2013 Valadorna by Tenuta di Arceno Super Tuscan Tuscany

2013 Valadorna by Tenuta di Arceno Super Tuscan Tuscany

with No Comment $50-$60ChiantiItalyKevin VogtTuscany

Valadorna

by Tenuta di Arceno
Super Tuscan
Tuscany 20132013 Valadorna by Tenuta di Arceno Super Tuscan Tuscany

Some wines age gracefully, and others seem to defy time altogether. The 2013 Valadorna belongs firmly to the latter. It’s a luminous example of how meticulous craftsmanship and patient cellaring can sculpt a wine into a timeless masterpiece. More than a decade after harvest, it remains astonishingly vibrant, capturing the essence of Tuscany with grace, poise, and authenticity.

Behind this remarkable longevity stands Pierre Seillan, the Bordeaux-born master whose touch defines some of the world’s most revered wines. His deep understanding of micro-crus, perfected at Vérité, finds a new voice here in Tuscany. In Valadorna, Seillan channels Merlot’s supple depth and marries it to the verve of Cabernet Franc, the backbone of Cabernet Sauvignon, and the finesse of Petit Verdot.

Drawn from the estate’s cooler Valadorna and Capraia parcels, where sandy-clay soils meet morning mists, the 2013 unfolds with haunting precision. Firm yet silken, expansive yet composed, it culminates in a finish that lingers like memory itself. The 2013 Valadorna is a rare alignment of time, terroir, and talent: a wine not merely crafted, but composed, into something enduringly profound.

Valadorna
by Tenuta di Arceno
Super Tuscan
Tuscany 2013
Retails at: $75

Your Price: $58

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“The 2013 Valadorna (mostly Merlot with Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot) is yet another home run in this blockbuster collection of new releases from Tenuta di Arceno in the southern part of Chianti Classico (Castelnuovo Berardegna). This is a firm and tightly knit expression that is packed tight with black fruit, tobacco, tar and dark chocolate. The wine shows enormous aromatic intensity, but then it slims down just a touch in the mouth to offer an elegantly tapered finish.”

95 Points

2013 Chateau Lassegue Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Bordeaux France

2013 Chateau Lassegue Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Bordeaux France

with No Comment $50-$60BordeauxBordeauxFranceKevin VogtSaint Emilion

Château Lassègue

Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Bordeaux, France 2013

2013 Chateau Lassegue Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Bordeaux France

Château Lassègue’s 2013 Saint-Émilion Grand Cru is a luminous example of how meticulous craftsmanship and patient cellaring can sculpt a wine into a timeless masterpiece. More than a decade after harvest, it remains stunningly vibrant, precise, and impeccably polished—capturing the soul of Saint-Émilion with grace, poise, and authenticity.

Behind this remarkable achievement stands the legendary winemaker Pierre Seillan, whose mastery has earned multiple 100-point scores at Vérité. Pierre’s visionary approach is reflected in the wine’s exceptional quality, earning admiration from connoisseurs worldwide.

Sourced from vines over fifty years old, the 2013 Château Lassègue is a beautifully composed blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc that captures the soul of classic Right Bank Bordeaux. It reveals seductive layers of crushed red berries, laced with subtle spice and a lingering thread of mineral tension that speaks to the limestone-rich soils of Saint-Émilion. Poised and finely textured, this vintage is an eloquent chapter in Lassègue’s rising legacy, and a wine no serious collector should overlook.

Château Lassègue
Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Bordeaux, France 2013

Your Price: $55

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2011 Anakota Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Montana Vineyard

2011 Anakota Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Montana Vineyard Knights Valley

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtKnight's ValleySonomaUSA

Anakota

Cabernet Sauvignon
Helena Montana Vineyard
Knights Valley 2011

2011 Anakota Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Montana Vineyard

Anakota’s 2011 Helena Montana Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is a captivating expression of patience, precision, and the rugged splendor of Knights Valley. Over a decade in bottle has shaped this wine into a refined experience of commanding power, depth, and seductive charm. Founded in the early 2000s by visionary vintner Jess Jackson, Anakota draws from the volcanic slopes of Mount St. Helena to craft wines of remarkable distinction.

Under the guidance of celebrated vigneron Pierre Seillan and acclaimed winemaker Chris Carpenter, Anakota employs a micro-cru approach, vinifying individual vineyard blocks to highlight terroir. Initially underappreciated due to the cool, wet 2011 vintage, this Cabernet has evolved, its concentrated fruit and robust tannins maturing into a wine of striking elegance and depth.

Perched at 950 feet, the Helena Montana Vineyard benefits from gravelly volcanic loam soils, impeccable drainage, and cooling Pacific breezes, defining its extraordinary character. Anakota’s commitment to meticulous viticulture has elevated Knights Valley’s global standing, with the 2011 Cabernet vividly showcasing the vineyard’s ability to produce wines of profound complexity and enduring allure.

Anakota
Cabernet Sauvignon
Helena Montana Vineyard
Knights Valley 2011
Retails at: $175

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“Inky, deep and gorgeous, the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Montana Vineyard emerges from the glass with blackberry jam, cassis, sweet spices, menthol and cloves. This is a surprisingly juicy, full-bodied wine with superb depth for the year. Typically firm Knights Valley tannins support the finish. All the elements fall into place nicely. I am intrigued to see how the 2011 ages. There is certainly plenty to look forward to here.” 

91+ Points

2019 Anakita Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Montana Vineyard

2019 Anakita Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Montana Vineyard

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtKnight's ValleyNapaUSA

Anakota

Cabernet Sauvignon
Helena Montana Vineyard
Knights Valley 2019

2019 Anakita Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Montana Vineyard

Anakota’s Helena Montana Cabernet is a masterful expression of terroir and craftsmanship, embodying the pinnacle of world-class viticulture. Nestled on the western slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains, this singular vineyard basks in cool Pacific breezes, tempering the warm valley sun to create an ideal microclimate for Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Under the visionary guidance of 100-point winemaker Pierre Seillan, who champions Knights Valley as one of the world’s premier regions for Cabernet, Anakota crafts wines that echo the gravitas of Bordeaux’s Pauillac, while remaining distinctly Californian.

Perched at 950 feet, the Helena Montana Vineyard sprawls across 60 acres of steep, undulating terrain, its vines rooted in rocky, volcanic soils that impart power and concentration. Over the decades, this vineyard has yielded wines marked by their commanding structure, refined elegance, and longevity—hallmarks that shine brilliantly in the 2019 vintage. The 2019 Helena Montana promises to, and already has evolved gracefully, standing as a testament to the vineyard’s enduring legacy and the art of meticulous winemaking.

Anakota
Cabernet Sauvignon
Helena Montana Vineyard
Knights Valley 2019
Retails at: $175

Your Price: $159.99

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“Incredibly spicy and aromatic with pumice and cloves. Pops out of the glass. Cedar, too. Full-bodied with soft, polished tannins adding tension and creaminess. Long and beautiful. All about class and breeding. Try after 2025.”

99 Points