2019 Booker Fracture Syrah Paso Robles

2019 Booker Fracture Syrah Paso Robles

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BOOKER

FRACTURE SYRAH
PASO ROBLES 2019

2019 Booker Fracture Syrah Paso Robles
In 2001, Eric and Lisa Jensen purchased 100 acres in Paso Robles and founded the Booker Vineyard with a keen focus on farming high-quality grapes for nearby wineries. Eric started making wine on the side with his friend Justin Smith of Saxum and his neighbor Stephan Asseo of L’Aventure for a few years before he and Lisa decided it was time to release their own expression of the Booker Vineyard.
 
The certified organic vineyard has a high concentration of limestone that causes fractures in the soils, leading to the name of their flagship wine. The Fracture is 100% Syrah and a selection of the softest wines aged in small French barriques, and the 2019 vintage shows gorgeous aromatics and deep flavors with a delightfully long finish.
 
BOOKER
FRACTURE SYRAH
PASO ROBLES 2019
 
 
 
“The 100% Syrah 2019 Fracture comes all from the Booker Estate Vineyard and is another pure, balanced, incredibly classy wine from this estate. Loads of darker fruits, ground black pepper, crushed stone, and scorched earth give way to a medium to full-bodied, powerful, concentrated Syrah that will benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and cruise for 10-15 years.”
97 Points
2020 Dundee Wine Library Pinot Noir McMinville Oregon

2020 Dundee Wine Library Pinot Noir McMinville Oregon

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DUNDEE WINE LIBRARY

PINOT NOIR 2020
PUGILIST CHAPTER THREE
MCMINVILLE OREGON

2020 Dundee Wine Library Pinot Noir McMinville Oregon
The Dundee Wine Library in the Dundee Hills AVA of Willamette Valley is family owned by two Oregonian natives, Henry and Araminta Miller. They farm a small estate vineyard, planted in 2015, and have several partnerships with renowned growers in the Dundee Hills, Ribbon Ridge, Chehalem Mountains, and McMinnville AVAs. 
 
Winemaker Thibaud Mandet was born in Auvergne, France, and earned a degree in organic chemistry before moving into more exciting studies in wine in Champagne and Bordeaux. The 2020 Pugilist Pinot Noir was sourced from the Hyland Vineyard in McMinnville and aged for eleven months in neutral French barrels, gently coaxing the fruit’s superior quality to shine through and purely express Willamette Valley’s terroir.
 
DUNDEE WINE LIBRARY
PINOT NOIR 2020
PUGILIST CHAPTER THREE
MCMINVILLE OREGON
Retails at: $60
 
 
 
“The DWL The Pugilist Chapter Three Pinot Noir 2020 begins with a nose of sweet cherries, bright berries, wild mushrooms, fresh Spring florals, and wet chalk. The palate continues with concentrated cherry juice and vibrant pomegranate dancing in step with a beautiful balance of ripe fruits with bright freshness. The crisp acidity carries the penetrating fruit through to a long, complex, satisfying finish.”
94 Points
2018 Kelly Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Napa Valley

2018 Kelly Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Napa Valley Oak Knoll District

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KELLY FAMILY VINEYARDS

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
ESTATE NAPA VALLEY
OAK KNOLL DISTRICT 2018

2018 Kelly Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Napa Valley
Harold Kelly was a founding member of the Land Trust of Napa County, and the Kelly family has been a massive part of Napa Valley’s agricultural land preservation for over 40 years. Harold’s son,Gene Kelly, is the proprietor of Kelly Family Vineyards, and he works closely with winemaker Bob Pepi to create a “wine worthy of being shared with close family and friends while you tell your family story.”
 
Mario Bazán was charmed by Napa’s energizing beauty in the early 1970s and is the Vineyard Manager of Kelly Family, placing emphasis on sustainable agriculture resulting in wines with greater depth and personality. The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon speaks volumes from this small production, typical of the winery, whose quality is maintained by the undivided attention of a small, intimate team.
 
KELLY FAMILY VINEYARDS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
ESTATE NAPA VALLEY
OAK KNOLL DISTRICT 2018
Retails at: $95
 
 
 
“The 2018 Kelly Family Vineyards Oak Knoll Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 begins with focused aromas and flavors of blackberry pie, sweet black cherry, savory black olive, boysenberry jam, dusty minerals, sweet vanilla spice, and dried herbs. This offering from the fabulous 2018 vintage is an intensely concentrated wine on the palate with a beautiful balance of deep fruit and a bright, fresh, elegant style combined with a long, lingering finish.”
94 Points
2009 Monte Real Rioja Gran Reserva Rioja Spain

2009 Monte Real Rioja Gran Reserva Rioja Spain

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MONTE REAL

RIOJA GRAN RESERVA
RIOJA, SPAIN 2009

2009 Monte Real Rioja Gran Reserva Rioja Spain
Founded in 1890, Bodegas Riojanas has deep roots in Rioja, with vineyards in a prime location in Cenicero. Their wines combine the elegance of Rioja Alta with the prowess and fruit of Rioja Alavesa. The 2009 growing season in Rioja is considered one of the most stunning vintages from that decade, according to Wine Spectator and Wine Advocate. One taste of Monte Real’s 2009 Gran Reserva will tell you that; the wine also received Editors’ Choice from Wine Enthusiast upon release in 2017, and it’s only improved since.
 
Visionary winemaker Felipe Nalda celebrated his 45th vintage during the harvest of 2009 as he expertly guided this Gran Reserva into a textbook style of Rioja using traditional large, upright tinajas and American oak barrels, where this wine spent three years before bottling. This aging program provides the distinctive Riojan spice with an integrated silky, smooth texture and layers of flavors that merge into a serene, delightful finish. 
 
MONTE REAL
RIOJA GRAN RESERVA
RIOJA, SPAIN 2009
Retails at: $50
 
 
 
“Aromas of roasted earth, leather and fine oak are more out-front than berry fruit, and that’s the way it should be for a Gran Reserva. This feels bold, lively and still a touch bumpy. Chocolaty oak and vanilla notes rest comfortably on top of ripe berry and black-plum flavors, while the finish is persistently earthy and chocolaty. Drink through 2028.”
93 Points, Editors’ Choice
2019 Westwood Legend Proprietary Red Sonoma County

2019 Westwood Legend Proprietary Red Sonoma County

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WESTWOOD

LEGEND PROPRIETARY RED
SONOMA COUNTY 2019

2019 Westwood Legend Proprietary Red Sonoma County
Sustainability is the heart and soul of Westwood’s philosophy, centered around sourcing fruit from vineyards farmed organically or biodynamically, becoming one of just a few Demeter-certified Biodynamic vineyards in North America. Famed winemakers Philippe Melka and Maayan Koschitzky are the vintner team at the helm of Westwood wines, bringing forth their knowledge and experience gained at top wineries, including Bryant Family, Quintessa, Hundred Acre, Screaming Eagle, and Dalla Valle.
 
Like the three previous releases, the 2019 Proprietary Red Wine Legend blends the biodynamically farmed Westwood Estate Annadel Gap Vineyard fruit with specially selected organic, sustainable fruit from Sonoma County and Napa Valley. This rich, sultry red wine is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon enhanced with Syrah and with small amounts of Counoise, Grenache, and Tannat that spent twenty months in French oak, giving a divine drinking pleasure for at least the next seven to eight years.
 
WESTWOOD
LEGEND PROPRIETARY RED
SONOMA COUNTY 2019
Retails at: $55
 
 
 
“With 66% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Syrah, this 20-month French oak barrel-aged blend has a dep, opaque purple hue. Notes of spiced blackberry, licorice, and new leather. Creamy, with heather and soy sauce – it’s penetrating and concentrated – but generous in its juicy, floral nature. Dark chocolate lingers on the juicy finish.”
95 Points
2019 P. Ferraud & Fils Moulin A Vent Cru Beaujolais L'Eolienne

2019 P. Ferraud & Fils Moulin A Vent Cru Beaujolais L’Eolienne

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P. FERRAUD & FILS

MOULIN-A-VENT
CRU BEAUJOLAIS
L’EOLIENNE 2019

2019 P. Ferraud & Fils Moulin A Vent Cru Beaujolais L'Eolienne

Maison P. Ferraud & Fils was founded in 1882 and has been family owned for the last five generations, passing down valuable winemaking expertise and cultural values. The family has always placed high regard on traditional and regional practices in the vineyard and winery but also listens to today’s market, keeping a mindful eye on consumer preferences.
 
Moulin à Vent is known as the “King of Beaujolais” because it produces the most full-bodied, tannic, age-worthy wines of Beaujolais’ ten Cru Vineyards. This particular bottling comes from a unique plot named L’Eolienne, deliberately released up to two years later than other regional producers to ensure the right amount of age, creating a Pinot Noir-like profile at a very approachable price.
 
P. FERRAUD & FILS
MOULIN-A-VENT
CRU BEAUJOLAIS
L’EOLIENNE 2019
 
 
 
“The Ferraud & Fils 2019 “L’Eolienne” Moulin-a-Vent begins with aromas of fresh rose petals, cranberries, red cherries, bramble, white pepper, truffle, and dried herbs. On the palate, the wine has bright acidity that balances and highlights savory notes and earthy flavors with meaty undertones. This wine is at a prime drinking stage and will continue to develop for the next decade or so.”
94 Points
2019 Rubia Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard

2019 Rubia Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard

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RUBIA

CHARDONNAY 2019
RITCHIE VINEYARD

2019 Rubia Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard
Margaret and Joe Valenzuela founded Rubia Wine Cellars as a tribute to their love and a deep desire to become a part of the winemaking world. They built strong friendships throughout Napa and Sonoma, allowing them access to renowned vineyards like Kent Ritchie’s Vineyard. Considered one of the top locations for Chardonnay in the Russian River Valley, Ritchie Vineyard fruit produces award-winning wines from Aubert, Ramey, DuMOL, and Paul Hobbs.
 
Furthering their dream, Margaret and Joe hired Julien Fayard as their winemaker. Julien worked for Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte in France before moving to the US, then became the Director of Winemaking for Philippe Melka. Rubia’s 2019 vintage Chardonnay was fermented in new French oak and kept on the lees for 16 months with a monthly batonnage creating a round, creamy mouthfeel and a long, flavorful finish.
 
RUBIA
CHARDONNAY 2019
RITCHIE VINEYARD
Retails at: $65
 
 
 
“The Rubia 2019 Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay begins with notes of chamomile and honeysuckle with ripe peaches, apricots, marzipan, and vanilla custard. On the palate, the wine has a rich texture and creamy mouthfeel with flavors of honeydew, pear, baking spices, and toasted brioche. The roundness on the palate rolls into a smooth yet bright finish.”
93-94 Points
2016 Chateau Musar Lebanon Rouge Bekaa Valley

2016 Chateau Musar Lebanon Rouge Bekaa Valley

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CHATEAU MUSAR

LEBANON ROUGE
BEKAA VALLEY 2016

2016 Chateau Musar Lebanon Rouge Bekaa Valley
Gaston Hochar planted his first vineyards in Bekka Valley, Lebanon, in 1930 after returning from Bordeaux. He named his new winery after an Arabic word that translates to “a place of extraordinary beauty.” Just over ten years later, Major Ronald Barton of Château Langoa-Barton and Leoville-Barton was stationed in Lebanon and befriended Gaston, giving him the insight and knowledge that has driven Musar’s Bordeaux-styled wines for several decades.
 
Chateau Musar’s Rouge blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, and Carignan changes slightly year after year to reflect the growing season of that vintage. The wines are fermented in concrete, aged for at least 12 months in a small percentage of French oak, and blended and bottled at the end of the third year following the harvest. The bottles matured in deep, stone cellars for an additional four years, released in their seventh year, and have a reputation worldwide for drinking for up to 20 years or more. 
 
CHATEAU MUSAR
LEBANON ROUGE
BEKAA VALLEY 2016
 
 
 
“The 2016 Chateau Musar Rouge opens with a kaleidoscope of aromas such as violets, forest floor, red cherries, truffle, baking spices, and cigar box. On the palate, the wine has firm yet gentle tannins, like rounded corners, that glide into flavors of dried red fruits, nutmeg, earthy spice, and vanilla. The finish is long, dynamic, and mesmerizing. This wine has the structure to age in the cellar but has already reached a very sophisticated level of drinkability that’s just sublime.”
96-97 Points
2021 Edict Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

2021 Edict Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

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EDICT.

PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST 2021

2021 Edict Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
“Truth, generosity, and love” are the three words that guide Edict’s winemaking approach, led by ardor and attention to detail that begins in the vineyard and is transferred to the winery, ensuring premium quality in every bottle. Edict’s Vineyard Manager has over 30 years of grape-growing wisdom. He collaborates with some of Napa Valley’s and Sonoma County’s foremost growers, overseeing that only top-quality fruit is selected and vinified.
 
The meticulous selection of fruit with the purest varietal expressions gives their winemaker the ingredients to craft memorable wines. The 2021 Sonoma County Pinot Noir was sourced from vineyards in the Sonoma Coast AVA and the Russian River Valley AVA and matured in 50% new French oak, creating an intrinsic balance between Sonoma’s bright fruit character and Pinot Noir’s innate spice rack.
 
EDICT.
PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST 2021
Retails at: $54
 
 
 
“The Edict 2021 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir has juicy fruit aromatics with ripe cherries, strawberries, and plums balanced by sweet baking spices, earthy undertones, and savory mushrooms. On the palate, the wine has flavors of cherry cola, ripe berries, cinnamon, and toast. The wine’s ultra-smooth texture and friendly approachability make this wine pretty easy to enjoy any night of the week.”
92 Points
2018 MaCo Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2018 MaCo Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

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MaCo

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2018

2018 MaCo Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Expert viticulturist Roberto Corona and wine aficionado Jesus Maciel created a dynamic equilibrium when they founded MaCo Vineyards in 2009. They’ve since developed a standard of excellence for Napa Valley’s Oak Knoll District. The vineyards are located on the western side of Silverado Trail near Soda Canyon Road, facing east, receiving copious amounts of California sunshine before being cooled nightly by the region’s breezes from the San Pablo Bay, helping retain a bright acidity.
 
The second generation of MaCo Vineyards, Alvaro Camacho, pulled up to our tasting in his farm truck to present his family’s wines to our tasting panel, making it evident that he was serious about the MaCo Vineyards legacy. We knew the moment we tasted his Cabernet that his wines were the real deal, and based on the numerous requests for reorders, our customers agreed. We recently re-tasted his 2018 vintage Cabernet, and it’s developed beautifully in the bottle, so we jumped at the opportunity to share it with you again before the 2019 vintage is released.
 
MaCo
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2018
Retails at: $100
 
 
 
“The 2018 MaCo Cabernet Sauvignon opens with notes of lavender, blueberry, blackberry jam, black currants, wet stones, cloves, and earth. On the palate, flavors of black raspberry, marionberry pie, and cocoa are concentrated and balanced by fresh acidity. This wine’s fine-grained tannic structure and intensity promise longevity and the ability to evolve in the cellar if you have the patience to do so.
94-95 Points