Black currant, graphite and an exceptional depth.
The palate is layered with dark fruit, rustic tannins and a
complex richness. Concentrated without being too heavy,
the wine has profound balance and although it is expressive
in its youth, the 2016 Hossfeld Coliseum Block is a wine that
will show more and more integration as it matures. With an
exceptional depth, this wine is a perfect showcase of this
historic vineyard block.

The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Panek Vineyard has a vibrant deep garnet-purple color and prances out of the glass with vivacious black cherries, wild blueberries and blackcurrants scents plus suggestions of violets, bay leaves, tilled earth and black tea. Medium to full bodied, the palate is tightly knit with firm, grainy tannins and a lively line cutting through the stacked, lively fruit, finishing long with amazing freshness.

Constantly Loving & Leaving Wines....

Yet I never forget the impressions caused by greatness, in time, will surely catch up and fall in love yet again in a more profound way.  This 2018 AMOENUS Cabernet Sauvignon from Arkenstone is a V Wine Cellar

exclusive!

Tasting the lineup today with Jake Krausz and reflecting on a past filled with Consistency, Continuity, Appreciation and a commitment to Terroir was very enlightening!

Don't Miss Out On This New Age Instant Classic!

~ The Wine Lab

97 Points The Wine Advocate 

2018ARKENSTONE

AMOENUS VINEYARD

Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Amoenus Vineyard was aged for 22 months in French oak barrels, 90% new. Deep garnet-purple in color, it comes barreling out of the glass with flamboyant notes of red currant jelly, black raspberries, fresh black currant and cinnamon stick, plus suggestions of red roses and dusty soil. Medium to full-bodied, tightly knit and wonderfully perfumed in the mouth, it delivers velvety tannins and a long, fragrant finish. 

Lastly, there are a tiny 532 magnums of the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Triniceros, a blend put together by famed consultant Michel Rolland. It's possibly closest in style to the Plyspline release and has incredible dark fruits (cassis, currants) as well as notes of graphite, toasted spice, chocolate, white flowers, and lead pencil shavings. A wine that builds incrementally on the palate, it has ripe, velvety tannins, an expansive texture, fabulous mid-palate depth, and the balance and class to drink well today yet also evolve for 20-30 years.

GOING UP & STAYING WITH THE ELEVATION SENSATION

~ HOWELL MOUNTAIN HIGH ~

" Always one of my fondest memories from The Lab rewind wine mind. The Outpost production style continues to shift in an array of ways how other mountain contemporaries are influenced by making wines with a fierce core of fruit and texture that leaves you wanting more."

~ The Wine Lab

Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points

2018 OUTPOST

ESTATE CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Moving to the Bordeaux blends, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate has an already complex style in its cigar, black fruit, smoked earth, and baking chocolate aromas and flavors. It’s medium to full-bodied, has a layered, seamless texture, and sweet tannins. It’s going to drink nicely in its youth yet also age gracefully.

JD

ALWAYS INTERESTED IN A LIGHT TRIP BACK IN TIME.....

Let's go to the Realm of King RICHARD II. A rare opportunity to acquire one of the bottlings classic vintages.

~ The Wine Lab

2018 REALM

THE BARD

98 Points Mr. J Dunnuck

The 2018 The Bard is beautiful and certainly in the same realm as the 2015 and 2016, both magical wines. This cuvée reveals a deep purple color followed by a beautiful perfume of crème de cassis, blackberries, roasted coffee, spring flowers, and violets. With incredible richness, no hard edges, and a blockbuster finish, this incredible wine offers serious opulence with no sensation of heaviness or weight. It's beautifully done and already complex and nuanced. It will evolve for at least 15+ years. The blend is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, and 2% each of Petit Verdot and Petite Sirah.

SHAFER HILLSIDE SELECT

40th ANNIVERSARY

Winemaker Elias Fernandez Signed Bottles

SHAFER HILLSIDE SELECT

40th ANNIVERSARY

Winemaker Elias Fernandez Signed 1500ml Bottles

When Legendary Becomes Even More NICHE! Shafer Vineyards has recently been making headlines by expanding their Vineyard sites and acquiring new sites to yield even more greatness in the near future. 

All these continuations if you will, are being spearheaded by Elias Fernandez whose wine almanac of knowledge continues to expand and force other producers to elevate their game!

It's Show Time! Let's Shine On!

~ The Wine Lab 

DON'T MISS OUT ~ V WINE EXCLUSIVE SIGNED BOTTLES

JEB DUNNUCK 100 POINTS

2018 SHAFER HILLSIDE SELECT

STAGS LEAP DISTRICT

Incredible purity and precision, as well as opulence, define the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select, and this is as good as any Cabernet Sauvignon in the world today. Revealing a deep purple hue as well as a thrilling bouquet of pure crème de cassis, black raspberries, spring flowers, lead pencil shavings, and an incredible minerality, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered, seamless texture, ample mid-palate depth, and a great finish. This is classic 2018 Napa Valley with its purity, freshness and precision as well as sensational concentration and perfectly integrated acidity, tannins, and alcohol. It delivers pleasure today yet warrants a solid 4-5 years of bottle age and is going to be a 30- to 40-year wine.

The Elevation Sensation That Is Possessed By Wines With Lift...Enter AILERON

Always ready to ascend to the peaks of the Napa Valley through wine. This new project from Shannon

O'Shaugnessy is showcasing the evolution of her wine production future in the sphere of smaller lot wines with precision.

 ~ The Wine Lab

96 Points Jeb Dunnuck

2019 AILERON

CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Coming from Atlas Peak, it offers some classic mountain blue fruits as well as notes of graphite and obvious minerality. Rich, full-bodied, and concentrated, it has plenty of tannins and a savory, complex style that will benefit from bottle age.

JD

Reflecting On Having Tasted This Back ...

In April of 2022 at the Grand Taste Of Oakville, what a great treat it was to be on the cutting edge

~ In Real Wine Time ~

Such a great vintage coupled with classic Oakville winemaking at its continued best! (( Do Not Miss Out )) 

Ships Mid October

~ The Wine Lab

98+ Points The Wine Advocate

2019 DALLA VALLE 

Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate needs a lot of swirling and coaxing to unlock notions of blackcurrant pastilles, warm black plums and mulberries, plus hints of black olives, tilled soil, mossy tree bark and violets with emerging baker's chocolate and star anise hints. Full-bodied, rich, concentrated and with impeccable poise, it has beautifully ripe, grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing epically long and earthy.

Scott Ran Into Yountville's Wine Spectre.....

He saw visions of quality reminiscent of old world grandeur! One of Yountville's best sellers, is back in stock!

2019 GHOST BLOCK

Reserve ~ Yountville

Sourced from our famous Ghost Block Vineyard, the 2019 vintage has bold aromatics of dark cherry, ripe plum and blackcurrant that are met with delicate floral notes of lavender and violet, and finishes with spicy black pepper and clove. On the palate, blackberry, black cherry, and cassis are supported with layers of dark chocolate and cacao and rounded out with herbal notes of bay leaf and tobacco giving the wine stunning richness and depth. Medium to full-bodied with fine grained tannins and nicely balanced acidity create a beautiful long, lengthy finish that shows off the unique terroir of the iconic vineyard from where it originates. 

A WINE LAB TASTING PANEL STANDOUT

A unique site created in the early eighties, the future vision to employ dynamite in order to fracture the bedrock was visionary.  The result is continued production of world class highly coveted Bordeaux varieties for which legendary winemakers for continue to line up. The history of the site is framed by innovative farming taking place at the iconic family owned vineyard.

These wines express a sense of place and are designed for enjoyment now and show characteristics of aging nicely well into the future.

~ The Wine Lab

Jeb Dunnuck ( A ) Rated

2019 HOSSFELD ESTATE BLEND

The 2019 Red Blend checks in as a blend of 40% each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec, with the balance Merlot, that spent 20 months in French oak. Its deep purple hue is followed by an up-front, exuberant red offering lots of candied red and black fruits, notes of violets, tobacco, and flowery incense, medium to full body, ripe tannins, and a great finish. Drink this solid, impeccably made blend over the coming decade or more.

UN ALTRO GRANDE GIORNO

Thanks to the kindness of our clients we have been indulging in some of Italy's most iconic producers.  The Lab is constantly enhancing to point that the palate has become microscopic with precision!

THREE ICONS IN ONE SET, DON'T MISS OUT

~ Il Laboratorio Del Vino

2019 MASSETO 

98 Points The Wine Advocate

This bottle opens a new chapter for one of Italy's most celebrated and collected wines. The first vintage made entirely in its dedicated state-of-the-art winery (and the first vintage with a 10% dabble of Cabernet Franc added to what has historically aways been a pure expression of Merlot), the Masseto 2019 Masseto has two main themes at heart: concentration and elegance. And managing those two seemingly contrasting elements requires a little bit of magic. That's the Masseto magic we look for. The 2019 vintage delivers it in spades with lovely concentrated fruit, blackberry, integrated spice, tobacco, crushed slate, pencil shaving and lots of texture and fiber to push a lasting mouthfeel. The wine's richness translates into density and power to the palate, meanwhile the bouquet reveals fluidity and new sides as the wine opens in the glass. The finish is tapered and focused.

2019 TENUTA SAN GUIDO

BOLGHERI SASSICAIA

98 Points The Wine Advocate

The latest release from Tenuta San Guido is the 2019 Bolgheri Sassicaia. The bouquet is up front and very expressive from the get-go. It offers a generous display of crunchy, dark cherry that hints at the extra concentration and fruit weight obtained in the 2019 growing season. This vintage will be remembered for the crisp richness of the fruit and its important textural imprint. It also shows fine elegance, bordering on the ethereal, with berry aromas, tarry earth and brushes of balsam herb or grilled rosemary. Sassicaia always shows an almost-glossy finely knit quality to the polished mouthfeel, and I find it again here next to fresh acidity and firm tannins. Mouthfeel in 2019 is the wine's strongest suit. The 2019 is one of the prettiest and most balanced editions of Sassicaia we've seen this past decade, along with the back-to-back duo of 2016 and 2015. The 2019 marries the precision of the 2016 with the rich fruit weight of the 2015.

2019 ORNELLAIA BOLGHERI SUPERIORE

ORNELLAIA

97 Points The Wine Advocate

This is a beautiful expression of coastal Tuscany and the sunny Mediterranean. The Ornellaia 2019 Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia (a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot) pours from the bottle with a specific darkness that has elements of both inky saturation and ruby highlights. The wine is saturated and rich—this is something you notice off the bat—but it also reveals a pleasing lightness or grace that is transmitted to both the bouquet and the palate. Dark fruit, pressed blackberry and plum mingle with more substantial aromas of spice, leather and sweetly cured tobacco. The tannins are beautifully managed, and the wine sports considerable heft and density on the palate that drives a very long and pleasurable mouthfeel.

" We've known Jason Moore for a long time, I know the story, the collaborations in the past and all that goes into staying relevant in this wine game.  Recently he brought in his 2019s and he showed great pride in his wines, most importantly the Sage Ridge that has the highest printed final score.  Numbers are numbers until you go into the wine memory bank and his statements proved to be true, I found it challenging to recall a bottling that outshined what was showing in glass!

" FANTASTIC WINE "

From here on, it's life in the fast lane. We can all fuel up and continue reaching for never ending greatness! "

~ The Wine Lab

96+ Points The Wine Advocate 

2019 MODUS OPERANDI CELLARS

SAGE RIDGE VINEYARD

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Sage Ridge Vineyard soars out of the glass with intense scents of blackcurrants, black cherries and fragrant earth, plus wafts of cedar, rose oil and espresso, with just a hint of Provence herbs. Full-bodied, the firm, taut and muscular palate has seamless freshness, finishing long and earthy. Give it a good 3-5 years before broaching, and drink it over the next 20 years+.

Once You Reach A Level Of Hedonistic Flow While In The Wine MATRIX, there simply is no going back.  The Instagram Wine Professor Russell Bevan has kept his foot on the gas ever since Robert M. Parker Jr said so way back in the day.  As the demographics change in wine consumption, it's good to see the stylistic congruencies some of my favorite wine makers continue to exude! Bryn is a sexxxy sultry rendition of this hedonistic blend!

~ The Wine Lab

96 - 99 Points Jeb Dunnuck

2019 PERUS BRYN

More bloody, iron, and bouquet garni-like nuances emerge from the 2019 Bryn Proprietary Red, which might just surpass the 2018. Beautifully concentrated, rich, and full-bodied, it offers a slightly more red fruited, savory, chocolate style and is already complex. Give bottles a few years in the cellar and it should cruise for 15-20 years.

JD

PERFECTION IS ALWAYS IN THE EYE ... 

of the beholder. It's always good to get a little more access to some modern day legendary wines made by wine icons.

The foundation has been set, let's see where the continued focus takes us along the REALM To Kalon road of classic Napa Valley Power House Cabernet Sauvignon.

~ The Wine Lab 

2019 REALM

BECKSTOFFER TO KALON

99 POINTS THE WINE ADVOCATE

Composed of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard has a deep garnet-purple color, requiring a little coaxing before it spills out of the glass with fantastically showy blackberry preserves, boysenberries and cassis notes, plus hints of black raspberries, clove oil and potpourri, with a touch of tobacco leaf. The decadent, full-bodied palate sports a firm backbone of ripe, grainy tannins with beautiful freshness. All that generous black fruit melds seamlessly into a very long, mineral-laced finish.

A Project That Made A Huge Splash... within our Cult Club is back in its 2019 version. With two of the valley's most connected winemakers making this project a continuing success, it's no surprise the 2019 has picked up where the 2018 left off. Quality continues to radiate a wine with texture & depth.

~ The Wine Lab

94 Points The Wine Advocate, Joe Czerwinski

2019 REFLECTIONIST

CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Personally, I find it pleasantly lifted and perfumed, with more floral and herbal nuances to go alongside raspberry-tinged fruit. It's still full-bodied and velvety in feel, but it's brighter and juicier on the lengthy finish.

LET'S JUST SAY THIS

When I tasted the 1st vintage of the Royal Prince Cabernet several years back, time flies, the wine blew the doors off several wines that were well over $100 in pricing withing the tasting line up.  The reason behind these wine revelations is strategic and precise composition in assembly. 

This is the BEST SUB $100 wine I've come across in a long while, enjoy some right away.

Texture, Balance & Freshness All Intact!

~ The Wine Lab

2019 ROYAL PRINCE RESERVE 

CABERNET SAUVIGNON

93 Points Jeb Dunnuck

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is rock star stuff and delivers a classic Napa level of richness and depth while staying pure, clean, and beautifully balanced. Lots of blackcurrants, dark chocolate, spice, and hints of tobacco all emerge from the glass, and it's full-bodied, with a rich, fleshy, opulent mouthfeel, good tannins, and a great finish. Don't miss this sexy, concentrated, impeccably made Cabernet!

PRESSING THE EASY BUTTON ....

... With a classic Napa Valley producer on a cloudy day here in the Napa Valley.  The light rain has passed and it's time to start enjoying some of these classic 2019s. This latest bottling is singing songs of a change of season, much welcomed as harvest is in progress!

~ The Wine Lab

2019 SPOTTSWOODE LYNDENHURST

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Lyndenhurst is composed of 77.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9.4% Cabernet Franc, 4.1% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot and 3.8% Malbec. Deep garnet-purple in color, it skips out of the glass with lively blueberries, redcurrants and kirsch scents, plus hints of cedar chest, fragrant earth and rose hip tea. Medium-bodied, elegant and lively in the mouth, the palate is chock-full of bright and crunchy red and black fruits, finishing long and earthy.

THE COLABORATIVE PROCESS IS PRICELESS

Something is happening at The Vineyardist that will allow all of us to benefit from as wine consumers and promoters.  Just when you think you've seen all the angles, there are always different perspective points that aid in enhancing sensory.  Tony Biagi is starting to delve into wine composition on a level that the total body of work in some of his projects will microscopically penetrate your palate and leave you in a sense of desire. Thus making you desire more and more ~ only pure quality will do moving forward!

THIS VINEYARDIST IS HIGH PROFILE JUICE! 

Recently Had The Pleasure To Visit The Winery, Very Impressive!

~ The Traveling Wine Lab

99 Points Jeb Dunnuck

2019 THE VINEYARDIST

CABERNET SAUVIGNON

CALARCADIA, VINEYARD

Deep purple, with a killer nose of crème de cassis, white flowers, violets, toasted spices, and graphite, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Calarcadia Vineyard hits the palate with a massive, opulent, incredibly sexy style that needs to be tasted to be believed. It's a huge wine, no doubt, but it still has nuance in its aromas and flavors, is seamless and weightless on the palate, has ultra-fine tannins, and is just pure Napa Valley goodness. It's going to flirt with perfection on release and evolve for 30 years or more.

BUCKING UP & RIDING ON

We continue with the newest & freshest wines with confidence, RND has been done!  We've tried various 2020s at different price points and we'll soon be promoting some Wine Lab backed wines of curiosity.  2020 RIDE comes in at below $50 and has some modern day wine wizards collaborating in its production.

~ The Wine Lab

2020 RIDE

CABERNETSAUVIGNON

2020 RIDE shows dark, almost opaque edges with gorgeous notes of blackberry fruit, sage, black olive and shaved cocoa. The mouthfeel has a decadent richness and textural quality with a long and delicious finish. Both dense and flecked with acidity, the wine shows equal parts power and grace.

THREE OF THE MOST INTERESTING WINES FROM THE WEST COAST....

When we have the luxury to drink these wines, they reign supreme. They are thought inducing wines that lead to layered, in-depth discussions. All three are masterfully crafted in California.

~ The Wine Lab 

ALL 100 POINTS JEB DUNNUCK

2019 Realm The Absurd

Another perfect wine in the lineup is the 2019 The Absurd, and while I wasn’t able to get the blend or vineyard sources (they like to keep that a secret), it’s a thrilling, magical wine that tops out on my scale. More dense and concentrated than the Dr. Crane, especially on the mid-palate, it has an incredible, full-bodied, powerful style that carries ample darker cassis and blue fruits as well as scorched earth, tobacco, graphite, and violets. With a monster of a mid-palate, incredible tannins, no hard edges, and a level of purity that’s hard to describe, this needs to be forgotten for at least 4-5 years, and it should have 40-50 years of overall longevity.

2018 Sine Qua Non Grenache

11 Confessions Vineyard

The 2018 Grenache Eleven Confessions Vineyard comes all from the estate vineyard located on the eastern side of the Sta. Rita Hills and is even more Grenache-dominated, checking in at close to 84% Grenache with 9% Syrah, 6% Petite Sirah, and the rest Viognier. Aged a whopping 38 months in 52% new barrels, it has an insane bouquet of black raspberries, herbes de Provence, violets, mulled cherries, sandalwood, and new leather. As complex and nuanced as they come, this full-bodied beauty has awesome purity of fruit, a layered, balanced mouthfeel, sweet, fine-grained tannins, and a great, great finish. It's one of those wines that makes you run out of adjectives. One of the finest examples of Grenache to pass my lips, give it 2-3 years and enjoy over the following two decades.

2019 Dalla Valle Maya

Proprietary Red Wine

One of the finest wines in the vintage is the 2019 Maya Proprietary Red Wine, and red wine doesn’t get any better. The usual blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Cabernet Franc, its deep purple hue is followed by an incredible bouquet of blackcurrants, tobacco, dark chocolate, and crushed stone, which turns more floral, pretty, and complex with time in the glass. Full-bodied on the palate, it marries a rare sense of elegance and finesse with incredible intensity. It’s impossible to resist today yet merits at least 5-7 years of bottle age, and I have no doubt this beauty will still be enjoyable at age 50. Bravo!