2017 Vik Milla Cala Proprietary Red

2017 Vik Milla Cala Proprietary Red

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VIK

2017 MILLA CALA
PROPRIETARY RED

2017 Vik Milla Cala Proprietary Red
Alex and Carrie Vik spent two years seeking out the most exceptional vine-growing terroirs in Chile with the potential to create the world’s best wines. In the Millahue Valley near the foothills of the Andes, named “Lugar de Oro” or “Golden Place” by the native Mapuche people, the Vik’s found their prime location, planting vineyards on the rolling landscape with several microclimates offering a diverse range of complexity.
 
Christian Vallejo oversees the vineyards and winemaking and insists on handpicking the harvest and using natural yeasts before fermenting in a combination of new and used French oak barrels. The 2017 Milla Cala is 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Carmenere, 11% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Syrah and was the highest-scoring Chilean wine on Wine Enthusiast’s best wines of 2021, helping the Vik’s achieve their goal of making the finest Chilean wine.
 
VIK
2017 MILLA CALA
PROPRIETARY RED
Retails at: $45
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“This is really so delicious with spice, tile, light chocolate and juicy berries. Medium to full body. Wonderful intensity and brightness. Delicious with so much energy. No new wood here. All about balance and drinkability. A blend of 59% cabernet sauvignon, 15% cabernet franc, 5% syrah, 19% carmenere and 2% merlot. Drink now.”
94 Points
 
“Briary blackberry and cassis aromas include familiar Chilean notes of eucalyptus and juniper. This Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blend is ripe and creamy in feel, with generous flavors of brown sugar, herbs, blackberry, cassis, coffee and chocolate. The finish is chewy and rich. Drink now–2025.”
93 Points, #73 Top 100 Cellar Selections 2021
2017 Vinehouse Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

2017 Vinehouse Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

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VINEHOUSE

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
HOWELL MOUNTAIN 2017

2017 Vinehouse Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
Vinehouse’s Howell Mountain vineyard, planted with Cabernet Sauvignon and Saint Macaire, sits on the volcanic Aiken soils found on the mountain looking over Napa Valley at 1,732 feet. Saint Macaire is a rare varietal from South-West France with a deep, dense color from high levels of anthocyanins that soften robust tannins from Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon.
 
The winery, owned by Lesley Warner and Alan Peirson, co-founder of Peirson Meyer Winery, combines decades of experience into 150 cases of 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon, blended with 8% Saint Macaire. This incredibly rare blend allows approachability in its youth, but the structure from the Cabernet Sauvignon will let this wine develop in the cellar as long as you have patience.
 
VINEHOUSE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
HOWELL MOUNTAIN 2017
 
Your Price: $75
 
 
“The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is powerful, but also compact. The mid-palate is especially shy. It will be interesting to see if more fruit emerges in time. Black cherry, licorice, lavender, spice, menthol and dried herbs all meld together. The 2017 is a wine of real intrigue, but it needs time. I like the energy and freshness here.”
93 Points
2019 Mollydooker The Boxer Shiraz South Austrailia

2019 Mollydooker The Boxer Shiraz South Australia

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MOLLYDOOKER

THE BOXER SHIRAZ
SOUTH AUSTRALIA 2019

2019 Mollydooker The Boxer Shiraz South Austrailia
“Mollydooker” is Australian slang for a left-hander, as referenced by the double left-handed boxer on the label. It also represents the punch of intensity the wine consistently delivers. Sarah and Sparky Marquis studied winemaking and began working for Sarah’s parents at Fox Creek in 1994, developing the Marquis Vineyard Watering Program that led to many award-winning wines.
 
The two began their label in 2006, with their first vintage of Mollydooker named the “Best Value Red Wine in the World” by Robert Parker. The grapes for this unabashedly bold Shiraz were grown in McLaren Vale and Langhorne Creek, fermented and aged in 100% American oak for seamless integration of flavors and a sultry texture on the palate at a fantastic value.
 
MOLLYDOOKER
THE BOXER SHIRAZ
SOUTH AUSTRALIA 2019
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“Thick, with sink-your-teeth-into-them tannins and powerful, ripe blackberry, huckleberry and blueberry flavors that show aromatic accents of allspice, Earl Grey tea, vanilla bean, milk chocolate and dried violet on the finish. Drink now through 2036.”
92 Points
 
“Mollydooker’s 2019 The Boxer Shiraz is—no surprise here—a big, plush wine that’s labeled at 16% alcohol. Despite that, it’s only a bit warm on the palate, with sufficient masses of blackberry fruit and vanillin oak to stand up to the alcohol. Full-bodied and supple, it’s barrel fermented in nearly 50% new oak, all of it American, but somehow comes across as pretty and harmonious, an oversized version of Fantasia’s Hyacinth Hippo dancing to its own beat.”
90 Points
2018 Morlet Pinot Noir Coteaux Nobles Fort Ross Seaview

2018 Morlet Pinot Noir Coteaux Nobles Fort Ross Seaview

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MORLET

2018 PINOT NOIR
COTEAUX NOBLES
FORT ROSS – SEAVIEW

2018 Morlet Pinot Noir Coteaux Nobles Fort Ross Seaview
Luc Morlet grew up on his family’s Estate in Avenay-Val d’Or, where he discovered that he shared the same deep passion for wine that members of his family have had for generations. Luc began honing his skills in the vineyards of Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Southern France while studying all aspects of wine production at a young age.
 
Luc left France in 1996, joining his wife Jodie in California, bringing with him his savoir-faire of Old-World winemaking techniques, becoming known and respected in Napa and Sonoma for crafting superbly balanced, terroir focused wines. This bottling embodies Luc’s minimalistic approach to winemaking, allowing the Pinot Noir’s natural beauty to show through and fully display the prized Fort Ross AVA terroir.
 
MORLET
2018 PINOT NOIR
COTEAUX NOBLES
FORT ROSS – SEAVIEW
 
Your Price: $110
 
 
“Coming from the Nobles Ranch Vineyard in the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA (northern Sonoma Coast), the 2018 Pinot Noir Coteaux Nobles has a ripe, opulent bouquet of black raspberries, orange blossom, baking spices, white chocolate, and candied violets. Gorgeous on the palate as well, this full-bodied Pinot Noir has a rounded, opulent texture that carries bright acidity, ripe tannins, and a distinct salty minerality and subtle marine-like influence. It’s already drinking spectacularly well yet will cruise for a decade in cold cellars. It’s the finest vintage of this cuvée I’ve tasted.”
98 Points
 
“The Coteaux Nobles Pinot Noir comes from 27-year-old vines planted at the Nobles Ranch vineyard in Fort Ross-Seaview AVA. Medium ruby-purple colored, the 2018 Pinot Noir Coteaux Nobles pops with lifted floral notes of roses and lavender over a core of Morello cherries, ripe raspberries and fresh mulberries, plus wafts of wild thyme and tilled loam. The medium to full-bodied palate bursts with red berries and herbal accents, supported by soft, silky tannins and racy freshness, finishing long and fragrant.”
96 Points
2018 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2018 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

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BERINGER

PRIVATE RESERVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
NAPA VALLEY 2018

2018 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Jacob and Frederik Beringer purchased 215 acres of prime Napa Valley land in 1868, solidifying Beringer’s reputation as a critical player among the first wineries in the valley. Later on, Beringer purchased a handful of other premium vineyard locations ranging from the valley floor to the highest peaks, garnering extreme complexity and versatility in winemaking styles.
 
The Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is selected from the best plots of their reserve vineyards, vinified separately, aged 18 months in new French oak, and another 16 months in the bottle. The winery is the first and only in history to have a red wine and white wine honored as the #1 Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator Magazine. The fabulous 2018 vintage is already gaining enthusiastic praise, with many scores in the very high 90s.
 
BERINGER
PRIVATE RESERVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
NAPA VALLEY 2018
Retails at: $170
 
Your Price: $165
 
 
“Wild blackberry, cassis, dark chocolate, tobacco and dark spice on the nose. Dried violets, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, powdery tannins and a creamy texture. Intense, yet restrained and refined, with a solid core of dark berries and bitter chocolate. Really focused and crafted with exemplary Napa cabernet character…”
98 Points
 
“The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve is based on 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, brought up in 90% new French oak. It’s a beautiful wine that shows the vintage’s pure, elegant, yet concentrated style perfectly. Gorgeous crème de cassis, violets, blueberries, and cedar pencil notes emerge from the glass, and this beauty builds incrementally on the palate, with full-bodied richness, a lively, pure, layered texture, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It can be enjoyed any time over the coming 20-25 years.”
97 Points
 
“The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve is every bit as impressive today as it was last year. It might very well be the finest Private Reserve I have ever tasted. More than anything else, the 2018 impresses with its energy and total sense of finesse. It’s a wine that marries power with vibrancy in grand style. As always, most of the fruit is sourced from Beringer’s ranches on Howell Mountain.”
97 Points
2018 Les Hauts De Granget Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Bordeaux

2018 Les Hauts De Granget Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Bordeaux

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LES HAUTS DE GRANGET

SAINT-EMILION GRAND CRU
BORDEAUX 2018

2018 Les Hauts De Granget Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Bordeaux
The Union de Producteurs de Saint Emilion was established during the economic crisis of the 1930s to unite several vineyards and estates in the means of production. For over 80 years, the emphasis has been on quality and responsibility, as evidenced by their multiple certifications and state-of-the-art facility.
 
Les Hauts de Granget produces elegant wines with sophistication, reflecting the subliminal terroir of St Émilion. With the help of four oenologists and a viticultural expert, their 2018 vintage won the Medaille d’Or in France, a blind tasting celebrating the most impressive wines in the country. It also charmed the Decanter World Wine Awards, receiving an incredible 96 point score.
 
LES HAUTS DE GRANGET
SAINT-EMILION GRAND CRU
BORDEAUX 2018
 
Your Price: $35
 
 
“Ripe black cherry, blueberry, cedar and cinnamon on the nose. Full bodied with fine grained ripe tannins. Cabernet Franc helps to give some refreshing acidity that balances the depth of fruit concentration.”
96 Points
2019 My Favorite Neighbor Cabernet Sauvignon San Luis Obispo

2019 My Favorite Neighbor Cabernet Sauvignon San Luis Obispo

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MY FAVORITE NEIGHBOR

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
SAN LUIS OBISPO 2019

2019 My Favorite Neighbor Cabernet Sauvignon San Luis Obispo
Turning heads with yet another massive score, Eric Jensen of My Favorite Neighbor created an ideal combination of perfectly ripe fruit, flavor intensity, and lavish textures, giving some of the best $50 Cabernets anywhere a real challenge. As a homage, he created this Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend from exceptional vineyards around Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, and Edna Valley, crafted to deliver unreal quality and shake up domestic the Cabernet Sauvignon market in this price range.
 
Eric is dedicated to growing fruit for some of the best wineries in Paso Robles, gaining experience from neighboring farmers and vintners, particularly from his original favorite neighbor, Stephan Asseo of L’Aventure Winery. Farming is life for him, and the farmers he works with all share the common goal of growing the best fruit possible using organic or biodynamic practices, coaxing the vines to perform at their ultimate best. The results are simply stunning, and with the new 96 point score, don’t hesitate to secure yours.
 
MY FAVORITE NEIGHBOR
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
SAN LUIS OBISPO 2019
 
Your Price: $49.99
 
 
“Blended with a bit of Syrah and Petit Verdot, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon has a deep ruby-purple color and an alluring fragrance of cassis, violet, aniseed, bitter chocolate and coffee beans. It’s notable this vintage for Goldilocks ripeness and seamless lift, offering a chocolate-like texture and very long finish.”
96 Points
 
“…more elegant and focused, with medium to full-bodied aromas and flavors of cassis, redcurrants, green tobacco, and cedary spice. I love its texture, it has ripe, polished tannins, plenty of sweet fruit, and a great, great finish, all while staying in a relatively compact, and again, elegant package. As I’ve written in the past, it would cost three to four times the price from Napa. It’s worth noting the change in appellation from Paso Robles to San Luis Obispo County, which probably allows for a wider range of fruit.”
95 Points
 
“2019 My Favorite Neighbor is deeply aromatic with incense, ripe black plums, blackcurrants, and chocolate-covered cherries. The wine has a rich, decadent mouthfeel with voluminous flavors of blueberry crumble, mocha, and butterscotch. The wine has an edgy minerality, like wet stones after a rainstorm, enhanced by the soft, chalky tannins, finishing with a succulent, velvety texture. Drink now until 2031.”
94 points
2019 Baxter Chardonnay Oppenlander Vineyard

2019 Baxter Chardonnay Oppenlander Vineyard

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BAXTER

OPPENLANDER VINEYARD
CHARDONNAY 2019

2019 Baxter Chardonnay Oppenlander Vineyard
Philip Baxter gained inspiration for winemaking as a young boy working alongside his father, an influential figure and a supporter of his endeavors. After attending UC Davis, Phil took an internship in Burgundy. In France, he contributed to wine production from more than 30 vineyards ranging from village level to Grand Cru, developing French-winemaking techniques he would later bring to California.
 
Baxter wines are exclusively handmade, benefiting from Philip’s 17 years of experience and gentle, traditional French techniques that celebrate the varietal and the terroir. The grapes came from a small block on the Oppenlander vineyard. They were harvested by hand, fermented in neutral French oak, and aged on the lees for 12 months, adding body to the fresh, pure fruit flavors for a domestic Chablisienne-style Chardonnay that’ll rock your world when you try it.
 
BAXTER
OPPENLANDER VINEYARD
CHARDONNAY 2019
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“The 2019 Baxter Oppenlander Chardonnay has an alluring nose opening with chamomile, orange zest, green apple, Meyer lemon, brioche, vanilla ice cream, and crushed rocks. The aromas transfer to the palate with the added complexity of white peach, apricot, and nectarine with a hint of freshly baked brioche. The bright acidity complements the zesty minerality and crisp fruit flavors that portray elegance in a glass and varietal purity.”
94 Points
2019 Lewis Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2019 Lewis Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

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LEWIS CELLARS

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2019

2019 Lewis Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Randy Lewis was a professional racecar driver for over two decades and raced in the Formula Three in Europe, where he serendipitously fell in love with wine. Driven to create wines that would compete with the best in the world, Randy’s competitive drive led him to open a Napa Valley winery. He built a talented winery team and grower relationships that would lead him to clinch the #1 spot on the Wine Spectator Top 100 list in 2016.
 
Lewis Cellars is a very hands-on operation from the vineyard to distribution, ensuring the highest quality standards in their goal of producing truly exceptional wines. Winemaker James McCeney monitors the vineyard’s progress year-round, with each developmental stage meticulously observed so that the grapes are picked at full maturity, guaranteeing the hedonistic flavor profile that’s become their house-style.
 
LEWIS CELLARS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2019
 
Your Price: $99.99
 
 
“Layered with ripe berry, red currant and ambrosial “on the vine” character, our 2019 Napa Valley Cabernet is deliciously complex. Inflected with dusty ripe fruit and chocolaty floral aromas, the wine is concentrated yet classic with remarkable silky texture spanning the palate and augmenting the finish.
 
“Ripe black fruit, dried coconut, walnut and bark on the nose. Full-bodied with firm, chewy tannins. Ripe and dense with a spirited finish. Slightly old school but attractive and intense. Try after 2023.”
92 Points
2020 Kindred Rose Sonoma Coast Sangiacomo Vineyard

2020 Kindred Rose Sonoma Coast Sangiacomo Vineyard

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KINDRED

SONOMA COAST ROSÉ
SANGIACOMO VINEYARD 2020

2020 Kindred Rose Sonoma Coast Sangiacomo Vineyard
Kindred Rosé celebrates the deep spiritual connection established over a glass of wine, bringing people from all walks of life into the same time and place. Proprietor Kevin Jones and winemaker Mike Smith met at a summer party over wine samples provided by Mike that instantly ignited their partnership, resulting in this glorious Rosé.
 
Mike is an innovative genius who’s made wine for Myriad, Quivet, Ancillary, and Carter, to name a few. Regardless of current trends, he follows his instincts, year after year, turning out killer wines scoring 95 points and above. This opulent, concentrated rosé is 100% Tallgrass Clone 113 Pinot Noir from the remarkable Sangiacomo Vineyard and was the Gold Medal winner at the AFW International Rosé competition.
 
KINDRED
SONOMA COAST ROSÉ
SANGIACOMO VINEYARD 2020
 
Your Price: $35
 
 
“The 2020 Kindred Rosé is like a flower just before bloom, with each petal adding an additional layer of complexity. The wine opens with aromas of orange blossoms, rose petals, strawberry yogurt, raspberries, white peaches, and seashells. The palate brings additional fruit flavors such as ripe cranberries, watermelon, and nectarines that add to the repertoire of diversity and accent the medium to full-bodied rosé in all the right places.”
95 Points