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The celebrated Ravenswood proprietor and winemaker put Zinfandel on the map and in the glasses of wine lovers around the world—and for that, he has earned a spot in the pantheon of California pioneers. Now, four decades after founding his history-making label, he’s created the winery he always intended Ravenswood to be: one tightly focused…

No one else in the world does explosive, high-octane, mega-star reds with the maximalist genius of Dave Phinney. The author of the Prisoner, one of Napa’s most iconic bottlings ever, he’s the man with the “Midas touch,” in the words of critic Robert Parker, who has raved over Dave’s “unparalleled blending talents.” Zinfandel that first…

We texted Scott Palazzo to talk about his Saint-Émilion-inspired 2019 ‘Right Bank’ Proprietary Red Reserve. He called us a few hours later—from Saint-Émilion. While many Napa Valley winemakers cite Bordeaux as an influence, Scott lives and breathes the kind of grace, restraint, and elegance synonymous with the Right Bank. It’s where he fell in love…

Years ago, we had to fight off the likes of Gramercy Tavern and The French Laundry for our first tiny allocation of Picayune’s Padlock red. Ever since, we’ve had to muscle out others for bigger and bigger allocations—which can never quite keep up with the Picayune fan base! Every time we’ve offered Padlock, it’s sold…

This spectacular Red Blend deal, sourced from two blue-chip vineyards by a consummate Napa insider, is your exclusive shot at one of the valley’s most remarkable values—a wine that drinks well above its $40 release price. “The price of this label is an absolute bargain by Napa standards,” says Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate of Prime Cellars,…

Château de Saint Cosme’s Louis Barruol is as respected as any winemaker in the Rhône—and maybe all of France. Critic Jeb Dunnuck built his reputation as an authority on Rhône wines, and he called Barruol’s Saint Cosme “unquestionably one of the reference point estates…in the entire southern Rhône Valley.”  Saint Cosme is synonymous with Gigondas,…

Making the very finest Amarone requires technical skill, precision equipment, and a fanatical attention to detail that 98% of vintners in the region don’t have.  The 2% who do—such as legends Romano dal Forno and Giuseppe Quintarelli—often charge $400 or more for their efforts. Riccardo Tedeschi is also one of this region’s conscientious elite: His…

Tenuta Degli Dei is an all-time member-favorite winery firmly planted in Tuscany’s famed Conca d’Oro—the “Golden Basin” that’s home to some of Chianti Classico’s most iconic terroirs. Their spectacular Le Redini is voluminous and round, refined and polished, and boasts 94 points from James Suckling, just like standouts from Fontodi and Castellare di Castellina. We…

This is the bottle that launched 600 acres of the most prized vineyards in Verona. The Rafaèl cuvée is the keystone of Italy’s legendary Tommasi empire. They’re the largest landholder in the prestigious Valpolicella Classico zone, and the most authoritative producer of the delicately tannic, whirlingly elegant style that defines the region. These days, you’ll…

If you want to see an exclusive club, look at Super Tuscans that manage a 97-point score from The Wine Advocate. It’s where the excellent turns into the profound: The heady list of bottles is usually headlined by $200+ names like Solaia, Sassicaia, and Ornellaia—and the 2019 Tua Rita Giusto di Notri. From a winery…