2019 Saracina Old Soul Red Mendocino County

2019 Saracina Old Soul Red Mendocino County

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SARACINA

OLD SOUL RED
MENDOCINO COUNTY 2019

2019 Saracina Old Soul Red Mendocino County
Saracina Vineyards thrives at the southern end of Mendocino County along the foothills of the Mayacamas range and the headwaters of the Russian River, in an area that prizes sustainable viticulture. Mendocino has the most significant percentage of certified organic grape growers, and most producers are less interested in building extravagant tasting rooms, focusing instead on naturally crafting exceptional wines that express the region’s identity.
 
Saracina was founded in 2001, and in 2018, the Taub family purchased the property and took over as proud stewards of the vineyards. Their team studies the differences in each microclimate with extensive soil analysis and rootstock matching to ensure each vine planted thrives to the fullest extent. 
 
The Old Soul red is a field blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignane, and Malbec that changes slightly with each vintage to give the best expression of the growing season. The 2019 vintage was aged in a combination of American and French oak with only 10% new barrels allowing a gentle integration of flavor complexity while retaining a sense of place.
 
SARACINA
OLD SOUL RED
MENDOCINO COUNTY 2019
 
 
 
“This is a rich, full-bodied red blend. Integrated aromas and flavors of boysenberry, marionberry, black and red plum, bramble, chocolate, vanilla, toasted oak and anise greet the nose and palate. Ripe, plush tannins coat the mouth and are well-matched by the ripe nature of the fruits. Acidity adds a line of freshness right down the center.”
93 Points
2019 Sixteen By Twenty Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

2019 Sixteen By Twenty Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

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SIXTEEN by TWENTY

CHARDONNAY 2019
SONOMA COAST

2019 Sixteen By Twenty Chardonnay Sonoma Coast
Sixteen by Twenty Winery is named after an artist’s most common canvas dimension because it provides ideal balance, aligning with their wines’ guiding philosophy. Self-taught viticulturist David Dunphy and his wife Karen purchased their first parcel in Napa Valley in 2004. Today, they own 15 acres of vineyard land scattered throughout the valley, ranging from Howell Mountain to Coombsville.
 
As artists, David and Karen apply the precision of a 16×20 canvas philosophy to each wine in their portfolio, focusing on small productions from selected vineyard sites that are tended to by hand by the vineyard team. The Sonoma Coast AVA gives Chardonnay a distinct minerality, ripe fruits, and fresh acidity due to the oceanic influence, and the 2019 production portrays a beautiful balance of opulence and finesse while retaining its coastal roots with minerality and bright acidity. 
 
SIXTEEN by TWENTY
CHARDONNAY 2019
SONOMA COAST
Retails at: $60
 
 
 
“The Sixteen by Twenty 2019 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay opens with aromas of ripe peach, melon, roasted almonds, cinnamon, and toasted bread. On the palate, the wine has flavors of apricot, Werther’s Original candies, roasted marshmallow, and fresh minerality. The wine has a creamy texture balanced by acidity and a bright, pleasant finish.”
94 Points
2019 Ehlers Estate 1886 Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena

2019 Ehlers Estate 1886 Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena

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EHLERS ESTATE

1886 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
ST. HELENA 2019

2019 Ehlers Estate 1886 Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena
Established in 1886, Ehlers Estate, located in one of Napa’s most elite neighborhoods, sits in the narrowest part of the Valley, where moderating sea breezes ensure a slow and even ripening. Mike Wolf, one of the leading viticulture experts in Napa Valley, whose past and present clients include To Kalon, Scarecrow, and Vine Hill Ranch, manages the vineyard. 
 
Ehlers winemaker Laura Díaz Muñoz carefully tastes through every barrel and selects the best for the winery’s flagship wine, 1886, which honors the completion year of the historic stone winery. The 2019 release is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from a near-perfect vintage and was aged for 22 months in French oak and is a prime example of the Estate vineyards and the dedication of Ehlers’ passionate team. 
 
Flanked by vineyards like AXR and nearby Vineyard 29 Aida, whose top Cabs soar North of $250, Ehlers 1886 stands out as a value for the neighborhood, delivering outrageous quality. 
 
EHLERS ESTATE
1886 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
ST. HELENA 2019
 
 
 
“This rich, concentrated and relaxed wine wraps supersoft tannins around plump black cherries, blueberries and dark chocolate. It is saturated with fruit and subtle oak spices that taste complex and luxurious. Enjoyable to drink now through at least 2030.”
95 Points
2019 Joseph Jewell Pinot Noir Hallberg Vineyard Russian River Valley

2019 Joseph Jewell Pinot Noir Hallberg Vineyard Russian River Valley

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JOSEPH JEWELL

PINOT NOIR 2019
HALLBERG VINEYARD
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

2019 Joseph Jewell Pinot Noir Hallberg Vineyard Russian River Valley
Adrian Jewell grew up in Northern California’s cold, foggy climate, believing that sites with cooler microclimates along the North Coast can grow California’s best Pinot Noirs. Adrian is the owner and winemaker of Joseph Jewell wines, and his goal is to make wines that bring people together with approachability, balance, and natural varietal character derived from small, independently owned, and sustainably farmed vineyards.
 
The Hallberg Vineyard in the Russian River Valley is known for its dry-farmed Gold Ridge soils that encourage deep root propagation in search of water and nutrients, giving fruit with increased depth and complexity of flavors. Joseph Jewell began working with the vineyard in 2010 and has released a single-vineyard designation ever since. His 2019 continues to share the legacy of the vineyard’s distinct earthy and spicy fruit with an impressive depth of flavors. 
 
Side Note: Our tasting panel tried this wine earlier this year, and at the time, it was a bit closed and didn’t make our selection. We tasted it again recently, and it had blossomed into an outstanding representation of Hallberg Vineyard and a truly memorable wine. At our price of $42, it’s one of my favorite Pinots in the shop. 
 
JOSEPH JEWELL
PINOT NOIR 2019
HALLBERG VINEYARD
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
Retails at: $65
 
 
 
“This wine offers a deep, dark-fruit profile of great flavor and texture, with a soft, supple approach to tannin and well-integrated oak. Dark cherry is accented in dried herb, baking spice and forest, expansive on the palate throughout.”
90 Points
2019 Villa Loren Amarone Della Volpolicella Veneto Italy

2019 Villa Loren Amarone Della Volpolicella Veneto Italy

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VILLA LOREN

AMARONE DELLA VOLPOLICELLA
VENETO ITALY 2019

2019 Villa Loren Amarone Della Volpolicella Veneto Italy
Progetti Agricoli is an established Italian producer showcasing the best in Italian wine production, and their Villa Loren label focuses on wines of Veneto. Within Veneto lies Valpolicella DOCG, where Corvina, Rondinella, Corvinone, and Molinara grapes are hand-harvested late in the season for Amarone della Valpolicella. Once harvested, the grapes are dried in well-aerated drying lofts for three to four months, desiccating the grapes and concentrating sugars, flavors, and aromas.
 
Fermentation for Amarone is a long, slow process due to high sugar levels in the juice and cooler temperatures in the winter, enhancing flavor components as the sugar slowly converts into alcohol. The 2019 Amarone della Valpolicella from Villa Loren was aged in medium-sized oak casks for 24 months before bottling and left to rest in the bottle for eight months before release. The resulting rich, layered, luscious wine is an absolute delight and offers exceptional value at under $40 for one of Italy’s most desired styles of wine.  
 
VILLA LOREN
AMARONE DELLA VOLPOLICELLA
VENETO ITALY 2019
 
 
 
“The Villa Loren Amarone della Valpolicella 2019 is a deep garnet red in color, with aromas of fresh figs, cocoa powder, dried rose petals and nutmeg. The concentrated palate continues this theme with bittersweet chocolate-covered tart dried black cherries, preserved plums, and sweet black fruits. These sweet flavors are beautifully balanced with a slightly bitter black tea character. The balance of sweet-tart fruit, bitter, drying tannins, and long, lingering finish combine to leave your mouth watering, yearning for another sip.
93 Points
2021 Quinta Da Raza Alvarihnho Trajadura Vinho Verde Portugal

2021 Quinta Da Raza Alvarihnho Trajadura Vinho Verde Portugal

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QUINTA DA RAZA

ALVARINHO TRAJADURA
VINHO VERDE PORTUGAL 2021

2021 Quinta Da Raza Alvarihnho Trajadura Vinho Verde Portugal
Quinta da Raza is a family-owned winery located in the Vinho Verde DOC in Northwestern Portugal. The estate has been in operation for five generations, and they are passionate about producing high-quality wines that reflect the region’s unique terroir.
 
Vinho Verde is a coastal region that is exposed to the Atlantic Ocean. This combination of maritime influences and granite soils creates an ideal environment for growing white grape varieties. These grapes are often blended together to create both complex and refreshing wines.
 
The 2021 Alvarinho Trajadura is a perfect example of this type of wine. It is a blend of 60% Alvarinho and 40% Trajadura, and it was fermented in stainless steel and aged on the lees for four months. This results in a wine that is bright, refreshing, and full of flavor.
 
This wine is perfect for enjoying by the pool on a hot summer day. It would also be a great pairing for seafood dishes or light salads.
 
QUINTA DA RAZA
ALVARINHO TRAJADURA
VINHO VERDE PORTUGAL 2021
 
Your Price: $22
 
 
“The Quinta da Raza 2021 Alvarinho Trajadura is light, bright, and opens with playful notes of lime blossom, jasmine, grapefruit, white peach, fresh ginger, and a chalky minerality. On the palate, the wine is slightly effervescent with zesty acidity and flavors of blood orange, lime zest, cantaloupe, and freshly squeezed lemonade. This wine is a quintessential necessity for summertime with its opulence and levity and leaves a lasting impression accompanied by an impressive finish.”
97 Points
2019 Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder

2019 Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder

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MT. BRAVE

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
MT. VEEDER 2019

2019 Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder
Chris Carpenter is a master at harnessing the power of mountain-grown fruit, gaining a complete understanding of the challenging viticulture crafting legendary vintages at Lokoya and Cardinale. Chris began Mt. Brave on the slopes of Mount Veeder in 2007, unable to resist the temptation to produce wines from a different mountainside with thin, rocky soils and 30-degree slopes at varying angles. This unique topography creates several different microclimates that enjoy temperatures ten to fifteen degrees cooler than the Valley floor.
 
The eastward-facing Mt. Brave vineyard receives a significant maritime influence from the chilly San Pablo Bay, resulting in fruit with tiny, concentrated berries full of flavor and structural components, allowing the wine to age for several years. 
 
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is powerful and focused with fine tannins and fresh acidity that will aid in graceful maturation, slowly revealing the wine’s true nature over time.
 
MT. BRAVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
MT. VEEDER 2019
 
 
 
“Showcasing the lovely freshness of high-elevation Mt Veeder grapes. Vivid boysenberry and mulberry fruits give way to mountain herbs, dusty minerals and rich toasty cedar. A compact wine revealing black-fruited flavours and savoury herbal nuances alongside sculpted tannins that are pixelated and mouthcoating. An impressively long finish of iron shavings, baked agave and dried chaparral.”
97 Points
Helfrich Cremant D'Alsace Brut Alsace France

Helfrich Cremant D’Alsace Brut Alsace France

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HELFRICH

CREMANT D’ALSACE BRUT
ALSACE, FRANCE

Helfrich Cremant D'Alsace Brut Alsace France
The Helfrich family has been in the wine and spirits business for three generations in Alsace, France, and is proud to craft traditional Alsatian wines from the region’s prized grape varieties. Alsace boasts 13 major soil types and is the second northernmost wine region after Champagne, experiencing a continental climate with cold, snowy winters and hot, sunny summers. The sunny weather promotes full physiological ripeness, while the cool nights preserve fresh acidity.
 
The Helfrichs strive to create wines with complexity, elegance, and balance that are lively and refreshing, and the Crémant is that and more. The wine is made by the traditional method, resting on the fine lees for three months before the second fermentation in the bottle and aging 24 months before disgorgement giving complexity, focus, and delightful drinkability. It’s my new favorite value sparkler.
 
HELFRICH
CREMANT D’ALSACE BRUT
ALSACE, FRANCE
 
 
 
“The Helfrich Crémant d’Alsace begins with fresh floral notes of jasmine and chamomile highlighted with green apple, lemon zest, and starfruit, with hints of wet stones. On the palate, the wine is refreshing with crisp acidity and flavors of quince, grapefruit, meringue, and pastry dough. This wine is the epitome of freshness in a glass and finishes with a snappy vibrance.” 
95 Points
2018 Coho Pinot Noir Stanly Ranch Vineyard Los Carneros

2018 Coho Pinot Noir Stanly Ranch Vineyard Los Carneros

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COHO

PINOT NOIR
STANLY RANCH VINEYARD
LOS CARNEROS 2018

2018 Coho Pinot Noir Stanly Ranch Vineyard Los Carneros
COHO Wines was founded in 2002 by Gary Lipp, following principles he learned from his 35 years of experience working in multiple aspects of wine production. To help achieve his goal of crafting powerful yet perfectly balanced wines, Gary hired renowned winemaker Phillip Titus, who has been with Chappellet for nearly three decades and producing award-winning wines.
 
The Stanly Ranch Vineyard is the easternmost vineyard on the Napa side of the Los Carneros AVA, first planted in 1870 and supplied Louis Martini with fruit leading up to his purchase of 200 acres of the site in 1942. COHO has produced a Stanly Ranch Pinot Noir since their inaugural vintage, and the 2018 release is a blend of Pommard clones, planted in 1970, and younger Dijon clones, giving a vast array of complexity from Napa’s cooler, southern edge near the San Pablo Bay.
 
Sadly, this is Coho’s final vintage. We hate seeing them go, as their wines have always over-delivered with substantial quality and value, making them a favorite among many of our customers. 
 
COHO
PINOT NOIR
STANLY RANCH VINEYARD
LOS CARNEROS 2018
Retails at: $45
 
 
 
“Notes of raspberries, strawberries, baking spices and dried flowers. Medium-bodied with plush tannins. Juicy and fruity with floral and spicy character on the finish. Rich and layered. Drink or hold.”
92 Points
2021 Vineyard 36 Foundation Red Napa Valley

2021 Vineyard 36 Foundation Red Napa Valley

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VINEYARD 36 

FOUNDATION RED
NAPA VALLEY 2021

2021 Vineyard 36 Foundation Red Napa Valley
Professional hockey players Tim Gleason and Cam Ward teamed up with their friend Jason Earnest to create Vineyard 36 out of the group’s shared vision and a common goal to produce wines that express the diversity of Napa Valley. Keith Emerson joined as the Director of Winemaking in 2017, ironically having run programs for ultra-premium custom crush clientele for Vineyard 29 since 2005 at their state-of-the-art gravity-flow facility, bringing two decades of winemaking expertise and experience.
 
The Foundation pays tribute to Tim and Cam’s careers in hockey with an ice rink-shaped oval with faint skate marks. The Roman numeral III in the center represents the bond and friendship between the three friends. The 2021 vintage comprises 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot, sourced from Oakville, Oak Knoll, and Rutherford, giving a complete, balanced Napa red wine with power and definition. 
 
The Cabernet comes from one of Rutherford’s best-known vineyards, but non-disclosure agreements prevent me from telling you which one. 
 
VINEYARD 36 
FOUNDATION RED
NAPA VALLEY 2021
Retails at: $55
 
 
 
“The Vineyard 36 Foundation Napa Red 2021 begins with a bright nose with wild berries, marzipan, white rose, and spearmint hints. The lush palate continues with concentrated candied cherries, penetrating sweet boysenberries, leading to a lengthy finish with a nice balance between the ripe fruits and complexity, combined with slightly chalky/satiny tannins that will continue to unfurl in the future.” 
94 Points