New Connoisseurs Connection Available 

Updated August 17, 2018

Cayuse is one of the most sought after producers in the country! In 2015 all of the wines produced were not released and destroyed because of cork taint. The late released 2014 "God Only Knows" will be the only wine available until the 2016's are released. This wine is already sold out across the country! A rare find at a great price!
2014 Cayuse Grenache Walla Walla Valley God Only Knows Reg $169.99 Sale $149.97 $399.99/3pk (3only 3pks!)
100 points and '#1 Wine of Top 100 2017,' International Wine Report: "The 2014 'God Only Knows' is an utterly fascinating wine from the amazing team of Christophe Baron and Elizabeth Borcier of Cayuse Vineyards. This stunning Grenache was sourced from the Armada Vineyard and instantly impresses as it opens to intoxicating aromatics of red fruits, tangerine rind, floral, dried spices, smoldering ash, Earl Grey tea, wet stones and earthy nuances all taking shape. On the palate this continues to impress, as it displays striking elegance and finesse, with a remarkable silky, polished texture, and wonderful poise as it shows a bright zesty flavor profile of black raspberries, blood orange, floral, umami and black olives which continue to add complexity and impressive range as they build on the finish. The combination of purity, precision and sense of place are a thing of beauty. Overall, this is a complete success, and one of most impressive wines ever from Walla Walla. While this is absolutely outstanding now, it also possesses lovely aging potential. Best 2017-2029. (Aug 2017)"
97+ points Jeb Dunnuck (Wine Advocate): "here are 533 cases of the 2014 Grenache God Only Knows Armada Vineyard, and as always, it's an unknown blend that's dominated by Grenache (reportedly from vine cuttings from Rayas). It's fermented with just about 100% whole clusters in concrete and aged mostly in neutral puncheons and foudre, with one concrete egg. A bigger, richer wine than the No Girls cuvee, this beauty packs a punch in its black cherry, reduced strawberry, herbes de Provence and crushed violet aromas and flavors. With full-bodied richness, a supple, elegant style and fine tannin, this singular beauty will benefit from a year or three of cellaring and keep for 10-15 years. Drink: 2018-2032. (Jun 2017)"

Two incredible Gran Reserva Rioja's in stock that totally defy there price points!
2007 La Rioja Alta "904" Gran Reserva Rioja Reg $59.99 Sale $49.97 (Limited Hurry)
97 points James Suckling Wonderful purity of fruit with a strawberry, currant and plum character. Full and velvety body with ultra-fine tannins and a delicious fresh and fruity finish. Classic Rioja style. Que lindo! Drink now. (10/2016)
95 points Decanter Seductive and complex nose, typical Mediterranean expression of warm berry fruit, cherries, blackcurrants and plums. Explosion of fruit on palate with roses, chocolate and vanilla, silky tannins and racy acidity. (3/2017)
95 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate If Viña Ardanza seems to be going fast, the Gran Reserva 904 is even faster and we're now on the 2007 Gran Reserva 904. This wants to be the classic Gran Reserva--polished, silky and elegant, with aging potential. It is a blend of Tempranillo with 10% Mazuelo aged for four years in well-seasoned American oak barrels, with eight manual rackings. I found that the freshness of the vintage and its relatively young age gave the wine a youngish character that I loved, combining developed notes of meat, spices, leather and balsam with almost cherry-like aromas. The palate feels balanced and elegant, with fine-grained and fully resolved tannins and great acidity. This vintage of 904 surprised me! (8/2016)
** Founded in 1890, La Rioja Alta is arguably - amongst the traditional Rioja bodegas - the one whose entire range of wines is the most consistent, the most readily available, and the most delicious. Their "904" bottling contains Tempranillo and Graciano (no Garnacha) and is every bit as traditional. It sees aging in used American oak barrels for 48 months, racking twice a year, and then further aging in bottle. The wine always has a sumptuous, velvety texture, with more bass notes in place of Ardanza's higher toned, red-fruited profile. Does Gran Reserva Rioja get any better than this?

It's here a 99pt amazing Rioja! Everybody should tuck a few of these away!! Limited Don't Miss! Magnums & 750's!
2010 Bodegas Muga "Prado Enea" Gran Reserva Rioja 750's $69.97 Magnums $149.97
(about 15cases sold 5cs(12) 750's left! 4cs mags(3) both OWC
99 points James Suckling The wonderfully silky texture with an added juiciness is what makes this wine so very special. The flawless and seamless nature to the wine is so impressive that it takes you breath away. Plenty of beautiful fruit but what mouthfeel. Drink now and forever. (1/2018)
98 points Tim Atkin, MW: "(14%) Only made in the best vintages - and they don’t get any better than 2010 - this is a brooding, ageworthy blend of mostly Tempranillo with 20% Garnacha and 10% Mazuelo. Rich, dark and complex with stylish tannins and scented oak, it’s every bit as impressive as the 2009. One of the great Prado Eneas, this will age beautifully. 2025-40. (Feb 2018)"
97pts WA I was really looking forward to the 2010 Prado Enea Gran Reserva, as I've seen a very good improvement in this cuvée in the last few vintages, and 2010 is one of the more-balanced vintages of recent times. This is the most classical among the wines in the portfolio, the one with the longer élevage, a little bit like the wines from yesteryear but with today's knowledge about vineyards and vinification/élevage. This has settled to a blend of approximately 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha and the remaining 10% between Mazuelo and Graciano, from the cooler, higher-altitude vineyards, which means they only bottle it every two or three years. In recent years, 2007 and 2008 were not bottled. It ferments in small oak vats built by their own tonneliers, and they like to delay malolactic until the spring by opening the windows so the cold from outside comes into the winery. For the aging, each variety goes into separate barrels racked from newer to older barrels to complete some 36 months or three years. It has very healthy and balanced parameters, and that's what the wine feels like. It's still young. It's never a dark wine, more of a ruby or bright color, and it has a nose of youth, subtle and elegant. But the quality shows in the unbelievable elegance and harmony on the palate, where the tannins are very fine, the flavors are subtle but deep and the length is just phenomenal. This is only medium-bodied, with perfect ripeness and integrated acidity. This should have a very long life in bottle, especially as I had the chance to check the evolution of the 2004 next to this. 90,000 bottles were produced from 2010. The following vintages will be 2011, 2014 (a small bottling) and 2015.
96 points Decanter Only made in the best vintages, and they don't get any better than 2010, this is a brooding, ageworthy blend of mostly Tempranillo, with 20% Garnacha and 10% Mazuelo. It's rich, dark and complex with stylish tannins and scented oak. (10/2017)

2013 FIGGINS ESTATE Red Wine Reg $109.99 Sale $69.97 $399.97/6 (5left)
For more than 30 years, the Figgins Family has been producing wines of consistently high quality at Leonetti Cellar, which was bonded in 1977 by Founders Gary and Nancy Figgins. What started as Gary’s vision to make world-class wines in Walla Walla has turned out to be a true American success story. Today, Leonetti Cellar produces some of the most sought after wines in the world. Figgins was born from a vision to transform a phenomenal vineyard site, into a singular, estate grown non-varietal red wine blended from Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Merlot. The goal from the beginning has been to most highly elevate the potential of this special site through viticultural and winemaking wisdom
95pts International Wine Report: The 2013 Figgins Estate Red Wine is a proprietary blend that seems like it has slightly more Cabernet blended in than the other varietals (Petit Verdot and Merlot). Head winemaker Chris Figgins chooses the blending based on what varietal he enjoys the most each year. Sourced from the Figgins Estate vineyard, which is a high elevation vineyard set at 1700 feet, the wine has beautiful aromatics of green olive, dried sage and black cherry with black olive. There are rich and intoxicating flavors of black cherry, crème de cassis, anise, blueberry compote and coffee grounds. The rich and polished mouthfeel is just exceptional. The wine has a lovely minerality and a texture that borders ethereal. This to me represents the best Figgins Estate Red Wine that I have sampled. The fruit weight and acidity suggests this will age gracefully for many years. (Best 2016-2033) - September, 2016 (OB)
94pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate The flagship is the 2013 Estate Red Wine, which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot that spent 20 months in 62% new French oak, with the balance in second fill barrels. Coming from a cooler, higher elevation site on the eastern edge of Walla Walla, this beauty possesses fabulous purity in its cassis and black raspberry fruit, violets, graphite and spring flower-like aromas and flavors. These give way to a full-bodied impeccably balanced 2013 that has fine tannin, nicely integrated acidity and a great finish. I don’t think it has the density of the 2012, but it shines for its overall harmony and purity. This beauty is enjoyable now, but should be at its best from 2020-2033.

2014 was #1 Wine in Wine Spectator Top 100! Now on everybodies Radar! Still Napa Valley's best Merlot!
2015 Duckhorn 'Three Palms' Merlot Napa Valley Reg $109.99 Sale $99.97 ($549.99/6) Now allocated!! (4 left)
As Duckhorn Vineyards enters their 40th anniversary year, the estate’s reputation has never been better. Ask any wine lover, and they’re sure to know the name Duckhorn. That’s at least due, in part, to their dedication to making great Merlot from the beginning. They were the first house to take Merlot seriously, and their efforts were rewarded by essentially becoming the benchmark for that varietal in California. So it’s only natural that by 2017, their flagship Merlot, Three Palms, was named Wine Spectator’s #1 Wine of The Year. Merlot is back, in a big way. Today we offer you the follow-up wine to that #1, a wine that may be even better. It’s the 2015 “Three Palms,” from Duckhorn, whose first release from this iconic Calistoga site was 1978. Is there a better Merlot produced in the USA? This is certainly a contender. Look for spicy candied plums, graham crackers, deep color, and exotic aromas. An absolutely seamless, hedonistic wine. A KNOCKOUT that absolutely belongs in your cellar!
2006 Shafer "Hillside Select" Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon Reg $299.99 Sale $199.97
96pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select, which was just released, is a stunningly rich effort displaying notes of licorice, cassis, camphor and subtle toast along with a full-bodied, powerful texture and richness. Very pure with surprisingly sweet tannins for a 2006, it's long finish lasts over 40 seconds. It should drink well for 25+ years.
95 points Connoisseurs Guide Among the deepest, most complete Cabernets that we have yet encountered from 2006, Shafer's latest tête de cuvee wins high praise for both concentration and keen focus. Its plentiful blackcurrant fruit dovetails perfectly with its equally generous oak, and it flavors build and build en route a long and wonderfully sustained finish. There is great scale and substance about this one, yet the wine manages to avoid being too much, and it will age famously for ten years or more on the strength of its exceptional balance. *Three Stars* (4/2011)
95 points James Suckling Bay leaf, dark fruits, and almonds on the nose. This wine is powerful, with a full body, and with flavors of mineral, mint, and lead pencil. I'm thinking Pauillac but tasting California. A very long finish, but needs some time. Be patient with this and wait until 2014. (4/2011)

Far Niente's New Bella Union Cab! 4th Vintage & Best Yet!
2015 Bella Union (Far Niente) Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) $69.97 $419.99/6 2/6pks only in stock! (94POINTS WE)
Fermented in stainless steel, then aged 16 months in French oak (60% new), this wine is brightly aromatic in tones of cherry, cassis and spicy clove. Supple and integrated on the palate, it has depth at its core, with an intense ripe berry flavor.
Bella Union was founded in 2012 by the partners of Far Niente and Nickel & Nickel, who, for more than 30 years, have been growing and making some the best Cabernets in the Napa Valley. Bella Union is the next step in their evolution as Cabernet winemakers. Bella Unions origins lie deep in the history and geology of the Napa Valley. Located in Rutherford along Bella Oaks Lane, hallowed ground for Napa Valley Cabernet, is the 25-acre Bella Union Vineyard. This western bench location offers an ideal combination of cool evenings and warm afternoons, which, in turn, allows the grapes to ripen fully and evenly. The site's well-draining, gravelly loam soil plays an equally important role, contributing to the signature character. The fruit from this vineyard is the core of this Cab but breaking away from their signature single-vineyard model at Nickel & Nickel, Bella Union specializes in the art of blending Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Creating a truly beautiful and harmonious union of vineyards across the Napa Valley requires an artful blend of carefully selected sites and traditional varietals complementary to Cabernet Sauvignon. It is in this spirit that the Bella Union winery was born.