2014 Rudius Kaley Elizabeth Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon

2014 Rudius Kaley Elizabeth Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $80-$90Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA

RUDIUS 2014 Rudius Kaley Elizabeth Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon

KALEY ELIZABETH 
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2014 OAKVILLE 

 
Rudius is a wine so profound that it gave every one of our buyers a you gotta be kidding me moment the first time we tried it.  Even after tasting over 5,000 wines this year, Rudius stands out on multiple levels.  For starters, it gave me goosebumps when I first tasted it, and it hails exclusively from a secret vineyard source in Oakville just across from Screaming Eagle.  It’s serendipitous that Rudius chose not to list the vineyard name on their label, or they would have had to charge $175 per bottle, and less of us would get to experience this brilliant wine.  The wine was expertly crafted by Jeff Ames, who mentored under Thomas River Brown at Schrader, Maybach, Outpost and TOR before becoming head winemaker at TOR in 2005.  Since then, he’s made wines scoring in the high-90’s look easy, and words absolutely cannot express how great this wine is at $135/btl.
 
This secret vineyard source has beautiful red soils that give wines from this area intense, prolific flavors, and with neighbors like Screaming Eagle, Rudd, Dalla Valle’s Maya and Joseph Phelps’ Bacchus Vineyards, no doubt this is a great place to source fruit.  The wines from this vineyard have a trademark intense red-fruited perfume, dark, supple fruits, crushed rock and brilliant complexity.  If you enjoy the best wines that Napa Valley has to offer, you do not want to miss this… 
 
RUDIUS
KALEY ELIZABETH 
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2014 OAKVILLE
Retails at: $135/btl
 
 
From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate: “Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Kaley Elizabeth comes from the Tierra Rojo vineyard in Oakville planted in 1988 and contains a small splash of Cabernet Franc. The nose explodes with baked cherries, blackcurrant cordial and blueberry pie notes with touches of Chinese five spice, wood smoke and beef drippings with a waft of dried herbs. Full-bodied, rich and spicy with mouth-filling savory and spice layers, it has a solid backbone of chewy tannins and a lively line, finishing long. 300 cases were made.”  96+ Points
2016 Cru9 Stop Talking Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

2016 Cru9 Stop Talking Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

CRU9 2016 Cru9 Stop Talking Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
STOP TALKING…
2016 NAPA VALLEY

 
Selected for having unparalleled concentration, remarkable depth and laser focus, CRU9’s 2016 Cabernet was the obvious choice for our #2 pick this year.  The wine could be the poster child for classic Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and throughout the year, it became increasingly clear that this wine was truly special as it generated an open tap of enthusiastic comments and large re-orders.  Resonating from secret vineyard sources in Oakville, St. Helena, and Rutherford, the 2016 exhibits all the best traits of the vintage.  On the palate, waves of concentrated blackberry, sandalwood, black currants, white flowers and earthy minerals circulate and add new dimensions as the wine opens up… At the winery retail of $60/btl it’s amazing, and it’s simply one of the best Cabernets in the shop.
 
Emerging from a Blockbuster vintage, which the Wine Spectator rated the 2016 vintage from Napa Valley as the best since 1997 for Napa Cabs, the 2016 is confident and authoritative, yet finely detailed and effortlessly balanced.  Notably, CRU9 also gives back and helps support two nonprofit women shelters, Ruby’s Place in CA and House of Hope in IA.  Every time you buy a bottle of CRU9, you also help level the playing field for survivors of human trafficking, domestic abuse, and homelessness.
 
CRU9
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
STOP TALKING…
2016 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at:  $60.00/btl
 
 
Tasting Notes: “Cru 9 Stop Talking Cabernet 2016 has an intense purple color offering a powerful nose of ripe blackberries, black cherry, dried currants, crushed rocks, cigar box and hints of cinnamon.  On the palate, it is intensely penetrating and focused with concentrated wild mountain blackberries, cassis and velvety tannins. It finishes in a linear style that’s so focused and penetrating, it brings an immediate smile to your face and is exceptionally satisfying.  In a world where hundred plus dollar Napa Cabs are the norm, this is the ultimate ‘Bang for your Buck’ wine. Superb! Drink now through 2029.” 97 Points
2015 Joseph Jewell Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

2015 Joseph Jewell Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtNorth CoastPinot NoirRussian River ValleyUncategorizedUSA

JOSEPH JEWELL  2015 Joseph Jewell Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

2015 PINOT NOIR
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

 
We’ve introduced some unbelievable values this year, however, there’s still just one that I can honestly say is the best wine I’ve ever tasted in this price range. Every time I taste it, I ‘m perplexed that a wine we can offer at this price can taste like it costs more than double the price.  The 2015 combines fruit from Hallberg, Floodgate and Bucher Vineyards and Williams-Selyem and Gary Farrell fans likely recognize these sites as being spectacular.  The 2015 makes a gorgeous, elegant entrance onto your palate with stunning balance, detail, intensity, and length, and it perfectly portrays everything that I’m exited about in cool climate California Pinot Noir.  It truly drinks like a killer $40+ Pinot, and wines of this quality don’t come around often.
 
This Pinot has been lingering on my mind since I first tasted it, and in equal detail are the mineral-laced raspberries, red cherries, black tea, wild rose and touches of violets that are etched in my memory.  The 2015 was elevated for 11 months in Francois Freres, Ermitage and Rousseau barrels, and has blossomed over the last 3 years in the bottle. If you love Pinot Noir, and better yet, even if you don’t… try a case of this, and I think you’ll become and instant fan.
 
JOSEPH JEWELL 
2015 PINOT NOIR
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
Retails at:  $40/btl
 
 
Tasting Notes: “My favorite Pinot Noir brand that I’ve discovered in the last few years, the Joseph Jewell Russian River Valley Pinot Noir always over-delivers.  The elegant nose is seamless with bright cherries, mixed berries, flowers and spice.  Then comes the wonderfully balanced, nuanced palate which begins with red cherries, crushed raspberries and plum skin, then balanced by dried rose petal, subtle spices and a touch of oak.  The mouth quenching finish brings lingering flavors, lasting for over a minute, then leaving your palate begging for another sip.” 95 Points
2017 Montagu Ritchie Vineyard Russian River Valley Chardonnay

2017 Montagu Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay

with No Comment $30-$40ChardonnayKevin VogtNorth CoastUSA

MONTAGU 2017 Montagu Ritchie Vineyard Russian River Valley Chardonnay

2017 CHARDONNAY
RITCHIE VINEYARD

 
Chosen for its profound sense of place, brilliant details and irresistible opulence, Montagu’s singe-vineyard Ritchie Chardonnay stands tall as our #4 Wine in 2019.  Ritchie Vineyard has an epic history of producing some of California’s most distinguished Chardonnays, and it’s a site celebrated by powerhouses Aubert, DuMOL, Ramey, Patz & Hall, and the list goes on…  Kent Ritchie planted his vineyard in the early 1970’s… now fast-forward nearly 50 years, the Old Wente Clone vines now have gnarly trunks and produce tiny quantities of choice grapes. The only problem is the average price of Chardonnay from Ritchie is North of $60/btl… That’s where we come in, and Montagu’s Ritchie Chardonnay is an amazing value at their $55 price.  At our price, you won’t believe your taste buds…  
 
The Ritchie Vineyard is centered in the iconic Russian River Valley, and the soils are pure sandy Goldridge loam, which originates from the bed of an inland sea.  It enjoys the cooling fog from the Pacific, and the grapes are able to achieve optimum ripeness and maintain brilliant acidity.  This gorgeous Chardonnay was created by Weston Eidson who gained valuable winemaking knowledge from mentors Jason Moore and Russell Bevan.  You won’t find a better Chardonnay at a lower price.  
 
MONTAGU
2017 CHARDONNAY
RITCHIE VINEYARD
Retails at:  $55/btl
 
 
Tasting Notes: “Shimmering in the glass like freshly polished brass, every other element in this wine shines as brightly too.  The nose is deep, supple, and rich with ripe apples, honeysuckle and baking spices.  The palate spans a full and opulent array of flavors, combining butter baked pear, violets and hints of ginger, along with a gorgeous mouth-coating intensity, all without being too heavy.  Then comes the finish, which wraps you in a warm, comforting blanket, lingering on and on, then putting you in a very happy place.” 94 Points
2013 J Gregory Extol Proprietary Red

2013 J Gregory Extol Proprietary Red

with No Comment $50-$60Kevin VogtNapaProprietary RedUSA

J. GREGORY 2013 J Gregory Extol Proprietary Red

2013 EXTOL
PROPRIETARY RED

 
I knew from the very first taste that J Gregory’s 2013 Extol deserved a spot on my top 5 list for 2019.  The wine is made in an enthralling style that washes over your palate in rich layers of perfectly ripened berries, focused red currents, baker’s chocolate and spice.  It was is created by Mark Jessup who was on the original winemaking team at OPUS ONE from 1979 through 1987, and his flagship “Extol” Proprietary Red is his version of OPUS ONE, and the 2013 was built around a solid core of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and dressed with Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and Merlot.  The wine has a magnetic bouquet that draws you in, and on the palate, the wine is incredibly layered and powerful, yet supple and balanced.  At the winery price of $115, believe me, it’s an incredible bargain.  I recommend going big, because this one is going to fly…
 
Enchanting, profound, hedonistic are all fitting descriptors of the 2013 Extol which spent 22 months developing in French oak.  The flavors are profoundly stunning, pure and supple and on the palate the 2013 wraps your taste buds in a restrained opulence that I find incredibly appealing.  You might need someone to pinch you to make sure you’re not dreaming of a time when OPUS ONE was around the same price.  
 
J. GREGORY
2013 EXTOL
PROPRIETARY RED
Retails at: $115/btl
 
 
Tasting Notes: “You just know from the moment this wine kisses your lips… it’s really something special. This brilliant expression has an exquisite nose of wild crushed ripe blackberries, alluring red currants, dried herbs and smoke. Impressively structured with a beautifully supple approach, the rich, viscous, velvety texture perfectly frames the opulent layers of bing cherry, brooding mountain berries and cassis.  Then comes a breath of sweet pipe tobacco, green herbs and sweet vanilla oak. The supple fruit tannins perfectly balance a mesmerizing flow of precisely orchestrated fruits, then ending with a long, elegant, mouth watering finish.” 97 Points