2021 Flanagan Cabernet Sauvignon North Coast

2021 Flanagan Cabernet Sauvignon North Coast

with No Comment $30 and underCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNorth CoastUSA

Flanagan

Cabernet Sauvignon
the beauty of three
North Coast 2021

2021 Flanagan Cabernet Sauvignon North Coast

Born from the same discipline as Flanagan’s flagship Cabernets, the 2021 the beauty of three North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon rewrites expectations. Made without shortcuts and raised alongside the estate’s most important wines, it exists because Flanagan chose care over compromise. The result is a Cabernet defined by proportion, shaped by intention rather than outcome.

Sourced primarily from the Kelsey Bench in Lake County, with complementary fruit from Sonoma County, the beauty of three strikes a measured balance between power and refinement. Cabernet Sauvignon forms the structural core, while Merlot adds dimension and nuance, bringing composure and lift. The focus remains on precision and movement, allowing each vineyard source to speak without unnecessary intervention.

The 2021 growing season further sharpened that sense of place. Lower yields and careful vineyard work delivered fruit with natural energy and definition. Time in barrel, followed by extended bottle rest, has preserved those qualities, resulting in a Cabernet that expresses its origin and season with confidence.

Flanagan
Cabernet Sauvignon
the beauty of three
North Coast 2021
Retails at: $38

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“The Flanagan 2021 North Coast ‘Beauty of Three’ Red has a fresh and linear profile, with aromas of raspberry and cherry, layered with ripe plum and blackcurrant, plus earthy notes of damp soil, fallen leaves, and black tea leaves. On the palate, the wine is clean and precise, with a seamless, elegant structure and refined tannins that frame the fruit without weight. The wine has balanced acidity that carries it through a polished finish, emphasizing purity and restraint.”

93 Points

2021 Marquis de Goulaine Touraine Sauvignon Blanc Loire Valley France

2021 Marquis de Goulaine Touraine Sauvignon Blanc Loire Valley France

with No Comment $30 and underFranceKevin VogtLoire ValleySancerreSauvignon Blanc

Marquis de Goulaine

Touraine Sauvignon Blanc
Les Landelles 2021
Loire Valley, France

2021 Marquis de Goulaine Touraine Sauvignon Blanc Loire Valley France

Marquis de Goulaine’s Les Landelles Sauvignon Blanc delivers a level of freshness, balance, and site expression that immediately sets it apart as an exceptional value. Floral aromatics and fresh herbal notes emerge with immediacy and restraint, capturing Touraine’s cool influence and mineral soils in strikingly pure form.

That purity is rooted firmly in Touraine’s geology and climate. Beneath the vines, tuffeau limestone intermingles with sands and flint clays, soils that naturally favor tension and aromatic definition. Above ground, the region’s position between Atlantic influence and a more continental rhythm allows Sauvignon Blanc to ripen slowly, preserving acidity while sharpening expression.

Les Landelles delivers its message with Loire-like precision. Bright acidity defines the structure, bringing focus to citrus and herbal notes while allowing the wine’s mineral character to surface naturally. There is no excess weight, resulting in a finish that feels both refreshing and distinctly place-driven.

Marquis de Goulaine
Touraine Sauvignon Blanc
Les Landelles 2021
Loire Valley, France

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“The Marquis de Goulaine 2021 Touraine Les Landelles is lively and expressive, with aromas of lime zest, grapefruit pith, subtle green tropical fruit notes, and freshly cut grass, white peach, and chalky soil. On the palate, the wine is sharp and focused, driven by racy acidity and flavors of citrus, green apple, and gooseberry, with a Touraine limestone minerality. The wine finishes clean and with hints of oceanic salinity and a crisp, refreshing sensation.”

94 Points

2021 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2021 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

Silver Oak

Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley 2021

2021 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Few wineries have shaped the modern idea of American Cabernet Sauvignon quite like Silver Oak. From the outset, its ambition was never about fleeting acclaim, but about crafting wines built to endure, bottles that reward patience while offering real pleasure from the first pour. That clarity of purpose remains central to the estate today, and it is unmistakable in the 2021 Napa Valley Cabernet, which has earned exceptional critical praise.

That level of consistency is no accident. Silver Oak has long believed that true quality comes from control rather than excess, a philosophy most clearly embodied in its decision to oversee its own barrel aging through a dedicated Missouri cooperage. By shaping every element of élevage, the estate ensures that oak supports rather than dominates, framing the fruit and allowing each vintage to express strength and restraint with precision.

The 2021 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon brings this philosophy into sharp focus. A deep, composed core of fruit is carried by a polished texture and impeccable balance, hallmarks of the Silver Oak style. The wine shows presence without weight, structure without rigidity, and finishes with a steady, confident length that speaks to both immediate pleasure and long-term evolution.

Silver Oak
Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley 2021
Retails at: $200

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“Silver Oak’s 2021 Napa Valley Cabernet might well be one of the finest wines they’ve produced. Compact and beautifully poised, it marries generosity of fruit with a firm structural frame and focused aromatics. A panoply of blackberry and warm spice—smoked paprika, cinnamon, tobacco—lifts from the glass, interwoven with black truffle and loamy earth. Full-bodied, with a solid foundation of lengthy tannins buttressing the wine, it’s carried by a firm spine of juicy acidity. Rich oak spices are balanced by graphite minerality, a potpourri of dried flowers, and a chalky-earth finish that lingers. This is undoubtedly set to be one of Silver Oak’s longest-lived wines: ripe and generous enough to enjoy young, yet built on a sturdy foundation that will reward long-term cellaring. 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Malbec are blended before barreling down for 24 months in American oak, of which 85% was new, 15% was once-used, and aged 20 additional months in bottle before release.”

98 Points

2021 Emeritus Pinot Noir Hallberg Vineyard Russian River Valley

2021 Emeritus Pinot Noir Hallberg Vineyard Russian River Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtPinot NoirRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

Emeritus

Pinot Noir 2021
Hallberg Vineyard
Russian River Valley

2021 Emeritus Pinot Noir Hallberg Vineyard Russian River Valley

Emeritus Hallberg Vineyard Pinot Noir doesn’t tiptoe into the room; it announces itself without apology. This is a Pinot built on grand presence, yet it never loses its balance. That tension is the magic of Hallberg Ranch in Green Valley: dry-farmed vines digging deep into Goldridge soils, yielding fruit with both volume and shape.

Green Valley doesn’t dilute richness; it sculpts it. Cool coastal influence slows ripening enough to preserve definition, even as the fruit reaches full phenolic maturity. In the 2021 Pinot Noir, that balance is unmistakable: a deep, expressive core framed by freshness and natural tension, allowing generosity without tipping into heaviness.

Guiding that expression is Keith Hammond, whose familiarity with the Russian River landscape has shaped Emeritus since 2007. His approach favors continuity over reinvention, allowing the vineyard’s character to come through with confidence and clarity. The result is a wine that rewards attention and is a vivid reminder of what can be achieved when vineyard, vintage, and vision align without compromise.

Emeritus
Pinot Noir 2021
Hallberg Vineyard
Russian River Valley
Retails at: $50

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“Classic Russian River character from a dry-farmed vineyard is on display here, with a nose full of cherry, raspberry and cola spice aromas. The palate has a charming balance between crushed raspberry, mint and floral flavors and the grip of some ageworthy tannin. Drink 2028–2040.”

93 Points

2021 Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville

2021 Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville

with No Comment $90-$100Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA

Paradigm

Cabernet Sauvignon
Oakville 2021

2021 Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville

Paradigm’s Cabernet has long been a wine for those paying close attention. Its broader recognition did not arrive through marketing or spectacle, but through discovery, when a respected critic encountered it unexpectedly and recognized something exceptional. That moment confirmed what insiders had long known: Paradigm is an estate that has been producing Cabernet of uncommon poise and remarkable quality.

Paradigm’s estate sits just south of the famed To Kalon Vineyard, surrounded by some of Oakville’s most revered names. This privileged position, defined by alluvial soils and ideal exposure, yields fruit of natural concentration and balance. The vineyard expresses itself clearly, capturing Oakville’s signature tension between power and elegance, richness balanced by freshness, and without excess.

In the cellar, the skilled hand of Heidi Barrett brings composure to the wine, shaping it with the precision that has defined many of Napa Valley’s most celebrated bottlings. The result is a Cabernet of depth and structure, expressive yet beautifully balanced. In a landscape where acclaim often drives excessive richness, Paradigm remains grounded, offering an Oakville Cabernet that stands confidently among its storied neighbors while retaining a rare sense of authenticity and approachability.

Paradigm
Cabernet Sauvignon
Oakville 2021

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“This blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot was fermented in stainless steel with a small percentage of whole berries included. Winemaker Mark Fasi explains that pressing off the wine before it goes dry helps to soften the tannins. The wine is then aged 18–20 months in approximately 50% new French oak. The Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignons are medium-bodied and exude utmost elegance, showcasing soaring tannins that are assertive yet beautifully integrated and framed by crisp, juicy acidity. The palate reveals pure and gorgeous red berry fruit, complemented by a panoply of brown spices, wild herbs like sage, and floral notes of lilacs and violets. This wine is absolutely pure, brimming with energy and tension, and delivers a stunningly refined expression. A remarkable effort, embodying balance, vitality, and sophistication. Truly impressive. The winemaker is legendary Napa icon Heidi Barrett. Mark Fasi, who joined the winery in 2010 and has worked hand-in-hand with Barrett, takes the helm as winemaker with the 2023 vintage.”

97 Points, #18 Top 50 US Wines 2025

2021 PureCru Sangio Vetta California

2021 PureCru Sangio Vetta California

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtProprietary RedUSA

PureCru

Sangio Vetta
California 2021

2021 PureCru Sangio Vetta California

Sangio Vetta reflects a lifetime of study distilled into a single bottle. Crafted by Mitch Cosentino, a winemaker with more than four decades of experience, the 2021 release bears the mark of someone who understands Italy’s great reds not as an admirer, but as a practitioner. Shaped with the structure, restraint, and age-worthy balance associated with Brunello, it is driven by a deliberate pursuit of elegance rather than excess.

That depth of understanding has earned Cosentino rare international respect. His invitation from the Italian government to speak at the World Conference for Nebbiolo is a distinction seldom granted to non-Italian winemakers, reflecting mastery rooted in substance rather than style. Sangio Vetta benefits directly from this rigor, guided by a philosophy that values precision over spectacle.

The 2021 vintage is composed with intent, built on a Sangiovese core and supported by carefully measured additions of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Petite Sirah. Each component is vinified separately, then seamlessly integrated through extended oak aging. The result is a wine whose balance feels natural and resolved, revealing depth, lift, and clarity without sacrificing its identity.

PureCru
Sangio Vetta
California 2021
Retails at: $34

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“The PureCru 2021 Sangio Vetta offers an Old World take on California, a Sangiovese-dominant blend with Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Petite Sirah. The nose is bright and aromatic with dried flowers, rose petals, Morello cherries, pomegranate, dried oregano, cloves, and a dusty, clay-like minerality. On the palate, the wine has vibrant flavors of cherries, cranberries, cloves, savory spices, carried by lively acidity, depth, and complexity. The tannins are well integrated, and the finish is long, weaving through a range of flavors. This wine has excellent aging potential, though it’s already beginning to show off.”

96 Points

2021 Shibumi Knoll Chardonnay Rrussian River Valley

2021 Shibumi Knoll Chardonnay Russian River Valley

with No Comment $70-$80ChardonnayKevin VogtRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

Shibumi Knoll

Chardonnay 2021
Corazon del Río Vineyard
Russian River Valley

2021 Shibumi Knoll Chardonnay Rrussian River Valley

Shibumi Knoll occupies a rare place in California Chardonnay, guided by intention rather than scale and shaped by the skilled hand of Thomas Rivers Brown. The result is a wine that speaks in a higher register, focused, precise, and alive with detail, offering a clear counterpoint to the estate’s more mature expressions.

Within the renowned Buena Tierra Vineyard, one small block behaves differently. Its younger vines yield fruit with sharper edges, brighter energy, and a natural tension that demands restraint. The 2021 Corazon del Rio Chardonnay is drawn from this block and shaped to emphasize clarity and lift. What emerges is a wine with nerve and definition, alive rather than polished into submission.

Nothing here feels accidental. Time in barrel brings texture and dimension without dulling the wine’s natural edge, keeping tension at the core of the experience. The palate is persistent and finely tuned, delivering intensity through precision rather than force. It is a Chardonnay that rewards attention, unfolding gradually and revealing its depth with patience, not haste.

Shibumi Knoll
Chardonnay 2021
Corazon del Río Vineyard
Russian River Valley

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“The 2021 Chardonnay Corazon Del Rio Vineyard is another brilliant Chardonnay (these are all made by Thomas Rivers Brown) from the Russian River Valley. Bright citrus, honeyed flowers, and subtle toasty oak notes define the aromatics, and its medium-bodied, has a fresh, focused mouthfeel, terrific balance, and a great finish. I’d be thrilled with bottles in the cellar.”

95 Points

2021 Sixteen by Twenty Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

2021 Sixteen by Twenty Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

with No Comment $30 and underChardonnayKevin VogtSonomaSonoma CoastUSA

Sixteen by Twenty

Chardonnay 2021
Sonoma Coast

2021 Sixteen by Twenty Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

Sixteen by Twenty represents a modern vision of California Chardonnay, one rooted in balance rather than excess. Its name reflects a philosophy borrowed from fine art, where proportion and restraint define true beauty. This mindset carries through every stage of winemaking, resulting in a wine that feels polished, thoughtful, and effortlessly refined.

The 2021 vintage showcases the Sonoma Coast at its most expressive. Sourced from two cool, windswept vineyard sites, the blend combines Old Wente’s richness and aromatic complexity with the tension and precision of Clone 6. The result is a Chardonnay that feels both generous and controlled.

Eleven months in French oak lend subtle structure and texture, enhancing the wine without dominating it. The finish is persistent and balanced, carrying the wine’s natural energy through a long, graceful close that invites another sip.

Sixteen by Twenty
Chardonnay 2021
Sonoma Coast
Retails at: $60

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“The 16X20 2021 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay introduces coastal freshness with opulent California Fruit, featuring flavors of Meyer lemon, golden apples, nectarine, crushed stone, and a subtle thread of vanilla bean and butterscotch. On the palate, the wine has a vibrant edge balanced by rich flavors of ripe orchard fruit, a saline edge, lemon curd, and hazelnut. Playful and expressive, this wine exemplifies the refinement and energy of the Sonoma Coast.”

94 Points

2021 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour

2021 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaRutherfordUSA

Beaulieu Vineyard

Cabernet Sauvignon
Georges de Latour
Private Reserve
Napa Valley 2021

2021 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour

With consistency and restraint, Beaulieu Vineyards Georges de Latour Private Reserve helped shape the very identity of Napa Valley and remains one of its most enduring benchmarks. First produced in 1936, it is a living record of the region’s evolution, proving that true greatness is not driven by trends, but earned through decades of disciplined craftsmanship and vision.

The 2021 vintage draws its strength from the western bench of Rutherford, sourced exclusively from BV Ranches No. 1 and No. 2, vineyards first planted by Georges de Latour in the early 1900s. These historic sites sit on well-draining alluvial fan soils that naturally limit vigor and concentrate flavor, producing Cabernet Sauvignon of depth, structure, and unmistakable Rutherford character.

The 2021 vintage affirmed its place among Napa’s elite when it was ranked #2 on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2024 and earned multiple 98-point scores from leading critics. These accolades are not departures from history, but confirmations of it, reinforcing Georges de Latour as a wine that continues to set the standard for what great Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon can achieve.

Beaulieu Vineyard
Cabernet Sauvignon
Georges de Latour
Private Reserve
Napa Valley 2021
Retails at: $180

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“Lastly, the flagship 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Georges De Latour Private Reserve is in the same ballpark as the 2019 and is an incredibly elegant yet concentrated 2021 that does everything right. Purple-hued, with ample cassis, wild sage, graphite, and darker chocolate-like aromatics, it picks up a Graves-like gravelly earth character with air and is full-bodied, has ripe, polished tannins, beautiful overall balance, and a great finish. As with many of the top 2021s, it’s a touch reserved and closed and needs 4-5 years of bottle age, but will drink well for 30 years.”

98+ Points

2021 Buoncristiani O.P.C. Proprietary Red Blend Napa Valley

2021 Buoncristiani O.P.C. Proprietary Red Blend Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

Buoncristiani O.P.C.

Proprietary Red Blend
Napa Valley 2021

2021 Buoncristiani O.P.C. Proprietary Red Blend Napa Valley

The 2021 Buoncristiani O.P.C. does not attempt to define Napa Valley with a single stroke. Instead, it captures the region as a layered composition, where power, nuance, and polish coexist in careful proportion. Built around Cabernet and enriched by Malbec, Syrah, and Merlot, the wine presents Napa not as excess, but as harmony shaped by intention.

That sense of harmony reflects the Buoncristiani brothers’ deep-rooted relationship with Napa Valley. Growing up immersed in the region’s vineyards, they developed an intuitive understanding of how site, variety, and vintage intersect. The 2021 O.P.C. draws from that lived experience, translating familiarity with the land into a wine with scintillating confidence.

That perspective reveals itself in the wine’s effortless composure. The 2021 O.P.C. carries the Buoncristiani signature of concentration balanced by elegance, a style refined over more than twenty-five years of winemaking. Each vineyard component contributes structure and intensity, yet the wine never feels assembled. Instead, it flows as a complete and confident expression of place.

Buoncristiani O.P.C.
Proprietary Red Blend
Napa Valley 2021
Retails at: $75

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“The 2021 Red Wine O.P.C., Buoncristiani’s blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah and Merlot, is superb. Another rich wine in this range, the 2021 hits the palate with dense dark fruit, chocolate, graphite, leather, spice, plum and lavender. This rich, inky wine will delight Buoncristiani fans.”

95 Points