l Valuable Varietals

Valuable Varietals

Splurge on these sumptuous sips during the holidays

By Alison Bailin Batz

Now, we are never proponents of spending beyond one’s means. However, during the holidays if your budget permits, why not treat yourself — or the wine lover in your life — with a little something special? Need ideas or inspiration over that $50 mark? Allow us to help.

2018 Th e Prisoner Cabernet Sauvignon

You would be hard-pressed to fi nd a local restaurant that does not have Th e Prisoner Red Blend, which is primarily a zinfandel, on the menu. However, the brand has a dozen other varietals as well, including this nuanced cabernet sauvignon. It dazzles with notes of black cherry, plum and baking spices. $55

Adelaida 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Viking Estate Vineyard

With a name like Viking, is there any surprise this wine is big, bold and intense? On the nose, there is a sweet fl oral essence with both rose oil and

dried violets. Upon tasting, get ready for myriad notes ranging from cedar and wood smoke to cherry-vanilla and wild herbs. Th ere is even a little spice cake off ering a happy epicurean ending. $60 winning pinot noir. Among the best is this off ering, which marries dark cherry, pomegranate and tart blueberry with a hint of nutmeg, touch of pine and the perfect level of acidity. $70

J Vineyards 2016 Foggy Bend Vineyard Pinot Noir

It may surprise some, but the popular and lauded sparkling winemaker also boasts a line of award-

2018 Folktale Winery Whole Cluster Pinot Noir

Th is 94-point Wine Enthusiast-rated pinot is made in an Old World style, fermenting while remaining on the cluster. Th e result is

a juicy pinot with hints of cherry but really interesting notes of forest fl oor and even fresh hibiscus at play. $85

Donum Estate 2018 Carneros Pinot Noir

Donum Estate works proactively with nature to create an environment where vines are able to thrive. Th ey use organic and biodynamic farming to harness the essence of the land, capturing it perfectly with this fl agship pinot. It intoxicates with aromas of sassafras, strawberry and black cherry before off ering bright red fruit and slight earthiness on the palate. $85

Booker 2018 Fracture

A 100% syrah of the highest order, this collector’s wine is named for the soil in the vineyard, as the limestone in it causes the land to literally fracture. Velvety smooth with a balance between sweet and earthy, there are sweet beets, dark plums and even chocolate hiding in this bottle ready to wow its drinker. $98

Daou 2018 Estate Mayote

Named to honor the mother of founders Georges and Daniel Daou, Mayote, this powerful blend (just like her) is equal parts Bordeaux and Rhône varieties grown on the vineyard’s own DAOU Mountain. On the nose there is violet, lilac, boysenberry, black cherry and blackberry pie. Th en the palate reveals those same black and red fruits, but also everso-subtle and very welcome hints of vanilla, licorice and cigar. $100 verdot, cabernet franc, malbec and just a touch of carmenere, expect a wine made in a Bordeaux style with dark fruits and expressive tannins with a luscious texture that will be at its best after about four hours of decanting. $100

Handwritten 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, Yountville

Th is cabernet feels like a warm blanket on a cold night in that it is comforting and soft while still getting the job done. Th e red fruit here is especially lovely, notably the raspberry and current notes, and the baking spice and slight saff ron at the end are a welcome surprise. $105

2017 Larkmead

Cabernet Sauvignon

Larkmead practices organic farming, planting native species throughout the estate, restoring a local creek, installing solar panels, fl ame weeding the vineyard, and more. Th is cabernet is a love letter to the land (and your tastebuds), off ering blue and black fruits then dusty tannins then even cherry candy and rocky mineral depending on the sip. $125 yes. It opens with a nose of black currants and crème de cassis but then off ers a slightly sweet cherry fl avor, boysenberry pie and a sweet oaky smokiness on the palate. $125

2012 Schramsberg Reserve Brut

Th e top pinot noirfocused wine available at the sparkling wine icon, this rich and full-bodied bubbly is made from only the top pinot noir wine lots each year. Fruitful yet dry, it has this perfect toasty eff ervesce for sipping in the winter and a creamy fi nish that will make your eyes roll back in your head. $130

2017 Robert Mondavi Winery

Reserve To Kalon Vineyard

Cabernet Sauvignon

Robert Mondavi is the most recognized name in American wine.

To Kalon is both the name of the vineyard where Mondavi’s fl agship estate sits and a tier of coveted wines. Each bottle of this cabernet sauvignon is a celebration of dark plum and cedar on the nose followed by sweet oak, vanilla bean and toasted almond on the palate. $175.

Niner Wine Estates 2018 Fog Catcher

Th e celebrated vineyard’s signature blend of cabernet sauvignon, petit

2016 Louis M. Martini Winery Cypress Ranch Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Th is robust single-vineyard showstopper is the perfect union of bold boysenberry, cassis, cherry and redcurrant.

Finished in toasted oak, there is a bed of soft, dusty tannins toward the fi nish and a luscious mouthfeel. $100

Cass Winery 2018 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Can a wine be sultry and seductive? After a sip of this beauty, your answer will be a responding