2023 Steps Barrel Select Reserve Proprietary Red Blend Napa Valley

2023 Steps Barrel Select Reserve Proprietary Red Blend Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

Steps

Barrel Select Reserve
Proprietary Red Blend
Napa Valley 2023

2023 Steps Barrel Select Reserve Proprietary Red Blend Napa Valley

Born from a vintage that winemakers dream of, the Steps 2023 Barrel Select captures the essence of Napa Valley at its purest. Selected from just three barrels, this wine reflects the singular vision of Grant Long, Jr., whose name has become synonymous with craftsmanship through his acclaimed work at Aonair, Reverie II, and James Joseph.

Grant’s vision for Steps Reserve has always centered on a balance between the valley’s plush generosity and its rugged, high-elevation edge. The 2023 vintage embodies that duality with striking clarity. Cabernet Sauvignon lends structure and power, while Merlot and Malbec add notes of supple fruit and lifted aromatics.

Aged for nineteen months in Sylvain and Darnajou barrels, the Steps Reserve Barrel Select emerges polished yet vibrant, its depth framed by the quiet luxury of fine French oak. Beneath its refinement lies a pulse of energy, a sign of its youth and promise. With time, this wine will evolve into something extraordinary: an elegant and enduring reflection of both the vintage and the vision.

Steps
Barrel Select Reserve
Proprietary Red Blend
Napa Valley 2023

Your Price: $49.99

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“The STEPS Reserve Barrel Select 2023 Napa Valley Proprietary Red Blend begins with deep aromas of cassis, black cherries, ripe plums, dark chocolate, roasted coffee beans, clove, dried herbs, and cedar. On the palate, the wine is refined and silky, with a seamless mouthfeel and bright acidity, which enhances the complexity of flavors ranging from plush black fruits and spices, keeping the profile fresh and poised. Fine-grained tannins lend structure, and the elegant finish lingers for a harmonious and polished expression of Napa Valley.”

96 Points

2022 Steps Barrel Select Reserve Napa Valley

2022 Steps Barrel Select Reserve Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Atlas PeakCalistogaKevin VogtNapaOak KnollProprietary RedSaint HelenaUSA

Steps

Barrel Select Reserve
Napa Valley 2022

2022 Steps Barrel Select Reserve Napa Valley

The 2022 Steps Reserve Barrel Select embodies the exceptional artistry of Grant Long, Jr., a renowned winemaker celebrated for his work at Aonair, Reverie II, and James Joseph. Grant possesses a unique talent for crafting both approachable and elegant wines, transforming each barrel into a harmonious expression of texture, balance, and enduring appeal.

Sourced from premier vineyards across Napa Valley – Saint Helena, Oak Knoll, Atlas Peak, and Calistoga – the 2022 Steps Reserve showcases a captivating interplay of lush valley floor fruit and structured mountain grapes. This meticulously crafted blend, centered around Cabernet Sauvignon and interwoven with Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot, exemplifies Grant’s ability to translate Napa Valley’s diverse terroir into a genuinely captivating wine.

After 18 months of careful aging in French oak, the 2022 Steps Reserve Barrel Select unfolds with layers of rich, penetrating flavors. Polished yet vibrant, this wine promises a journey of evolution, maturing gracefully into a paragon of sophistication over time.

Steps
Barrel Select Reserve
Napa Valley 2022

Your Price: $49.99

Click Here to Join Our (Free) Insider’s Club & Unlock Special Offers

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“The Steps 2022 Reserve Barrel Select opens with supple fruit aromas of plums and black currants, accompanied by notes of sweet spices, chocolate fudge, graphite, new leather, and cedar. On the palate, the wine is penetrating and concentrated with flavors of blackberries, black plums, allspice, gingerbread, vanilla extract, and toasted hazelnuts. The wine has a sultry structure with silky tannins that glide into a long, smooth finish like a sunset slowly fading into twilight.”

95 Points

2021 Steps Reserve Barrel Select Napa Valley

2021 Steps Reserve Barrel Select Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Diamond MountainKevin VogtNapaOak KnollProprietary RedSaint HelenaUSA

STEPS

RESERVE BARREL SELECT
NAPA VALLEY 2021

2021 Steps Reserve Barrel Select Napa Valley
STEPS Barrel Select Reserve is a quintessential Napa Valley Blend crafted by Grant Long, Jr., the renowned winemaker behind Aonair, Reverie II, James Joseph, and Witchery. Grant’s winemaking wizardry creates approachable wines with a supple texture, hedonistic flavors, and ageability.
 
The 2021 STEPS unites plush valley floor fruit from Oak Knoll and St. Helena with structured mountain fruit from Diamond Mountain, showcasing the exceptional balance of Napa terroir.
 
The blend for this vintage is 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot, aged in 50% new French oak and 50% once-used French oak, seamlessly harmonizing power and elegance.
 
STEPS
RESERVE BARREL SELECT
NAPA VALLEY 2021
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
“The 2021 Steps Reserve Barrel Select has fresh aromas of violets, black tea leaves, berry bramble, ripe plum, and black olive. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied with bright acidity and flavors of black cherry, black currant, mint, dark chocolate, and cloves. The wine’s intensity and fine-grained tannins will allow for graceful development, although it’s drinking quite nicely already.”
94 Points
2020 Steps Proprietary Red Reserve Barrel Select Napa Valley

2020 Steps Proprietary Red Reserve Barrel Select Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Atlas PeakDiamond MountainKevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

STEPS

RESERVE BARREL SELECT
PROPRIETARY RED
NAPA VALLEY 2020

2020 Steps Proprietary Red Reserve Barrel Select Napa Valley
STEPS Barrel Select Reserve is designed each year from a powerfully expressive and quality-driven selection of fruit from some of Napa Valley’s most prized AVAs. Grant Long Jr. is well known for his winemaking at Aonair, Reverie II, James Joseph, and Witchery, and he creates STEPS Reserve in the same supple, concentrated, and hedonistic style that’s developed a devoted following.
 
The 2020 STEPS combines structured mountain fruit from Diamond Mountain and Atlas Peak with characteristically earthy, dusty Rutherford fruit to create a harmonious balance of Napa terroir. The blend consists of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon enhanced with Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot, and Merlot, presented in a richly layered style that perfectly balances power and elegance and a long, smooth finish. 
 
STEPS
RESERVE BARREL SELECT
PROPRIETARY RED
NAPA VALLEY 2020
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
“The 2020 Steps Reserve Barrel Select opens with an intense nose and aromas of violet, lilac, black tea, red plum, black raspberry, and volcanic rock. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied and mouth-filling with flavors of ripe plums, cocoa powder, berry bramble, and savory spice. The tannins are velvety soft but with a strong backbone that will allow the wine to age and develop further.”
94 Points
2018 Paradise Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Barrel Select Sonoma County

2018 Paradise Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Barrel Select Sonoma County

with No Comment $30 and underCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtSonomaSonoma ValleyUSA

PARADISE RIDGE

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
BARREL SELECT 2018
ROCKPILE, SONOMA COUNTY

2018 Paradise Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Barrel Select Sonoma County
Intensely focused on sustainable viticulture, Paradise Ridge Winery’s team takes it to the nth degree by calling on sheep for weed abatement and natural fertilization. They meticulously care for each vine using strategic canopy management, cover crops, and a focus on biodiversity, promoting healthy vineyards. This considerable commitment flows through every aspect of wine production when seasoned Sonoma County winemaker Dan Barwick guides the grapes from vine to bottle, crafting elegant, age-worthy wines with a site-specific identity.
 
Their Barrel Select Cabernet Sauvignon arose from 7 unique blocks from sustainably farmed Rockpile and Branham Vineyards in the northwest corner of Sonoma County inside the Rockpile AVA. It’s called Rockpile for its rocky soils consisting of sandstone and shale at 2,000 feet above sea level, producing concentrated wines with refreshing acidity. The 2018 vintage saw a mild summer without significant heat spells that continued into the autumn, allowing the tannins to achieve ideal ripeness and full flavor evolution for a perfectly balanced Cabernet Sauvignon.
 
PARADISE RIDGE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
BARREL SELECT 2018
ROCKPILE, SONOMA COUNTY
Retails at: $65
 
 
 
“The Paradise Ridge Barrel Select Rockpile Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 begins with a deep, sultry nose of wild red and black berries, bramble, green herbs, espresso grounds, and kitchen spices. It continues on the palate with beautifully focused, concentrated red currants, mountain blackberries, cocoa powder, and crushed stone. Mouth-quenching acidity and crunchy tannins support the bright, juicy fruit. The penetrating flavors and long finish stay with you on the palate for nearly a minute.”
93+ Points
2019 Steps Reserve Barrel Select Proprietary Red

2019 Steps Reserve Barrel Select Proprietary Red

with No Comment $40-$50Diamond MountainKevin VogtNapaOakvilleProprietary RedRutherfordUSA

STEPS

RESERVE BARREL SELECT
2019 PROPRIETARY RED

2019 Steps Reserve Barrel Select Proprietary Red
Each year STEPS is re-birthed as it’s formed from declassified grapes from some of Napa Valley’s most coveted vineyards and meticulously blended by winemaker Grant Long, Jr, whom you might know from Aonair, Witchery, and James Joseph. Grant makes the blend with an unwavering goal of producing a showy, opulent red, guided by the vintage and the varietals that performed best. The 2019 release reflects the vintage’s knockout power and blanketing intensity, and at $50, the value is nearly inconceivable.
 
Steps 2019 Barrel Select draws on Diamond Mountain’s concentrated fruit and expressive flavors, then brings Rutherford elegance and Oakville complexity into play with absolute grandiosity. The final blend is more than 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, elevated with Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Merlot, crafted in a richly layered, lavish, hedonistic style. The wine is a steal at $50, and at $45, a single case won’t be enough.
 
STEPS
RESERVE BARREL SELECT
2019 PROPRIETARY RED
Retails at: $50
 
 
 
“The 2019 Steps Reserve Barrel Select is beautifully aromatic with violets, ripe black plums and black raspberries, dark chocolate, and wet stones. On the palate, flavors of blueberry pie, cocoa power, and a savory mushroom component add additional layers of complexity. The tannins are fine-grained, giving the wine a velvety texture felt throughout the long and opulent finish that slowly fades away on the palate, revealing its complexity one layer at a time.”
95 Points
2019 Steps Reserve Barrel Select Proprietary Red

2019 Steps Reserve Barrel Select Proprietary Red

with No Comment $40-$50Diamond MountainKevin VogtNapaOakvilleProprietary RedRutherfordUSA

STEPS

RESERVE BARREL SELECT
2019 PROPRIETARY RED

2019 Steps Reserve Barrel Select Proprietary Red
Each year STEPS is re-birthed as it’s formed from declassified grapes from some of Napa Valley’s most coveted vineyards and meticulously blended by winemaker Grant Long, Jr, whom you might know from Aonair, Witchery, and James Joseph. Grant makes the blend with an unwavering goal of producing a showy, opulent red, guided by the vintage and the varietals that performed best. The 2019 release reflects the vintage’s knockout power and blanketing intensity, and at our price, the value is nearly inconceivable.
 
Steps 2019 Barrel Select draws on Diamond Mountain’s concentrated fruit and expressive flavors, then brings Rutherford elegance and Oakville complexity into play with absolute grandiosity. The final blend is more than 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, elevated with Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Merlot, crafted in a richly layered, lavish, hedonistic style. The wine is a steal at $50, and at $45, a single case won’t be enough.
 
STEPS
RESERVE BARREL SELECT
2019 PROPRIETARY RED
Retails at: $50
 
 
 
“The 2019 Steps Reserve Barrel Select is beautifully aromatic with violets, ripe black plums and black raspberries, dark chocolate, and wet stones. On the palate, flavors of blueberry pie, cocoa power, and a savory mushroom component add additional layers of complexity. The tannins are fine-grained, giving the wine a velvety texture felt throughout the long and opulent finish that slowly fades away on the palate, revealing its complexity one layer at a time.”
95 Points
2017 Calculated Risk Barrel Selection Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2017 Calculated Risk Barrel Selection Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet SauvignonCoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaSaint HelenaUSA

CALCULATED RISK

BARREL SELECTION
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2017 NAPA VALLEY

2017 Calculated Risk Barrel Selection Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Adding up the reasons why Calculated Risk offers such an extraordinary value, and the summation will point to fruit source, winemaking, and price. The fruit quality multiplies with their vast selection of premium vineyards under their brands Heir Apparent and Grand Napa Vineyards, and the winemaking gets huge scores from top publications like James Suckling and Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, that have featured all three brands with high ratings. It doesn’t take a calculus degree to see the no risk value in this Calculated Risk… 
 
The winemaking team selected fruit from Coombsville and St. Helena AVA’s to craft a powerful, penetrating, and balanced wine. The wine perfectly fuses the elegance and restrained power of Coombsville, with St. Helena structure and depth.
 
The 2017 Barrel Selection is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, and it lights up your senses with cocoa dusted black fruits, graphite, and crushed flowers. The 2017 vintage is rocking right now, and every time I taste it, I’m perplexed by how incalculably good it is. 
 
CALCULATED RISK
BARREL SELECTION
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2017 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $79.99
 

Steps 2015 Reserve Barrel Select Proprietary Red

with No Comment $40-$50Atlas PeakKevin VogtMt VeederNapaProprietary RedUSA
STEPS RESERVE
BARREL SELECT
2015 PROPRIETARY RED
Taking giant steps forward in terms of quality, but stepping back production by nearly two thirds, this is the most limited Steps Reserve wine in years.  In 2015 mother nature dealt small yields of extremely high quality fruit, and winemaker Grant Long Jr. combined only the best barrels to produce a single Steps blend this year and once sold out… It’s gone for good. Upon entry the 2015 Reserve Blend penetrates your taste buds with dreamlike intensity and all of the scrumptiously thrilling qualities and unforgettable flavors and aromas that make Steps Reserve so wondrous.  Only available at $45/btl through March 31st, I recommend securing your case as soon as possible.
Arising from Mountainous Vineyards, including Mount Veeder and Altas Peak, the 2015 is built around a core of nearly 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, heightened with Cabernet Franc and Malbec.  Simply stunning to swirl and taste, the 2015 was cave aged for nearly 24 months in high quality oak barrels.  Dramatic, thrilling and hedonistic are all excellent descriptors for the 2015 Steps Reserve and with a total production of only 150 cases, don’t let this one walk on by.
STEPS RESERVE
BARREL SELECT
2015 PROPRIETARY RED
Retails at:  $50/btl
Your Price: $45/btl Click to Order
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Tasting Notes: “Rich, opulent aromas emerge laced with fresh black raspberries, chocolate covered cherries, espresso roast and a touch of sweet vanilla oak.  Penetrating, velvety flavors of crushed blackberries, black plum, minerals, kirsch and hints of roasted coffee expand across your palate as layer upon layer of complexity unfolds.  The supple yet slightly dusty tannins beautifully frame the plush fruit as it elegantly caresses your palate through the long pleasurable finish…”  Delicious now, this wine will cellar for at least 12 years.“
Cabernet Sauvignon 68% | Cabernet Franc 21% | Malbec 11%
Customers who enjoy the Steps Barrel Select may also enjoy these two outstanding Reds…
JAMES JOSEPH
2015 CABERNET FRANC
RESERVE, NAPA VALLEY
Your Price: $49.99/btl
With a total production of only 4 barrels, this rarely bottled varietal from James Josephgrabs you right from the start.  Showing surreal-like tension between Atlas Peak and Diamond Mountain terroirs, the 2015 is locked and loaded with crushed black fruits, camphor, burning embers, and black cherries, laced with volcanic minerals, graphite and crushed rock
STEPS
WINEMAKER’S RESERVE
2014 PROPRIETARY BLEND
Your Price: $49.99/btl
The 6 barrel production  Winemaker’s Reserve is heavily based in Atlas Peak, and made transparent by its striking crushed rock minerality and dusty tannins that make the area so desired.  The final blend has a solid core of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon from Atlas Peak, magnified by 14% Cabernet Franc from Kenefick Palisades Vineyard, 9% Malbec from Oakville and 5% Petit Verdot from Coombsville.