Best Buys $10 And Under

The labels reference Erik Mallea?€?s Basque heritage, depicting 19th & 20th-century aspen tree carvings by Basque shepherds in the American West. Erik?€?s father, Joxe Mallea-Olaetxe, is a respected scholar of this cultural tradition.

This wine presents abundant aromas of dark cherry and strawberry jam, brown sugar, dark chocolate and cola with hints of cardamom, black pepper, sandalwood and licorice. The bright and vibrant entry accentuates flavors of fresh blueberries and allspice that linger into a creamy, rich mid palate and ends with a luxurious finish. Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah.

Organic

91% Cabernet Sauvignon 6% Petite Verdot, 3% Cab Franc. Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from 3 vineyards: the 60yr old Brigantino Vineyard, the 45yr old Wheeler Ranch, and the 75yr old Tres Pinos Creek Vineyard. The Petite Verdot and Cabernet Franc come from Paicines AVA, rocky alluvial deposits above the Tres Pinos arroyo. All vineyards experience warm days, cold nights typical of the Central Coast, allowing these late ripening Bordeaux varieties to be picked at high acidity and moderate sugars. Fermented whole berry with a very light crush in open top fermenters, allowing slower extraction, of tannins into the must and lots of oxygen into the fermentation for polymerization of tannins. Pressed after approximately 20 days. Aged for 11 months on lees in mostly neutral barrels with a couple of active oak barrels sprinkled in. 13.2% abv

Organic / Natural

A clean, crisp white wine consisting of Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Melon de Bourgogne.
Inspired by the wines of the Loire Valley and vignerons like Didier Barouillet of Clos Roche Blanche (who was an over-the-phone consultant on the project), Thierry Puzelat, and Marc Ollivier of Domaine de la P??pi??re. Loire inspired wines made in the Willamette Valley of Oregon.

93 points Vinous
The 2021 Graciano Portico Hills shows the darker, weightier side of Graciano. Black cherry, plum, gravel, menthol, crushed rocks, dried herbs and incense are all dialed up in this brooding, potent Graciano. The 2021 is going to need some time to soften. (7/2023) Drinking Window 2023-2031

Zac Wasserman is now on his own after a number of years working alongside Joey Tensley.

100 points Wine Advocate
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Poetry is a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it sails out of the glass with energetic scents of fresh blackcurrants, black cherries and black raspberries, plus hints of candied violets, dark chocolate, clove oil and fragrant earth. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is exquisitely fine-knitted with tons of graceful nuances intertwined with the many shades of black fruits, accented by SO MANY minerals, finishing epically long and staggeringly gorgeous. WOW!

96-98 points Jeb Dunnuck
Much more expressive and complex compared to the backward, masculine Backus Vineyard (which is common when comparing these two cuv??es), the 2019 Insignia offers a gorgeous perfume of cr??me de cassis, chocolate, lavender, dried flowers, tobacco, and leafy herbs. Possessing full-bodied richness, a layered, seamless texture, gorgeous tannins, and just a classy, balanced character, this beauty is going to shine with just 3-4 years of bottle age yet still cruise in cold cellars for 30 years. It actually reminds me slightly of the 1997.

96-98 points Wine Advocate
The 2019 Insignia is composed of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec. The vineyard sources this year include: 32% Yountville (Oak Knoll District), 23% Banca Dorada (Rutherford), 14% Suscol (South Napa Valley), 14% Home Ranch (St. Helena), 12% Las Rocas (Stags Leap District), 3% Barboza (Stags Leap District) and 2% El Venadito (Oak Knoll District). The wine is aging for 24 months in 100% new French oak barrels. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a little swirling to unlock a gorgeous perfume of black cherry compote, stewed plums and blackcurrant pastilles with hints of bay leaves, red roses, underbrush and pencil lead plus a hint of menthol. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers impactful black fruit preserves layers with finely grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and layered. (Tasted as a barrel sample.)

The inky/purple-hued 2003 Proprietary Red Wine, a blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, and the rest tiny portions of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, reveals copious notes of chocolate along with hints of melted tar, charcoal, black cherries, and currants. Full-bodied, dense, and well-balanced... - WA91

Greenhook has made here the world's first commercially released Beach Plum Gin Liqueur. Indigenous to the Beaches of New York, Beach Plums are a rare, finicky, Wild Plum with a prized, piquant flavor. Inspired by the Traditional, English Sloe Gin, Greenhook Beach Plum Gin Liqueur is crafted by soaking whole, Long Island Beach Plums in their Signature American Dry Gin for seven full months, with just a touch of Turbinado sugar.

Colorado- Tincup 10 is a high-rye bourbon aged in white American oak barrels with a #3 char. The whiskey is aged for a minimum of 10yrs before being cut to proof with Rocky mountain water. A classic American Mountain Whiskey.

Fearless Wheat Whiskey is made by Catskill Distilling Co. in Bethel, N.Y. with Catskill Mountain water and New York grown grains. Has the softness that you would expect from a wheat based whiskey, but somehow there still remains a bit of spice and a lot of character. A little lighter than the Most Righteous Bourbon, the Fearless Wheat Whiskey has a fruity nose, a silky palate, and an overall smoothness. Notes of pear, hint of honey, spice, and chocolate and orange on the finish. 42.5%abv.

Washington- The unique flavors in this flagship whiskey, Westland American Oak, derive from roasted malts inspired by Pacific Northwest beer culture. This American single malt has notes of rich fruit, rainier cherries, dark chocolate, and coffee.

TINCUP is a classic American Whiskey. It has a bourbon style profile with a bold and spicy finish. TINCUP gets its signature flavor by balancing the spice and pepper flavor of rye with the sweet and smooth taste of corn and malt. It?€?s made using Midwestern grains, aged in new American white oak barrels and is cut with Rocky Mountain water.

CAN

Organic

Review is on the 2016.
97 pts Wine Advocate
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate bursts out of the glass with beautiful black cherry compote, warm cassis and freshly crushed blackberries scents plus touches of chargrill, violets, dark chocolate and pencil shavings and a waft of English lavender. Full-bodied, the palate features great intensity combined with fantastic freshness, textured by soft, finely grained tannins and lifted by the most gorgeous floral perfume, finishing long and layered. Beautiful wine.

95 pts Vinous
The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is another wine in this range that shows the natural breadth and dimension of the year. Ample, powerful and broad, with real depth...New leather, spice, menthol and sweet dark cherry all build in a rich, textured Cabernet.