93 points Robert Parker: "The 2007 Côtes de Tablas is a sensational wine as well as a great bargain. The fact that it is finished with a screw cap may give some consumers the wrong impression, but this is a serious, mouthfilling red. A blend of 50% Grenache and the balance equal parts Syrah and Counoise, it exhibits sweet, gamy notes along with plenty of pepper, licorice, roasted herb, blackberry, and cassis characteristics, a velvety, lush texture, a full-bodied richness, beautifully integrated acidity, abundant Provencal typicity, and good minerality f... Read More » 

Inventory: San Francisco

95 points and #18 on the Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2009: "Elegant, with very fine bubbles and complex spice, coffee, pear and toast aromas and flavors that are poised against lacy acidity and refined structure, letting the flavors sail on and on with finesse. Drink now." (12/09) 92 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "OK, a slight exaggeration, but the 1999 Brut Extended Tirage is even better. Light gold-colored, this lively, vibrant effort has tons of flavor and exceptional length. Drink it over the next 3 years." (10/09) 

Inventory: Main Warehouse

90 points and featured in the "Fifty Super Domestic Wine Values" from Robert Parker: "The 2007 7 Deadly Zins is a knock-out bargain. Aged completely in American oak, it is loaded with berry fruit, pepper, spice, and earth characteristics. This rich, full-bodied, opulent, luscious Zinfandel can be drunk now and over the next several years. Another reliable name for consumers to remember is Michael-David Wines." (Aug. 2009) 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

92 points Robert Parker: "The 2007 Chardonnay Private Reserve (always one of California's top Chardonnays) has toned down the toasty oak component, exhibiting excellent nutty, honeyed, buttery notes of orange marmalade, brioche, and spice. Full-bodied, rich, and pure, it reminds me of a Burgundian premier cru from Chassagne-Montrachet or Meursault. Beringer continues to turn out an impressive array of wines, proving that a gigantic global operation can be focused on quality and character...the Private Reserve final blend is always the finest wine of the ... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse San Francisco

Sooo allocated, by the time you read this little blurb, Orin Swift's miraculous mountain-grown Cabernet, sourced from a couple of Napa's greatest sites, will have flown from the shelves (assuming it makes it to the shelves to begin with!). If you are so lucky to have procured a bottle, you are in for a rich and glistening treat. Drink it now for its ripe blackberry and silky cassis fruit wound round a core of tannic structure, or wait ten years for a rare and beautiful vinous treat! 

Inventory: Hollywood

94 points from Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Deep ruby. Captivating aromas of red- and blackcurrant, smoked meat, olive and minerals remind me of a serious Cote-Rotie. Rich black raspberry and cassis flavors are complicated by cracked pepper, olive and candied violet, with silky tannins lending support and focus. The floral qualities gain strength on the finish, which is strikingly focused and very long. For this wine's quality, the price is a steal." (May/June 2009) 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City

91-93 points from Robert Parker: "The 2007 Zinfandel Papera Ranch is a combination of 93% Zinfandel and 7% mixed blacks. Although slightly less substantial than the Montafi Ranch and Carlisle Vineyard, it offers up elegant notes of blueberries, raspberries, crushed rocks, and white flowers. This is a pure, rich, concentrated Zinfandel to enjoy over the next 5-7 years. Mike Officer is quickly rising to the top of the qualitative pyramid when it comes to Zinfandel, and, more recently, Petite Sirah and Syrah. Working from old vine Zinfandel vineyards in Dr... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City

Distinctly displaying Santa Clara Valley terroir. this merlot hints of smoky blackberry and velvety vanilla. then suggests coffee and chocolate notes. finishing with soft tannins. Aged 21 months in 50% new. and 50% neutral French. Hungarian and American oak. this wine can be enjoyed with pork. lamb. steak or on its own. Drink now and for the next few years. 

Inventory: Redwood City

93 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2006 Perigee Seven Hills Vineyard is 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc. Dark ruby/purple-colored, it has an alluring perfume of pain grille, pencil lead, mineral, violets, black currant, and blackberry liqueur. Elegant and seamless on the palate, it has superb depth, concentration, and incipient complexity. Give it 5-7 years and drink it from 2013 to 2026. L’Ecole No. 41 is one of Walla Walla’s pioneers, the third modern day winery in the Valley. Over the years the winery has pr... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

The beast is back and better than ever. This follow up to the popular and critically acclaimed '07 beast, the '08 has a bit more pepper and elegance than its predecessor, with lush flavors of dark fruits and spices. This an old-style California Zinfandel, more elegant and balanced than most in the store, with a great mid-palate and soft tannins that would pair well with anything from barbecued shortribs, to pasta with marinara, to grilled chicken and tuna. The fruit is from a biodynamic vineyard in Dry Creek Valley and the wine is bottled unfined and u... Read More » 

Inventory: San Francisco

Another Home Run from Justin Winery! The 2001 Isosceles is a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc and 10% Merlot. It shows aromas of dark cherries, toffee and chocolate, which are followed by intense flavors of raspherries, plums and black cherries. The tannins are ripe and integrated. The 2001 should age well over the next 10 years. 

Inventory: Redwood City

Get a leg up on your Pinot friend that seems to know every small producer by giving him a bottle or two of the 2007 Dept. C "Paraiso Vineyard" Old Vines Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir. I'll bet you a doughnut that he hasn't heard of this 172-case Pinot gem from an original plot of 36-year-old, Martini clone vines. This is a great inaugural release, full of class and allowing the trademark SLH fruits to be on display without all the unnecessary extraction or heavy handed oak qualities. Ruddy red fruits combine with whole nutmeg, sassafras and fennel on... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City

90% cabernet sauvignon, 5% merlot, 5% cabernet franc. This ideally cellared Cab is brownish with brick at rim, with a very earthy aroma with pronounced soy, mushroom, leather, peat and smoke. This mature red has plenty of fruit in evidence with flavors of soy and a bit of tannin in the finish. Drink now with savory, slow cooked beef or lamb. 

Inventory: Redwood City

94 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2006 Apogee Pepper Bridge Vineyard is 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 8% Malbec, and 4% Cabernet Franc. A saturated purple color, it has a brooding nose of sandalwood, pencil lead, spice box, and assorted black fruits. It is the most concentrated, complex, and intense of the L’Ecole reds with darker, layered fruit and greater aging potential. Drink this superb effort between 2015 and 2031." (Oct. 2009) 93 points from Wine & Spirits Magazine: "Apogee, a blend of cabernet sauvignon (46 percent), merlot... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

This comes from one of the highest ridges on the Pisoni property in the Santa Lucia Highlands, where the vines are stressed by rocky soils and batttering winds. The combination lends itself to a dark, sultry wine with aromas of blackberry and bacon fat, with subtler hints of leather, sage and olives that continue ontot he palate. Full-bodied, but with good acidity and firm tannins that need a little air or time to soften. 

Inventory: Redwood City

91 points from Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Vivid red. Spicy redcurrant and cherry aromas are complicated by anise, rose, black tea and minerals. Medium-weight red fruit flavors enter sweet and are quickly firmed by juicy acidity. Silky tannins gain strength with air and extend through the long, sappy finish. Quite graceful, and already drinking very well." (Nov/Dec '08) A full and rich pinot noir from Jim Clendenen's renowned Au Bon Climat winery. The fruit comes from Block Two of the famed Bien Nacido Vineyards. Plum fruit and warm spic... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse

We could not agree more with J. Wilkes philosophy and style when it comes to the making of fine Pinot Noir. What this means, in brief, is that according to this producer Pinto Noir should taste different from heartier reds like Cabernet and Syrah. To this we say, yes! This 2008 Santa Maria is a great example, wherein J. Wilkes has managed extraction while maintaining the natural delicacy of the grapes, and done so beautifully and economically, too. You'd be hard pressed to find a better more authentic Central Coast Pinot anywhere near this price point. 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City

93 points Wine Spectator (10/85) 

Inventory: San Francisco

The wine has an ultra-ripe fruit expression, similar to other classic Oakville Cabernets. The signature of this vineyard remains constant, with cherry and black cherry fruits layered with sweet herb, spice and cedar from the oak. Rich and coating, the mouthfeel of the 2006 is similar to the 2005 vintage. The middle palate is sweet and plush and the medley of flavors progress into a long, lingering finish. 

Inventory: Redwood City

Can a California Pinot Noir last well into its third decade? If any a wine could do it from the Golden State, our money would be on Chalone! Perched high on the western slopes of the remote Gavilan Mountain Range, 1,800 feet above California's Salinas Valley, Chalone Vineyard represents a singular convergence of terroir and winemaking. It's a site that was deemed unique enough to have its very own AVA! Chalone Pinot Noir, produced in true Burgundian fashion, shows uncommon power, depth and complexity. Not to mention its ability to age. 

Inventory: Redwood City

92-94 points Wine Spectator: "Pure, rich and concentrated, this is flamboyant, offering depth, range of flavor, structure and depth. The currant and toasty oak flavors are intense and focused without being overdone." (Web only, 2007) 91 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Ruby-red. Bright red berry and cherry aromas are complemented by dusty rose and mineral notes. Sweet raspberry and cherry flavors are smooth in texture and supported by fine-grained tannins. The red fruit notes linger impressively on the precise finish." (May/June '09) ... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City

This baby has a deep, dark purple hue. Subtle blackberry aroma's combine with coffee and earthy tones in this opulent Bordeaux blend. The entry into the wine is fruit forward and rich on the palate. Flavors of cherry, cassis and a hint of plumb evolve into layers of chocolate and caramel. The depth of the wine consumes your mouth, and creates a seamless, full-bodied texture from conception to the soft, integrated, French oak finish. 

Inventory: Redwood City

A powerful Napa Valley Cab from select Agustin Huneeus vineyards in Rutherford and Tulocay. Aged for 18 months in 25% new and 75% once-used French oak barrels, the Faust is super-rich with aromas of blackberry, plum and cassis and plenty of vanilla and cedary spice. Luxe and velvety, the wine coats the palate and lingers on the finish. 

Inventory: Hollywood

This Cabernet reveals a lovely nose with aromas of dark black cherry, bittersweet chocolate and hints of bay leaf. On the palate, the dark garnet wine is rich and concentrated with layers of plum, holiday spice, tobacco and dark cocoa. Velvety tannins provide a long, memorable finish. Aged 18 months in 40% new French and American Oak. The wine is 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot from the organically farmed Rutherford Vineyard and sustainably farmed Persephone Vineyard. 

Inventory: Hollywood

91 points from Wine Spectator: "Well-structured, with rich layers of creamy fig, melon and apricot, gaining depth and complexity on the long finish. Drink now through 2011. 3,981 cases made." (Jun. 30, 2009) One star from the Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine: "If a somewhat reticent to start and slow to unfold, this nicely famed Chardonnay proves to be deeper and better filled than its opening aromas seem to suggest. Its appley fruit is overlain by creamy oak and accented with touches of spice cake and stones, and it conveys a good sense of extract... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City

Inventory: Hollywood

This is Chateau St. Jean's flagship wine, a blend of Bordeaux varieties that changs a bit vintage to vintage. The 2006 bottling is Merlot-dominated (83%), with smaller proportions of Cabernet Franc (5%), Malbec (4%) and Petit Verdot (1%). All of the varietals are aged separately in 91% small French oak and 9% American oak, then assembled and aged for another six months in bottle before release. Blackberry jam aromas let you know right away that this is the Cinq Cepages, followed by hints of rich milk chocolate, rasberry and violet scents. On the palate, ... Read More » 

Inventory: San Francisco

Last Call on the 2001 Vintage! 94 points Wine Enthusiast: "This luxurious wine flatters the palate with its sumptuous fruit, ripe and big but not overbearing. The black currant, cassis, plum, mocha, smoky oak and spicy flavors swim in sweet, fine tannins. A spine of acidity keeps it all honest. Gorgeous now, and will age through 2015 or beyond." (10/04) 93 points Robert Parker: "The gorgeous, dark ruby/purple-hued 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Stag's Leap offers scents of new oak, flowers, black and red fruits in a medium to full-bodied, concentrated, well-b... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City

89-92 points Robert Parker: "More promising is the 2007 Merlot, which reveals sweeter tannins, a more enticing velvety finish, and plenty of mocha, chocolate, and black cherry fruit characteristics. It should drink nicely for a decade. These are consistently brilliant wines thanks to the efforts of winemaker Tony Biagia. The 2007 offerings reflect what a great site this 40-acre vineyard planted in the tenderloin of Oakville truly is. Older readers may remember the superb Villa Mt. Eden Cabernet Sauvignons made by Nils Venge (also the consulting winemaker... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood

This is classic Amador Zin - tons of fruit, nice acidity and medium-weight tannins. This is complex and fresh enough to pair with most meals. And it's made with organic grapes. A great Zin at a great price. 

Inventory: Redwood City San Francisco

According to Wine Spectator: "Sturdy, with firm, rich earth, currant, mineral and cedary flavors at the base, and touches of herb and bay leaf in the aroma, finishing with chewy tannins. Drink now through 2010. 367 cases made." (Web obly 2004) 

Inventory: Redwood City

All of the fruit for this intense mountain wine - 90% Cab, 3% Cab Franc and 7% Merlot - come form the Mayacamas Vineyards on Mount Veeder. Aged in a combination of 1,000-gallon American oak casks and 60-gallon French oak barrels for two and a half years, this wine has great texture, intense complexity and plenty of bright fruit. Its nose is redolent of briar fruit and early summer cherries with just a hint of mint. This will build complexity as it ages. Drink now with some air and over the next decade. 

Inventory: Redwood City

90 points Wine Spectator (01/90) From one of Napa's most legendary vineyards and renown producers. Martha's Vineyard is 34 acres of gently sloping alluvial plain in Oakville. Wine Spectator writes: "Hetiz's Martha's Vineyard bottlings rank amuth the greatest California wines in the 20th century." 

Inventory: Redwood City

Named after Scott Paul Wright's daughter, the 2007 Cuvee Martha Pirrie is the youngest and best priced of the Scott Paul wines. It is an especially great value as the fruit comes from the highly esteemed Willamette Valley properties of Maresh, Ribbon Ridge, and Momtazi vineyards. As with all the Scott Paul wines, minimal intervention is the key - all wild yeasts, with natural malolactic fermentation and no additives, create a refreshing 13.1% alcohol. This bright, young beauty shows crisp aromas of cranberry and raspberry, and fills the mouth with flavo... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City

Matanzas Creek were among the pioneers of post-Prohibition grapegrowing and winemaking in Sonoma County's Bennet Valley. Established in 1977, the winery's early days produced some breathtaking wines that took this quiet area surrounded my mountains and luanched it onto the wine scene. 

Inventory: Redwood City

The 2007 Akasha is 100% Syrah of which 85% is from Torrin's estate vineyard and 15% from the famed James Berry Vineyard. This wine is insane. This wine was aged in a combination of new and once used French Barriques and new French 500L puncheons. After about 8 months in barrels the wine was blended and returned to barrels. Here it remained until bottling unfined and unfiltered in April 2009. Really an incredible wine and an amazing expression of the varietal, it is indeed tight and could use a bit of time. This wine is impressive now, but will undoubtedl... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City

From Wine Spectator: "Well-defined, with red currant, licorice and toasty vanilla flavors that linger as the tannins firm up. Drink now through 2013. 11,300 cases made." (Nov. 30, 2009) 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City

Inventory: Hollywood

Chronicle is a new, small production winery focused on making Pinot and Zin from California's North Coast. Their "Hundred Year" Zinfandel comes from the Gambogi and Gaddis vineyards, where the vines average 104 years of age! Aged for 16 months in 40% new American oak, this is a big Zin, with the complexity to reflect its age. Blackberry, raspberry and new saddle leather scents are complemented by a smoky clove spice that continues onto the cherry and wild berry filled palate. Firm tannins, good acidity and amazing concentration lead us to think this Zin ... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood

4 stars Michael Broadbent in Vintage Wine. "A good vintage following a long, cool summer with almost daily fog rolling over the hills from the Pacific; a warm September ended with a heatwave which sent the sugar levels soaring. Wines of power rather than elegance." Perched high on the western slopes of the remote Gavilan Mountain Range, 1,800 feet above California's Salinas Valley, Chalone Vineyard represents a singular convergence of terroir and winemaking. It's a site that was deemed unique enough to have its very own AVA! Chalone Pinot Noir, produced... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City

Duckhorn didn't make a Three Palms designate this vintage, so all of the fruit went into this bottling. This blend of 84% merlot, 16% cabernet sauvignon (and a trace of cabernet franc) was aged in French oak for 17 months. Drinking now. 

Inventory: Redwood City

Wow! What an exceptional offering - a vertical of one of the Napa Valley's most esteemed wines with a bottle each from every vintage starting with 1979 through 2005. There are an impressive number of high-scoring wines in this collection, including the 96-point 1986 (WS) and more than a half dozen more rated 90 points or higher by Wine Spectator, Robert Parker, Stephen Tanzer and Wine Enthusiast. A rare opportunity to complete a cellar in one shot! 

Inventory: Hollywood

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse

92 points Stephen Tanzer: "Good bright ruby-red. Aromas of crushed blueberry, menthol, licorice, cocoa powder, violet and sweet oak; shows a distinct mountain berry intensity on the nose and palate. Sweet, dense and chewy, with a youthfully medicinal character to the dark raspberry, dark chocolate and vanillin oak flavors. This impressively deep wine finishes with big but sweet tannins. Incidentally, winemaker Sean Capiaux prefers this estate's 2006s to its 2005s, describing them as 'more typical of what we seek in California.'" (May/June '09) 91 points... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood

This is classic Carneros Pinot Noir - with boldness of fruit and an elegant structure. It comes from vineyards across the appellation, and it is aged in 100% French oak (30% new). Balanced, clean and approachable. According to Wine Enthusiast: "A good, solid, everyday Pinot. Likeable for its dryness, crispness and silky texture. Shows adequate flavors of cherries herbs, cedar and spices. Drink now." (10/09) 

Inventory: Main Warehouse

91 points and two stars from the Conniosseurs' Guide to California Wine: "If slow to start, somewhat backward and bound up in lots of tough tannin, this very deep, well-extracted Cabernet is a very serious wine of considerable content and one that is meant for the cellar. Almost brooding just now and only beginning to find the first signs of complexity, it displays tenacious black currant fruit from front to back, and its fruit emerges unscathed from its head-on collision with crunching, back-palate tannins. Find a cool, quiet place in the cellar and set... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City

This is Agustin Huneeus' (Quintessa) foray into Sauvignon Blanc, and the wine, which stems from a little vineyard planted into 2002, has really come into its own. Blended with 8% Semillon, part of the wine was fermented in concrete eggs, part in stainless steel and part in French oak, giving the wine a complex texture, good acidity, purity of fruit and intrigue. Its nose has alluring citrus zest aromas that are sprightly and fresh, with an accent of mineral and sage. The palate is fresh, with grapefruit and tart pomelo flavors balanced by a leesy richnes... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood

According to the Wine Spectator: "Complex apple, pear and subtle fig notes are full-bodied, fresh and vibrant, keeping the focus on pure ripe fruit flavors. Drink now." (05/09) 

Inventory: San Francisco

Most of the fruit for this California Chardonnay comes from Santa Barbara, giving this wine its dominant tropical character. Pineapple, melon and citrus on the nose and palate are framed by vanilla and spice. The wine is creamy and rich, for those who like a ful-bodied white. 

Inventory: Redwood City

Sweetness. Like the most sinful dessert in liquid form, Dolce, from the folks at Far Niente, satisfies our craving for sweetness with some hidden surprises. A combination of late harvest sémillon and sauvignon blanc from the foggy town of Coombsville, east of Napa, the Dolce is Napa's Sauternes-style dessert wine, with its earthy, botrytis underpinning and joyful acidity. Wonderfully food-friendly, this will pair well with foie gras, poached figs, cheeses, chocolate or crème brulee. Or cellar and watch the wine evolve. 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City