2021 Impetuous By Checkerboard Red Blend Napa Valley

2021 Impetuous By Checkerboard Red Blend Napa Valley

with No Comment $100 and overDiamond MountainKevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

Impetuous

By Checkerboard
Red Blend
Napa Valley 2021

2021 Impetuous By Checkerboard Red Blend Napa Valley

Checkerboard’s 2021 Impetuous is a wine of striking intensity, softened by a deep, graceful elegance—a tribute to the captivating landscape of Diamond Mountain. Martha McClellan, whose skill has shaped renowned estates like Harlan and Sloan, guides this wine with precision and genuine passion, crafting a creation that resonates with both clarity and heart.

The Checkerboard estate vineyards sit high above the valley floor, their roots woven into ancient volcanic soils. McClellan’s close bond with Diamond Mountain’s rugged terrain—from its basalt-strewn slopes to its towering volcanic peaks—enables her to capture the land’s complexity in a vintage that reflects the spirit of this remarkable place.

The winemaking process unfolds like a careful dance, deliberately enhancing the natural beauty drawn from the region’s unique terroir. The result stirs an emotional connection that lingers well beyond the final sip. Boldly expressive, Impetuous reveals itself like a narrative, growing richer, more intricate, and more memorable with each encounter.

Impetuous
By Checkerboard
Red Blend
Napa Valley 2021

Your Price: $125

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“The 2021 Checkerboard Impetuous Red Blend offers a brooding, rich nose of powerful blue and black fruits—blackberry and blueberry stand out—layered with notes of French lavender, iron, and a touch of vanilla from well-integrated oak. The palate is opulent yet focused, with concentrated blackberries, black cherry, and red currants driving a deep, penetrating core. Balanced acidity keeps it lively, while velvety tannins provide structure. The finish is long and seamless, with a luscious quality that lingers. A polished, high-quality wine, it’s delicious now, but built for 10-12 years of development.”

96 Points

2016 Levy & Mcclellan Ampersand Red Blend Napa Valley

2016 Levy & Mcclellan Ampersand Red Blend Napa Valley

with No Comment $100 and overKevin VogtProprietary RedUSA

LEVY & MCCLELLAN

AMPERSAND RED BLEND
NAPA VALLEY 2016

2016 Levy & Mcclellan Ampersand Red Blend Napa Valley
Bob Levy began his winemaking career in the mid-1970s at Cuvaison, moving on in the early 1980s as winemaker and general manager at Rombauer before dedicating himself to several years at Merryvale, where he met his future business partner, Real Estate Developer Bill Harlan. Bob became Harlan Estate’s founding winemaker and Director of Winegrowing and embarked on an illustrious career as Director of Winegrowing for all of the Harlan Family Domain properties, including BOND ESTATES, Promontory, and The Napa Valley Reserve. He recently handed over those responsibilities to the next generation; however, he continues to oversee the Harlan family winegrowing teams and properties. Over time, Bob worked with over 100 unique hillside cabernet vineyard sites in Napa Valley during his career.
 
Levy & McClellan was founded in 1999 by Bob and his wife, Martha McClellan, capitalizing on Bob’s profound experiences in the vineyard to select a prime location to plant a vineyard with specific ideas not previously done. His philosophies included producing a wine that would share the structure of a hillside cabernet while preserving the terroir’s character and providing a pleasurable experience through the finish with soft tannins. Martha is also a talented winemaker, crafting the wines at Sloan Estate, Checkerboard Vineyards, and Vineyard 7 & 8. She and Bob created Ampersand to tell the vintage story; Their 2016 Proprietary Red is predominately Cabernet Sauvignon-based with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, giving a clear portrait of excellence. 
 
LEVY & MCCLELLAN
AMPERSAND RED BLEND
NAPA VALLEY 2016
 
Your Price: $350
 
 
“The Levy & McClellan 2016 Ampersand has alluring aromas of lavender, violet, black currant, black plum, black olive, cedar, and dark chocolate. The palate is rich and densely concentrated with flavors of black cherry, blackberry, baking spices, and dried herbs, balanced with bright, refreshing acidity and seductively smooth tannins. This wine immediately grabs your attention and doesn’t easily let go with its infinitely long finish.”
98 Points