2020 Dundee Wine Library Pinot Noir McMinville Oregon

2020 Dundee Wine Library Pinot Noir McMinville Oregon

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtOregonPinot NoirUSAWillamette Valley

DUNDEE WINE LIBRARY

PINOT NOIR 2020
PUGILIST CHAPTER THREE
MCMINVILLE OREGON

2020 Dundee Wine Library Pinot Noir McMinville Oregon
The Dundee Wine Library in the Dundee Hills AVA of Willamette Valley is family owned by two Oregonian natives, Henry and Araminta Miller. They farm a small estate vineyard, planted in 2015, and have several partnerships with renowned growers in the Dundee Hills, Ribbon Ridge, Chehalem Mountains, and McMinnville AVAs. 
 
Winemaker Thibaud Mandet was born in Auvergne, France, and earned a degree in organic chemistry before moving into more exciting studies in wine in Champagne and Bordeaux. The 2020 Pugilist Pinot Noir was sourced from the Hyland Vineyard in McMinnville and aged for eleven months in neutral French barrels, gently coaxing the fruit’s superior quality to shine through and purely express Willamette Valley’s terroir.
 
DUNDEE WINE LIBRARY
PINOT NOIR 2020
PUGILIST CHAPTER THREE
MCMINVILLE OREGON
Retails at: $60
 
 
 
“The DWL The Pugilist Chapter Three Pinot Noir 2020 begins with a nose of sweet cherries, bright berries, wild mushrooms, fresh Spring florals, and wet chalk. The palate continues with concentrated cherry juice and vibrant pomegranate dancing in step with a beautiful balance of ripe fruits with bright freshness. The crisp acidity carries the penetrating fruit through to a long, complex, satisfying finish.”
94 Points
2020 Edict Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville

2020 Edict Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA

EDICT

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
OAKVILLE 2020

2020 Edict Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville
Edict’s winemaking mantra of “truth, generosity, and love” guides each decision from the vineyard to the winery, ensuring premium quality in their finished wines. With 30 years of experience and partnerships with some of the best growers from Carneros to Calistoga, Edict’s Vineyard Manager carefully selects the healthiest fruit with the most significant varietal expression.
 
Edict’s winemaking team focuses on bringing out those unique varietal expressions, highlighting the fruit and harnessing ripe, almost chewy tannins, a smooth texture, and deep, bold aromatics. The 2020 Oakville Collinetta Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is full-bodied with rich layers of flavor, power, and energy, and with all Edict wines can age but is ready to be enjoyed now.
 
EDICT
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
OAKVILLE 2020
Retails at: $120
 
 
 
“The Edict. Collinetta Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 begins with a generous nose including black currants, blackberry jam, baker’s chocolate, and crushed stones. The supple palate has a pretty combination of mouth watering bright red fruits, combined with deep, ripe black fruits – a textbook signature of Oakville Cabs. It has a long, linear styled finish leaving your palate begging for another sip.”
94 Points
2020 Raoul Gautherin Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons

2020 Raoul Gautherin Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons

with No Comment $40-$50BurgandyChablisFranceKevin Vogt

RAOUL GAUTHERIN

CHABLIS 1ER CRU
VAILLONS 2020

2020 Raoul Gautherin Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons
Since 1585 the Gautherin family has cultivated vines on Chablis’ most exposed hillside sites, crafting beautiful wines that tell a detailed story of their origins. Because of low intervention in the vineyard and winery, natural yeasts, and limited or no use of oak, Chablis is one of the purest expressions of Chardonnay worldwide.
 
Raoul Gautherin’s father and son team relies on familial knowledge passed down over several generations and sustainable farming practices that focus on the vitality of the vines to produce world-class wines. The Vaillons Premier Cru vineyard produces wines with distinct minerality and delicate white fruit aromatics, making it one of Chablis’ most desired sites. The 2020 vintage provided wines with rich flavors and deep complexity that are dangerously easy to drink now and will pay tribute to those with the patience to cellar and age.
 
RAOUL GAUTHERIN
CHABLIS 1ER CRU
VAILLONS 2020
 
 
 
“The Raoul Gautherin 2020 1er Cru Chablis opens with expressive notes of chamomile, yellow apple, bread dough, chalky minerality, and oceanic salinity. On the palate, the wine has a silky smooth texture with flavors of apple, quince, apricot, and pastry. This wine has an impeccable balance of rich flavors and bright acidity that flows into a long finish.”
95 Points
2020 S. Delafont Mosaique Rouge Languedoc-Roussillon

2020 S. Delafont Mosaique Rouge Languedoc-Roussillon

with No Comment $30 and underFranceKevin VogtProprietary Red

S. DELAFONT

MOSAIQUE ROUGE 2020
LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON

2020 S. Delafont Mosaique Rouge Languedoc-Roussillon
Samuel Delafont founded Maison S. Delafont in 2010, bringing innovative environmental biodiversity and the invention of the stainless steel barrel to produce and celebrate Languedoc wines. Samuel believes that respecting a balanced ecosystem is the best approach to growing vines with healthy fruit that naturally represent the nuances of their particular terroir.
 
The stainless steel barrels provide an ideal curved shape that enhances lees contact, preserves freshness, and reinforces the volume and complexity of the wine. Languedoc red wines combine Carignan, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Grenache and can offer tremendous value. Samuel’s 2020 release highlights purity from a marriage of varieties and terroirs using his cutting-edge stainless steel barrels.
 
S. DELAFONT
MOSAIQUE ROUGE 2020
LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON
 
 
 
“A fine-grained yet grippy wine with a peppery leanness that evolves over time in the glass. Earthiness evolves into savoury herbs and dried spices which open into surprisingly juicy and multilayered black fruits with lovely refreshing acidity. Really intriguing and palatable.”
95 Points
2020 Fillon and Fils Petit-Chablis France

2020 Fillon and Fils Petit-Chablis France

with No Comment $30 and underBurgandyChablisFranceKevin Vogt

FILLON & FILS

PETIT-CHABLIS 2020
PETIT-CHABLIS FRANCE

2020 Fillon and Fils Petit-Chablis France
Domaine Fillon & Fils was established in the early 20th century and opened its first wine-tasting cellar in 1935 in the village of Saint-Bris-le-Vineux. The winery continues operation in the hands of the same family and still produces every wine in-house from their 90 acres of vines.
 
Chablis is located southeast of Paris in the northern part of Burgundy, where the harsh, cold winters and short, hot summers create the ideal environment for the racy, brightly styled Chardonnay famous worldwide. Petit Chablis is a style within Chablis with a less strict aging requirement and aimed at an easy-drinking wine with freshness and vibrant acidity, and this 2020 Petit Chablis is the epitome of just that.
 
FILLON & FILS
PETIT-CHABLIS 2020
PETIT-CHABLIS FRANCE
 
 
 
“The Domaine Fillon 2020 Petit Chablis opens with delicate floral notes, lemon zest, cream, brioche, and a chalky minerality. On the palate, the wine has a light body with mouthwatering acidity and flavors of crisp green apple, peach yogurt, and pastry dough. The wine has a lively finish and is dangerously easy to drink.”
93 Points
2020 Macauley Old Vine Zinfandel Napa Valley

2020 Macauley Old Vine Zinfandel Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtNapaOld Vine ZinfandelUSA

MACAULEY

OLD VINE ZINFANDEL
NAPA VALLEY 2020

2020 Macauley Old Vine Zinfandel Napa Valley
Ann Macauley Watson founded the Macauley winery in the early 1980s; her son Mac now runs the estate, working closely with his childhood friend Kirk Venge. Mac and Kirk share the same winemaking philosophy, aiming to create wines with depth and a range of complexity directly related to each site’s specific terroir, which means sourcing the best fruit from the best vineyards in Napa.
 
Macauley’s 2020 Old Vine Zinfandel arose from ancient vines averaging 115 years old from historic vineyards throughout Napa Valley, including Korte Ranch, Kenefick Ranch, and Luvisi. The old vines limit yields, resulting in fruit with concentrated and complex flavors, giving the best qualities of the variety and providing the Macauley signature flavor profile. 
 
MACAULEY
OLD VINE ZINFANDEL
NAPA VALLEY 2020
Retails at: $55
 
 
 
“The Macauley 2020 Old Vine Zinfandel is a spice rack of aromas beginning with cinnamon, clove, sweet tobacco, and cedar with sweet fruit notes of black raspberry and strawberry. On the palate, the wine has bold flavors of ripe berries, vanilla, baking spices, and roasted hazelnuts that glide into a smooth, rich finish.”
93 Points
2020 Arbe Garbe White Blend Sonoma County

2020 Arbe Garbe White Blend Sonoma County

with No Comment $30-$40Proprietary WhiteSonomaSonoma ValleyUSA

ARBE GARBE

WHITE BLEND 2020
SONOMA COUNTY

2020 Arbe Garbe White Blend Sonoma County
Letizia Pauletto and Enrico Maria Bertoz have reconnected with the roots of their native region of Friuli, Italy, by crafting pure, refined wines from Friulian varieties uncommonly found in the US. Enrico and Letizia worked harvests in Friuli while attending college, polishing their skills and picking up valuable old-world techniques. After arriving in California, Enrico gained additional experience at Sine Qua Non, Joseph Phelps, and Flora Springs, paving the way for his success with this brand.
 
Arbe Garbe is a white blend of Tocai Friulano, a relative of Sauvignon Blanc, of which only around 50 acres are planted in California, Malvasia Bianca, an ancient variety with Greek origins, and Chardonnay. The 2020 release may be the freshest yet with clean, crisp, focused flavors that are unlike any other wine from California and provides a unique and inviting drinking experience.
 
ARBE GARBE
WHITE BLEND 2020
SONOMA COUNTY
 
Your Price: $35
 
 
“The Arbe Garbe 2020 Sonoma County Proprietary White begins with opulent floral notes of honeysuckle, orange blossom, and jasmine, followed by cinnamon apple strudel, quince, ginger, and lemon verbena. The flavors on the palate are a bit riper with golden apple, green pineapple, white peach, nectarine, and a hint of honey. This wine is delightfully refreshing with a medium body, providing roundness and checking all the boxes.”
95 points
2020 Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The Haze Napa Valley

2020 Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The Haze Napa Valley

with No Comment $90-$100Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA

CARTER CELLARS

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
THE HAZE 2020
NAPA VALLEY

2020 Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The Haze Napa Valley
Carter Cellars is the concomitant of Mark Carter’s historic Carter House hotel and his Grand Award-winning wine list. Mark’s relentless pursuit of producing world-class Cabernet Sauvignons from Napa’s top vineyards has led to around a dozen 100-point scores and a reputation for producing thrilling and memorable wines of the highest quality.
 
The 2020 vintage is the second release of The Haze Cabernet Sauvignon, primarily sourced from younger vines in the Fortuna Vineyard, which flanks icons Plumpjack and Groth on Oakville’s volcanic Eastern side. It also contains grapes from a plot south of Napa township exposed to cool ocean breezes from San Pablo Bay. This wine portrays the winery’s signature style with ripe fruit, seasoned tannins, and incredible depth that lingers into a layered, complex finish.
 
CARTER CELLARS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
THE HAZE 2020
NAPA VALLEY
 
Your Price: $95
 
 
“This is our second release of The Haze which is sourced from vineyards in Oakville and the southern Napa AVA, a site heavily influenced by the clean Bay air. The Haze has a deep dark purple ruby hue, matched with dark red and black fruits, fresh leather, graphite and currents all wrapped in powerful integrated oak. On the palate, it is has a full-bodied lifted finish with a balanced mouthful matched with firm, yet supple tannins.”

2020 Foley Johnson Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaRutherfordUSA

FOLEY JOHNSON 

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
RUTHERFORD 2020

Bill Foley is a titan in the wine industry, with around thirty successful brands, including Merus, Lancaster, Kuleto, and many others. Foley Johnson is paramount because it bears his name and is in the heart of Rutherford, one of the most significant regions in America for growing premium Cabernet Sauvignon with a distinct “Rutherford dust” characteristic.
 
The Foleys believe that sustainable farming in their vineyards preserves the local ecosystem and produces fruit that more accurately depicts the unique terroir in this small pocket of Napa Valley. The 2020 release upholds the standards of previous vintages with powerfully layered flavors accented by the signature “Rutherford dust,” a dynamic structure with ripe tannins. At less than $50, Foley Johnson is one of the best values in the region.
 
FOLEY JOHNSON 
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
RUTHERFORD 2020
Retails at: $75
 
Your Price: $45
 
 
“The Foley Johnson Estate Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 begins with a savory nose dominated by deep black cherry, ripe blackberry, fresh red currants, dried salame, and ground espresso, followed by tobacco leaf, vanilla hints, and white flowers. The structured palate has slightly dusty tannins, which frame a wine that reflects similarities in the nose with bright, fresh red fruits balanced by deeper black fruits and baker’s chocolate. These elements combine to create an elegantly complex wine that drinks great at release but will continue to age gracefully for the next eight years or so.”
93 Points
2020 Harvey & Harriet Red Blend San Luis Obispo

2020 Harvey & Harriet Red Blend San Luis Obispo

with No Comment $30-$40Central CoastKevin VogtProprietary RedUSA

HARVEY & HARRIET

RED BLEND 2020
SAN LUIS OBISPO

2020 Harvey & Harriet Red Blend San Luis Obispo
Eric Jensen’s My Favorite Neighbor and Harvey & Harriett brands spotlight the vast potential for high-quality, memorable wines from San Luis Obispo, making many friends along the way with their value prices. Eric’s ambition and ingenuity led him to find an ideal balance of brightness, intensity, and richness, designed to capture higher-end wine’s most striking characteristics but with a value price.
 
Eric created this delightful, friendly, cult-style wine in honor of his hardworking parents, Harvey and Harriet, who most likely wouldn’t be able to afford today’s top-end wines. Harvey and Harriet is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec from select vineyard sites in San Luis Obispo and is a strong competitor against similar styles that cost two or three times as much.
 
HARVEY & HARRIET
RED BLEND 2020
SAN LUIS OBISPO
 
Your Price: $32
 
 
“Nice herbs, olives with a hint of savory anchovies, blackcurrants and tobacco to the nose. Juicy and bright with fine, present tannins on a medium- to full-bodied palate. Nicely flattering and fruit-forward, too. Drink or hold.”
93 Points