2020 Andre Brunel Chateauneuf-Du-Pape Les Cailloux

2020 Andre Brunel Chateauneuf-Du-Pape Les Cailloux

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ANDRÉ BRUNEL

CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE
LES CAILLOUX 2020

2020 Andre Brunel Chateauneuf-Du-Pape Les Cailloux
This historic estate was established in the 17th century when André Brunel’s family purchased a vineyard plot from the Bishop of Avignon. André took over the reins of this estate in 1971, and his son Fabrice joined the winemaking team in 2012, keeping the family legacy alive by pursuing quality with the highest regard and respect for the environment.
 
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is notorious for its large, round pebbles that absorb the sun’s energy, radiating warmth throughout the night, allowing the grapes to achieve ideal ripeness and incredible complexity. “Les Cailloux” gets its name from the pebbles.
 
The 2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape red wine blends 70% Grenache with Mourvèdre, Syrah, and Cinsault from sixty-year-old vines. The 2020 vintage is drinking beautifully now and will continue to delight for the next decade.
 
ANDRÉ BRUNEL
CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE
LES CAILLOUX 2020
Retails at: $65
 
 
 
“This traditional style Chateauneuf has a complex nose of leather, dry earth, candied orange peel and licorice. More red-berry fruit on the expansive yet delicate palate, where there’s a wonderful interplay of super-fine tannins and restrained richness through the very long, silky finish. Drink or hold.”
94 Points
2019 Eco Terreno Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

2019 Eco Terreno Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

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ECO TERRENO

CABERNET SAUVIGNON  
ALEXANDER VALLEY 2019

2019 Eco Terreno Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley
Eco Terreno is a certified biodynamic and organic farm that uses modern techniques to strengthen and restore the soils within the vineyards to their original state. The winery’s sustainably farmed vines and founder Mark Lyons’ years of experience as the lead winemaker for Sebastiani Vineyards result in these sensational bottles.
 
The winery receives coastal fog through the Petaluma Gap each evening, blanketing the vineyards throughout the night into the morning. This helps to preserve acidity and freshness in the grapes, resulting in a balanced and polished Cabernet Sauvignon.
 
The 2019 growing season was nearly perfect for Alexander Valley, and it shows in this incredible value at this price.
 
ECO TERRENO
CABERNET SAUVIGNON  
ALEXANDER VALLEY 2019
Retails at: $32
 
 
 
“The Eco Terreno 2019 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has signature notes of earth and minerality with violet, blackberry, plum, cassis, crushed graham crackers, and black olives. On the palate, the wine has soft tannins and a smooth texture with flavors of black cherry, blueberry, mushroom, baking spices, and cocoa powder. The wine has a silky finish with a structure that should age well over the next decade.”
96 Points
2018 The Mascot Proprietary Red Napa Valley

2018 The Mascot Proprietary Red Napa Valley

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THE MASCOT

PROPRIETARY RED
NAPA VALLEY 2018

2018 The Mascot Proprietary Red Napa Valley
The Mascot shares the hallmarks of Napa Valley’s most elite wines, such as meticulous farming, high-profile winemaking, and pedigreed grapes, offering an introduction to Napa’s most distinguished Cabernet Sauvignons. Emerging from distinct hillside vineyards, specifically from the comparatively younger vines of BOND, Harlan Estate, and Promontory, The Mascot lucidly reveals its unrivaled pedigree with each swirl of the glass while offering insight into the vintage and evolution of its parent properties.
 
While the winery doesn’t specify exact grape varietal percentages in each vintage, The Mascot has historically been 85-95% Cabernet Sauvignon, followed by Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petite Verdot. Crafted in an intensely captivating style that’s gloriously supple, penetrating, and harmoniously balanced, only a few very select retailers have the opportunity to offer this wine, and we are delighted to be one of them!
 
THE MASCOT
PROPRIETARY RED
NAPA VALLEY 2018
 
 
 
“…The fruit of the young vines maintained a measured balance that gave the team little indication that harvest was imminent. Fog and temperate days followed in September, when relying more on instinct than empirical cues we began to pick. This judgment as well as the gentle nature of the season is confirmed in the subtle, ethereal power of the vintage, which reveals itself first in the deep, brooding aromas of dark fruit, black tea, and herbal notes. The texture expands around a lifted structure, as powdery tannins gently resolve. This diffused, enigmatic softness is anchored on the mid-palate by a gratifying density, which prepares the senses for a flourish of hidden energy and vivid detail that illuminates the finish.”
2019 Courtney Benham Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford

2019 Courtney Benham Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford

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COURTNEY BENHAM

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
RUTHERFORD 2019

2019 Courtney Benham Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford
California offers geological diversity that few other wine regions can match, and winemaker Courtney Benham, inspired by his upbringing on a farm, fell in love with the varying landscape and endless possibilities. Courtney has three decades of experience in the wine industry, and his talent for selecting expressive plots with terroir-articulated fruit is evident in each wine he bottles.
 
Rutherford’s gravel and loam soils with volcanic deposits are a magical combination that creates the legendary complexity known as “Rutherford Dust,” sought after by Cabernet Sauvignon lovers worldwide.
 
Courtney Benham’s 2019 Rutherford Cabernet comes from a fantastic vintage in Napa Valley and highlights the region’s dusty tannins, earthy characteristics, and fruit concentration.
 
COURTNEY BENHAM
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
RUTHERFORD 2019
Retails at: $85
 
 
 
“Dark berries and fresh flowers on the nose with some herbs and spices. Medium to full body. Refined, very polished and tight with length and focus. Compressed and very pretty. Needs time to open and show its true self. Better after 2024.”
94 Points
2019 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

2019 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

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SILVER OAK

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
ALEXANDER VALLEY 2019

2019 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley
Silver Oak’s founders envisioned creating world-class Cabernet Sauvignon, aged exclusively in American oak, that could be cellared and enjoyed for decades. Founded in a dairy barn in 1972, Silver Oak has maintained a seductive house style from oak from their cooperage in Missouri and is now one of California’s leaders in sustainability.
 
The driving philosophy behind Silver Oak wines is that they have yet to make their best wine, and the vineyard team uses precise viticulture techniques to evaluate each vineyard block and make informed farming decisions on a block-by-block basis. The Alexander Valley Estate sits upon the benchland of the Mayacamas mountains, rich in mineral soils with excellent drainage key for Cabernet Sauvignon, which develops savory-like characteristics. 
 
Until 2011 and a 40-year tradition, Silver Oak Alexander Valley was 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, but blending experiments have since proven to enhance the wine, with the 2019 vintage seeing 95.2% Cabernet Sauvignon with Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot, aged in an even 50-50 split of new and used oak barrels for complete integration.
 
SILVER OAK
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
ALEXANDER VALLEY 2019
 
 
*Released August 5th*
 
 
“The 2019 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has notes of red cherry, raspberry, blackberry, iris, vanilla and clove. Ruby in color, this elegant wine has great acidity and lift on the mid-palate. Black currant and warm baking spices linger with a deep and fruity finish. It will provide drinking pleasure through 2047 given proper cellaring.”
2015 Chateau Mascard Haut-Medoc Bordeaux

2015 Chateau Mascard Haut-Medoc Bordeaux

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CHÂTEAU MASCARD

HAUT-MÉDOC
BORDEAUX 2015

2015 Chateau Mascard Haut-Medoc Bordeaux
Château Mascard resides in the Haut-Médoc AOC on the left bank of the Garonne River, a few miles west of the world-famous Pauillac AOC in Bordeaux, France. The soils in the region consist of dense gravel topsoil above clay beds. Well-drained gravel soils are ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon, while Merlot prefers water-retaining clay. The Château’s vineyards are planted accordingly and sustainably farmed.
 
Each lot is fermented separately after harvest before carefully blending into a wine representing the Chateau’s mixed terroir. The wine is then aged for 16 months in French oak barrels before being bottled. This 2015 vintage is a 65% Cabernet Sauvignon blend with 35% Merlot that has developed sensationally well in the bottle, with black cherry, red currant, and hints of pepper and pencil shavings. Enjoy it on its own or with grilled meats or wild game. At $25, this is one of the best values in Bordeaux that we’ve discovered and is sure to impress.
 
CHÂTEAU MASCARD
HAUT-MÉDOC
BORDEAUX 2015
 
 
 
“The Château Mascard 2015 Haut-Médoc has a developed nose with aromas of lavender, plum, red currant, cocoa powder, mushrooms, clove, black olive, and dusty earth. On the palate, the wine has layers of intense flavors, including blackberry, black cherry, baking spices, truffle, and dark chocolate. This wine has savory, nuanced characteristics and soft tannins from its time maturing in the bottle, and though it could age longer, it has reached a sublime point in its journey and is very enjoyable right now.”
95 Points
2021 Walter Hansel Pinot Noir Estate Vineyard Russian River Valley

2021 Walter Hansel Pinot Noir The Estate Vineyard Russian River Valley

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WALTER HANSEL

PINOT NOIR 2021
THE ESTATE VINEYARDS
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

2021 Walter Hansel Pinot Noir Estate Vineyard Russian River Valley
Born with a love and passion for agriculture, Walter Hansel enlisted his son Stephen to help him plant grapevines on the family estate in the Russian River Valley. Throughout the 1980s, Walter and Stephen experimented with making wine for fun, and thanks to Stephen’s legendary Pinot Noir-producing friend Tom Rochioli, the father-son team learned the nuances of viticulture and how to translate that knowledge into stellar wines.
 
Walter Hansels’ vineyards comprise six different Pinot Noir clones, and The Estate Vineyards Pinot encompasses each, establishing a uniform balance and ultimate complexity. The 2021 release was fermented in stainless steel with an addition of 5% whole clusters to a small number of tanks and matured in French oak for 12 months giving a style focused on the purity of the fruit with a hint of spice.
 
WALTER HANSEL
PINOT NOIR 2021
THE ESTATE VINEYARDS
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
 
 
 
“The 2021 Pinot Noir The Estate Vineyards is gracious, elegant and silky. Crushed red/purplish berry fruit, spice and mint are nicely laced together in a juicy, mid-weight Pinot that delivers the goods. The 2021 offers tons of immediacy, but marries that with a good bit of energy. This is a very serious wine with a bright, bright future.”
92 Points
2021 Kanzler Chardonnay Walker Station Vineyard RRV

2021 Kanzler Chardonnay Walker Station Vineyard Russian River Valley

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KANZLER

CHARDONNAY 2021
WALKER STATION VINEYARD
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

2021 Kanzler Chardonnay Walker Station Vineyard RRV
In 1996, the Kanzler family was the first to plant vineyards in the chilly Sebastopol Hills in western Sonoma County, just eight miles from the Pacific Ocean. Steve Kanzler immersed himself in viticulture, taking classes at UC Davis, and sought advice from neighbors, winemakers, vineyard managers, and soil experts all around the county to perfect his knowledge and understanding of grape growing.
 
After the first harvest in 2000, Kanzler began to sell fruit to prominent and up-and-coming wineries, including Lynmar, Rivers-Marie, and Kosta Browne. The Kanzlers recognized the immense quality of another vineyard, Walker Station, and so when the opportunity came up to lease it after Harry Walker of Walker Station Vineyard retired, they didn’t hesitate.
 
Kanzler’s 2021 Walker Station Vineyard Chardonnay is sourced from the cool, hilly Green Valley of the Russian River Valley, giving opulent, fresh fruit that winemaker Alex Kanzler crafts into a focused style combining elegance, power, and finesse.
 
KANZLER
CHARDONNAY 2021
WALKER STATION VINEYARD
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
 
 
 
“The Kanzler 2021 Walker Station Chardonnay opens with energetic notes of acacia blossoms, jasmine, quince, yellow apple, star fruit, and buttercream frosting. On the palate, the wine has layered flavors that unfold into pear, apricot, baked apple pie, bourbon anglaise, and a crisp minerality. This wine has a satin-like quality that envelopes your taste buds and leads to a pleasant finish that enlightens the senses.”
95 Points
2020 Awatere River Pinot Noir Marlborough

2020 Awatere River Pinot Noir Marlborough

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AWATERE RIVER

PINOT NOIR 2020
MARLBOROUGH

2020 Awatere River Pinot Noir Marlborough
The Awatere Valley within Marlborough, New Zealand, was created by ancient glaciers that left pockets of alluvial soils excellent for growing and producing wines with a distinct flinty minerality. This relatively cool climate is in one of the South Island’s sunniest locations, ideal for a long, slow ripening season, enhancing the fruit’s complexity and depth.
 
Awatere River Winery is a collection of 100% sustainably produced, premium wines from low-yielding vines that depict the originality of the valley’s rich, alluvial deposits from intensely aromatic fruit with nuanced flavor characteristics. 
 
The 2020 growing season in Marlborough saw idyllic weather from bud break to harvest, and the Pinot Noir from Awatere River highlights this flawless vintage with bright fruit, fresh acidity, and a long distinguished finish. 
 
PS: When we tasted this Pinot last week, everybody on our panel wanted to buy a case.
 
AWATERE RIVER
PINOT NOIR 2020
MARLBOROUGH
 
 
 
“The 2020 Awatere River Marlborough Pinot Noir begins with a bright and vibrant nose of wild raspberries, sweet baking spices, cola bean, elegant florals, and spearmint hints. The racy palate continues with focused tart red cherries, pomegranate, saline minerality, black tea, and sage. The finish is long and focused with bright acidity and integrated tannins that make it a delight to enjoy. It drinks so far beyond its price point that I was compelled to write about it even though there were professional reviews already published.”  Tasted July 2023
94 Points
2020 L'Aventure Optimus Estate Paso Robles

2020 L’Aventure Optimus Estate Paso Robles

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L’AVENTURE

OPTIMUS ESTATE
PASO ROBLES 2020

2020 L'Aventure Optimus Estate Paso Robles
One of Paso’s leading winemakers, Stephan Asseo, began making wine in 1982 after studying at L’Ecole Oenologique de Macon in Burgundy. He and his wife Beatrice owned three domains in Bordeaux, and Stephan made wine there for 17 years. 
 
Feeling slightly restricted by the winemaking rules and requirements set by the AOC, Stephan, and Beatrice began searching for a terroir in the New World that would give them the freedom to craft creative blends. After about a year of traveling worldwide, they found what they sought in the rolling hills on the west side of Paso Robles. 
 
L’Aventure’s 2020 Optimus enchants your taste buds with 58% Syrah, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11% Petit Verdot from the estate vineyard then, spent 14 months in French oak without fining or filtering, paying homage to Stephan’s talent and innovative spirit.
 
L’AVENTURE
OPTIMUS ESTATE
PASO ROBLES 2020
 
 
 
“A blend of 58% Syrah, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Petit Verdot, the 2020 Optimus has a deep ruby color and a deep core of red and black cherries, chargrill, thyme, charcuterie and desiccated violet. The full-bodied palate is light on its feet with juicy acidity and approachable grainy tannins, and it has a long, layered finish.”
95 Points