2013 Matias Riccitelli Vineyard Selection Malbec

2013 Matias Riccitelli Vineyard Selection Argentina Malbec

with No Comment $30 and underArgentinaKevin VogtMalbecSouth America

MATIAS RICCITELLI  2013 Matias Riccitelli Vineyard Selection Malbec

2013 MALBEC
VINEYARD SELECTION
MENDOZA, ARGENTINA

 
Every great winemaker has at least one mentor that helped guide them in their career.  When  your father is the head-winemaker at Bodegas Norton, and the first South American to ever be named Winemaker of the Year by Wine Enthusiast magazine, it can come with a few advantages… Matias Riccitelli had both the connections and the drive to spend a decade working 2 harvests each year, one in Argentina, and the others in New Zealand, Napa Valley, Europe and Australia.  During that time he soaked up every bit of winemaking knowledge in order to achieve his goal of creating a brand of that could express the full potential of Argentine terroir.
 
Carved from exceptional vines ranging 20-80 years in age and grown in Perdriel and Vistalba in the Lujan de Cuyo and El Cepillo in La Consulta,  Riccitelli’s 2013 Vineyard Selection Malbec is stunningly complex and loaded with hedonistic aromas of dark black fruits, scorched earth, blue violets, licorice and hints of wild game.  Many of you tasted and loved Riccitelli’s The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far from the Tree Malbec that we introduced last year, and with the Vineyard Selection Malbec, I wouldn’t hesitate to secure yours…
 
MATIAS RICCITELLI
2013 MALBEC
VINEYARD SELECTION
MENDOZA, ARGENTINA
Retails at: $55/btl
 
 
From Vinous: “(made from three small vineyards in Luján de Cuyo and Uco Valley): Bright medium ruby. Showing more balsamic cedar and herbs on the nose than the 2014 The Apple . . . Malbec; plenty ripe but less dark-fruity and chocolatey and more minty and herbal… this intensely flavored wine is much less sweet than The Apple, with its currant and blackberry flavors complemented by a saline quality and nicely framed by healthy acidity. A bit less forthcoming, drier and more classic on the end, showing suaver tannins.“
2014 Chateau de Haute-Serre Malbec

2014 Château De Haute-Serre Malbec

with No Comment $30 and underCahorsFranceKevin VogtMalbec

CHÂTEAU DE HAUTE-SERRE 2014 Chateau de Haute-Serre Malbec

2014 MALBEC
CAHORS, FRANCE

 
Did you know the Malbec grape originates in France, and thrives in the Cahors region in the South of France, but today, around 70% of the Malbec planted worldwide is in Argentina… However, Château de Haute-Serre’s Vineyards in Cahors, France date back to middle ages… In 2009, Haute-Serre got a little help from the Master of Malbec Paul Hobbs, who’s been pushing the boundaries of Malbec on multiple continents for decades.  With Paul  as consulting winemaker, their 2010 went on to earn a place on the Spectator Top 100.  Most are familiar with the style of Argentine Malbecs, which are known for their fruit-forward, plummy/blackberry and velvety texture. For those looking for a more densely packed, concentrated Malbec with savory undertones, firm tannins and meaty character, Old-World Malbec from Cahors may be just what they’re looking for. 
 
Malbec is a thick-skinned grape that needs more sun than Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot to mature and Château de Haute-Serre’s parcel has excellent Southwest and Southeast exposure allowing the grapes to reach optimum maturity.  They’ve been making news long before earning a spot on the WS Top 100 list…  Back in 1889 their Malbec was honored by being placed on a Gala menu in line with the famous Château Margaux and Pommard wines.  I strongly recommend trying a case… you’ll be really glad you did.  
 
CHÂTEAU DE HAUTE-SERRE
2014 MALBEC
CAHORS, FRANCE
 
Your Price: $25/btl 
 
 

  
 
“On some of the highest vineyards in Cahors, this estate has a history reaching back to the Middle Ages. This latest vintage from this major estate has a firm structure and cool texture. Allied to acidity and dark tannins, the rich black fruits are going to need time to mature. Drink from 2020.” 90 Points

 
 “A concentrated red, building ripe cherry, plum pudding and licorice drop flavors that are detailed with floral, cocoa powder and raspberry accents. Fresh acidity and mineral elements give focus through the orange peel-tinged finish. Drink now through 2022...” 90 Points

 

 

Customers who enjoy Chateau De Haute-Serre Malbec may also enjoy these two outstanding Reds…
RICCITELLIhttp://bit.ly/2014RiccitelliMalbec
2014 MALBEC
THE APPLE DOESN’T FALL 
FAR FROM THE TREE
Retails at:  $30.00/btl
 
Your Price: $19.99/btl 

Click to Order

 
Winery Notes: “Deep purple in color, with beautiful aromas of wild dark fruits, vanilla and chocolate in the nose. This is a complex and rich vine with smooth ripe tannins and a long finish…”  95 Points, Decanter
CATENA
2014 CABERNET FRANC
SAN CARLOS
APPELLATION SERIES
Retails at:  $30.00/btl
 
Your Price: $22.99/btl 

Click to Order

 
From Vinous: “Enticing aromatic lift to the aromas of purple fruits, violet and brown spices. Suaver than the Agrelo Cabernet Sauvignon, offering exhilarating cut and penetration and an ideal balance between sweetness and suppleness of fruit and acidity. Savory, plush and ripe for all its energy…”  91 Points
2015 Chappellet Mountain Cuvee Proprietary Red

2013 Titus Napa Valley Malbec

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtMalbecNapaSt HelenaUSA

TITUS 

2013 MALBEC
NAPA VALLEY

 
There are a handful of California winemakers whom many would refer to as legendary or iconic, and whose triumphs and experience are so profound that their very name rings with excellence.  Philip Titus is etched permanently onto that list…  Revered for his work authoring Chappellet’s Pritchard Hill wines for nearly three decades, leaving countless World Class wines in his wake.  When our panel first tasted his 2013 Malbec, it was one of those wines that compels you to say “WOW that’s good…” So, we bought every bottle that we could…this wine defines value. 
Forged from the Titus family vineyard located just North of Saint Helena, this stunning Malbec is kept for nearly two full years in barrel before bottling.  And from a vintage unanimously recognized for its unrivaled quality… One that Robert Parker alerted readers that it “...may turn out to be the finest vintage I have experienced in tasting North Coast varietals over the last 37 years,”  this exemplary Malbec leaves everything in the glass.  Deep, penetrating, intense and with plenty of substance, this 2013 is really drinking beautifully now and promises another several years of improvement.  
 
TITUS 
2013 MALBEC
NAPA VALLEY
Retails at:  $45.00/btl
 
 
Winery Notes: “The 2013 Malbec bouquet offers dark cherry, plum, bittersweet chocolate and baking spices. The mouthfeel is lush, with balanced tannins and bright acidity that give the wine a plush mouthfeel and long finish. Flavors of bing cherry, plum jam, clove, vanilla and warm cedar dominate the palate.”
Malbec 85% | Petit Verdot 7% | Cabernet Sauvignon 5% | Merlot 3%

 

Customers who enjoy the Titus 2013 Malbec may also enjoy 
these two terrific Reds…
2015 Chappellet Mountain Cuvee Proprietary Red

 
 Wagner Family Schooner Malbec Voyage 5

 
CHAPPELLET
2015 MOUNTAIN CUVEE
PROPRIETARY RED
Your Price: $31.99/btl 
Chappellet’s Iconic Pritchard Hill Vineyards have been hailed by some as “Napa’s Grand Cru,” and particularly with Bordeaux Varietals.  Following the advice of renowned winemaker André Tchelistcheff, by planting on the rocky, high-elevation slopes, Chappellet became one of the first wineries in Napa Valley to plant vineyards on the lofty hillsides…
WAGNER FAMILY
RED SCHOONER
MALBEC, VOYAGE 5
Your Price: $49.99/btl  
 

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
YOU SAVE 10% (through March 31st)
+ Ground Shipping Included on ANY Full or Mixed 15-Pack
(Upgrade your 15-Pack to UPS 3-DAY AIR for $39, Available in select States)
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.