2020 Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio Collio

2020 Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio Collio

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LIVIO FELLUGA

PINOT GRIGIO
COLLIO 2020

2020 Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio Collio
Livio Felluga has identified with Friuli’s most traditional and passionate winemaking traditions for six generations and continues today in that same pursuit in the vineyards that Livio renovated in Rosazzo. Their vineyards are a part of the “Geographic Map” of the region and symbolize Friuli’s prestige, proudly displayed on their wine labels since 1956. 
 
Livio passed down the respect for the environment, terroir, attention to detail, and quality control to his children, who nurture and maintain the estate. The 2020 Pinot Grigio exemplifies Friuli’s cultural adoration for the varietal and celebrates its fun and playful nature in a refreshing, easy-drinking wine.
 
These guys are a reference standard for high-quality Friuli Pinot Grigio, and they should be on everybody’s radar.
 
LIVIO FELLUGA
PINOT GRIGIO
COLLIO 2020
 
Your Price: $27.99
 
 
“A textbook pinot grigio with peach and sliced cooked apple, as well as lemon curd. Medium body. Flavorful finish. Drink or hold. Screw cap.”
92 Points
2016 Spence Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

2016 Spence Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

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SPENCE

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
HOWELL MOUNTAIN 2016

2016 Spence Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
Spence’s proprietors lived on Howell Mountain for years before restoring a neglected vineyard on their property, patiently learning the dynamic characteristics of their particular location. The vineyard is positioned near a canyon that benefits from consistent breezes, thickening the grape skins and contributing deep color and flavor intensity as the roots dig deep into the red volcanic soil.
 
This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon is a powerfully expressive, beautifully balanced wine that represents Howell Mountain’s exceptional growing environment with grace and elegance. The noteworthy 2016 vintage is already a splendor in the glass and leaves a lasting impression as the nuances and flavors unfold in a long, supple finish.
 
SPENCE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
HOWELL MOUNTAIN 2016
Retails at: $125
 
 
 
“The 2016 Spence Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon opens with a pronounced intensity of aromas such as violets, cassis, black tea, black cherry, cedar, and volcanic rock. On the palate, the wine exudes flavors of plum, blueberry compote, cocoa, and nutmeg in a perfect balance between fruit ripeness and refreshing acidity. The deep complexity of flavors contributes to a long, layered finish that is a sensory delight from start to finish. Don’t hesitate to open this bottle tonight, but patience will be rewarded for those who choose to cellar this precious wine.”
97 Points
2017 Aspara Syrah Las Madres Vineyard

2017 Aspara Syrah Las Madres Vineyard

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APSARA

SYRAH 2017
LAS MADRES VINEYARD

2017 Aspara Syrah Las Madres Vineyard
The word apsara originates from the Sanskrit language, symbolizing an angelic dancer with balance, purity, and expression, accurately describing each of Apsara Cellars’ exquisite wines. The winery’s founders, Robin and Aneeta Akhurst, met 20 years ago while studying biology and environmental science in Indonesia, broadening the scope of their interests in preserving nature with organic, biodynamic, and sustainable practices.
 
After Robin obtained his degree in Enology, he spent the next four years working with legendary winemakers worldwide, including Anne Claude Leflaive in Burgundy, Matt Wenk in the Barossa Valley, and Thomas Rivers Brown in the Napa Valley. The 2017 Apsara Syrah was grown in the meticulously farmed Las Madres Vineyard in Sonoma Carneros and is known for its cool climate Syrah with spice, depth, and style similar to the celebrated wines of the Northern Rhône. With only 100 cases produced, it won’t last long at this price.
 
APSARA
SYRAH 2017
LAS MADRES VINEYARD
Retails at: $80
 
 
 
“The 2017 Apsara Las Madres Vineyard Syrah begins with notes of violets, rose petals, garrigue, white pepper, blackberry, and chocolate mousse. The wine envelopes and coats the palate with silky tannins and flavors of black plum, bramble, chocolate chip cookies, and aniseed. This style of Syrah is seductive but not heavy and sweetly coaxes you into the perfect state of relaxation.”
94 Points
2015 Louis Roederer Brut Rose Champagne France

2015 Louis Roederer Brut Rose Champagne France

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LOUIS ROEDERER

BRUT ROSÉ 2015
CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE

2015 Louis Roederer Brut Rose Champagne France
The Louis Roederer Champagne house was one of the first to be founded in the region in 1776 and has been a leader in outstanding quality since. They source the fruit from vineyards in the villages of Montage de Reims, Côtes des Blancs, and Valleé de la Marne, maintaining an average score of 98 percent on the Champagne classification scale, offering an extraordinary level of quality. 
 
The Pinot Noir for this wine sees a long and soft extraction to integrate the most delicate and exquisite flavors before adding Chardonnay to the fermentation vessels. This wine has a mind-blowing balance of fruit, vanilla, minerality, and salinity that dances on the palate with levity and a lengthy, complex finish.
 
If you love Rosé Champagnes like Billecart-Salmon and Ruinart, I bet this one will be your new favorite.
 
LOUIS ROEDERER
BRUT ROSÉ 2015
CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE
 
Your Price: $85
 
 
“The 2015 Brut Vintage Rosé is generous and demonstrative, bursting with aromas of peach, orange and pear mingled with hints of red berries, fresh bread and ginger. Full-bodied, layered and vinous, it’s rich and enveloping, its textural attack segueing into an ample, fleshy core that’s girdled by bright acids and enlivened by a pillowy mousse. Long and expansive, it’s more generous and gourmand than its racier 2014 predecessor, but just as good.”
94 Points
 
“This shows lots of cotton candy and peach, together with strawberries and cream. But not overpowering. Some cranberry, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with fine bubbles and a lively finish. Dosage 8g/L. Drink now or hold.”
94 Points
2018 Domaine Eden Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains

2018 Domaine Eden Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains

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DOMAINE EDEN

PINOT NOIR 2018
SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS

2018 Domaine Eden Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains
Domaine Eden is an estate owned by iconic Santa Cruz Mountains producer Mount Eden vineyards that focuses on high-quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay production. Their team adheres to strict sustainable farming standards, producing small, concentrated yields of remarkable fruit. The vineyards are planted with Dijon clones 777, 667, and 828 and the historic California clones Mount Eden, Calera, and Swan, resulting in remarkably complex, aromatically indulgent wines that have become a signature of the brand.
 
Indigenous yeasts carry out the fermentation in French Burgundian barrels without fining, filtration, or manipulation, allowing complete transparency and purity true to the varietal. The 2018 Pinot Noir lives up to its sister winery’s hierarchy with a suave mouthfeel and polished balance reflective of the site’s terroir in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
 
DOMAINE EDEN
PINOT NOIR 2018
SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“Gamy aromas of roasted pork and a wet stone mineraliy surround the plush cranberry fruit on the nose of this bottling. There’s a floral edge to the palate, from rose petal to violet, as well as light red-currant and more game flavors.”
93 Points
2017 Marques De Murrieta Finca Ygay Reserva Rioja Spain

2017 Marques De Murrieta Finca Ygay Reserva Rioja Spain

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MARQUÉS DE MURRIETA

FINCA YGAY RESERVA
RIOJA SPAIN 2017

2017 Marques De Murrieta Finca Ygay Reserva Rioja Spain
Luciano Murrieta was one of the first winemakers to establish a winery in Rioja after his studies in Bordeaux in 1852. He achieved worldwide recognition for his signature style of producing powerful, complex, and elegant wines. The Marqués de Murrieta Reserva is a traditional Riojan wine that embodies Luciano’s passion and pays tribute to one of Rioja’s pioneers.
 
The vineyards are located in Rioja Alta at 320 to 485 meters above sea level and are rooted in a traditional, iconic history with modern innovation. The 2017 Reserva is 82% Tempranillo, 9% Graciano, 6% Mazuelo, and 2% Garnacha aged 16 months in a mixture of new and used American oak with a year and a half in the bottle before release for a balanced integration and sophisticated drinkability.
 
Notably, this winery also produces Castello Ygay Gran Reserva, ranked #1 on the 2020 Wine Spectator’s list of the Top 100 wines worldwide.
 
MARQUÉS DE MURRIETA
FINCA YGAY RESERVA
RIOJA SPAIN 2017
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“Incredible depth and intensity on the nose with chocolate, walnut, blackberry and wet-earth aromas. Some iodine, too. All this follows through to a full body with very silky tannins that give the wine depth and length. It’s really framed beautifully. Reserved and tight at the finish. A terrific wine for the cellar. Give this three to five years to open.”
96 Points
2019 Lichen Pinot Noir Moonglow Vineyard Anderson Valley

2019 Lichen Pinot Noir Moonglow Vineyard Anderson Valley

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LICHEN

PINOT NOIR
MOONGLOW VINEYARD
ANDERSON VALLEY 2019

2019 Lichen Pinot Noir Moonglow Vineyard Anderson Valley
In 2008, Lichen Estate planted 7 acres of vines in the Anderson Valley with meter-by-meter spacing, modeling the Grand Cru vineyards of Burgundy and Champagne, resulting in nearly four times the amount of vines per acre than neighboring vineyards. This style of planting increases the competition between each vine, forcing the roots to dig deeper into the earth in search of nutrients and moisture. This type of farming lowers yields and concentrates aromas and flavors. 
 
This estate was initially named Breggo, the Breggo brand sold in 2009, and the fruit then went to Cliff Lede’s Fel Pinot Noir for years before the lease ended in 2014. The vineyard has always been organically farmed, with six blocks of Pinot Noir from the Martini, Wadenswil, Pommard, and 667 clones. The 2019 Moonglow Pinot Noir displays notes of red cherries with a refined focus and savory spice typical of the cool-climate region, one of the top Pinot Noir regions in the New World.
 
LICHEN
PINOT NOIR
MOONGLOW VINEYARD
ANDERSON VALLEY 2019
 
Your Price: $38
 
 
“Aromas of dried orange peel, strawberry and wet stone. Medium-bodied with silky tannins. Good depth and intensity on the steady, mineral finish. Pleasantly salty, too. Drink now.”
92 Points
2016 Farella Estate Merlot Coombsville

2016 Farella Estate Merlot Coombsville

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FARELLA

ESTATE MERLOT
COOMBSVILLE 2016

2016 Farella Estate Merlot Coombsville
This beauty is one of those “trust me” wines, and if you do indeed trust me and try it, you’ll be thanking me too. Tom Farella developed an affinity for wine early on, and his ardor led him to pursue a degree in Enology from UC Davis. After graduating in 1983, he worked in Burgundy and Oregon before returning home to his father’s small Farella-Park Vineyards in the Napa Valley. Once back home, he began crafting distinct and memorable wines that helped put Coombsville on the map.
 
Farella’s hillside vineyard, planted in 1979 in what is now the Coombsville AVA, speaks through this 2016 Merlot, which has a Right Bank Bordeaux finesse with velvety tannins and a signature, rich Napa core. Notably, it’s been a couple of years since critics reviewed this wine, and it’s blossomed into something much more extraordinary in that time.
 
FARELLA
ESTATE MERLOT
COOMBSVILLE 2016
Retails at: $45
 
 
 
Tasted February 2020: “Fresh with lots of polished and chewy tannins that give the wine focus and texture. Berry, chocolate and spice character. Medium to full body. Flavorful finish. Drink or hold.”
92 Points
 
Tasted October 2020: “Sporting a medium to deep garnet color, the 2016 Merlot charges out of the glass with notions of plum pudding, blueberry pie and fruitcake plus hints of tobacco leaf, bay leaves and tilled soil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers evolving black fruit preserves flavors with loads of savory accents and a frame of rounded tannins, finishing earthy/savory.”
90 Points
2021 Aspara Cellars Rose of Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

2021 Apsara Cellars Rose of Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

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APSARA CELLARS

ROSÉ of PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST 2021

2021 Aspara Cellars Rose of Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
Founders of Apsara Cellars, Robin and Aneeta Akhurst, met 20 years ago while studying biology and environmental science in Indonesia. Their travels broadened their interest in preserving nature with organic, biodynamic, and sustainable practices. Robin obtained his degree in Enology and spent the next four years working with Anne Claude Leflaive at Domaine Leflaive in Burgundy, Matt Wenk of Two Hands Wines in the Barossa Valley, Thomas Rivers Brown of Schrader and Outpost Cellars, and Mike Smith of Myriad and Carter Cellars in the Napa Valley.
 
Nothing could have prepared Robin better than his time spent with some of the world’s top winemakers, and today he sources fruit for Apsara wines with growers who share the same ecological ideals. Robin harvested the grapes for this 2021 Rosé of Pinot Noir early to maintain a vibrant acidity, low alcohol, and delicate fruity and floral notes that make a perfectly indulgent summer wine. 
 
APSARA CELLARS
ROSÉ of PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST 2021
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“The 2021 Apsara Rosé begins with aerial notes of rose petals, pink grapefruit, mandarin orange, ginger, and fresh sage. The wine has a light body with mouthwatering acidity and refreshing flavors of peach, strawberry, and white cherry. This elegant wine is uplifting to the senses from the first sip through the delightful, zesty finish.”
94 Points
2017 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages Sonoma County Red

2017 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages Sonoma County Red

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CHATEAU ST. JEAN 

CINQ CEPAGES 2017
SONOMA COUNTY RED

2017 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages Sonoma County Red
Chateau St. Jean was founded in the Sonoma Valley in 1973 and quickly established a reputation for single vineyard-designated wines that captured the individual character of each site. Cinq Cépages is the winery’s flagship wine that winemaker Margo Van Staaveren creates from specially selected fruit from outstanding vineyard locations throughout Sonoma. The wine has an incredible history of exceptional accomplishments, including ranking as the #1 wine on the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list in 1999, followed by the #2 spot in 2002. 
 
This Cabernet Sauvignon dominant Bordeaux-style blend has fruit sourced from Knights Valley, Moon Mountain, Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley, and the Sonoma Valley estate. The yields for the 2017 vintage were lower than average, leading to wines of fine quality with depth, dimension, and silky smooth tannins.
 
CHATEAU ST. JEAN 
CINQ CEPAGES 2017
SONOMA COUNTY RED
Retails at: $90
 
Your Price: $79.99
 
 
“Beautiful blackberry, mushroom, bark and oak leaf. Some pine cone, too. Full-bodied, round and savory with layers of ripe fruit. Rather chunky wine, but nicely done. Drink after 2025.”
94 Points