2023 California Red Wine

As the winery writes, Andrew Murray has been singularly and nearly maniacally focused on crafting Syrah for 25 years. His Everyday (in French Syrah “Tous les Jours”) Syrah from Santa Ynez gives you a good idea of how... Read More

One of the longest-running high-quality “value” Pinots we know of. As Robert Parker said of the 2013 edition: An authentic tasting Pinot Noir that sells for a song. Aromas of sweet red and black cherry fruit intermixed... Read More

Natural winemaker Chris Brockway and importer Tim Elenteny created Brea to bring low-intervention winemaking to traditional Cabernet grapes, making something authentic (but not weird!). They crush it with this Cabernet from a... Read More

Brick & Mortar is really a California sparkling house, meaning they grow a lot of cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. When Pinot gets a bit too ripe for fizz, it’s perfect for elegant, pure, juicy still wines like this... Read More

Even though it's just a Napa red, this gains structure and complexity from the boost of a little Pritchard Hill fruit. In 2023 it's more than half Cabernet Sauvignon plus Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and a full 10% Petit... Read More

Lower ABV We’re not even going to try to explain the premise behind Curt Schalchlin and Andrew Jones’s “Fable” approach to naming wines. But the wine in the bottle here is very good Chardonnay indeed, loaded... Read More

From Mendocino fruit, this semi-carbonic Syrah gives the savory complexity of Northern Rhone examples with the cheerful dose of crunchy, ripe, fruit you get from Beaujolais. A juicy, spicy, lifted nose pulls you into a wine that... Read More

A collaboration between Master Sommelier Sara Floyd and the Pisoni Family, gives a nicely ripe and stylish Napa Cab that will shine at table. Plenty of concentration black cherry/berry fruit, and touches of clove, vanilla and... Read More

Doug Margerum's flagship wine is a stunner in 2023! The 5 is for the Rhone grapes in the blend: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, and Counoise. The Vinous 94 point rave sums it up nicely: The 2023 Red Blend M5 is... Read More

Poppy Cabernet Paso Robles has been a customer favorite in the great value California Cab segment for years. And every time we pit it against a more expensive Cabernet in a blind tasting (one where tasters don’t know which... Read More

This wine is stupid good. The blend of ripeness, finesse, purity and flavor intensity would be expected in a great $50 Pinot Noir. For less than half that, the value here is nuts. As Vinous says in their 90 point write-up, this... Read More

With only 800 cases produced and plenty of customer demand, we’re not sure why a wine that tastes so expensive is still available at such a great value price. But we’re certainly glad that’s the case! It’s... Read More

Yes, really. Classic, very high-quality, robust, Howell Mountain Cabernet at this price (vs. the $100+ usually). How? Neil Koch used his job as a Napa grape/wine broker to build great relationships with some of Napa’s top... Read More

The guys behind The Dude do it again, this time with a very well-crafted Cabernet from Stags Leap that sells for a LOT less than you'd expect once you taste it. The signature plushness and richness of Stags Leap is here along... Read More

If you look closely, you’ll notice the little biplane on the edge of the label here, a tribute to “Buck” Cobb who planted this vineyard in between working as an aerobatic pilot. Volcanic soils at 1,500 feet elevation... Read More