2019 Janzen Beckstoffer To-Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon

2019 Janzen Beckstoffer To-Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

JANZEN

BECKSTOFFER TO-KALON
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019

2019 Janzen Beckstoffer To-Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon
The renowned Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard, initially planted by Hamilton Crabb in 1868, is widely regarded as a Napa Valley First Growth. With a rich heritage of producing exceptional wines that consistently receive high scores, its fruit draws some of Napa Valley’s most distinguished winemakers. Kirk Venge, one of Napa’s most in-demand winemakers, whom you might recognize from Eleven Eleven, Macauley, B Cellars, and Venge wines, crafted this remarkable expression. 
 
The detail-oriented viticultural team keeps the vineyard in optimum health, ensuring the vines grow deep into the well-drained soils in search of nutrients that aid in the fruit’s distinguished flavors and robust structure. Janzen’s 2019 Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon unabashedly displays the signature characteristics that have made the legendary piece of land incredibly valuable.
 
JANZEN
BECKSTOFFER TO-KALON
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019
 
 
 
“The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Janzen Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard comes from one of the greatest sites in the valley and is all varietal. Its ruby/purple color is followed by a perfumed, expressive bouquet of red and black currants, flowery incense, leather, chocolate, and baking spices. It’s medium to full-bodied on the palate and nicely balanced, with velvety tannins, a round, supple mouthfeel, and a great finish. It’s drinking nicely already, but I see no need to delay gratification either. Nevertheless, it should have 15 years of prime drinking.”
95 Points
2019 Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Syrah Hawkes Bay NZ

2019 Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Syrah Hawkes Bay NZ

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtNew ZealandSyrah

TRINITY HILL

GIMBLETT GRAVELS SYRAH
HAWKES BAY NZ 2019

2019 Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Syrah Hawkes Bay NZ
The Gimblett Gravels District lies within the winegrowing region of Hawke’s Bay and boasts poor, stony, gravelly soils ideal for New Zealand-grown Syrah. In 1993, Trinity Hill recognized the immense prospects for viticultural excellence in this small subregion formed by the ancient Ngaruroro River, becoming among the first to cultivate Syrah in Gimblett Gravels.
 
Trinity Hills takes pride in being a certified member of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand, emphasizing biodiversity and reducing its environmental impact. Notably, New Zealand has the highest number of certified organic wineries globally. The 2019 Gimblett Gravels Syrah is an impressive blend of the three estate vineyards: Gimblett Estate, Tin Shed, and Gimblett Stones. The unique terroir is evident in this bright, spicy wine, offering a quintessential taste of the region.
 
TRINITY HILL
GIMBLETT GRAVELS SYRAH
HAWKES BAY NZ 2019
 
 
 
“Wow. The white-pepper and black-fruit combination here is impressively fresh and vibrant. Really bursting from the glass. The palate has such fine-cut tannins that form a crisp outer shell around very juicy red and dark berries. Cascading, grainy finish. Superb. Drink or hold. Screw cap.”
96 Points
2019 Joyce Pinot Noir Gabilan Mountains Monterey

2019 Joyce Pinot Noir Gabilan Mountains Monterey

with No Comment $30-$40Central CoastKevin VogtMontereyPinot NoirUSA

JOYCE

PINOT NOIR
GABILAN MOUNTAINS
MONTEREY 2019

2019 Joyce Pinot Noir Gabilan Mountains Monterey
Joyce Wine Company began with four acres of vines planted behind the family home in 1986 in Carmel Valley. As a young boy, Russel Joyce learned everything from tending the vineyards and racking barrels to hand-bottling and labeling, with a keen emphasis on attention to detail. Russel became a self-taught winemaker whose passionate drive led him to explore the techniques and practices of world-class winemakers to fine-tune his work and create a style all his own. 
 
Coming from a small vineyard on the eastern side of the Salinas Valley in Monterey County, the Gabilan Mountain Pinot Noir is grown on decomposed granite and limestone, which gives the fruit an ethereal, pure expression, preserved by using neutral oak barrels that shines through in the 2019 release.
 
JOYCE
PINOT NOIR
GABILAN MOUNTAINS
MONTEREY 2019
Retails at: $45
 
 
 
“Quite light in the glass, this bottle from the eastern slopes above the Salinas Valley offers aromas of smashed sour cherry, turned soil, fresh sage and bloody rust. The palate is bright and earthy at once, showing fresh cranberry and raspberry but also ground-up chaparral and dusty rocks and soil. Both rustic and energized.”
93 Points
2019 Feather Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley

2019 Feather Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley

with No Comment $70-$80Cabernet SauvignonColumbia ValleyKevin VogtUSAWashington State

FEATHER

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
COLUMBIA VALLEY 2019

2019 Feather Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley
Allen Shoup was a prominent visionary in the Washington wine industry and spent decades building the Chateau Ste Michelle brand and its affiliate wineries to international recognition. In 2002, Allen retired from Chateau Ste Michelle to launch Long Shadows, his most significant and ambitious project yet, aimed at elevating Washington wines by bringing in renowned international winemakers to create super-premium wines.
 
Allen hired ambitious French native Gilles Nicault to be the Director of Winemaking because of Gille’s knowledge, flexibility, and eagerness to merge his winemaking skills with each vintner. Each winemaker joined the team as a co-owner of their wine, and in doing so, Allen hoped each partner would learn more about Washington’s vineyards and embrace the viticultural excellence of the state. With over forty years of experience making wine in Napa Valley, Randy Dunn expertly crafted the 2019 Feather Cabernet Sauvignon from hand-harvested grapes aged 22 months in 85% new French oak bringing forth an extraordinarily high level of sophistication from the Columbia Valley.
 
FEATHER
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
COLUMBIA VALLEY 2019
 
Your Price: $75
 
 
“All Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Feather is a rich, powerful wine loaded with notions of cassis, graphite, scorched earth, and crushed stone. Full-bodied on the palate and concentrated, it has building tannins, a great mid-palate, and the balance and class to benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and, I suspect, evolve for decades.”
95 Points
2019 Ty Caton Upper Bench Merlot Moon Mountain District

2019 Ty Caton Upper Bench Merlot Moon Mountain District

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtMerlotMoon MountainSonomaUSA

TY CATON

UPPER BENCH MERLOT
MOON MOUNTAIN DISTRICT
SONOMA COUNTY 2019

2019 Ty Caton Upper Bench Merlot Moon Mountain District
Winemaker Ty Caton’s relentless drive to produce “wines of distinction with an authentic sense of place” began after he returned to his hometown of Sonoma and convinced his parents to develop their land in the Moon Mountain District. The region located North of Sonoma on the western slopes of the Mayacamas mountain range is now well known for producing intense, flavorful fruit with a volcanic minerality from the intricate complexity of the mountain soils not far from the Pacific Coast.
 
The estate’s three acres of Merlot thrive in the Upper Bench Vineyard with an east-to-west orientation on iron-clay soils that are particularly suited to this variety. The 2019 growing season was nearly perfect in Sonoma with long hang-times, even fruit development, and concentrated flavors that are deeply defined coming from Ty’s mastery in the vineyard and the winery.
 
TY CATON
UPPER BENCH MERLOT
MOON MOUNTAIN DISTRICT
SONOMA COUNTY 2019
Retails at: $42
 
 
 
“The Ty Caton 2019 Upper Bench Moon Mountain District Merlot opens with aromas of violets, ripe fruit, cherries, plums, and sweet baking spices. On the palate, the wine has a silky, smooth texture and flavors of blackberries, chocolate-covered cherries, mocha, and a fresh minerality. Give this a few years in the cellar for further development, or enjoy it now with its supple drinkability.”
93 Points
2019 Laird Chardonnay Cold Creek Ranch Carneros

2019 Laird Chardonnay Cold Creek Ranch Carneros

with No Comment $30 and underCarnerosChardonnayKevin VogtNapaUSA

LAIRD

CHARDONNAY
COLD CREEK RANCH
CARNEROS 2019

2019 Laird Chardonnay Cold Creek Ranch Carneros
With over 50 years of vineyard expertise farming some of Napa Valley’s prized locations, Ken Laird uses his intimate knowledge of each vineyard as the foundation of Laird wines. Ken is the third generation of his family in farming, but he swapped tobacco farming for grape growing after he and his wife purchased land in Napa Valley in 1970.
 
The family’s Cold Creek Ranch is on the Sonoma side of the Los Carneros district and exposed to thick fog and cold marine winds, providing balanced fruit flavors with bright acid and excellent concentration. The 2019 vintage saw 46% malolactic fermentation giving a bit of creaminess to the body without overwhelming the wine, and the result is absolutely delicious. 
 
LAIRD
CHARDONNAY
COLD CREEK RANCH
CARNEROS 2019
 
 
 
“The Laird 2019 ‘Cold Creek’ Chardonnay begins with an inviting nose of honeysuckle, apricot, peach, toast, and vanilla. On the palate, the wine has a rich texture balanced by fresh acidity and flavors of nectarine, salted caramel corn, Werther’s Original caramels, and old-fashioned peaches and cream. This wine offers friendly approachability, ready to be enjoyed right now.”
92 Points
2019 Lobo Cabernet Sauvignon Wulff Vineyards Napa Valley

2019 Lobo Cabernet Sauvignon Wulff Vineyards Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOak KnollUSA

LOBO

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
WULFF VINEYARDS
NAPA VALLEY 2019

2019 Lobo Cabernet Sauvignon Wulff Vineyards Napa Valley
Founded on farming first and foremost, Lobo winery grows and sells fruit to premier Napa Valley producers from their Oak Knoll District vineyard, keeping a small number of rows for themselves. Vineyard Manager Mario Bazan has over 30 years of experience managing vineyards like Opus One, To-Kalon, and Stags Leap. He’s helped Lobo Winery transition from selling grapes to becoming a boutique winery making a small production of superb wines.
 
Winemaker Victoria Coleman has been at Lobo’s helm since 2008. She was hired on the spot because of her impressive background, beginning in production with Michael Silacci at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and working alongside Erick Tourbier at Chateau Mouton Rothschild. The 2019 Wulff Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon was fermented in stainless steel before aging 18 months in 70% new French oak giving the perfect balance of power and elegance with integrated tannins and a supple mouthfeel.
 
LOBO
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
WULFF VINEYARDS
NAPA VALLEY 2019
Retails at: $80
 
 
 
“Aromas of black fruit, plums, chocolate, sweet spices and cigar box. It’s medium-bodied with firm, fine tannins. Round and creamy with fruity character and a supple, sweetly spiced finish. Drink from 2023.”
91 Points
2019 Sequum Syrah Kidd Ranch Napa Valley

2019 Sequum Syrah Kidd Ranch Napa Valley

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtNapaSyrahUSA

SEQUUM

KIDD RANCH SYRAH
NAPA VALLEY 2019

2019 Sequum Syrah Kidd Ranch Napa Valley
Sequum is a scientific term describing the sequence of layers in soil and the perfect name for Paul Skinner’s label, combining his Ph.D. background in viticulture and soil science with years of experience in the vineyard and his passion for wine. After decades of consulting super-premium grape growing, Paul launched his brand in 2003, which is now blended and bottled at Pride Mountain Vineyards with the help of Paul’s loyal winemaking and cellar staff.
 
Paul walks his Kidd Ranch Vineyard each morning and evening in the traditional turn of the 19th-century style assessing each vine’s overall health, nutrient levels, water status, crop load, and rate of ripening. Different Syrah clones are matched with rootstocks and soil types and trained in one of the oldest methods still used in the Northern Rhône, producing deep color and pronounced varietal characteristics that are distinctively apparent in the 2019 release.
 
SEQUUM
KIDD RANCH SYRAH
NAPA VALLEY 2019
Retails at: $54
 
 
 
“A tiny production wine from an estate site, this offers depths of black cherry, dried herb and chalky tannin. Structured and balanced, with an elegant approach, it remains crisp in acidity throughout.”
90 Points
2019 The Crane Assembly Disciples Red Blend Napa Valley

2019 The Crane Assembly Disciples Red Blend Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

THE CRANE ASSEMBLY

DISCIPLES RED BLEND
NAPA VALLEY 2019

2019 The Crane Assembly Disciples Red Blend Napa Valley
George Beldon Crane planted the historic eight-acre GB Crane Vineyard South of St. Helena in 1885, making it one of the first vineyards planted in Napa Valley. Fast forward nearly 140 years, and the site still produces remarkable fruit. Crane initially planted the vineyard as a traditional field blend with Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignan, Alicante Bouschet, Mourvèdre, and Valdiguie, which was common during that era. 
 
With a few new plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot added to the mix, the Disciples Red Blend represents a uniquely-American style of red wine. The blend for the 2019 vintage consists of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Charbono, Merlot, Syrah, Grenache, and Cabernet Sauvignon, presented in a bold, rich, and memorable style. 
 
THE CRANE ASSEMBLY
DISCIPLES RED BLEND
NAPA VALLEY 2019
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
“Pouring a vivid cardinal into the glass, the 2019 Disciples is replete with aromas of cranberry compote, Rainier cherry, Staedtler graphite pencil and Mendocino forest floor – the combination of redwoods, sorels, sun and ocean spray. Upon entry, the wine exudes a bright and lively character with notes of ripe raspberry, red fruits and subtle toasted aok. The wine closes at length with soft fine tannins and an inviting hint of vanilla.
2019 Silverado Merlot Mt Geroge Vineyard Coombsville Napa Valley

2019 Silverado Merlot Mt Geroge Vineyard Coombsville Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50CoombsvilleKevin VogtMerlotNapaUSA

SILVERADO 

MERLOT 2019
MT GEROGE VINEYARD
COOMBSVILLE NAPA VALLEY

2019 Silverado Merlot Mt Geroge Vineyard Coombsville Napa Valley
Silverado Vineyards was founded in 1981 by Ron and Diane Miller and her mother, Lillian Disney, who was married to Walt Disney before his death. Silverado lies in the heart of Stags Leap District and today sustainably farms more than 300 acres to produce and bottle single-vineyard Cabernet, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Chardonnay, and several other varieties. The winery came under new ownership in 2022 by Bill and Carol Foley, who own around thirty successful wine brands, including Merus, Lancaster, Kuleto, and Foley Estate, and aim to keep the founders’ vision of Silverado Vineyards alive.
 
The Mt George Vineyard is the site of one of the first Napa Valley vineyard plantings in 1868, and the current Merlot plantings from 1989 and 1990 thrive on the well-drained, gravelly slopes of the ancient volcano. The characteristics of a cooler climate are apparent in this wine, which offers intense fruit flavors, spice, and deep color typical of the vineyard. The 2019 vintage yielded superior fruit quality with a friendly approachability and the structure necessary for cellaring. Our panel was thrilled by the wine’s impressive quality and agreed with James Suckling that it’s a hard wine to put down.
 
SILVERADO 
MERLOT 2019
MT GEROGE VINEYARD
COOMBSVILLE NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $65
 
Your Price: $45
 
 
“Aromas of pine, plum and redcurrant. Medium-bodied with fresh, mineral character and silky tannins. Bright and cool on the palate. Balanced and juicy. So approachable and delicious that it’s hard to put down. Drink now.”
93 Points