2014 Leto Exceptional Selection Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

2014 Leto Exceptional Selection Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $90-$100Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaSt HelenaUSA

LETO 

EXCEPTIONAL SELECTION
2014 CABERNET SAUVIGNON

2014 Leto Exceptional Selection Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Have you ever tasted a “reserve level” wine from a given winery and thought that it was very similar to the winery’s standard offering?  Me too, but this wine is the polar opposite of that scenario… Leto only produces their Exceptional Selection when the wine is “unusually excellent” and dramatically differs from their other bottling of Cabernet.  This wine is deeper, richer and more powerful and fulfills every desire that one would have in an upper echelon Cabernet Sauvignon. The Exceptional Selection comes from a micro-block of 1/2 century old vines in the heart of St Helena.  The vineyard has been farmed by the same family for over 100 years…  At $150/btl this wine oozes majestic flavors and superior quality… It’s quite simply one of the best Napa Cabernets that I’ve come across at our price. 
 
Brad Warner, owner and winemaker has been making wine for over a 1/2 century, and it shows in this classically styled, deep and hauntingly penetrating wine.  A mere 3 barrels of Exceptional Selection were produced and after developing for 24 months in oak, the wine is marked by hauntingly intense aromas, intertwined with pressed blackberries, black expresso beans, vivid floral and Baker’s chocolate.  With 70 cases produced in total, I wouldn’t hesitate to secure a case.
 
LETO 
EXCEPTIONAL SELECTION
2014 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Retails at: $150/btl
 
 
Tasting Notes: “It always amazes me when a wine can be both deep and brooding, yet light on its feet, without being heavy or overly sweet on the palate.  The depth on the nose starts immediately with fresh crushed blackberries, exotic black currants, toasty oak, pipe tobacco, a hint of fresh green herbs and spring flowers.  The deep palate begins with sweet black raspberries and ripe black plum, followed by secondary characteristics that include cocoa dusted chocolate, combined with sweet fruit tannins that perfectly balance the fruit. Absolutely stunning to drink now, but this will gorgeous for a decade or more to come.”  97 Points, Kevin M. Vogt, Master Sommelier
2017 Farella La Luce Estate Coombsville Sauvignon Blanc

2017 Farella La Luce, Estate, Coombsville Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc

with No Comment $30 and underCoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaSauvignon BlancUSA

FARELLA 

SAUVIGNON BLANC
2017 LA LUCE, ESTATE
COOMBSVILLE, NAPA VALLEY

2017 Farella La Luce Estate Coombsville Sauvignon Blanc
In a world where clarity is hard to find, I will say with absolute clarity that you’d be hard pressed to find a better Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc at anywhere near this price.  Tom Farella’s 2017 Estate Sauvignon Blanc has mesmerizing nuances of Loire Valley-like honeydew melon, ripe tangerine and light tropical notes that flow from the glass.  One of the most balanced domestic Sauvignon Blancs that I’ve ever tasted, the 2017 reveals wonderful energy, freshness and profound purity.  The 2016 was our most loved Sauvignon Blancs on our tasting menu in Yountville, and the 2017 is even better… 
 
Keeping only 15-20% of their single-block Sauvignon Blanc grapes, the balance goes to high powered producers like Lail and Realm for their award winning Sauvignon Blancs.  The 2017 is dreamlike, with remarkable balance, focused fruit and a long, palate refreshing finish.  The wine was fermented in stainless steel to preserve freshness, the wine’s uplifted aromatics and fabulous notes of citrus oil, crushed rock, white flowers, honeyed melon and tangerine are generous and frankly hard to resist.  If you’re in pursuit of a Sauvignon Blanc that will be a palpable stand-out at Summer and Fall festivities, you’ll want to pick this beauty up by the case.
 
FARELLA 
SAUVIGNON BLANC
2017 LA LUCE, ESTATE
COOMBSVILLE, NAPA VALLEY
 
Your Price: $25.99/btl
 
Tasting Notes:  “Aromas of light tropical fruits, white flowers and bright citrus, lead to vivid flavors of honeydew melon, Island mango, blood orange and minerals culminating in crisp lively finish.”
 
Customers who enjoy Farella Estate Sauvignon Blanc, may also enjoy these two Sauvignon Blancs…
2016 Picayun Napa County Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc 2017 Grey Stack Rosemary's Block Sauvignon Blanc
PICAYUNE
2016 SAUVIGNON BLANC
NAPA COUNTY & 
SONOMA COUNTY
 
Your Price: $20.99/btl 

Click to Order

Taking things to the next level with their 2016 Sauvignon Blanc, Picayune’s 2016 comes alive in the glass with remarkable clarity, focus and penetrating fruit.  Picayune is a stand-out in affordable, premium quality Sauvignon Blanc, and originates from declassified barrels from top Sauvignon Blanc producers around Napa and Sonoma Counties, and retails for just a fraction of the price.
GREY STACK
2017 SAUVIGNON BLANC
DRY STACK VINEYARD
ROSEMARY’S BLOCK
 
Your Price: $31.99/btl 

Click to Order

From The Wine Enthusiast: “This block is home to a mysterious clone of Sauvignon Blanc that appears to be the only one of its kind in the region and thought to hail originally from Northern Italy. The resulting wine is citrus-driven on the nose and on the palate-a pure expression that shows complexity and rich layers of flavor, with an intensity of lemongrass.”  94 Points
2014 Foley Johnson Rutherford Estate Meritage

2014 Foley Johnson Rutherford Estate Meritage

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedRutherfordUSA

FOLEY JOHNSON

2014 MERITAGE
RUTHERFORD, ESTATE  

2014 Foley Johnson Rutherford Estate Meritage
Victory is a thousand times sweeter when you’re the underdog… Just ask Bill Foley who’s Las Vegas Golden Knights just shocked the world by making it to the Stanley Cup finals in their inaugural season. And scoring yet another goal, Bill’s 2014 Rutherford Estate Meritage pulls a hat trick with its mouth puckeringly good, deep, velvety flavors and scores a power play goal with thundering authority.  With an entry price significantly lower than others in its division you could say that this Meritage is an underdog story of it’s own.  In this case the victory will be yours, when you score this wine for less than forty bucks.
 
Carved from Rutherford, an area long celebrated for its exceptional terroir and dusty tannins, as conveyed by Andre Tchelistcheff, legendary winemaker at Beaulieu Vineyards, “Cabernets need a touch of that Rutherford dust,” and this one grabbed my full attention. These players are made up of all five Bordeaux varietals and bursts onto the scene with pulverized dark berries, dried violets dusted with cocoa, pipe tobacco and subtle cedar.  At $45/btl this wine cross-checks every box… At $39.99/btl, you’ll want to clear some serious room in the wine cellar…
 
FOLEY JOHNSON
2014 MERITAGE
RUTHERFORD, ESTATE  
Retails at:  $45.00/btl
 
Your Price: $39.99/btl
YOU SAVE 11%
 
From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate: “Their 2014 Proprietary Red Meritage is a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, and the rest Malbec and Cabernet Franc. It is another striking value among the stratospherically priced wines of Napa. More floral than its counterpart, with more uplifted aromatics, but similar weight and richness, this full-bodied, pure, ripe, delicious and complex wine has attractive aromatics, medium to full body and velvety tannins. Drink it over the next 10-12 years.”  92 Points
 
Customers that enjoy Foley Johnson’s Meritage may also enjoy these two terrific Reds… 
2016 Chappellet Mountain Cuvee Proprietary Red
 2014 Laird Jillian's Blend Proprietary Reserve
CHAPPELLET
2016 MOUNTAIN CUVEE
PROPRIETARY RED
Retails at:  $35.00/btl
 
Your Price: $31.99/btl 

Click to Order

 
An absolute crowd-pleaser, and those of you who’ve enjoyed this blend each vintage might notice the 2016 exploits a greater percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon than their previous 6 vintages.  With Cabernet as the dominant grape, the 2016 is nicely concentrated, and on the palate, the wine’s hallmark velvety embrace comes dressed with provocative black cherries, blueberries, dried violets and cocoa. 
LAIRD
JILLIAN’S BLEND
2014 NAPA VALLEY 
Retails at:  $48.00/btl
 
Your Price:
 
When Napa Valley’s preeminent farming family uses just 3% of their grapes to produce their own wine, they’re able to hand select the absolute best grapes, producing wines of unrivaled quality.  We’ve always loved Laird’s Jillian’s Blend, but our affection was further solidified when we tasted the new vintage side-by-side another Napa Cab Blend that we love, which retails at $70/btl. We unanimously agreed that the Laird eclipsed it by a healthy margin.