Highly Allocated Gems
Showing 568–576 of 642 results
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Shafer Vineyards 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select
$299.99Napa Valley California
Wine Advocate 98 Rating
I was able to taste four vintages of the estate’s flagship Cabernet Sauvignon, their Hillside Select. This first growth-like cuvée was first made in 1978 and always comes from their estate Hillside Vineyard just above their estate in Stags Leap. This is a 54-acre south-facing, amphitheater-like vineyard of thin, rocky, volcanic soils. Today the cuvée is always 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that spends upwards of 32 months in new French oak. It is consistently one of the greatest Cabernet Sauvignons in the world. Starting with their 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select, it boasts a deep, saturated purple hue as well as a heavenly bouquet of sweet blueberry and cassis fruits interwoven with plenty of graphite, tobacco, and lead pencil notes, with ample minerality emerging with time in the glass. This was a hot, low-yielding vintage for Napa, and while this beauty is massively concentrated, it’s also silky and seamless, with great tannins, no sense of over-ripeness or heaviness, and a finish that goes on for nearly a minute. This is a brilliant, incredibly sexy wine to enjoy over the coming 30-40 years. R27-4 -
Signorello Estate 2016 Padrone Cabernet Sauvignon
$149.99Napa Valley California
Wine Advocate 95 Rating
Made up of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot (bottled in June 2018), the deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Padrone Proprietary Red Wine opens with youthful, very primary notes of red and black currants, crushed plums and black raspberries with touches of cinnamon stick, Marmite toast, pencil shavings, lavender and black soil. Medium-bodied with great vibrancy and freshness plus a fine-grained frame of tannins supporting the red and black fruits, it finishes with a lovely herbal lift. SP21-1 -
Silver Oak 2017 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
$134.99California
James Suckling 96 Rating
This is a big upgrade in finesse and clarity to such a popular, premium cabernet from Napa. It shows lots of blackberry, tar, cedar and oak-tree aromas that follow through to a full yet toned palate of fine, integrated tannins and a vivid finish. Owner David Duncan explained that the American oak they use in the wine for aging now comes 100% from their own barrel-making facilities, which tones down the vanilla character in the wine. Really impressive and delicious. It’s a joy to drink now, but can age. SP30-2 -
Sine Qua Non 2015 Grenache E
$499.99Eleven Confessions Vineyard California
Wine Advocate 100 Rating
This is a single-vineyard Grenache-dominated, barrel-selection blend coming from the Eleven Confessions Estate vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills. It bears Elaine Krankl’s initial and a portrait Manfred made of Elaine on the label. The blend is 82% Grenache, 12% Syrah, 5% Petite Syrah and 1% Viognier, and 56% was fermented using whole clusters. It was aged for around 38 months in French oak, 28% new. R18-2 SP19-1 -
Sine Qua Non 2015 Syrah M
$499.99Eleven Confessions Vineyard California
Wine Advocate 100 Rating
This is a single-vineyard Syrah-dominant blend coming from the Eleven Confessions Estate vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills. It bears Manfred Krankl’s initial and a provocative self-portrait on the label. The blend is 90.6% Syrah, 4.4% Petite Syrah, 2.6% Grenache and 2.4% Viognier. Forty-three percent was fermented using whole clusters. It was aged for around 38 months in French oak, 66% new. SP10-2 -
Sine Qua Non 2015 Syrah Trouver L’Arene
$399.99Central Coast California
Wine Advocate 100 Rating
Composed of 80.5% Syrah, 7% Petite Syrah, 7% Mourvèdre, 2% Grenache and 3.5% Viognier, all sourced from estate vineyards—37% The Third Twin, 36% Eleven Confessions and 27% Cumulus—the 2015 Syrah Trouver L’Arene was made using 34% whole cluster and has a deep purple-black color with intense cassis, black plums and black cherries scents plus hints of anise, violets, sage and tar, with wafts of savory/smoked meat suggestions. Full-bodied, this voluptuous beauty is seriously singing in the mouth, belting out vibrant red and black fruit flavor layers, all framed by very fine, rounded, ripe tannins and a wonderful freshness, finishing with persistent perfumed fruit and a spring in its step. 1,778 cases and 600 magnums were produced. R3-3 SP18-2 -
Sine Qua Non 2016 Grenache Dirt Vernacular
$399.99California
Jeb Dunnuck 100 Rating
One of the finest Grenaches to ever pass my lips is the 2016 Grenache Dirt Vernacular and it’s 78% Grenache, 11.5% Mourvèdre, 7% Touriga Nacional, and the rest Petite Sirah. Reminding me of an old vine Grenache cuvée from the Maurel brothers in Châteauneuf du Pape, it boasts a huge nose of black raspberries, kirsch liqueur, graphite, ground herbs, and pepper. This is one of those wines that offers incredible intensity and depth, yet still just glides over the palate with no sense of heaviness whatsoever. Full-bodied, rich, layered, and pure, it’s a riveting example of Grenache that could come from nowhere else. Drink it any time over the coming 15+ years. R38-4 SP20-1 -
Sine Qua Non 2016 Grenache Pajarito Del Amor
$599.99California
Jeb Dunnuck 100 Rating
Coming all from the estate Eleven Confessions Vineyard and 85.4% Grenache, 7.1% Petite Sirah, 6.9% Syrah, and a splash of Viognier thrown in for good measure, the 2016 Grenache Pajarito Del Amor was brought up 38 months in 54% new French oak demi-muids and the balance in varying used barrels ranging from 2 to 6 years in age. There are just 916 cases of this magical wine, which easily ranks with the greatest Grenache-driven wines to ever come out of California. Deep purple-hued, with an incredible array of cassis, blackberries, toasted spices, caramelized meats, white pepper, and graphite, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, an expansive, layered mouthfeel, and a blockbuster finish. This is one of those wine that wows from the first sip and is flawlessly balanced, with ripe tannins, incredible purity, and a singular character. Drink this elixir any time over the coming 15-20 years. R29-2 -
Sine Qua Non 2016 Subir
$599.99California
Jeb Dunnuck 100 Rating
Meaning “Rise” in Spanish, the 2016 Syrah SUBIR is the estate release that's all from the Eleven Confessions Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills. It's 89.7% Syrah with the rest Grenache, Petite Sirah, and Viognier that was 56% destemmed and spent a full 38 months in 82% new French oak. There are few wines that can spend close to four years in barrel and still emerge with freshness and purity, yet this estate seems to produce wines that do it with ease. Sporting a deep purple hue as well as a heavenly array of crème de cassis, white chocolate, blackberries, unsmoked tobacco, and peppery spice, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a layered, seamless texture, incredible depth of fruit, and that rare mix of power and elegance that's that hallmark of truly great wines. This was a great vintage for the Central Coast, and this is a true gem of a wine that tops out on my scale. While it's going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age, it offers incredible pleasure today as well. It will have 20+ years of longevity. R29-2
