Wine | Bounty Hunter Rare Wine & Provisions

2008 Blackbird 'Arise' Proprietary Red Napa Valley

Those in the know have been charting Blackbird's flight path over the last few years, and everyone from Robb Report to Wine Spectator is praising their work. Maybe the rock star winemaking duo of Aaron Pott (stints at Château Troplong Mondot and Quintessa) and Sarah Gott (Joseph Phelps and Gott) has something to do with it! Channeling St.-Émilion in Napa Valley, the Arise blend is pure sensory satisfaction with black fruits, toffee and blueberry in a wonderfully complex presentation. Fly, Blackbird, fly!

Price: $49.95

$44.96 btl. / Mixed Case

2007 Broken Spur Petite Sirah North Coast

Well, there's nothing 'petite' about it. Bright purple berry fruits and cedar spice bring the thunder, and this new release just drips with flavor. A 'go to' red when we need some with a little extra attitude.

Price: $22.95

$20.66 btl. / Mixed Case

2008 d'Arenberg 'The Noble Wrinkled' Riesling MacLaren Vale

This is an absolute bargain when it comes to dessert wine. Notes of honey and poached pear with plenty of acidity to length on the back-end. If you don't feel like cracking open a d'Yquem on a Tuesday night then this is your best friend.

Price: $19.95

$17.96 btl. / Mixed Case

2007 Domaine Serene 'Yamhill Cuvee' Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

A three-clone blend of Eola Hills and Dundee Hills fruit, Robert Parker wrote that this release 'offers up a superb bouquet of smoke, cinnamon, rose petal, cherry, and cranberry. Spicy, expressive, and medium-bodied on the palate, it displays a racy personality marked by savory flavor, vibrant acidity (and) good depth…' A staff favorite.

Price: $41.95

$37.76 btl. / Mixed Case

2006 Fisher 'Cameron' Proprietary Red Napa Valley

Fisher Vineyards’ Cameron blend has quickly become one of the most sought-after wines of their impressive portfolio. Made from younger vines on their Calistoga estate (across from the acclaimed Eisele vineyard), it’s a superstar in the making. Robert Parker called it 'One of the finest (from) 2006… Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, it reveals silky tannins as well as plush red and black currant fruit interwoven with dusty, loamy soil, spice box, and a hint of tobacco leaf. This soft, stylish, St.-Emilion-like offering should drink nicely for a decade.' Only 450 cases made.

Price: $59.95

$53.96 btl. / Mixed Case

2008 Fisher 'Unity' Chardonnay Sonoma County

Well, there was unity among our tasting panel, that’s for sure… this earned its merit badge in high style. And in tough times, Fisher is to be applauded for actually lowering the price on a wine where demand is far greater than production. What a concept! Creamy layers of fig, hazelnut and Granny Smith apple are guided across the palate with precision and finesse. It’s just plain delicious…the sort of Chardonnay that even our jaded palates can enjoy. 400 cases produced. Act accordingly.

Price: $29.95

$26.96 btl. / Mixed Case

2007 Flowers 'Andreen Gale' Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

Blended from select blocks of their three estate vineyards, this cuvée is a perennial All-Star. Black cherry, violet and rose petal notes glide across the palate, and there’s a little extra gumption with minerality and acidity born of its unique terroir. A must-buy for serious Pinotphiles.

Price: $64.95

$58.46 btl. / Mixed Case

2008 Flowers Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

Classic Pinot lines of supple cherry and red berry notes with Asian spices and an exotic oak vein running through the mid-palate. This has always ranked among our favorite Sonoma Coast Pinot Noirs… it’s also a staple on white tablecloth wine lists around the country.

Price: $44.95

$40.46 btl. / Mixed Case

2005 Gaja Pieve Santa Restituta Brunello di Montalcino

Angelo Gaja produces a Brunello? You bet your sweet cheeks he does, and he does it rather well. As Robert Parker's Wine Advocate put it, 'Angelo Gaja's wines from Montalcino seem to get far less attention than his wines from Piedmont and Maremma, but they can be equally compelling.' This inaugural vintage is a mouthful of that cherry, tar, anise marriage that defines great Brunello and will only get better with cellar time. Given Gaja's track record over the years, owning the first vintage of one of his wines is generally a sound investment strategy.

Price: $89.95

$80.96 btl. / Mixed Case

2006 Gemstone 'Ten' Proprietary Red Napa Valley

Celebrating the 10th release of the vineyard's flagship, this also got the attention of Mr. Parker in a big way: 'It exhibits a dense ruby/purple color as well as a beautiful bouquet of subtle new oak interwoven with black currants, smoke, licorice, and a hint of spring flowers. The wine is full-bodied, with excellent density, admirable balance, and fine purity, a hallmark of this estate.' Very little of this wine makes it outside of top restaurants. Limited availability…

Price: $149.95

$134.96 btl. / Mixed Case

2006 Goldschmidt Vineyards 'Game Ranch' Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Globe-trotting cellar wizard (and noted Kiwi madman) Nick Goldschmidt makes wine on four continents, and his range of experience is remarkable. The man’s skills are in demand. For his own label, he focuses the classic violet and purple berry nose of top-shelf Oakville fruit into a powerhouse Cabernet, one we expect will do very well with the press once they discover it. With production hovering around 700 cases, there’s just not a lot to go around.

Price: $69.95

$62.96 btl. / Mixed Case

2009 Grand Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley

Winemaker Sean Larkin – a Parker favorite for his reds – stepped out on a limb and created a sumptuous SB for a well-known restaurateur (we’re not here to name names). Thankfully for all of us, things didn’t work out, and we get to enjoy it instead. A classically ripe California Sauvignon Blanc with guava, fresh-cut hay and melon, it has that most elusive of qualities in New World whites… good, old-fashioned grip. Our tasting panel kisses a countless number of frogs in hopes of finding a gem like this. Ain’t life grand?

Price: $21.95

$19.76 btl. / Mixed Case

2008 Hanzell 'Sebella' Chardonnay Sonoma Valley

One of California’s benchmarks for Chardonnay since the ‘60’s, Hanzell has charted a brave new course: A second label. Their inaugural vintage in 2007 disappeared in a flash, and we don’t expect a much wider window for the ’08. The classic Hanzell hallmarks of green-skinned fruit, a little poached pear and ultra-subtle barrel accents are in play here… they just come at a steep discount. They’ve elevated the quality of their flagship white into the stratosphere by declassifying a few lots, and smart buyers know how tasty leftovers from the right house can be.

Price: $35.95

$32.36 btl. / Mixed Case

2007 Heartland 'Directors' Cut' Shiraz South Australia

Let's be honest here… Aussie Shiraz fans want bombast. We get it. Crafted by Ben Glaetzer, who Robert Parker's Wine Advocate has called a 'star winemaker' (ever hear of Amon Ra?), this leaves nothing on the table. Liquefied cherries, licorice, savory spices and an oak undercurrent are nearly thick in their weight and palate impression. If you like the music turned up loud, this is the AC/DC show of our Southern Hemisphere selections.

Price: $36.95

$33.26 btl. / Mixed Case

2007 Hourglass 'Blueline' Merlot Napa Valley

Crafted by Bob Foley – a guy who’s won Wine Spectator’s 'Wine of the Year' award with a Merlot – this release is no joke, friends. Grown on the newest Hourglass estate next to Switchback Ridge and across from Three Palms, it was born on what is one of Napa Valley’s true sweet spots for Merlot. Robert Parker noted that it 'offers pretty notes of coffee, mocha, herbs, and chocolate intertwined with abundant berry fruit.' Bob Foley doesn’t miss when it comes to working with one of his favorite grapes.

Price: $74.95

2007 Janzen 'Cloudy's' Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

A microscopic 235 cases of this gem were produced, a testament to the stingy, low-yielding soils of Claus’ home vineyard in the hills east of St. Helena. Black fruits, lavender and a graphite edge typical of wines from this district are in play in the glass. We would not be surprised to see some big scores here.

Price: $99.95

$89.96 btl. / Mixed Case

2005 Lancaster Nicole's Proprietary Red Alexander Valley

The cellar's best barrels from this Alexander Valley stalwart get the 'Nicole's' designation, a nod to the proprietor's wife. With David Ramey lending his skills in the cellars, this winery is featlessly luanching itself amount the upper tier of Sonoma Country Cabernet houses.

Price: $89.95

$80.96 btl. / Mixed Case

2007 Larkin Cabernet Franc Napa Valley

One of the best Cabernet Francs Napa has to offer. Robert Parker described, 'dense ruby/purple color is followed by notes of white chocolate, raspberries, blueberries, and spice. Medium to full-bodied with an ethereal lightness as well as intense flavors (characteristics of top-flight Cabernet Francs), it should be consumed over the next 10-12 years.'' You have not fully experienced Cabernet Franc, until you've tried Sean Larkin's.

Price: $64.95

$58.46 btl. / Mixed Case

2008 Lewis Chardonnay Russian River Valley

Sourced from some of the oldest Dutton Ranch plantings, the Lewis Russian River Chardonnay is known for its complexity and intensity. Cooler temperatures toward the end of the 2008 growing season resulted in crisp, well-defined flavors and long ripening times. Ripe citrus, Tupelo honey and sweet floral notes combined with seductive oak and all-spice aromas are just the beginning. Sun-ripened citrus fruit flavors are framed with brilliant acidity giving this wine its trademark zest and tremendous length.

Price: $47.95

2009 Lioco Chardonnay Sonoma County

A former import rep of top-flight Burgundy and a former sommelier of one of LA’s name brand restaurants finally said 'enough is enough.' They struck out on their own to deliver what they felt was lacking…affordable, delicious wine with true varietal character that they (as wine geeks) would drink themselves. Voila. Lioco! Their Chardonnay is about nuances like melon, Asian pear and lemon zest with a healthy whack of food-friendly acidity. It’s our job and duty to tell you that you’re simply not going to do much better for this kind of dough.

Price: $19.95

$17.96 btl. / Mixed Case