Sunset Magazine Wine Club - June/July 2024 Issue 750 ml

2021 Courtney Benham Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County

Anytime Courtney Benham introduces a new Cab, we lock up every bottle we can. Under the leadership of 100-point winemaker Keith Emerson, no winery has hit as many home runs with our members—their ability to coax power and value from premier California appellations is unsurpassed. This 2021 Sonoma Cabernet is an absolute knockout, and we’ve scored an excellent discount for our members.

2018 Dashe Cellars Zinfandel Les Enfants Terribles Mendocino County

Michael Dashe is a genius with Zinfandel. He trained at Lafite and worked as Paul Draper’s assistant at Ridge—and like any true master, he knows when to break the rules. His Les Enfants Terribles is a wine that’s spawned dozens of imitators: a remarkably buoyant spin on the grape that wrings bright peppery flavors and refreshing red fruits onto a silky, juicy frame. 

2016 Three Wine Company Mataro Spinelli Vineyard Contra Costa County

Matt Cline’s wines have earned nearly 4000 four- and five-star reviews from Wine Access members—and his opulent 2019 Old Vines Field Blend shows exactly why. Grown on vines over 130 years old in one of the most historic vineyards in California, it’s replete with high-toned red-fruit intensity and an ethereal aromatic delicacy—and it’s nearly impossible to resist.

2023 Marietta Cellars Old Vine Rose California

Marietta Cellars has always been a source of fantastic value, but the winemaking in recent years has earned them a slew of monster scores from both the Wine Advocate and Vinous’ Antonio Galloni, who declared he was “completely blown away by the Marietta wines.” That obsession with quality extends to their rosé—which is unusual in a landscape where pink wine is often an afterthought. This blend of Syrah and Grenache is entirely from estate-grown, organically farmed grapes from  some of the oldest vines in the US of their respective varieties.

2019 Calling Card Chardonnay Sonoma Coast Sonoma County

Grown on the prestigious Sonoma Coast AVA, and made by multi-100-point winemaker Evyn Cameron, Calling Card Chardonnay shows the depth and citrusy precision we’ve come to expect from this oceanside growing region. It’s why the wine is featured at one of Sweden’s most prestigious wine bars, Vinbaren Åre, for over $90! 

2018 Argyle Winery Willamette Valley Blanc De Noirs Willamette Valley

Argyle, one of the most pioneering sparkling wine producers in the United States, is the sole winery to hit Wine Spectator's Top 100 list for Sparkling, Chardonnay, AND Pinot Noir wines. Their 2018 Blanc de Noirs is from Spirit Hill Vineyard in [trendy] Eola-Amity Hills, where fierce winds and high elevation make this an ideal terroir for Pinot Noir and Meunier with the kind of fruit intensity they can only dream about in Champagne. Creamy and rich, single-vineyard, single-vintage Blanc de Noirs with FOUR years on the lees is simply unheard of at this price. Vintage Champagne made with the same care would cost at least double.