To age or not to age?

Obviously the title of this post refers to ageing wine.

Over the past month, I have gone through about half of my wine collection. Mainly because a lot of what I opened was past its prime. There were nights when I would open three bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Napa Valley just to find one that was drinkable. It was very disappointing to learn that so many of these wines—which I was told would improve with age when I purchased them—did not live up to my expectations.

But it wasn’t all disappointing. The 2006 Crocker &Starr St. Helena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (purchased in 2009; $90/bottle) was incredible and well-worth the wait! A sexy stunner with loads of blackberry, black currant, mocha, and black licorice. The palate was silky smooth with well-integrated tannins. I recently tasted the 2008 vintage of this wine, which I probably will enjoy a year from now—if I can wait that long!

The 2007 Lava Vine Pritchard Hill [St. Helena] Cabernet Sauvignon ($110/bottle) was good. But when I purchased this wine in 2010, I recall it being full-bodied with firm tannins and gobs of dark fruit. After two years in the cellar, the tannins had broken down considerably and it negatively impacted the mouthfeel of the wine. It had a medium weight with a short finish and predominant spice notes. It was drinkable, but I prefer how this wine tasted two years ago.

Other wines that I wish I had opened sooner include the 2005 Volker Eisele Vineyards “Terzetto” and the 2004 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon. I recall these wines as fruit-forward and balanced upon release, but when opened recently, they expressed non-fruit savory flavors of black olive, dried herbs, and earth.

I opened three bottles of the 2006 Ghost Block last month and each bottle was particularly underwhelming. But the current vintage is delicious and lush, which tells me it’s just not a good candidate for cellaring. I sold this wine at Napa Wine Company in 2009 and we assured our customers that the Ghost Block would improve with 3-5 years of age. I thought this sales pitch about ageing potential referred to the release date (which, for the 2006 vintage was May 2009); I realize now that it would have been more accurate to tell people to enjoy this wine within 2 years of the release date or 3-5 years from the vintage date. How confusing!

It would be unfair to say that it’s not worth it to age expensive wines [because I’ve had some great experiences with older wines, like the 1998 Honig Cab, the 2001 ZD Cab], but I have a new stance on the practice. If you like a wine when you taste it, don’t worry about whether it could improve with ageing. If you like it as is, drink it within 1-2 years! (That’s my plan.)

I think our culture places too much value on the “if” and “when” aspect of cellaring wine, and overlooks the fact that if we really like the wine upon release, then it makes sense that perhaps we won’t enjoy the wine anymore three years later. In fact, we could very well not like the wine after three years. And thus, the downside of ageing—pouring those once-beautiful $65+ wines down the drain.

If you are sitting on bottles of 2004, 2005, 2006, or 2007 Napa Cab, I would suggest opening them soon. And let me know what you think. Do you agree that these Napa Valley vintages are now ready to drink?

Ladera Cabernet at it's peak

Until I went through my entire list of past blog posts just now, I was sure that I had featured Ladera Vineyards at least once within the past three years (it doesn’t happen often, but I was wrong [haha]).

My first visit to Ladera, which is located on Howell Mountain (northeast of St. Helena) was back in 2009 (perhaps before I started my blog). The tour was amazing; we sipped wine as we walked around the historic winery and into the caves. We probably tasted 6 or 7 wines in total, including a Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, vineyard-designate Cabernet Sauvignons, and a Malbec.

Last time I checked, I had 2 bottles of the 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($41/bottle), 1 bottle of the 2006 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon ($75/bottle), and 1 bottle of the High Plateau Cabernet Sauvignon ($65/bottle). Wines like Ladera Cabs should be aged, but I am guilty of letting the price of these bottles scare me away from opening them.

I never hesitate to open a bottle of wine that’s under $20 a bottle. Even if I’m planning on having just one glass. But when I’m dining solo and I might not be home the following evening for second-day leftovers, I don’t want to waste the good [expensive] stuff. I try to avoid thinking about wine in this way, because life is short, and wine is only wine. And it’s quite possible to wait too long.

(Last night, I actually opened two bottles of 2007 Cab from another producer that were—sadly—past their prime, before I pulled the cork on the Ladera.)

After one sip of the 2007 Ladera Napa Valley Cab, I was grateful for opening it (and I fully intend to enjoy it again tonight). In my opinion, this particular wine is at its peak.

The wine is intensely perfumed with cherry cordial, fig, leather and tar. The palate expresses pure mountain fruit flavors of black cherry, blackberry, cassis and sturdy tannins. There are undertones of oak and wet earth followed by a long-lasting finish that is berry-licious.

I enjoyed this bold wine with a delicious duck cassoulet; it would also pair perfectly with lamb, filet mignon, short ribs, spaghetti Bolognese and mushroom risotto. 

As I write this, it makes me wonder if the 2007 vintage as a whole is peaking earlier than critics predicted…

Like the 1997 vintage, 2007 was a phenomenal year for grape growers. But nothing stays fresh forever. If you prefer to drink wine that more fruit-focused and fresh, pop the corks on those bottles of 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon you may have—now. Better to drink a wine before it peaks than once it has gone downhill.

(And stock up on Ladera Napa Valley Cabernet—it’s a value for the quality. It also comes in half-bottles!)

Chenin Blanc does not equal jug wine

On Tuesday evening, I arrived for a twilight tennis match with a bottle of 2011 Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc-Viognier in hand. It had been such a hot day, and the idea of drinking something cold and refreshing after my match was something I looked forward to. 

A few other players brought wine, but my bottle was a hit--no pun intended. It was gone before I could refill my glass and it sparked a conversation about Chenin Blanc and its unfortunate association with jug wine.

Chenin Blanc used to be widely planted in the 1970s. It was a high-yielding variety that could thrive in the most unforgiving of conditions; thus it was mass-produced and easy to chug. Today, only a teeny tiny number of California vineyards are still planted to Chenin. 

The varietal on it's own can be one-dimensional and overly acidic, which is why it has become so unpopular over the years. But when produced in small batches and with the addition of Viognier for weight and complexity, Chenin Blanc can outrank any jug wine by a long shot. 

The Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc-Viognier is light, bright and fresh.  It is a lovely blend with citrus, peach, and honeysuckle notes. 

The twist-off cap makes it a great bottle for picnics, BBQ's and post-match parties. I found it at Trader Joe's for $10.99! 

I heart Hartwell (part two)

Hartwell Vineyards and Winery, located in the Stags Leap District of Napa, has been one of my favorites for some time now. Since I last blogged about Hartwell in 2009, I have continued to enjoy their wines.

When I visited the winery less than two weeks ago on May 25th (before the holiday weekend) with my boyfriend Doug, we had a terrific time. David Robbins, the Director of Retail Sales at the winery and a certified sommelier, was an excellent host.

We started out in the vineyard to discuss the viticulture of the property and sip the very refreshing Estate Sauvignon Blanc (grown in Carneros). The scenery was breathtaking--Doug took the photo at right with his iPhone--and the wine was tasty with light citrus notes.

We walked into the caves to taste the Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, a richly flavored white wine with notes of coconut and carmelized pineapple. I was unexpectedly wowed by this wine (as I thought it had been overly oaky in previous vintages.)

As usual, the Misté Hill Cab was my favorite. The powerful dark fruit aromas of this wine are very unique to the terroir--this wine smells the same year to year (and it is a lovely smell!). The color of the wine is very concentrated in the glass but incredibly smooth and easy to drink. With fine-grained tannins and flavors of cassis, licorice, and sweet blackberry, it easy to pair with many foods.

That being said, we tasted (and purchased) the 2008 vintage of this incredible wine; I just received an email from the winery today to let me know the 2009 vintage was just released. I suppose I'm already due another visit!