Blue Ridge Grill

Les Cadrans de Lassegue, St. Emilion, 2022 Year: 2022 Type: Red Price: $75 Bottle Availability: 6+ Located on the Côte de Saint-Émilion, the vineyards of Château Lassègue are blessed with both extraordinary soils and an ideal south/south-west exposition to the sun. In discovering the unique micro-crus of the property, Vigneron Pierre Seillan realized he could produce more than one wine to showcase the diversity of the estate. Primarily a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, Les Cadrans de Lassègue, the estate’s second label, is refined and elegant, a beautiful and perfect expression of its fruit A bright and harmonious Saint-Émilion, the 2019 Les Cadrans de Lassègue features a beautiful pomegranate color and a nose bursting with crunchy red fruit, nutmeg and white pepper. Cabernet Franc lends spice and polish to the dense core of fruit on the palate, well-balanced with discrete tannins and an uplifting tension A long and mineral finish reveals the clay and limestone terroir of Saint-Émilion. Stylish and food-friendly today, the 2019 Les Cadrans de Lassègue will continue to improve over the next 10 years

Château Pas de l'Ane Grand Cru, Saint-Émilion, 2019 Year: 2019 Type: Red Price: $160 Bottle Availability: 6+ Rating: 93 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc Here’s the kind of top-tier Bordeaux we so rarely see. First Growth pedigree and treatment. Not sold through the big Bordeaux negociants, but through a dedicated small importer. In its best vintage ever and at a terrific price. It’s from right beside Cheval Blanc – and at over 50 years on average, the vines are even older here. Lay this down for a decade or so, and you’ll see what great Bordeaux is all about.A very rare top-notch Bordeaux that’s still a sensible buy Rich blackberry fruit and layers of tannins are a great combination for this wine that has profited from the quality of the Cabernet Franc in this vintage. It has plenty of fruit and acidity, as well as firm, still-toasty tannins 93 Points from Wine Enthusiast

Blue Ridge Grill, Columbia Valley AVA, Washington, 2023 Year: 2023 Type: Red Price: $79 Bottle Availability: 6+ The 2020 Blue Ridge Grill Cabernet Sauvignon is bright ruby in color with aromas of blackberries, black currant, black tea, and bittersweet chocolate with a rich smooth texture and silky tannins. The finish is long and the fruit lingers on the palate 2020 was a relatively warm year for Washington with a significantly smaller crop. Bud break began in mid-April, well-aligned with historical averages. While the crop was smaller, the combination of smaller berries and extended hang time is traditionally a recipe for high-quality wines in Washington 77% Cabernet Sauvignon 15% Syrah 4% Merlot 4%Malbec 78% Columbia Valley AVA 13% Wahluke Slope AVA 5% Yakima Valley AVA 4% Red Mountain AVA

Round Pond "Kith and Kin," Napa Valley, 2022 Year: 2022 Type: Red Price: $95 Bottle Availability: 6+ Rating: 92 Kith & Kin, Old English for “Friends & Family”, is a Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from all corners of the Napa Valley but with its heart rooted in Rutherford. This wine is approachable in its youth, with balanced tannins and a fruit-forward character. The vast majority of fruit comes from our estate, supplemented by a limited amount from Napa Valley growers. This wine is the blend of many vineyard blocks, soil types and fermentation lots. Our goal is to produce a juicy, saturated wine ready to enjoy at a young age. To ensure vibrant aromatics and a rich supple palate, we ferment hot and fast, allowing us to extract the fruity character without overly extracting tannins Bursting with bright aromatics of cassis and crushed raspberry, they are balanced with an earthy hint of dried sage and clove. The wine offers an energetic play between acid and tannin on the front palate with notes of blackberry and violet with a touch of cocoa on the mid-palate. Fine-grained tannins follow throughout each sip leading to a long, rich, finish 92 Points - Wine Enthusiast

Mazei, "Philip," Cabernet Sauvignon, Toscana IGT, 2021 Year: 2021 Type: Red Price: $110 Bottle Availability: 2 Rating: 93 The history of the Mazzei family is closely woven into Tuscany's winemaking history, as well as the regions rich political and cultural past. Ser Lapo Mazzei (1350-1412) a winemaker from Carmignano is considered father of the Chianti name. The extraordinary Fonterutoli estate in Chianti has been owned by the Mazzei family since 1435 and has passed down through 24 generations Philip is an extraordinary wine created to both honor the great ancestor Philip Mazzei - a passionate grape grower, forward thinker and citizen of the world. Philip is blend of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon grapes selected from all the Mazzei's Tuscan estates Harmonious flavors of dark fruit, dried flowers, chocolate and vanilla. Exotic, complex character, full bodied with polished tannins

Sequoia Grove, Napa Valley, 2022 Year: 2022 Type: Red Price: $115 Bottle Availability: 6+ Sequoia Grove is located in the prime Rutherford District of the Napa Valley. Rutherford is renowned for producing some of America's finest quality Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. The 24-acre estate is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Chardonnay vines. These choice vineyards yielded their first estate-bottled Chardonnay in 1980 and Cabernet Sauvignon in 1982. The Allen family's aim is to perserve the natural character and intensity of that extraordinary fruit from the vineyard. With choice grapes, expertise, and love of the craft, Sequoia Grove continues to live up to a notable reputation for premiere wine production This classically rich Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is dark in color with aromas of bright black cherry and blackberry, followed by baking spices and a hint of chocolate. On the palate, this Cabernet Sauvignon offers intense flavors of blackberry with round and smooth tannins, with subtle notes of toasted vanilla

Duckhorn, Napa Valley, 2022 Year: 2022 Type: Red Price: $140 Bottle Availability: 6+ Co-founded by Dan and Margaret Duckhorn in 1976, Duckhorn Vineyards has spent almost forty years establishing itself as one of North America’s premier producers of Napa Valley wines. From its modest inaugural vintage of 800 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon and 800 cases of Merlot in 1978, to its addition of Sauvignon Blanc in 1982, Duckhorn Vineyards has crafted a tradition of quality and excellence that continues today The quality of Duckhorn Vineyards' wines has always been based on a commitment to selecting the finest fruit. Whether carefully sourcing grapes from top sites in the Napa Valley or committing itself to estate vineyards, the winery was built on the belief that great wines begin in the vineyard. At Duckhorn Vineyards this has always meant an emphasis on site and terroir Today, the winery's seven estate vineyards are located in alluvial fans of the Napa Valley as well as on the coveted slopes of Howell Mountain. Winemaker Renee Ary has numerous vineyard blocks to choose from, each offering markedly different flavor profiles "This is a Napa Valley cabernet that does everything right. Renee Ary blends fruit from Duckhorn’s estate with grapes from growers, including 12 percent merlot to point up the luscious texture, aging it for 16 months in French oak barrels (half of them new), without the wine becoming overtly oaky. It’s a wine of elegance and restraint, delicious in its sweet purple-plum intensity, succulent in its earthy tannins. Those mineral tannins retreat into the finish, allowing the savory fruit to move in. Accessible now, this will only improve with a few years in bottle." 94 Points - Wine & Spirits

Chianti Rufina Nipozzano Riserva, Marchesi de Frescobaldi, 2022 Year: 2022 Type: Red Price: $50 Bottle Availability: 6+ On the nose, the attack is fruity and floral at the same time with hints reminiscent of blackcurrants, blueberries and raspberries; floral notes reminiscent of violets and dog roses follow. This is followed by spicy notes reminiscent of black pepper, cloves and star anise. Delicate tertiary notes and freshness given by balsamic and citrus scents are also interesting. The palate reveals a nice acid-alcoholic component and the tannic texture is well present, dense and silky

Le Volte dell’Ornellaia, Toscana Rosso IGT, 2020 Year: 2020 Type: Port Price: $75 Bottle Availability: 4 #146 Le Volte dell’Ornellaia combines a Mediterranean expression of generosity with structure and complexity, reflecting the philosophy of Ornellaia. Le Volte dell’Ornellaia is a fine wine for spontaneous wine lovers and needs no ceremony “Ruby red with purple reflections, Le Volte dell' Ornellaia 2020 has a vinous bouquet, releasing a complexity of aromas ranging from ripe red fruits, to Mediterranean scrub, up to delicate notes of tobacco and spices. The mouthfeel is soft and silky, but at the same time supported by a lively acidity that gives us a crisp, persistent finish.

Brunello di Montalcino, Libero, 2020 Year: 2020 Type: Red Price: $115 Bottle Availability: 6+ Libero is crafted from grapes grown in estate vineyards situated within two distinct microclimates in Montalcino. The 1.3-hectare plot on the northern side of Montalcino enjoys a cooler climate compared to the sunnier 3.5-hectare vineyard located in the south-facing subregion of Castelnuovo dell'Abate. The Castelnuovo vineyards, positioned between 290 and 330 meters above sea level, exhibit greater geological diversity and improved soil drainage compared to the northern side vineyards, which sit at an elevation exceeding 340 meters. These higher-altitude northern vineyards tend to enhance acidity and bring forward the fruit intensity, contributing to the wine's back-end with heightened floral notes on the nose and increased vertical energy in the mouth Named for Charles' Lazzara's second son, Tommaso, "Libero" celebrates free spirit with a classic example of Sangiovese from Montalcino Dense, dark red in the glass and powerful, round notes of liquorice and ripe black cherry on the nose. The palate is juicy, spicy, and full of dark fruit notes. The tannins are smooth and elegant and the finish is enduring and nutty

Rioja Reserva, Muga, 2021 Year: 2021 Type: Red Price: $80 Bottle Availability: 6+ Rating: 94 Muga Reserva Unfiltered is Muga's flagship wine, and the only red wine they produce vintage over vintage. This is one of Rioja's most consistent cuvées qualitatively, as Muga declassifies all of