acidity that keeps you coming back for more. It’s simply the best Pinot Grigio I’ve had the last few years.”  93 Points