2013 Knights Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley

2013 Knights Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley

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KNIGHTS BRIDGE

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
KNIGHTS VALLEY 2013

2013 Knights Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley
Founded in 2006, Knights Bridge Winery sits in a sweet spot near the Knights Valley AVA’s western edge, not far from Peter Michael Winery. The area just North of Calistoga is known for its warm days, cool nights, and mineral-rich volcanic soils. 
 
The Knights Bridge Estate Vineyard rises from 300 to 900 feet of elevation on the rugged slopes of the Mayacamas mountain range, exposed to cool winds from the Pacific Ocean, aiding in structure, flavor development, and retaining fresh acidity.
 
Douglas Danielak (owner/winemaker of Pont Neuf) joined the founding team as the winemaker, using his knowledge and experience from earning a BS in Viticulture and Enology from UC Davis and the Lycee Agricole et Viticole de Beaune in Burgundy. 2013 was an excellent vintage for the region, and this wine has aged gracefully for just under a decade bringing forth subtle spices and soft tannins with a long, supple finish.
 
KNIGHTS BRIDGE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
KNIGHTS VALLEY 2013
 
 
 
“Coming from a practically perfect growing season, the Knights Bridge 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon opens with aromas of violets, red and black currants, black cherry, allspice, cigar box, and cedar. On the palate, the wine has smooth, supple tannins and flavors of cassis, black olive, baking spices, black tea leaves, and cocoa powder. The concentration of flavor is impressive and holds on throughout the lengthy finish. This wine is divine and drinking beautifully right now, but it still possesses aging capability.”
95 Points
2019 Domus Aurea Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Valley

2019 Domus Aurea Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Valley

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DOMUS AUREA

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
MAIPO VALLEY 2019

2019 Domus Aurea Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Valley
One of Chile’s most renowned vineyards, Clos Quebrada de Macul, planted in 1970, sits on a low-yielding hillside site requiring highly skilled farming. Proprietors Isabelle and Ricardo Peña planted predominately Cabernet Sauvignon with a small mixture of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot that they sold to some of the top wineries in Chile, reaching the highest price on the market and motivating the Peña’s to open a winery of their own.
 
The first vintage of Domus Aurea was released in 1996 and remains today the vineyard’s flagship wine and one of Chile’s most sought-after Cabernets. The wine consistently gained worldwide attention, garnering high praise from critics. 
 
The 2019 vintage comprises 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot, traditionally vinified with a long, slow fermentation, aged 18 months in French oak barrels, and bottled unfiltered to preserve the integrity of the wine from this magnificent terroir.
 
DOMUS AUREA
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
MAIPO VALLEY 2019
Retails at: $75
 
 
 
“…It has the textbook notes of mint and eucalyptus, intermixed with exotic spices (cola nut and Jamaica pepper), quite aromatic, with notes of crème de cassis and good ripeness. It has the Domus character from the mountains and the stones with that dry sensation and austere palate….bottled in March 2021.”
95 Points
2022 Leto Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma County

2022 Leto Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma County

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LETO CELLARS

SAUVIGNON BLANC
SONOMA COUNTY 2022

2022 Leto Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma County
Brad Warner, co-founder and winemaker at Leto Cellars, has over 50 years of dedication and experience in the wine industry. He began his career in the cellar at Charles Krug Winery, followed by nearly 30 years of tenure at Robert Mondavi Winery, where he served as the Vice President of Production. Brad’s wife, Lisa, was also at Mondavi and was in charge of all aspects of wine production for over 30 years, founding Leto Cellars in 2008 and leaning into their well-deserved knowledge and adoration for their work.
 
“Leto” translates to “the hidden one” in Greek, and Leto Cellars symbolizes finding a fantastic wine made with passion at an unbelievably low price point. 
 
The 2022 Sauvignon Blanc was stainless steel-fermented, giving a very aromatically pure character, bursting with concentrated flavors and crisp acidity, perfect for a warm summer day.
 
LETO CELLARS
SAUVIGNON BLANC
SONOMA COUNTY 2022
Retails at: $28
 
 
 
“The Leto 2022 Sauvignon Blanc is brilliantly aromatic with notes of white blossoms, lemon zest, pink grapefruit, white peach, passion fruit, and golden straw. On the palate, the wine has a lively intensity with concentrated flavors of lemon, Granny Smith apple, mandarin orange, and gooseberry and a long, playful finish.”
94 Points
2019 Kelly Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Napa Valley

2019 Kelly Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Napa Valley

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KELLY FAMILY VINEYARDS

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
ESTATE NAPA VALLEY
OAK KNOLL DISTRICT 2019

2019 Kelly Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Napa Valley
Kelly Family Vineyards is one of our most exciting boutique wine discoveries this year, and their 2019 vintage embodies everything we look for in superior-quality, small-lot Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. For years, they’ve sold fruit to some of Napa’s top Cabernet producers, and if I told you which ones, I’m confident you’d jump straight to the order button. 
 
Vineyard Manager Mario Bazán immigrated to Napa in 1973 and was charmed by Napa’s beauty, so he carefully honed his viticultural skills as a laborer and today runs one of the most respected vineyard management companies in Napa and Sonoma counties.
 
Winemaker Bob Pepi works closely with Gene and Mario to craft Kelly Family Vineyards’ limited production of premium quality wines. The depth and complexity of the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon release reflect the undivided attention of the small, intimate team and the glorious vintage.
 
KELLY FAMILY VINEYARDS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
ESTATE NAPA VALLEY
OAK KNOLL DISTRICT 2019
Retails at: $95
 
 
 
“Coming from another fantastic vintage in Napa Valley, the Kelly Family 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits notes of wet stones, petrichor, black currant, savory spice, and a hint of cinnamon. On the palate, the wine has bright acidity that enhances the flavors of dried herbs, menthol, black plum, cherry, and allspice. The finish lingers on the palate and portrays the complexity of the flavors as it envelopes your taste buds. This wine has the structure to age and will continue to develop.”
96 Points
2018 Livio Sassetti Pertimali Brunello Di Montalcino

2018 Livio Sassetti Pertimali Brunello Di Montalcino

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LIVIO SASSETTI

PERTIMALI 2018
BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO

2018 Livio Sassetti Pertimali Brunello Di Montalcino
Revered for consistently producing world-class Brunello di Montalcino, the Sassetti family is one of Tuscany’s top producers, cultivating terroir-driven fruit with immense character. 
 
Their Estate is perched upon the hill of Montosoli, north of Montalcino, reputed for some of the most outstanding examples of Sangiovese, alluring and enchanting wine lovers and critics worldwide.
 
Robert Parker once mentioned that if he had to drink one Brunello for the rest of his life, “it would have to be Pertimali.” 
 
The 2018 release shows beautifully, displaying an array of fabulous aromas and flavors that define the region. This outstanding wine should be a part of any Italian wine collector’s cellar.
 
LIVIO SASSETTI
PERTIMALI 2018
BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO
 
 
 
“Intense aromas of black cherries, lavender and spice, such as nutmeg. Some sandalwood and bark, too. Full-bodied with a solid core of fruit and tannins for the vintage. Rather chewy, suggesting that additional bottle age is needed. Try after 2026.”
96 Points
2019 Merus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2019 Merus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

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MERUS

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
NAPA VALLEY 2019

2019 Merus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Merus is Latin for “pure” or “undiluted.” The purity behind the winery humbly came to fruition in 1998, with Erika J. Gottl and Mark Herold having crafted the inaugural vintage in their garage behind their house in Napa. The wine won international renown, and in 2007 Bill Foley added Merus to his Foley Family Wines group and restored an old ghost winery into a winemaking facility worthy of the brand.
 
The winery’s small size and long-term relationships with many Napa Valley growers allow the team to control many factors in the vineyard, including yield size, pruning, irrigation, and harvest times. The 2019 vintage is 97% Cabernet Sauvignon coming from a unique site in the Coombsville AVA with 3% Petit Verdot, sourced from a selected plot in Yountville, aged 24 months in 100% new French oak giving the already concentrated fruit additional flavor complexity, depth, and a lasting finish. 
 
MERUS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
NAPA VALLEY 2019
Retails at: $225
 
 
 
“A killer bottle of Napa Valley magic, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon from Merus is 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot. It’s a powerful, full-bodied, uber-ripe beauty that stays lively and balanced, with beautiful blue fruits, as well as smoked tobacco, chocolate, and scored earth-like aromas and flavors. A beast of a wine with a great mid-palate and velvety tannins, it should shed its considerable baby fat over the coming 4-6 years and have two decades of overall longevity.”
97 Points
2021 Lingua Franca Avni Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

2021 Lingua Franca Avni Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

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LINGUA FRANCA

AVNI PINOT NOIR
WILLAMETTE VALLEY 2021

2021 Lingua Franca Avni Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
Larry Stone was the ninth Master Sommelier in the United States and spent over 30 years as a high-profile sommelier and restaurateur. In 2010, he began negotiations on the highly sought-after 150-acre Janzen Farm in Oregon’s Eola-Amity Hills AVA, finally purchasing the property in 2012. The estate lies in the neighborhood of Argyle’s Lone Star, Domaine Serene’s Jerusalem Hill, and Evening Land’s Seven Springs vineyards, known for Nekia, Gelderman, and Jory soils and a climate ideally suited to grow Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
 
Larry co-founded Lingua Franca alongside David Honig and Dominique Lafon in 2015. Dominique, a well-known producer in Meursault, assumed the position of the consulting winemaker and brought on his protégé Thomas Savre to craft the wines because of Thomas’s experience working for some of the top domains in Burgundy. The Avni Pinot Noir comes primarily from the Lingua Franca Estate Vineyard, with around 30% from other prized plots in the Eola-Amity Hills region to elevate the range of aromas and flavors but retain the savory spice.
 
LINGUA FRANCA
AVNI PINOT NOIR
WILLAMETTE VALLEY 2021
 
 
 
“The Lingua Franca Avni Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2021 begins with a strikingly complex Burgundian-like nose of fresh cherries, delicate green herbs, light wood spice, and white florals. The palate continues with bright red and sweet black cherries, tart pomegranate, ripe Burgundy plums, black tea, hints of cola, and saline minerality. The touch of greenness from partial whole-cluster fermentation dances with the complex sweet/tart fruit to showcase the lushness of Oregon Pinot Noir, guided by the thoughtful, measured hand of a Burgundian winemaker in a way that beautifully projects the best traits of both regions.”
94 Points
2019 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville

2019 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville

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GROTH 

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
OAKVILLE 2019

2019 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville
Dennis and Judy Groth purchased an old, rundown farm in what is now the Oakville AVA in 1981. Few people in the wine business understood the value and potential of the land in Napa Valley at the time, but Ren Harris, a realtor, fellow winegrower, and founder of Paradigm Winery, was one of them. He promised the couple that this property would aspire to greatness.
 
After one year of solely selling fruit, Dennis and Judy decided to produce wine. They asked Nils Venge to be their winemaker, and after his initial visit to the estate, he commented, “That’s the Sweet Spot…that can make us world-class wine.” He proved himself right in 1985, when Robert Parker awarded the Groth Estate Cabernet Sauvignon America’s first 100-Point score.
 
The Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon comes primarily from the estate vineyard and small portions from partner growers in Oakville. The 2019 vintage is 89% Cabernet Sauvignon with 11% Merlot, rounding out the mid-palate and continuing the legacy of Groth’s outstanding reputation.
 
GROTH 
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
OAKVILLE 2019
Retails at: $70
 
 
 
“Sumptuous black and blue berries, candied violets and sweet cedar on the nose. Fresh and inviting in the mouth, showing elegant red, black and blue fruit with graphite, clove and tangy orange acidity framed by pointed tannins. A lovely ageworthy red with energy and poise by winemaker Ted Henry. Drink 2022-2036”
94 Points
2020 Dolum Estates Cabernet Sauvignoin Cask #11 Sonoma County

2020 Dolum Estates Cabernet Sauvignoin Cask #11 Sonoma County

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DOLUM ESTATES

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
CASK #11 2020
SONOMA COUNTY

2020 Dolum Estates Cabernet Sauvignoin Cask #11 Sonoma County
Dolum Estates’ founders strive to create wines with undeniable character and all-embracing elegance that vividly portray their origin. Winemaker Chad Alexander’s background in soil science, and experience making wine at Hess Collection and Robert Craig wineries, brought their goal to fruition, producing terroir-focused wines with depth of flavor that remain elegant and finely balanced.
 
Their 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Cask #11 embodies the classic Alexander Valley depth and complexity of the region’s ancient soils. It’s balanced with 8% Cabernet Sauvignon from Oakville that ties in the rich, supple mouthfeel. This impressive wine, aged in French oak, offers immediate enjoyment and the structure to age for five to seven years.
 
DOLUM ESTATES
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
CASK #11 2020
SONOMA COUNTY
Retails at: $82
 
 
 
“Massive notes of crushed stone, blackberry, earth, and licorice are gentled by the wine’s inherent elegance. It morphs from tightly wound to a tamed beast with lithe, lip-smacking tannins.”
94 Points, “Publisher’s Pick”
2021 Hourglass HG III Red Blend Napa Valley

2021 Hourglass HG III Red Blend Napa Valley

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HOURGLASS 

HG III RED BLEND
NAPA VALLEY 2021

2021 Hourglass HG III Red Blend Napa Valley
The Hourglass estate consists of two vineyards producing a line of estate wines under winemaker Tony Biagi, who gained nearly ten years of experience making wines for Plumpjack. The two vineyards are planted predominately with Bordeaux varietals, and Tony focuses on creating Old-World-styled wines with a modern twist.
 
The HG III is a unique blend of small lots of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petite Sirah, offering a silky-smooth, consistent style of a Napa Valley red blend that continuously finds itself on the shelves of our wine shop. The 2021 vintage is youthful and full of life with concentrated flavors, smooth, supple tannins, and a long, indulgent finish. It is the perfect accompaniment to a meal or a relaxing evening.
 
HOURGLASS 
HG III RED BLEND
NAPA VALLEY 2021
Retails at: $53
 
 
 
“The Hourglass 2021 HG III Proprietary Red Blend opens with a spice rack of complex aromas with violets, pink peppercorns, red currant, blackberry, leather, and mushroom. On the palate, the wine has depth and flavors of ripe red plum, blueberry, melted dark chocolate, malt, toasted bread, and roasted coffee beans. The flavor intensity lasts through the finish and is enjoyable from beginning to middle to end.”
94 Points