To find quality wines, follow the talent backwards. Talent such as Alban Debeaulieu (above).
In my past year as the Pacific Northwest specialist for JancisRobinson.com, three things have become abundantly clear. One, I will taste large amounts of mediocre wine. Two, you can avoid this. And three, it takes about a decade before a brand name becomes so well known for quality that getting the wines becomes difficult.
My recommendation for buying good wine from the US is as follows: look for well-regarded or historically lauded producers. If you find that their wines are allocated, nose around to find out...