$50 - $75 Wine

The 2022 vintage of Chateau Montelena Chardonnay showcases the estate’s signature style: vibrant citrus and stone fruit layered with floral notes, crisp acidity, and perfectly integrated oak. Grown in the cool-climate Calistoga region, this organic-leaning Chardonnay balances richness with restraint, offering flavors of green apple, Meyer lemon, and a touch of baking spice. A benchmark Napa white, ideal for drinking now or cellaring—especially at this limited-time price.

Winemaker Description 

Precision in winemaking (and in life) requires intent and purpose. Removing notions of how things should be allows us to see things truly as they are. Moreover, the ability to be entirely honest with each vintage enables the creative freedom necessary for both development and true expression. Montelena Chardonnay does not have a style. What it has is the dual-purpose of vintage and vineyard expression and our meticulous intent to deliver on both.

-Winemaker Matt Crafton

Winemaker Description 

A stunning Sagrantino from our favorite Italian, Mr. Mattoni himself! Intense ruby red color with hints of berries, sweet spices and tobacco. On the palate there is a freshness followed by soft tannins of finesse and persistence.

Expert Reviews 

Wine Spectator 92 Points | Well-spiced and mouthwatering, this vivid Champagne offers a finely detailed bead and expressive flavors of black raspberry, dried apricot, orange blossom, fleur de sel and crystallized honey. Clean-cut and minerally on the finish."

Vinous 92 Points | The NV Brut Ultradition is the same base wine as the Extra Brut Ultradition. Here the higher dosage seems to give the wine greater fleshiness and immediacy, while changing the wine's shape. Some of the mid-palate creaminess seems to have been achieved at the expense of a bit of persistence. Disgorged: November 2016. Dosage is 6-8 grams per liter.

John Gilman 92+ Points | The current release of Laherte Frres non-vintage Ultradition Brut is composed from an atypical and highly attractive cpages of sixty percent pinot meunier, thirty percent chardonnay and ten percent pinot noir and was finished with a dosage of six to eight grams per liter. This is from the base year of 2012 and the wine is outstanding, offering up a very refined, meunier dominated constellation of white peach, loads of spring flowers, chalky soil tones, gentle smokiness and a dollop of brioche in the upper register. On the palate the wine is pure, fullbodied and extremely elegant, with a fine core, superb soil signature, refined mousse and a very long, complex and dancing finish. This is a beautiful bottle of non-vintage Brut! 2017-2035."

Expert Review - Vintage 2023

Vinous 90 Points | The 2023 Pinot Noir The Bohan-Dillon is a very pretty, understated offering from Hirsch. Silky tannins wrap around a core of bright red-toned fruit, cedar, sweet pipe tobacco and dried herbs. This mid-weight Pinot is all charm. Those qualities are best enjoyed over the next handful of years.

Winemaker Description 

Light, crisp and refreshing. Honeyed peach, apples and honeydew melon notes. Off dry, with lots of stone fruit on the palate. Light in body and medium, crisp acidity.

Perfect with Asian food.

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

Jeff Porter of The Wine Enthusiast writes 93 Points | This Verdicchio is a flower shop in a bottle with elegant aromas of mixed flowers, green herbs, lemon oil and white gravel. A wine that is as much of a feeling as it is tasty, with an amazing texture that hugs the palate with a pleasant pithy bitterness and sea-salty finish. Drink now–2035. 

Winemaker Description 

Vecchie Vigne was created to preserve and glorify the tremendous historical and qualitative heritage of the old vineyards on the Montecarotto farm. The old vines were planted in the early 70s, and their particular position and the delicate balance between fruit and leaf growth means that the grapes can be harvested when they have reached a perfect ripening status. 

The wine is aged over a long period, first in concrete tanks in contact with the native yeasts and subsequently in the bottle, and that gives this Cru its particular fullness and brings out the typical Verdicchio character.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2020

Wine Spectator 92 Points | A beam of cherry and red currant courses through this racy red, revealing flashes of rose and wild herbs, with a mineral underpinning. This is persistent, with a long aftertaste that emphasizes the pure fruit. Best from 2026 through 2042.

Decanter 92 Points | Ripe black and red berry fruit, baked plum, and hints of tea leaf. Robust and rich, open, grainy tannins frame the fruit, and the finish has nice juice and length. Shows real charm!

Winemaker Description 

2021 | Garnacha Tintorera Prefiloxérica

Grapes from pre-phylloxera vineyards planted in 1860 on ungrafted vines. Two micro plots of 4,000 m2 and 2,000 m2, on the banks of the Sil River that thanks to the natural barriers and strength of this variety reached today’s times.

GRAPE VARIETY: 100% Garnacha Tintorera  from pre-phylloxera vineyards planted in 1860 on ungrafted vines.

CATEGORY: Matured red wine

Optimal weather conditions had a positive influence on the quality of the grapes. The cool, slightly humid spring favored vigorous bud break and uneventful fruit set. The summer was characterized by sunny days and cool nights, which allowed a gradual and balanced ripening of the grapes. The harvest, carried out in the last week of September, took place under dry and stable weather conditions, ensuring that the grapes were harvested at the peak of ripeness, with excellent concentration of flavors.

Harvest by hand with fruit selection in the vineyard. Destemming and pre-fermentation maceration for 4 days. Foot of vat with neutral yeast support. Alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel tanks below 20ºC and subsequent spontaneous malolactic fermentation. Aged for 8 months in French oak barrels: one 500-liter and two 300-liter medium toast barrels. Bottled in July 2023.

In visual phase high layer, with cherry red hues. On the nose, red fruits stand out with subtle floral notes and the complexity provided by the barrel aging. The palate is sweet, yet fresh, with good acidity. Long and persistent.

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points | From marine sedimentary soils in Yamhill-Carlton, the 2022 Pinot Noir Domaine Danielle Laurent is a rich jeweled red hue and has a deeper, aromatically layered nose with notes of dark wet stones, cherry liqueur, crushed pine needles, and candied flowers. Medium-bodied, it has wonderful grippy structure, with defined tannins, refreshing acidity, and a lovely note of tea leaf on the finish. It’s a fantastic offering that should have a good deal of longevity over the coming 15 years.

Wine Enthusiast 94 Points | This is the flagship wine in a strong 2022 vintage for Soléna Estate. First, the wine’s aromatic combination of boysenberries, black tea and bits of roast beef induces hunger pangs. The wine’s flavors then sate that hunger with ripe raspberry and tangy nectarine flavors, joined by a wisp of cedar. Bracing acidity makes the wine feel light and lively in the mouth.

Vinous 92 Points | A mix of woodland berries, shavings of cedar, cloves and dried roses introduces the 2022 Pinot Noir Domaine Danielle Laurent. Silky in texture yet lifted in feel, this flows across the palate with ease, taking on a peppery herbal tinge toward the close. A cascade of inner violet and lavender tones lingers as the 2022 finishes with medium length and gentle tannins.

James Suckling 92 Points | Lots of spice, nutshell, cocoa, dried cherry and hibiscus notes. Tense and dry on the palate with a medium body and chalky tannins. Earthy finish. Drink now or hold.

Winemaker Description 

Solena Estate Domaine Danielle Laurent Pinot Noir is a powerhouse Pinot Noir. From the winery's ‘wedding vineyard’ that started it all, this is a beautifully textured wine that matches with a range of foods and enlivens any evening. It has a very expressive nose of bright red fruits, clay dust, and mulling spice. In the glass, this wine has a light body but palate full of cranberry, green tea, and crushed slate. Drink now or cellar until 2038.

Expert Reviews

James Suckling 95 Points | The aromas to this beautiful tawny port are saturated with burnt orange peel, caramel, candied fruit and hints of honey-coated nuts. Full-bodied, very fruity and dense with intense nut and mahogany flavors. Hints of sultanas, chocolate and coffee. Extremely creamy, long and flavorful. Delicious all the way. Better served slightly chilled.

The Wine Spectator 93 Points | Rich, with a spicy nose, this offers flavors of fig, dried apricot, mango and ginger. Complex and elegant, delivering concentrated crème brûlée and tropical fruit notes that linger on the vibrant and buttery finish. (KM)

The Wine Advocate 93 Points |  On first taste, this was simply Taylor: big, concentrated and serious. It was all that and a bag of chips, but over a couple of day it also demonstrated far more elegance. It seemed arguably better balanced than the 10 year old Tawny this issue. Simply filling the mouth on first taste, this shows fine complexity for its age and it does everything else rather brilliantly. Succulent and inviting, it finishes with waves of concentrated flavors. The fruit remains lifted and and it has a bright, transparent feel. It is hard to resist, often seeming like a bit of an overachiever. It's not the best tawny Taylor's submitted this issue, but it might be the best intersection of quality and price.

Winemaker Description 

This superb example of aged tawny Porto is made from selected grapes from the best vineyards of the Cima Corgo and Douro Superior. Taylor Fladgate is an area leader in winemaking technology, as one of only three Porto producers to pioneer the development of piston fermenter techniques, called Port Toes, that extract significantly greater flavor and aroma than conventional pump-over fermentation.

Fermentation is halted by the addition of grape spirits before all the residual sugar has been fermented, creating a sweet, fortified wine. Individual wines produced in different vintages are aged in 600-liter oak casks for years, over which time they will lose their young, dark purple-black color to gain the distinctive “tawny” hue from which the wine takes its name.

As tawnies age, the wines take on increasingly more nutty flavors and become more concentrated as the barrels lose 3% of their volume every year (the “Angels’ Share”) to evaporation. The 20 Year Old Tawny is a blend created using tawnies with an average of 20 years of aging.

Producer Description 

Our Napa Valley Merlot opens with lively bright red fruits and a soft, lush texture. Delicate floral aromas combine with ripe blackberry, milk chocolate, wet stone and barrel spice. The finish is bright and spreads out on the palate to reveal mineral notes that support the silky tannin structure.

Deep ruby in color, the 2019 Napa Valley Merlot features a tempting nose with hints of violet, ripe cherry and warm baking spices. The palate is supple in texture with luxurious layers of brambly red fruits, cocoa, and dusty tannins. This classic Napa Valley Merlot finishes long and vibrant with lingering notes of graphite.

Our Professional Review

Rand S. & David W of 67Wine.com | This is considered a very rare California boutique sauvignon blanc.  It is highly sought after for those seeking a very special wine.  Realm makes some of the most sought after wines out of Napa and their Sauvignon Blanc is one of the finest expressions in the valley.

You will find tropical fruit notes including lemon, tangerine, and a hint of peach.  Great wine. It is not grassy but rather soft on the palate. Very elegant, balanced and not over ripe. Staff tasted & recommended. 

Winemaker Description

The "Sangioveto" of Badia a Coltibuono comes from the vinification of Sangiovese grapes aged in barrique. The place of origin is that of Monti in Chianti, in the province of Siena, where there are the vineyards of the Stucchi family that since 1846 is the owner of the company Badia a Coltibuono: always linked to tradition, The Stucchi family is also particularly attentive to everything related to the protection of the environment; all the wines of Badia a Coltibuono in fact have the BIO Certification. After the manual harvest, natural fermentation begins with autochthonous yeasts and subsequent maceration on the marc for 5 weeks. The aging takes 12 to 16 months and takes place in oak barrels. Finally, aging in bottle for a minimum of 6 months.

A wine with an intense ruby color, with floral aromas, red fruit and spicy notes. In the mouth it has a good body, harmonious and full-bodied. Good freshness and flavor and an enviable persistence.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2021 

Wine Advocate 94 Points | The 2021 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett is deep and flinty but bright and clear on the refined and elegant nose with beautiful crushed slate aromas. On the palate, this is a rich, round and generous, incredibly lush and supple but crystalline and even pure Sonnenuhr with a highly stimulating, mouth-watering finish. This 2021 shows the great terroir of the cru, in particular in cool vintages due to its exposition that collects the sun's rays in the morning. 

Wine Enthusiast 92 Points | This shows very little sweetness, but is harmonious and well integrated despite the firm acidity that fuels it. Stone- and orchard-fruit notes are flecked by chrysanthemum and cardamom to create the full-spectrum. The finish is long and persistent.

Winemaker Description 

Cassis and lime zest aromas with tart, salty and slate notes.

Try with yellow curry or spring rolls.

Winemaker Description 

Winemaker Description

Medium to medium-dark ruby-red. Very cool, stately aromas of red cherry, cola, and fresh tobacco leaf. On the palate, medium-full bodied. Flavors of red fruits and blood orange take front and center stage, persisting through the long, smooth finish. Not a wine of bombast but instead, one of elegance, purity, and quiet confidence. Wonderful now, this can be enjoyed through at least 2028.

Expert Ratings

94 Points Wine Spectator | Few Zinfandels show this much nuance and detail, yet there's an elegant power to this red, with cherry and raspberry flavors that mingle with orange peel and fresh sage. Ends with refined tannins.

93 Points Jeb Dunnuck | The 2020 Zinfandel Papera Ranch is ripe with fresh berries, raspberry preserve, and baking spice. Its gushy fruit up front gives way to a note of raspberry seed and refreshing lift on the finish. Drink 2023-2032.

Winemaker Description 

C Blanc du Castel is a white wine made purely of Chardonnay grapes (100%).
Using French oak barrels, the wine is fermented and then set to mature in its residual sugars for about a year, Bourgogne style.

‘C’ Blanc du Castel is known for its rich and buttery bouquet and refreshing acidity; it bears a full round flavor, with a touch of citrus, tropical fruit and roasted almonds.

This is a well-balanced wine with a fine long finish. It reaches its peak about 4 years after its harvest, and the recommended serving temperature is 12-14 degrees Celsius.

Winemaker Description 

The grapes that produced this liquid Jewel were hand harvested from our finest plots of our highest quality vineyards in the Judean Hills. The nose displays lifted and rich fruit, is well integrated, and perfectly balanced with both French and Hungarian oak barrels. This liquid Jewel was aged for 24 months in 300L oak barrels, creating a liquid perfume of rich, elegant and caressing complexity.

95 Points James Suckling | Lots of sliced lemon, apple, ginger and honey blossom. Meyer lemon, too. Medium to full body, creamy texture. Wild and vivid flavors with so much going on here. Tangy and vivid. Terrific quality for the vintage. Excellent acid. 100% barrel fermented, 60% stainless and 40% oak.

94 Points Wine Enthusiast | A flinty, herbaceous aroma leads to nicely layered flavors of citrus, ginger and limestone in this complex, subtle and fascinating wine. Nervy acidity braces the ample herb and fruit flavors for an especially energized mouthfeel.

93 Points Decanter | The iconic Napa producer fermented this Sauvignon Blanc in French oak, small stainless steel barrels, clay amphora, and ceramic and concrete cuves. Intense sweet peach aromas leap forth, followed by tarragon, sea foam and lemon zest notes. The palate is fresh with pronounced citrus flavors, followed by ripe apricot and briny minerality.

93 Points Jeb Dunnuck | Bright and racy, with lots of citrus, subtle grapefruit, and some chalky minerality, the 2022 Sauvignon Blanc is medium-bodied, has a balanced lively mouthfeel, and a clean finish.

Pretty and pure with aromas of citrus, white peach, and juicy pear, this beautiful Sauvignon Blanc is layered and complex. Apple clafoutis and floral aromatics invite you in. Rich and textural, this wine perfectly balances viscosity and acidity. Sea spray and salted lemon with some grapefruit pith carries through its long finish. Delicious and refreshing! Winemaker Description.