Cellar Selections
Wines in this section are those that need or will improve with age. Some, as noted, may be quite drinkable now, but have the structure to age for at least the minimum period recommended, and often well beyond the stated maximum.
Note:  Prices are Suggested Retail Price (srp), may vary in some markets
 
                                                                                                                                                                                                

The Delights of  Well-Aged Wines:   see below *

Wines for current and future pleasure: Pinot Noir.  A frequent pick with many of my favorite dishes....because its spicy, ruby-rich flavors so nicely complement roast fowl, game (especially duck, goose, wild turkey)  I love the various incarnations of Pinot Noir, from the taut well-structured wines of France's Burgundy regions -- the Côte de Nuits (richer, denser appellations such as Nuits-St. Georges, Gevrey-Chambertin and Vosne-Romanée) and the Côte de Beaune (the lighter but elegant Volnays, Beaunes) and Côtes Chalonnaise (earthier but simpler Givry, Mercurey), to the elegance and balance of Oregon Pinots, to the extravagant fruit of Sonoma's Russian River Valley.          Out in the Russian River Valley recently, I visited Russian Hill Vineyards to taste the 2009s.  This winery commands a spectacular view of the eastern portion of the valley, with vineyards stretching in all directions--a must-visit if you find yourself in or near Santa Rosa.           Owner Ellen Mack opened her current Pinots from 2009 and 2008, generously fruity wines, representive of a particular style for the region. Russian Hill 2009, RR Valley, $33.  The basic Pinot from both estate and purchased grapes is a congenial and deliciously sippable red. If you want to introduce someone to the appeal of Pinot Noir, this is the place to start --a great choice for lighter meats such as pork loin, roast veal or chicken--and the Thanksgiving bird. Russian Hill Estate 2009, $40. A step up in structure but with plenty of fleshy ripe-berry fruit. Think boysenberries, wild plums in a sweet ripeness balanced with refreshing acidity. Russian Hill Tara Vineyard 2009, $54.  This is my favorite Pinot from Russian Hill--consistently intriguing for its spicy fruit and excellent balance. The '09 is stunning, teeming with accents of cinnamon and allspice. The tasters went quiet for a minute as the wine's rich cherry and cola nut flavors took over. The acidity is refreshing and contributes to the appealing length. Already showing complexity,  the Tara '09 will continue to evolve--no wonder they are expanding the vineyard to produce more. I think one of the things Pinot Noir/Burgundy fanatics love about the variety is a certain sauvage character--a kind of wildness of flavor that sometimes expresses as earthiness...or wild rose...wild berries over cultivated...a certain woodsiness (not woodiness)--that is, forest floor, woodlands after rain. When pinot noir is allowed to get too ripe this "wild" character is oblitereated and the result is a ripe fruit bomb that could be almost any variety.        I'm a Pinot/Burgundy fanatic, so I love this flavor characteristic. It's showing now in the Merry Edwards 2010 Russian River Pinot, the winery's so-called entry-level Pinot ($45).  When I get that in RR Pinots, I'm thrilled, captivated--wish that I had more bottles because -- though very drinkable now, with the likes of grilled duck breast, roast loin of pork, even roast leg of lamb -- I think it will be even better with some bottle age (I recently tasted the 2007--nigh on to perfect!). This one is beautifully balanced, the key to aging, and likely will be even more interesting and intriguing from, say, 2016-2020. At dinner with friends recently we opened their bottle of Merry Edwards 2002 Windsor Vyd--wow! It was beautiful--aromatic, silky in texture, spicy flavors, smooth and long. Oh, the delights of aging! Chardonnay Jordan Vineyard 2009 Chardonnay, Alexander Valley, $30. I very much like the minerally underpinnings of this Chardonnay--and it's nicely fleshed out with enticing citrus and lemon zest flavors. Well-balanced and drinking well now and for the next year or so. Clos des Mouches 2010 Blanc Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, $70.  A classic Chardonnay from Joseph Drouhin, the venerable negociant and owner of top vineyards, including this premier cru in Beaune. Beautifully balanced, with pear and lemon curd flavors accented with a light imprint of toasty oak. It can be enjoyed now, but complex nuances will develop with a few years of bottle age. Merry Edwards 2011 Sauvignon Blanc, Russian River Valley, $32. Dash and verve, perhaps the most scintillating of Sauvignons, wonderful spicy and very intense citrus flavors, a superb match with lobster dishes, shrimp scampi, crab.  Cabernet Sauvignon Roast Lamb or Beef:  Many reds work with beef and lamb but fine Cabernet Sauvignon is a noble match. There are some excellent ones out there right now: Jordan 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, $50.  An outstanding Cabernet-rich, beautifully  structured. I’ve admired the balance and suppleness of Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon since the first vintage of 1976. Jordan ages their Cabernet, releasing it in its fourth year—it is often so harmonious it will complement a grilled steak or rack of lamb at that young age, and can do so at any age. A recent retrospective tasting at the winery revealed that in several vintage, but spectacularly in the Jordan 2001—at its peak at the moment and likely to hold there for several more years.  The 2009 reminds me of that 2001--better lay some away (but try one first!). Captûre Harmonie Red 2009, Pine Mountain (Sonoma) $130-150. This young winery on a hilltop in northern Sonoma is producing some impressive wines, particular the Cabernet-dominant 2009 Harmonie--dark and rich but very aromatic, with alluring blackberry fruit and good acidity which meld into a long satisfying finish. Drinks well now but will definitely reward aging. Shafer One Point Five Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, Stag’s Leap District, $70. The ripe fruit of Shafer Cabernet is so plush and seductive that you’re persuaded to  drink it immediately—which I wouldn’t discourage except that the rich black currant, mocha and spicy oak flavors only get more lush and gorgeous with a few years, a decade or more (if you can keep hands off it!). MERLOT. Shafer 2009 Merlot, Napa Valley, $50  One of the classic (and classy) Merlots, with ripe black fruits and berries in flavor; lush texture, long in finish, it's pretty intense for current drinking but it should evolve beautifully, as Shafer Merlots are wont to do. Trefethen 2009 Merlot, Napa Valley, $38-40. An excellent cool-climate Merlot, redolent of dark berries, a hint of chocolate and spicy oak; very well-balanced. Great with leg of lamb. SYRAH.  Paul Jaboulet Crozes-Hermitage  Domaine de Thalabert 2009,  $45-50  Take note:  this wine came out at around $35 a bottle. It can be found but the price has gone up--and no wonder. I recently tasted it when I was the northern Rhône--it's superb: gorgeously dark and rich, teeming with ripe black fruit flavors (blackberry, plum), with a hint of black pepper in the aroma. Pair this with grilled steak of butterflied leg of lamb--seductive. Jaboulet's Crozes-Hermitage 2009 Les Jalets, succulent, nicely built, good balance and depth, well worth buying now to drink.....and to age, at least 5 years.  Recently had the 2005 with roast lamb the other night--excellent, with tannins mellowed but still plenty of vibrant fruit. A hit at the table!

 

*Musings on aging wine.....* A question I'm often asked:  how do you know which wines to age, and which ones won't? Not a quick answer, actually. Of course it's obvious with some wines--red Bordeaux in good vintages, California cabernets that cost more than $12-15 a bottle....serious syrahs, Brunellos and Barolos, SuperTuscans....but even lesser well-structured reds.       Most red wines that are balanced will certainly improve with bottle age, anywhere from 2-3 years for moderately priced ($12 to $18) merlots, pinot noirs, syrahs to 5, 7, 10 or 15 years for similarly priced cabernets, bigger syrahs and merlots, cabernet franc, sangiovese, claret blends. Even wines meant to drink young will often hold or improve with a few years on them. Recently I opened a three-year-old Barbera with robust and concentrated flavors. It was a little tough and tannic the first night, but the next night it was perfect--smooth and round, the tannins mellowed, the fruit more forward.        Some wine drinkers, however, like vigorous, muscular reds and like the tannin that gives the wines an edge. Chacun à son gout--each to his own taste.  Yet I've had more than one person in my wine classes say to me--"'Gee, I really like big young reds, but after the first sip or two I find  I don't like them as much. Why is that?"  It's because with the first sip you get the rich, ripe fruit of a big wine....but then the tannin comes up hard, builds on the palate and the wine just can't give any more--it needs aging to evolve and give more of what it promised. See  B.E.'s Discoveries        Time in bottle does what nothing else can. Over time, whether it's two or three years, or 10, chemical changes occur--tannins soften and precipitate out, pigments darken and eventually lighten, creating sediment. I always decant wines 10 years old or older. But then I often decant very young wines when they seem stiff and tannic--the aeration can open them up and soften the tannins--aging them in a sense. This is why when you open a young red that is too young and tight to really enjoy, it may taste better the next night....or the next. One that recently did:  Catena  Malbec from Argentina, dark and opaque, quite tannic, somewhat hard when we opened it. The next night it was much softer and more appealing.

   

Zins for hedonists..... Sin Zin 2010, Alexander Valley Vyds, $20, Alexander Valley, Sonoma. If the label doesn't seduce you, the wine in the bottle will--typically luxuriant ripe flavors and the heady aroma of blackberries, raspberries and black plums. Big and handsome, as this wine always is--powerful without being overwhelming. Ridge Zinfandel 2010 Paso Robles, $30  Oh so good! Bright, juicy berry flavors typical of Dusi Ranch Zins from the Paso Robles region on California's central coast; long finish, very satisfying to drink now. Ridge 2010 York Creek Zin, with   7% Petite Sirah, is more tannic and bigger, best with 3-5 years in bottle, though I'm sure it could take 10 and become rather claret-like. Dry Creek Vineyard 2009 Zinfandel Somers Ranch, $27--be on the lookout for this hugely concentrated, powerful Zin--not a lot of it made. The very essence of Dry Creek Zinfandel, with intense berry flavors, accents of black pepper enveloped in big, rich fruit. Dry Creek 2010 Heritage Zinfandel (see B.E.'s Best Buys) Old Vines.   Sonoma has some of the oldest stands of  Zinfandel  in existence. These wines don't yield much--I'm reminded of what Spencer Tracy said about Katherine Hepburn in "Pat and Mike" -- "ain't much meat on her, but what's there is cherce." That's how it is with these 60, 80, 100-year-old vines, gnarled and thick, yielding up nectarlike juice that lends unique character to wines labeled "Old Vine."  The first winery actually to use Old Vines on the label was Dry Creek Vineyards.  Dry Creek Old Vines Zinfandel 2009, Dry Creek Valley, $25,  which is nicely packed with rustic blackberry and black cherry fruit. Other '09s to look for:  Quivira,  Cline, Rodney Strong Knotty Vines -- but 2010s now in the market.                                NOTE:   prices are suggested retail; they may often be found for less.