2021 Wine

At once rich and juicy, this is a terrifically drinkable Russian River Chardonnay with a definite luxury feel. Barrel fermented and aged (33% new oak), it delivers intense peach, apricot and tropical fruit aromas and flavors with... Read More

Organic/Bio As Wine Advocate says in the 97 point rave, The 2021 Chardonnay Casteel is complex and alluring, offering dynamic aromas and flavors as it unfurls with oxygen over several days. The nose offers lemon peel and panna... Read More

A terrific value Cabernet from Alexander Valley, north of Napa. Mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with splashes of Malbec and Petit Verdot, this pairs rich blackberry and currant fruit with Alexander Valley’s signature... Read More

You'd expect Toro Tempranillo to be dark, super-ripe, and full of chewy tannins, but here Toro has been tamed a bit! Plenty of rich fruit that stays fresh and an easy, silky, texture that flows nicely. As Wine Enthusiast says,... Read More

Lower ABV Juan Antonio Ponce completely fractures any expectations you have for wine made from Bobal (often a dark, dusky, earthy, grape) from Manchuela (blisteringly hot). This is from 40-60 year-old vines, made with 100% whole... Read More

Pinot from Carneros, at the southern end of Napa/Sonoma, gives a distinctive blend of freshness (from the cold bay nearby) and heft (from the clay-rich soils). This is a great example, serving up bold black cherry and blackberry... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV What starts off as a round, almost creamy, mouth full of sweet and bitter orange, peach and lemon zest flavors get an electric jolt of energy on the finish that grips to squeeze out every last drop of this... Read More

Another fine vintage for this always wildly over-performing, huge value, oak-aged Rioja Crianza. As always, it's a blend of 90% Temparnillo and 10% Graciano aged 12 months in used American oak casks. More ripe, dark, juicy,... Read More

In this very short harvest, there's a little more oak influence to Sylvain's village Puligny (not more new wood, but more second and third use barrels that needed to be kept full!). It just makes this lovely Chardonnay... Read More

If rich, deep, dark and dusky Italian reds with plenty of energy and fine, easy, tannins are your thing, then you're going to Luv this! It's from one of the winery's original vineyards and 65 year-old vines, which... Read More

Cade’s Estate Cabernet shows Howell Mountain power and grip in a softer, more accessible, style. As Jeb Dunnuck says in his 93 point review, “The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain comes almost all from the estate... Read More

A juicy, fruit-filled, fun red for parties, sipping, cookouts, whatever. It's from Alentejo,Portugal,and blends Aragonez (35%), Trincadeira (20%), Alicante Bouschet (20%), Syrah (15%) and Castelão, all fermented and... Read More

Organic/Bio Wine Advocate (93 points) called this “great value” at $21 – it’s even better at this deal! It’s from the high, hot, plains of Jumilla in southern Spain where Monestrell (called Mourvedre... Read More

West of Montalcino, Monteccuco balances inland Tuscany warmth with altitudes of more than 1,000 feet. That balance of sunny ripeness with freshness shows nicely here in this blend of 70% Sangiovese, 15% Ciliegiolo and 15% Montepulciano... Read More

Lower ABV After phylloxera, the vineyards here were abandoned and were gradually covered in trees until a storm blew through and uprooted them in 1973. Bordeaux legend Andre Lurton happened to walk through the destruction and... Read More

Organic/Bio Ok, technically this is “Bordeaux” but spiritually it’s Loire Valley glou glou wine – meaning wine to gulp with delight. From iron-red soils, it’s 90% Merlot plus Cabernet Sauvignon fermented... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV The most common reason today for not drinking white Bordeaux is just not knowing what the heck it is. This lovely, no oak, example will fix that. From Graves, south of the city of Bordeaux, and the best white... Read More

Antonio Galloni's 95 point review in Vinous is accurate enough for where this beauty was when he tasted it last summer: The 2021s were brought in from late September to early October, a pretty classic time frame by today's... Read More

Dave Phinney and his long-time winemaking partner Kevin Fox created to showcase some of Napa’s oldest vines and heritage vineyards in an deeply rich and fruit-filled style. The 2021 is Petite Siray, Zin and Syrah with a... Read More

A big, bold, super-rich, Cab that's very fun to drink. As Wine Advocate says in the 92 point review, The Crane Assembly's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Disciples is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from an unnamed vineyard in Saint Helena... Read More

“Ripasso” means a fully dry Valpolicella wine is poured over the pressing from Amarone where the remaining sugar there triggers a second fermentation that enriches and darkens the wine. Here it added intensity to the... Read More

This small Napa-based estate delivers great value in this blend of about 75% Cabernet Sauvignon accessorized with Merlot, Syrah, Petite Sarah and Zinfandel. As Wine Enthusiast says in the 91 point review, “This supple, suave... Read More

This wine is terrific both as a genuinely delicious and impeccably balanced expression of New World Cabernet Franc and just as a compelling bottle of red wine. In general, Cabernet Franc is most interesting when it’s grown... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV Take the wild and delicious character of the Brana Ilori, source the grapes from older vines and age 30% in barrel and you get this – what Chablis would taste like if a bunch of Basque wine-people grew... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV Everything about this wine is wild, starting with the wild, super steep, vineyards of Irouleguy in the French Pyrenees, where almost all the grapes are red. And where all the grapes died from phylloxera in... Read More