2017 Leto Cellars Proprietary Red Napa Valley

2017 Leto Cellars Proprietary Red Napa Valley

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LETO CELLARS

PROPRIETARY RED
2017 NAPA VALLEY

2017 Leto Cellars Proprietary Red Napa Valley
Brad Warner’s half-century of winemaking experience is compounded by each successful vintage and tuned with the trials and tribulations encountered along the way, resulting in expertly balanced, story-telling wines of palpable quality. Calling on his vast experience, Brad created this union of Mountain and valley floor fruit that balances power and grace, and simply put, tastes like it should be at least double the price. 
 
Combining Mount Veeder’s power with the refined complexity of Saint Helena fruit, Brad’s decades in the wine industry allowed him access to some remarkable vineyards. He sourced the Merlot and some of the Cabernet from a steep hillside vineyard, which he balanced with Cabernet Sauvignon from dry-farmed vines in St Helena’s center. 
 
Blending 35%Merlot with 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, the Merlot softens the Cabernet’s tannins, providing supple fruits that balance Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure. After developing for 22 months in oak and two years in the bottle, this wine is gorgeous now and will gracefully age for another decade.
 
LETO CELLARS
PROPRIETARY RED
2017 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $55
 
 
 
“The 2017 Leto Red Blend is a striking blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, giving it the right balance to drink beautifully now and for many years to come. It begins with a compelling nose of red currants, mountain berries, fresh florals, green sage, and savory, earthy spices. The palate is rich with ripe Burgundy plums, wild currants, hints of vanilla, and subtle spice. It is beautifully concentrated with penetrating fruit that carries the balanced flavors for a long finish, and I highly recommend trying some.” 
94 Points
2018 Sor Ugo Super Tuscan Bolgheri Rosso Superiore

2018 Sor Ugo Super Tuscan Bolgheri Rosso Superiore

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SOR UGO

2018 SUPER TUSCAN
BOLGHERI ROSSO SUPERIORE
AIA VECCHIA WINERY

2018 Sor Ugo Super Tuscan Bolgheri Rosso Superiore
Aia Vecchia’s determination to express the most natural characteristics of their land, along with their undeterred attention to detail, manifests profoundly in their wines. The wine’s commanding intensity, supreme richness, and arrant focus effortlessly combine, making it feel like the only wine in the room. Vinous writes, “the purity of the flavors is striking,” and with a 94 point score and price far lower than what you’d expect from Bolgheri, it’s easy to see why this is our most popular Tuscan wine year after year. 
 
Sor Ugo boldly reflects Castagneto Carducci terroir and the Estate’s proximity to the Tyrrhenian coast. A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, embellished with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petite Verdot, the 2018 vintage is super-concentrated with crystalline focus enriched with minerality and divinely saturating intensity. 
 
Aia Vecchia’s winemaking team has a precisely detailed approach; Meticulously hand-sorting each berry, vinifying, fermenting and aging each varietal separately before creating the blend, which spends a year in the bottle before release.
 
SOR UGO
2018 SUPER TUSCAN
BOLGHERI ROSSO SUPERIORE
AIA VECCHIA WINERY
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 

“The 2018 Sor Ugo is a superb Bolgheri red. Pliant, succulent and so expressive, the 2018 offers plenty of richness, but with terrific energy, too. Black cherry, mocha, spice, licorice and chocolate all build as the 2018 fills out over time. The purity of the flavors is striking.” 

94 Points

2018 Joseph Jewell Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

2018 Joseph Jewell Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

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JOSEPH JEWELL

2018 PINOT NOIR
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

2018 Joseph Jewell Pinot Noir Russian River Valley
Striking a delicate balance of character and approachability, Joseph Jewell’s Russian Valley Pinot Noir embodies the region’s spirit, calling on the best qualities of three renowned vineyards. This wine is winemaker Adrian Jewell’s best representation of the Russian River Valley, mindfully created from a barrel selection of Bucher, Starscape, and Hallberg Vineyards. The wine is a perennial favorite that will make you wonder how a Pinot Noir can be this good for this low of a price. 
 
Gaining lush fruits and earthy undertones from Bucher, brighter red fruit and supple tannins from Starscape, and structure with darker berries from Hallberg, Joseph Jewell’s Russian River Pinot Noir is a complete wine of charisma and balance. 
 
This intriguing release is ebullient and beautifully knit with a flirtatious mix of red and black fruits, wild rose, and classic cola and spice characteristics. Like the previous vintages, the fleshy, rich textures are sublime and are a hallmark of this brand. 
 
JOSEPH JEWELL
2018 PINOT NOIR
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
Retails at: $40
 
 
 
“Luscious and inviting, with aromas of bing cherry, cola, and orange blossom, this wine follows fast with striking aromatics of candied cherries, vanilla, fresh mint, and hibiscus. On the palate, the medley of fresh cherries, cranberries, and red plum is accented with an elegant herbaceousness and a lasting floral finish. Soft tannins support a lush mouthfeel that will keep you coming back for more.”
2020 Pop 300 Rose Napa Valley

2020 Pop 300 Rose Napa Valley

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POP 300

2020 ROSÉ
NAPA VALLEY

2020 Pop 300 Rose Napa Valley
Pop 300 spotlights a micro-parcel of Pinot Noir near To Kalon Vineyard’s center called the Wilsey Vineyard. This unique site exposes Oakville’s intriguing complexity with a fresh perspective of brightly focused fruit and refreshing style. Recently recognized by Antonio Galloni on his in-depth Oakville AVA map, the vineyard’s very existence was known only by a handful of Oakville locals until Pop 300’s debut in 2012. POP 300 is a wine for those in the know, and with just 141 cases made, hopefully, it stays that way for a bit longer. 
 
Oakville produces some of the world’s most remarkable Cabernet Sauvignon, but very few people know that Pinot Noir exists in the region. Created by Luke Russ, Oakville-raised, and the Commercial Director at O’Shaughnessy Winery, this genuinely unique Rosé of Pinot Noir is truly special. 
 
Luke makes his Rosé in a piercing style, with a unique floral lift, achieved by co-fermenting with a fragrant white. Enhanced with a small amount of Grenache Blanc from a secret vineyard on Mount Veeder, this scarcely available 2020 Rosé should be on your “drink me” list today.
 
POP 300
2020 ROSÉ
NAPA VALLEY
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“The 2020 POP 300 rose is here. And boy aren’t we pleased to have been able to make this wine during this wild ride of a year. Harvested early in the morning on September 4th we had a beautiful crop to work with this year. As I have done in the past I co- fermented part of this wine with a floral white. This year I went with a small amount of Grenache Blanc from a low production vineyard on Mt. Veeder. This has added to the Pinot Noir base with playful aromas of unripe mango, white peach and lime zest. The wine was fermented in a combination neutral French oak and stainless steel barrels with no malolactic conversion. 141 cases produced”
2017 Tyros Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2017 Tyros Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

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TYROS

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2017 NAPA VALLEY

2017 Tyros Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Encapsulating the breadth of Napa Valley terroir, Tyros Cabernet Sauvignon orchestrates from vineyards spanning the length of Napa Valley, created to be a mindful expression of its varietal, region, and vintage. The makers of Tyros, Silenus winery’s vineyard was a walnut orchard, converted to Cabernet vines in 1968; the family sold fruit for years to Silver Oak, Robert Mondavi, and Inglenook, often being a component in their reserve wines. With triple 90-point reviews and priced at $30, you can’t go wrong with a case.  
 
The winemaking team crafted Tyros around a tapestry of meticulously chosen vineyards, including; Silenus Oak Knoll Estate and surrounding sites, St Helena, Pope Valley, and Carneros. 23% Merlot contributes suppleness, a softer texture, and cherry fruit, balancing the Cabernet’s tannins. 
 
They then aged Tyros for 22 months in 50% new French oak and 10% new American oak Barrels, perfectly balancing the fruit’s lushness and natural tannins. The resulting wine is gracefully balanced, long, and expressive, and at $30, it’s impressive at this price level. 
 
TYROS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2017 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $35
 
Your Price: $29.99
 
 
“This is an enjoyable and approachable Cabernet that is blended with 23% Merlot. Black cherry, cassis and mocha highlight a soft, supple palate. It has a hint of dried herb on the finish.”
90 Points “Editors’ Choice”
 
“Quite bold and ripe, this teeters a bit, with a prune note amid the cherry, raspberry and plum confiture flavors. Features pretty spice accents, a relatively silky feel and a lingering mesquite element for added range. For fans of the style.”
90 Points
 
“Earthy, black and blue fruit aromas over a very lovely, juicy palate showing cassis, currants, cocoa and coffee.”
90 Points
2018 Ilaria Malbec Napa Valley

2018 Ilaria Malbec Napa Valley

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ILARIA

2018 MALBEC
NAPA VALLEY

2018 Ilaria Malbec Napa Valley
Brazenly expressing their heritage, Ilaria wines are strategically crafted in small lots to showcase their unique identity. The wines highlight the convergence of exceptional Napa Valley terroir and the farming expertise of UC Davis grads Anna and Mario Monticelli. Their Malbec embodies the soul of Napa Valley and builds on Anna and Mario’s accumulative experience, including Chateau Cheval-Blanc, Bryant, Pina, Antinori, and Trinchero. As Jeb Dunnuck writes, “I’d happily drink bottles any time over the coming decade,” and here’s your chance to make it happen. 
 
Ilaria’s Malbec balances the interplay of Coombsville fruit’s elegance and concentrated Atlas Peak flavors. 15% Cabernet Sauvignon adds strength to Malbec’s supple nature, resulting in a harmoniously textured, full-bodied red. 
 
Born from a combination of volcanic and loam soils, this 2018 Malbec highlights the vintage’s power, along with the vast skillset of Anna and Mario and their ability to produce expressive wines that are terroir-transparent and mindfully balanced. 
 
ILARIA
2018 MALBEC
NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $42
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“…. Beautiful blue fruits, violets, bouquet garni, and peppered meat-like nuances emerge from the glass, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with a fresh, elegant texture, terrific tannins, and a great finish. I’d happily drink bottles any time over the coming decade.”
92 Points
 
“…. the deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Malbec gives up exuberant notes of plum preserves, blueberry pie and Morello cherries with hints of Sichuan pepper, cardamom and cedar chest. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has lovely freshness cutting through the intense black fruit flavors, finishing with a plush texture and great harmony. 414 cases were made.”
91+ Points
2017 Sebright Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2017 Sebright Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

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SEBRIGHT

2017 RESERVE 
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY

2017 Sebright Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Intensely captivating, Sebright Reserve Cabernet is magnetic in its delivery, lucidly exposing its site-specific terroir with expert balance and unreplicable charisma. Their Reserve Cabernet comes from their own single-acre Garnett Creek Estate Vineyard, double planted to clone 7, a clone also used by Screaming Eagle. Concentrated with penetrating red fruits, detailed minerality, and a singular focus, at $125, their 2017 Reserve is an incredible wine, but at our price, there aren’t enough superlatives to describe it. 
 
Farmed sustainably, the volcanic ash soils of Sebright’s Estate Vineyard produce intensely flavored berries, yielding just enough fruit for two barrels. The wine is kept for 24 months in new, premium French oak barrels, complimenting the powerfully concentrated flavors. 
 
Veteran Calistoga winemaker Tom Eddy makes the wine, and this exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon perfectly reflects his vast experience. If you haven’t tried Sebright before, and you’re looking for a wine that none of your friends have heard of but will rock them to their core when they try it, this is it.
 
SEBRIGHT
2017 RESERVE 
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $125
 
 
 
“The 2017 Sebright Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is a richly focused, exquisitely balanced and impeccably made wine, with a seductive nose of blackberry syrup, red currants, lightly toasted oak, and lovely sweet florals. The intense palate displays its power in a more linear style that’s focused without excess fleshiness. Layers of sweet crushed blackberries and concentrated black cherry juice combine with hints of tobacco, leather, and spice to create an awe-inspiring mouth experience. The lavish finish cuts a swath across your palate, then lingers there for over a minute. A true delight to contemplate.” 
97+ Points
2014 Morlet Cabernet Sauvignon Les Petits Morlet

2014 Morlet Cabernet Sauvignon Les Petits Morlet

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MORLET

2014 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
LES PETITS MORLET 

2014 Morlet Cabernet Sauvignon Les Petits Morlet
Luc Morlet has extensive winemaking experience in France. With that knowledge, he can manipulate old-world principles and techniques and perfectly adapt them to California wines, which sets him apart from the pack. The resulting wines harmoniously balance intensity, richness, and complexity in their youth and have the capacity to cellar gracefully for many years. His 2014 Le Petits Cabernet beautifully displays his remarkable ability. With seven years of age, this wine is enchantingly hedonistic and enjoyable now or over the next decade or more in the future.
 
The Morlet Les Petits Cabernet is a Cuvée style blend constructed from younger vines grown on many iconic properties where Luc sources fruit. Like numerous outstanding 2014 Cabernets, this wine is compelling and highly aromatic. 
 
Luc grew up on his family’s vineyard in France, and he gained extensive experience making wine in Burgundy and Bordeaux before replacing John Kongsgaard as winemaker at Newton Cellars in 1996. In 2001 Luc joined Peter Michael Winery, continuing the legacy of Helen Turley and Mark Aubert, crafting Peter Michael from 2001 through 2005.
 
MORLET
2014 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
LES PETITS MORLET
 
Your Price: $95
 
 
“The entry-level Bordeaux cuvée is the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Les Petits Morlet, which is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot in 2014. This cuvée gets younger vine fruit as well as the fruit that didn’t make the cut for the upper cuvées, so the blend changes every year. The 2014 is a beautiful wine in its own right and worth your time and money. Crème de cassis, chocolate, and violet notes all flow to a full-bodied, deep, impressively concentrated effort that shows both the house elegance and purity, and the charming nature of the 2014 vintage.” 
93 Points
2018 Chateau Moulin De La Grangere Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Bordeaux

2018 Chateau Moulin De La Grangere Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Bordeaux

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CHÂTEAU MOULIN DE

LA GRANGERE
SAINT-EMILION GRAND CRU 
2018 BORDEAUX  

2018 Chateau Moulin De La Grangere Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Bordeaux
Neighboring Château Pavie, one of Saint-Émilion’s most revered producers, Château Moulin de la Grangère has founders passionate about organic viticulture, land stewardship, and producing wines with a sense of place from their small yet privileged location. Their wines benefit from consulting winemaker Michel Rolland’s global experience, including hundreds of A-list clients spanning 13 countries. The exceptional 2018 vintage furthers quality, and at $33, their Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Bordeaux is a tangible value worth owning. 
 
Château Moulin de la Grangère sits at the foot of the finest slopes of Saint-Émilion, where they planted their certified organic vines in clay-limestone soils. Like Château Pétrus, the wine is 100% Merlot, and Moulin de la Grangère is made in a story-telling style guided by the vintage and marked with elegance. 
 
Pursuing excellence, the wine team uses vibrating shaker tables to sort the fruit, keeping only the most pristine berries. Aged for around 18 months in 30% new French oak, the 2018 release captures the spirit of the Saint-Emilion, presented with confidence, enchantment, and signature balance.
 
CHÂTEAU MOULIN DE
LA GRANGERE
SAINT-EMILION GRAND CRU 
2018 BORDEAUX
 
Your Price: $33
 
 
“On the nose we discover concentrated notes of red berries, rose, peony and roasted almonds. Beautiful structure without being imposing with silky tannins and very finely woven.”
2018 Hoopla Cabernet Sauvignon California

2018 Hoopla Cabernet Sauvignon California

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HOOPLA

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2018 CALIFORNIA 

2018 Hoopla Cabernet Sauvignon California
A howling value, Hoopla’s California Cabernet is a mixed breed born from doggone good stock. Proprietor Lindsay Hoopes owns 35 prime acres in Oakville, and her 2018 California Cabernet includes fruit from Paso Robles’ top sites and other meticulously chosen vineyards in Monterey and Napa Valley. Raised by Anne Vawter, whose experience includes working alongside Heidi Barrett as the assistant winemaker at Paradigm for years, at $24, this Cab could become man’s second-best friend. 
 
Hoopla is a cross-breed that includes barrels that didn’t go into Hoopes purebred bottlings from Napa Valley, Oakville, and Howell Mountain. The wine offers a lush coat of smooth red and black fruits, intriguing spice and floral characteristics, toasty oak, and absolutely no bite. 
 
Kenneled for 20 months in French oak, the 2018 release is Cabernet Sauvignon, harnessed with other Bordeaux varieties, offering a rare breed of concentrated, focused fruit, uncommon at this value price. Keep this one on a short leash.
 
HOOPLA
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
2018 CALIFORNIA
 
Your Price: $24
 
 
“The 2018 Hoopla California Cabernet is a ruby red, juicy Cabernet that sings with fresh aromas of blackberries, black plum, and roasted coffee. In the mouth, dense flavors of blackberries, black cherry, and cocoa powder mingle with broad, mouth- filling tannins. The lengthy finish is perfumed with vanilla bean.”