Valentine's Day Guide to the Top 13 Splurge Wines of Napa and Sonoma

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While the state of California has more than 107 recognized American wine regions, Napa and Sonoma are the stars of the majority of serious American wine collectors and figure high on the list of travelers from around the world. The two neighboring counties have a very different wine aesthetic, with respectively 16 and 18 distinct sub-AVAs, making the region one of the most diverse wine regions of the United States.

The price of most bottles of Napa and Sonoma comes with a hefty premium for the operating costs of a business in Northern California – including land, housing and manpower – but the quality of many of these bottles justifies the cost. And what better time to splurge than Valentine's Day? Here are 13 special bottles that will elevate your romantic meal for two.

Theorem Vineyards 2014 See Say ($ 145)

The name of the wine is engraved on each bottle of the spectacular property located in the Diamond Mountain District of Napa Valley. "Seeing Saying," which means "telling the truth" in legal circles. And this wine speaks the language of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the estate's oldest vines, where ripe notes of blackberry, cocoa nut, clove and hibiscus prevail. Developed by Thomas Rivers Brown, this wine goes well with grilled meats and rich stews, or with any butter or cream-rich dish. www.theoremvineyards.com

Belden Barns 2016 Estate Gr & Vuml; ner Veltliner ($ 28) & amp; Pinot Noir Serendipity Block 2016 ($ 48)

Here is a double that will cost you less than $ 100, a "splurge" more for the rarity of the bottles than their cost. The Grünter Nelt (225 cases) is the first and only product in Sonoma County, and the Pinot Noir (255 cases) is one of the state's most elegant (but not austere) minimal intervention wines. Take the white to dinner if you eat oysters or other seafood, or type in red for pork or roast fish. www.beldenbarns.com

Gary Farrell 2015 Grist Vineyard Dry Creek Zinfandel Valley ($ 50)

Gary Farrell is an emblematic vineyard in Sonoma County, perhaps best known for its cool climate pinots that conjure up beautiful Burgundies. Winemaker Theresa Heredia applies these principles to this Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, and the result is one of the most elegant Zins I've ever tasted. With clbadic stone fruits on the palate, its base is tall and herbaceous. When I taste it, I think of Parma's tomato sauce and prosciutto pizza. www.garyfarrellwinery.com

Goosecross 2014 State Lane Cabernet Franc ($ 75)

While the Napa Valley is known for its other Cab – Cabernet Sauvignon – there is a nuanced and spicy grape, traditionally used for the blend that Goosecross vinifies particularly well: the Cabernet Franc. The alluvial fan on which the legendary State Lane wines grow has a mediocre soil composition that hinders the vines and makes the grapes extremely intense. This bottle (mixed with 9% Merlot by winemaker Bill Nancarrow) has aromas of dried black cherry and pink pepper and is fruity on the palate with hints of Herbs of Provence. Perfect match? A steak of marbled grbad. www.goosecross.com.

C. Elizabeth 2014 Game Farm Cabernet Sauvignon ($ 125.00)

This magnificent wine was being developed for 15 years. The Oakville Game Farm Vineyard is located in an old rocky creek bed, where vines must tap into the land to find their food and water. The result is 100% satin and satin cabernet sauvignon, with deep red fruits and mouth-watering spices and affordable tannins, but also with a clear structure. A good wine to serve with a barbecue or grilled lamb. www.celizabeth.com

Mumm Napa DVX 2013 Ros & oacute; ($ 80)

What would Valentine's Day be without bubbles on the table? Preferably a rosé, he's sure t. Mumm Napa's high-end cuvée is 52% Pinot Noir and 48% Chardonnay, with hints of wild raspberry revealing, vanilla orchid shades and a scented foundation. The long finish has a lingering fruity sweetness that allows it to marry nicely alongside Thai or spicy dishes. www.mummnapa.com

Robert Mondavi Winery 2014 Fum & oacute; White Oakville District ($ 40)

In the United States, the legendary Robert Mondavi has put the Sauvignon Blanc on the map. It first bottled a dry version in the 1960s, thus changing the name "smoked white," after the French words for "smoke" and "white." More importantly, he raised it in oak barrels, a practice then unknown for this grape. A sixty-year anniversary of winemaker Genevi veve Janssens was hitting To Kalon Vineyard, one of the oldest and most respected vineyards in the valley, the origin of this wine. Mixed at 21% for a million dollars, the wine is supported by notes of citrus and minerals, with a lively and attractive acidity. www.robertmondaviwinery.com

LAZ 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon ($ 165)

Kerrin Laz, former wine director at Dean & amp; Deluca Inspire Napa Valley Last year, the event raised more than $ 1 million for the Alzheimer's Association, and now has its own tasting room in Yountville, K.Laz Wine Collection. Aimed at discerning oenophiles, the collection offers customers more than 500 bottles not found in their personal collection. Its own Cabernet Sauvignon label, designed by Celia Welch, is all you want for Napa Cab: bold, balanced, complex and heady. Pair it with truffles, if you can. www.lazwine.com

Chardonnay Fort Pearl 2015 ($ 60) & amp; Stagecoach Road Pinot Noir ($ 80)

Owners Lester and Linda Schwartz were warned that it was risky to plant a vineyard on this remote and fog-shrouded mountain range in Sonoma County, but after years of research, they chose in 1994, planting Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. They hired winemaker Jeff Pisoni in 2009 and produce one of the best wines in the country, no matter what, from the tiny Fort Ross-Seaview AVA. The 2015 Chardonnay is unrefined, unfiltered and mineral, with Meyer's lemon and apricot as dominant notes of aroma and flavor. Pinot Noir 2015 is round and bright, with ballast of warm spicy tones. Serve Chardonnay with aged goat cheese and Pinot with grilled sausages. www.fortrossvineyard.com

Clos Pegase 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Tribute Tenma Vineyard ($ 125)

Clos Pegase is perhaps a well-known name in California, but even enthusiasts probably have not tried this small production booth (with 23% small verdot) from Calistoga Vineyard Tenma. It is richly currant, with notes of pipe tobacco and fine dark chocolate, and blends well with cheese and cream dishes, as evidenced by the confident but friendly tannins. www.clospegase.com

JMC Luxury Portfolio 50 Harvests 2014 Napa Valley Meritage ($ 60)

In 2013, the Scotto family, originally from the Italian island of Ischia, launched the 50 Harvests label to mark its half-century of viticulture in California. The 2014 vintage of Mitch Cosentino's extraordinary winemaker, composed of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Petit Verdot, is a sumptuous wine: think of blackberry jam and cinnamon stick with a mineral foundation and a sensation in the mouth sweet and suave. I had recently tasted it with a cheese dish, but it would be so beautiful with duck. www.jmcclellandcellars.com

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While the state of California has more than 107 recognized American wine regions, Napa and Sonoma are the stars of the majority of serious American wine collectors and figure high on the list of travelers from around the world. The two neighboring counties have a very different wine aesthetic, with respectively 16 and 18 distinct sub-AVAs, making the region one of the most diverse wine regions of the United States.

The price of most bottles of Napa and Sonoma comes with a hefty premium for the operating costs of a business in Northern California – including land, housing and manpower – but the quality of many of these bottles justifies the cost. And what better time to splurge than Valentine's Day? Here are 13 special bottles that will elevate your romantic meal for two.

Theorem Vineyards 2014 See Say ($ 145)

Each bottle of the spectacular Diamond Mountain District property in Napa Valley bears the name "Seeing Dire", which means "telling the truth" in legal circles. And this wine speaks the language of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the estate's oldest vines, where ripe notes of blackberry, cocoa nut, clove and hibiscus prevail. Developed by Thomas Rivers Brown, this wine goes well with grilled meats and rich stews, or with any butter or cream-rich dish. www.theoremvineyards.com

Belden Barns 2016 Estate Grüner Veltliner ($ 28) and 2016 Serendipity Block Pinot Noir ($ 48)

Here is a double that will cost you less than $ 100, a "craziness" more for the scarcity of bottles than their cost. The Grüner Veltliner (225 cases) is the first and only product in Sonoma County, and the Pinot Noir (255 cases) is one of the most elegant wines (without being austere) with minimal intervention from it. 39; State. Take the white to dinner if you eat oysters or other seafood, or type in red for pork or roast fish. www.beldenbarns.com

Gary Farrell 2015 Grist Vineyard Dry Creek Zinfandel Valley ($ 50)

Gary Farrell is an emblematic vineyard in Sonoma County, perhaps best known for its cool climate pinots that conjure up beautiful Burgundies. Winemaker Theresa Heredia applies these principles to this Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, and the result is one of the most elegant Zins I've ever tasted. With clbadic stone fruits on the palate, its base is tall and herbaceous. When I taste it, I think of Parma's tomato sauce and prosciutto pizza. www.garyfarrellwinery.com

Goosecross 2014 State Lane Cabernet Franc ($ 75)

While the Napa Valley is known for its other Cab – Cabernet Sauvignon – there is a nuanced and spicy grape, traditionally used for the blend that Goosecross vinifies particularly well: the Cabernet Franc. The alluvial fan on which the legendary State Lane wines grow has a mediocre soil composition that hinders the vines and makes the grapes extremely intense. This bottle (mixed with 9% Merlot by winemaker Bill Nancarrow) has aromas of dried black cherry and pink pepper and is fruity on the palate with hints of Herbs of Provence. Perfect match? A steak of marbled grbad. www.goosecross.com.

C. Elizabeth 2014 Game Farm Cabernet Sauvignon ($ 125.00)

This magnificent wine was being developed for 15 years. The Oakville Game Farm Vineyard is located in an old rocky creek bed, where vines must tap into the land to find their food and water. The result is 100% satin and satin cabernet sauvignon, with deep red fruits and mouth-watering spices and affordable tannins, but also with a clear structure. A good wine to serve with a barbecue or grilled lamb. www.celizabeth.com

Mumm Napa DVX 2013 Rosé ($ 80)

What would Valentine's Day be without bubbles on the table? Preferably a rosé, please. Mumm Napa's upscale blend is 52% Pinot Noir and 48% Chardonnay, with hints of wild raspberry revealing, vanilla orchid hints and scented yeast notes. The long finish has a lingering fruity sweetness that allows it to marry nicely alongside Thai or spicy dishes. www.mummnapa.com

Robert Mondavi Winery 2014 Smoked White Oakville District ($ 40)

In the United States, Sauvignon Blanc was put on the map by the legendary Robert Mondavi, who first bottled a dry version in the 1960s, changing the often-maligned name to "white smoke", according to the French words "smoke" and "white". "Most importantly, he raised it in oak barrels, a practice then unknown for this grape.After 60 years, winemaker Geneviève Janssens was pampering To Kalon Vineyard, one of the oldest wineries and the most respected of the valley, at the origin of the birth of this wine.Mixed with 21% of Semillion, the wine is driven to citrus fruits and minerals with a lively and attractive acidity.robertmondaviwinery.com

LAZ 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon ($ 165)

Kerrin Laz, a former Dean & Deluca wine director, whose Inspire Napa Valley event had raised more than a million dollars last year for the Alzheimers Association, now owns her own tasting room in Yountville, K.Laz Wine Collection. Aimed at discerning oenophiles, the collection offers customers more than 500 bottles not found in their personal collection. Its own Cabernet Sauvignon label, designed by Celia Welch, is all you want for Napa Cab: bold, balanced, complex and heady. Combine it with truffles, if possible. www.lazwine.com

Chardonnay Fort Pearl 2015 ($ 60) and Pinot Noir from Stagecoach Road ($ 80)

Owners Lester and Linda Schwartz were warned that it was risky to plant a vineyard on this remote and fog-shrouded mountain range in Sonoma County, but after years of research, they chose in 1994, planting Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. They hired winemaker Jeff Pisoni in 2009 and produce one of the best wines in the country, no matter what, from the tiny Fort Ross-Seaview AVA. The 2015 Chardonnay is unrefined, unfiltered and mineral, with Meyer's lemon and apricot as dominant notes of aroma and flavor. Pinot Noir 2015 is round and bright, with ballast of warm spicy tones. Serve Chardonnay with aged goat cheese and Pinot with grilled sausages. www.fortrossvineyard.com

Clos Pegase 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Tribute Tenma Vineyard ($ 125)

Clos Pegase is perhaps a well-known name in California, but even enthusiasts probably have not tried this small production booth (with 23% small verdot) from Calistoga Vineyard Tenma. It is richly currant, with notes of pipe tobacco and fine dark chocolate, and blends well with cheese and cream dishes, as evidenced by the confident but friendly tannins. www.clospegase.com

JMC Luxury Portfolio 50 Harvests 2014 Napa Valley Meritage ($ 60)

In 2013, the Scotto family, originally from the Italian island of Ischia, launched the 50 Harvests label to mark its half-century of viticulture in California. The 2014 vintage of Mitch Cosentino's extraordinary winemaker, composed of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Petit Verdot, is a sumptuous wine: think of blackberry jam and cinnamon stick with a mineral foundation and a sensation in the mouth sweet and suave. I had recently tasted it with a cheese dish, but it would be so beautiful with duck. www.jmcclellandcellars.com