Oakville's eastern benchlands are home to some of Napa's most renowned wineries, including Screaming Eagle, Rudd, and Bond's St. Eden vineyard. Winemakers Sarah Gott and Philippe Armenier take small lots of fruit from some of the tiny vineyards that dot this area and craft them into a full-bodied Cab that's both fruit-forward and classy, with blueberry, cassis, coffee, and floral notes framed by smooth tannins and refreshing acidity.
We think this Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the best values in the store right now. Not a bulk blend, this comes from grapes planted in the Rutherford & Oakville regions. Plump, juicy, and delicious, this wine features ripe fruit and a smooth, easy-drinking texture. Blackberries, plums, and toasty oak make this a great everyday drinker.
A good portion of the fruit for this wine comes from the world-famous To-Kalon vineyrad in the heart of Oakville's western benchland. Boasting loads of very ripe blueberry and blackberry fruit, this Cabernet shows off winemaker Paul Hobbs' rich, opulent style of winemaking and the famed concentration of To-Kalon Cabernets at a great price.
We're big fans of Greg La Follette's quirky-but-serious approach to wine and winemaking, as he embraces equally both the scientific approach and what one might call the "grape-whisperer" approach. The result is a Pinot that is both very aromatically expressive and well-crafted, with great balance and complex fruity-woodspice flavors.
Made by famed winemaker Jayson Woodbridge (of Hundred Acre and Layer Cake wines), the Cherry Pie Pinot tastes exactly like it says (well, perhaps minus the crust). Heaps and heaps of very ripe cherries dominate the nose, along with notes of spicy mint, ripe plums and toasty oak. On the fuller-bodied side for Pinot, this remains one of the most popular wines in the store here at V.
Anderson Valley is famous for the lightness and ethereal flavors it lends to cool-climate varieties. Winemaker Jason Moore gives a richer touch to this small-production Pinot, mixing bright strawberries and minerals with ripe cherries and a medium-bodied profile. Balanced and delicious, this is a great intro to lighter-bodied Pinots for Cab drinkers.
The Mueller family only produces about 200 cases of this Cab from the Diamond Mountain district, located in the western mountains between St. Helena and Calistoga. Cabs from this area, and the Mueller is no different, always feature a deep, smoky black cherry character and abundant tannin, balanced by woodspice complexity and refreshing acidity.
Hailing from Napa's cooler Coombsville region (recently granted status as a sub-AVA of Napa Valley), this Cab delivers rich, ripe flavors from a great vintage. Complex aromas of currants, blackberries, and cassis on the nose with a silky palate that delivers dense fruit concentration balanced by well-rounded and sweet oak tannins.
While Muscat wines are most often seen in their sweet or semi-sweet form (e.g., Moscato d'Asti), Winemaker Heidi Barrett has found a bold, serious expression of Muscat that is bone dry, with delicious viscosity and very lively acidity. One whiff of this wine is enough to tell you it's not Chardonnay, as it opens with Muscat's trademark intense floral character. However, this wine isn't a one-note white, as a second whiff reveals complex aromas of ripe peaches, grapefruit, petrol and jasmine.
A heritage grape of Napa Valley, only 70 acres of Charbono remain in California, making this wine a rare find. Bright cherries, raspberries, and huckleberries form the vibrant, fruity core of the wine, accompanied by notes of woodspice, cinnamon, fresh herbs, petrichor, and forest floor. Incredibly soft and smooth on the palate, the wine’s lively acidity allows the fruit to coat the mouth, giving a sense of richness to the light body.
This Chatauneuf du Paupe style blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Carignan is a beautiful example of the concentrated and balanced style of wines that can come out of Mendocino county. Aromas of plush violets, plums and blackcherries are followed by a silky and firm palate that lingers long after you taste. An amazing wine from Dave Grega and Aran Healy of Carotta Cellars. 240 cases made.
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