The importance of "laying it down"

Every once in a while we come across a bottle of wine that stands out among the rest, we go home and a few days later open it up and it's gone. What some don't realize is that particular varietals, especially zins and cabs, cabs especially, can take a significant amount of time to peak. Some longer than others of coarse, but the goal is achieving peak drinkability. So, the next time you purchase an 06' or 07' cab, syrah, zin or any other big red, consider laying it down for a while. The fruit rounds out, the acidity becomes more balanced and the tannins are toned down in most cases. Remember, life is too short to drink cheap wine, but not cheap beer...

Advice for my east coast Chefs

Wheather or not you are in charge of wine buying, you should look into a few Sonoma county wines that will not be distributed much longer and you can get at a great price, Here they are,

1 Michel-Schlumberger, Dry Creek Valley, Syrah 2006
2 J Vineyards, Russian River Valley, Zinfindel 2004
3 Robert Young Estate Winery, Alexander Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
4 Sbragia, Dry Creek Valley (Gino's Vineyard), Zinfindel 2006
5 Stryker, Alexander Valley (OZ), Zinfindel 2007 ( Will become library, Buy now unless you wan't to pay twice as much four years down the road)

Sbragia and Stryker do not distribute but are worth buying for your own personal stash

Bottle Shock

Great movie! Based on a true story and I have visited the vineyard"Chateau Montelena" and it was crap! When we walked in everyones nose went straight up in the air like a bunch of snooty bitches. We walked out and never went back. Save yourself the trip and go somewhere else... Anywhere else!

Carol Shelton Wines

Maple vineyard, which is in Dry Creek Valley, is where Carol get's her grapes for one of the best zin's I have had in a long time. On top of producing great wine, she is also an amazining photographer and artist. The tasting room is small and tucked away and an appointment must be made. If your in the area, don't miss this one. Check out her wines and artwork at Carolshelton.com

Appelations make a difference

For those of you that don't know, an appelation is a particular wine growing region that is known for the grapes grown in that particular region as well as the soil, microclimate and elevation. Recently I have taken an interest in the Rockpile Appelation because of the fact that I have not had a wine(especially the Zin's) that I was not completely satisfied with. It is in Northwest Sonoma County, north of Dry Creek Valley and West of Alexander Valley. The Elevation is 800' - 2400' and the majority of the grapes are grown on steep slopes with volcanic and clay soil, which in my opinion makes for a deeper more complex wine with mild to firm tannin's, balanced acidity and BIG dark fruit perfect for pairing with a wide variety of meat dishes. To all of you aspiring Wine Snobs, check it out. Google Mauritson Vineyards. "Cemetary" vineyard is my favorite! Which is in the Rockpile AVA. Look up why it's called Rockpile as well, interesting story!

Gloria Ferrer

All I have to say is ringing in the new year with a few bottles of Gloria's Blanc de Noir is a great start to the new year. Can't wait to visit her tasting room, heard great things! Any input?

Blackstone

WOW! The blackstone reserve list is amazing. Excellent Pinot noir, balanced acidity, light but firm tannins, A mix of light and dark berries on the palate. Great chard as well, oakey but not overly oakey as well as buttery(I believe it is fermented in first year toasted french oak) but it is not offensive what so ever. Very nice finish. The merlot's I tasted were young and needed a few more years in the bottle but very promising to say the least. I was thuroughly impressed with both the wines and the warm welcome... It's a must visit!
The zin's and cabs were not as big as I expected but good none the less. The real gem was by far the Malvasia bianca, tropical, fun, fruity and just a great wine all around. I was also impressed with the Gewurtztraminer... Nice fruit and hints of all the right spices. Don't miss this one!