EVEN MORE Great Wines for 2026
We had planned on opening a great Champagne New Year’s Eve to conclude my blog post for 2025 but, we got tired after the OSU vs Miami game and went to bed. So we had Mimosas after breakfast and decided to start in earnest with “more great wines” for dinner.
TASTED 8/25/2026
We were out of town at the Traverse City Food and Wine event this weekend so we had to postpone our fondue night until Tuesday. Alice and I were married in 1982 so why not enjoy the very last bottle of the great 1982 vintage? This was not only a great vintage but it also launched Robert Parker as the premier Bordeaux wine critic. Taking a strong position in the 1982 Bordeaux futures market put me and D Schuler’s on the map as one of the important Michigan wine shops. Parker took a lot of guff from traditionalists who said the fat, ripe, California-style vintage was an anomaly but by no means a great vintage. But, Parker stuck to his guns and just about every up and coming wine enthusiast ate up his every word. Prices had been depressed for nearly a decade but, with Parker’s enthusiastic call to buy buy buy the market rebounded and all of a sudden, the American market for French wine was THE market everyone in the world took notice. We had hung onto this last bottle so long, I was almost afraid to open it for fear we had kept it too long. No fears warranted. The cork was half saturated and very soft and after decanting, I noticed a large black chemise which almost always suggests a very rich ripe wine is about to hit your lips. 1982 Chateau Léoville Poyferré Saint Julien Grand Cru Classé, Bordeaux FR (12% abv) about $115 for the current vintage with ‘82 still out there and much higher priced among the rare wine auction crowd is as nice a Bordeaux as is imaginable. Not huge any more, but perfect in every aspect. I think we caught it at its absolute peak. Here’s what Robert Parker said in 1995: “93+ This is a classic Léoville Poyferré as well as a backward 1982. The wine is not dissimilar from the 1982 Léoville Barton - super-concentrated, extremely tannic, and a decade away form reaching its plateau of full maturity. The 1982 is an enormously concentrated, opaque ruby/purple-colored wine. Although it offers layers of sweet, jammy fruit, it remains closed but not out of balance. This wine possesses immense body, plenty of glycerin and sweet tannin, and a long finish. A massive example of Léoville Poyferré, it requires another 8-10 years of cellaring and should last through the first 3 decades of the next century.” One of the interesting things about his comments is that I have three reviews here in front of me written in ‘85, ‘95 and 2005. In each one, he changes the ideal drinking time by a decade or two. We found the wine not so massive but just perfectly displaying everything we like about mature Bordeaux. It is showing no signs of decline whatsoever. Though perfectly mature right now, I don’t doubt that it would have been very enjoyable long after I’m six foot under. If you’ve had any 82’s lately, drop me a note. I’d love to hear about it.
TASTED 8/15/2026
After enjoying a superb bottle of 2012 Moone + Tsai Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (14.5% abv) CA about $120 for the current vintage, I was curious about any other notes on this. It is reviewed at “Rudes Compares Some Cabs from Washington and Napa” dated August 17, 2023, and at that tasting, it was the best liked wine of the evening. Being that the tasting was conducted almost exactly three years ago, it must have been some sort of vibe that led me into the cellar to select this bottle tonight. Three years ago, it was a perfect example of everything one could ask for in Napa Cab; cedar, tobacco and earth perfectly woven into classy balanced fruit. It is still all of that but I’d say the silky texture and a mindless sense of balance make it even easier to just enjoy it without really even noticing the phenomenal multi-layered complexity. I think pairing with fondue tonight tamed the big powerful flood of fruit that was its signature three years ago. We have one bottle left which we will drink sooner than later. It is perfectly at its peak now!
TASTED 8/3/2026
I went into the cellar planning on making the big plunge. It was my intention to open one of our last two bottles of Phelps Insignia. To my total surprise, the oldest bottle is 2012. Probably approaching full maturity, but I also knew that there are many older bottles that “need” to be opened. So, I settled on our last bottle of 2006 Simi Landslide Vineyard Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County CA (14.5% abv) last vintage (2019) was about $40. Though it is hardly lumped in with the very finest California wines costing several hundred dollars, I would argue that there are none finer. This is the last of many Simi Landslide wines we’ve enjoyed and every one every vintage has been among the very very best I’ve ever experienced from California. If the Judgement of Paris were to have been repeated with this wine included, I have no doubt that it would have been among the best. The nose has all of the class and pedigree of a top Napa wine yet exhibits just a bit more terroir than just about any of the finest wines from anywhere in California. I wouldn’t hesitate to say it has every bit of identifiable finesse as any European wine. One can smell the deep black thick skinned grapes, the dusty summer breezes and the peaty smell of plowed earth. The palate expresses more of the same plus a rich mouth feel that is so silky one doesn’t even notice how much it grips the palate. If anyone knows who or what brand these grapes grown on what used to be the top of Mount St. Helena blown by a volcanic explosion over into Alexander Valley are currently being bottled as, I’d love a heads up. You know a vineyard this good is still producing and being sold to the highest bidder.
TASTED 7/27/2026
We were out of town yesterday so had to delay our weekly fondue to Monday. It surprises me that I’ve not previously reviewed 1998 Château Poujeaux Moulis-en-Médoc Bordeaux FR (12.5% abv) current listing about $40 for the current vintage. I purchased several bottles of this back when my favorite Moulis, Château Chasse-Spleen went over $20. I doubt if I paid $15 back then and it is still a great value considering what classed growths cost these days and although not a classed growth, Poujeaux has been considered of that quality for as long as I can remember. The cork came out so easily without any resistance that for a second I thought I’d broken it off. The color is really deep black red with a black brown component too. The nose is classic left bank black fruit, compost, earth, leather and wood spice. It captures the essence of the middle Haut Medoc exhibiting richness without heaviness. On the palate, echoes of terra cotta and liqueur-like warmth soothe the palate through the finish. I’d say we caught it at the ideal age showing the full complexity of a mature wine without any loss of balance or substance. Too bad it is our last.
TASTED 6/28/2026
We initially planned on having a ‘22 DAOU “Bodyguard” but I felt it would just be a bit too young and muscular for a quiet evening with fondue. So we opted for our last bottle of 2006 Kathryn Hall Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon CA (14.5% abv) with the current vintage pushing $200 which at 20 years, I figured its size and strength will have mellowed a bit. The cork was large and strong and came out in one piece. While decanting, there was a fair amount of sediment stuck to the bottle as well as hard chunks floating at the bottom. The color looks more like a five year old wine than a twenty year old; deep dark black red with no browning at all. By the amount of sediment, I’d guess it has matured nicely but it sure looks youthful. The nose is a perfect Napa Cab experience with all the hallmarks encompassing what the valley has to offer; pure black fruit, tobacco, forest floor, bourbon-like sweet caramel, exotic spice and red plums. The palate is immense but not chunky, fruit forward, thick or heavy. With all kinds of layers of texture immersed in quintessential Napa Cab fruit, this massive wine drinks with grace and elegance. Though this wine would have kept well for another decade or two, I think we got it just right at the point where it is as complex as it will ever be yet fresh, lushly fruit based and perfectly balanced. Yep, just right!
TASTED 6/20/2026
At one time I had a couple of bottles of 2001 Pio Cesare “Ornato” Barolo (well over $100 in today’s market) but must have drank both and never wrote down any of my notes. I do remember drinking at least one and had been disappointed. Not that the wine wasn’t a very nice wine, but it fell short of spectacular which after saving it for 20+ years, I had anticipated. So tonight we opened a “regular” 2001 Pio Cesare Barolo DOCG, Piedmont IT (14% abv) about $80 currently which I must have been saving for a warm up wine to the Ornato if served for a larger group. The giant cork came out in one piece with a normal Ah-So puller and to my surprise, there wasn’t a drop of sediment. Even if late bottled, it would seem that a wine with substantial tannin, pigment and structure would drop some over 20+ years, even if fined and filtered prior to bottling. As soon as I put my nose near the decanter, my fears disappeared. The aroma was magnificent. I took a tiny taste and acknowledged to Alice that she was going to love this one. We let it air for an hour or so then set down for our weekly fondue. The color is a very dense burnt Sienna just starting to lighten at the meniscus. The nose is unbelievable!! This is one of the finest wines we’ve ever had. There is something undefinable about great wines whether they hail from Napa, Bordeaux, Rioja, Burgundy or the Piedmont that just offer up such a compelling character that about the only thing one can say is WHOOOOOAAAHH. The palate is silky smooth yet strong, powerful, sensuous, filling every descriptor with depth and length. There is compost, there is black fruit, there is red fruit, there is dust, there is aromatic spice and wood spice and best of all is that all of these complex smells and flavors are familiar and desirable. Yes, this is one of the best ever!!
TASTED 6/10/2026
We enjoyed a bottle of 2011 R. Lopez de Heredia Viña Tondonia SA Viña Gravonia (Viura) Rioja SPAIN (12.5% abv) current vintage about $60 a few years back (see “More Great Wines 2022-2023” December 30, 2023 TASTED 1/23/2023). Back then I was bowled over by the massive power and potency of the wine. It seemed to overwhelm the meal. Yet, tonight, with seared salmon, sweet potato and artichoke, the wine seemed elegant, refined and more noticeable for its class than its power. The nose still offers up plenty of oak, cream sherry lushness and a pretty emphatic dose of fresh citrus. That citrus becomes a lively acidity on the palate supporting more oak, earth and spice. This is certainly a fine wine but I feel a bit disappointed that it doesn’t have the punch or power that I remember. Funny how different a wine can taste depending on the food pairing.
TASTED 5/25/2026
What do you serve with leftover pot roast? Well, it is Memorial Day so it called for something special. Why not a “Carl’s pick”? I know we’ve had several of these, but I could not find any mention of 2012 Brandlin Mount Veeder Estate Grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon CA (14.5% abv) $75+ for the current vintage in any of my old blog posts. It decanted off brilliantly clear with remarkably dark black red color showing no indication that this is a fourteen year old wine. The nose is classic Napa with tobacco, cedar, compost and forest floor intermeshed with condensed black cassis and sweet marmalade-like scents. The palate experience amps up all of which the nose alludes to enveloping the mouth with lush gripping soft tannin. It stays on the palate for several seconds. We are so lucky to have been able to purchase so many great wines back when the cost was a small fraction of today’s price.
TASTED 5/10/2026
We’ve got a lot of Bordeaux in the cellar but the pre-2000 bottles are definitely getting thin. This is good, I’d hate to know that we never got around to drinking them. So, with tonight’s fondue I pulled the cork of a bottle of 1996 Château Lynch Bages Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Bordeaux FRANCE (13% abv) current vintages from about $150 to $200. As soon as I pulled the cork, I said to myself, this is a wine Robert Parker would like. The scent of compost was massive. We let it air in a decanter for a couple of hours before dinner and it really lightened up and many layers of fine nuance emerged. As big as the nose is, it is no more than medium bodied with soft clean tannin and very soft strawberry-like flavors in the finish. The color is a brilliant brick red with shades of burnt Sienna at the meniscus. After airing, the multilayered nose showed lots of spice (like the steak seasoning at the Outback Steakhouse) and stewed fruits. As a mature wine, the complexity is remarkable. It is a completely different wine than what RMP tasted in 1997.* Savoring every sip just continues to bring up memories of many other wines and many other circumstances. Surely a treat not to be repeated. I would never pay the current price. Maybe I’m starting to become a California Cab guy like my wife.
*90-93 points The wine is low in acidity, but it possesses an opaque black/purple color, as well as extraordinary sweet, full-bodied, cassis fruit aromas intermixed with cedar, fruitcake, and licorice scents that soared from the glass at each tasting. With superlative structure, a boatload of ripe tannin, massive body and dazzling intensity and power, this may be the greatest Lynch-Bages produced since the 1989 and 1990. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2025. Last tasted, 11/97. RMP
TASTED 4/13/2026
After dinner yesterday, we decided to watch “Eva Longoria finding France” on CNN and had to have a French bottle to accompany the program. I picked 2020 Château Mourgues du Grès Terre d’Argence, Costiéres de Nimes FR (14.5% abv) sale price 11.99 at Village Corner because the wines from this region offer up what I love about France. Like the Southern Rhone, the wines are bright fresh and engaging, like the Northern Rhone, they are big, composty, with powerful black fruit and they exude Mediterranean sunshine. As we tasted it, I was amazed at the size and structure and went to my notes in “More Great Wines 2024-5” tasted 2/8/2025 in an update on the VC wine sale to see what I had to say about the last bottle we tasted. If anything, I think this wine is bigger and more complex than it was a year ago. Yes this wine is great but also a bargain at the time and still a bargain if one paid regular price; $17.99. I would say that it has as much grape essence as the biggest baddest Michigan red hybrid yet the finesse of a Grand Cru. Wow, this is a GREAT wine!
TASTED 4/12/2026
It is always with mixed emotions that we enjoy a “last of”. On the down side, we’ll never visit that wine or vintage again. On the bright side, we got to enjoy it while we’re able to. So this is not only the last of this bottle and but also the last of our collection of 1985 Bordeaux. 1985 Château Boyd-Cantenac Grand Cru Classé Margaux Bordeaux FR (12% abv) about $60-70 for the current vintage looked and smelled great as I was decanting it. A very rich complex bouquet of old Bordeaux made me think of just about every memorable great from the past century. Lots of tobacco and leather with compost and dark baked fruit sounds heavy, yet, it smelled airy and fresh. The palate still held both tannin and acid grip while coating the mouth staying to the end with what the bouquet had volatilized. I’m writing these notes just after opening. Can’t wait to enjoy it with fondue in an hour or two. It is hard to believe that this wine is forty one years old. After resting for a couple of hours, I swear it got darker red while lightening up in flavor density and it seems fresher. Other than the formidable complexity, there is nothing about this brilliant jewel like liquid that says “old”. Glad we enjoyed it in its prime though I believe its prime will last for another decade, at least.
TASTED 4/8/2026
This wine might even be material for the “Bargains” post except that I have no idea what I paid for it. We were participating in a ZOOM Pinot Noir tasting and the oldest California Pinot that I could find in the cellar was a bottle of 2013 Failla Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir CA (13.9% abv) presently $36 on line but I bought it from Last Bottle probably for considerably less. The color is a light transparent orangish red which is not surprising for a thirteen year old Pinot. The nose is very forthcoming with brown/yellow dusty spice, compost, forest floor, with enormously deep, complex, exotic, Cru Burgundy depth and style. It is much fresher on the palate with distinct cherry notes, loads of texture, a rich tannic gripping mouth feel that lets go melting into a soft supple finish. Whatever I paid for it was a bargain. One would pay $100+ to find a Burgundy in this league.
TASTED 2/14/2026
Alice is not a fan of lamb shoulder chops. It is my favorite cut on the beast and when having one lightly grilled to medium rare seasoned with rosemary I am transmitted to Les Baux overlooking the Bauxite mines breathing the fresh country air. Our compromise was Irish lamb stew made with shoulder meat. To bring it back to Southern France, we enjoyed a bottle of 2019 Bertrand Stehelin Sablet “Cheval Long” Côtes du Rhone Villages FR (13% abv) marked $27 though I think I bought it on sale at the Village Corner for less. Sablet is another cliff-side town quite a bit north of Les Baux overlooking the Plain de Dieu. The nose is pure Southern France with red fruit, dried green herb and pepper. The palate is balanced, clean and reinforces the red fruit essence. It is a very enjoyable wine, but once again, I’m disappointed. They just don’t make Rhone reds like they used to. Maybe it is too old or maybe it just never had the energy, bright acidity, menthol-like cooling sensation on the palate or vitality I miss from the wines we imported at D&W and Erika’s Deli.
TASTED 2/11/2026
Once again, we enjoyed the eye of rib-eye and cap pinwheel (see 1/24/2006 below). I broke into my Long Shadows Vintners Collection from 2012 and grabbed a bottle of Allen Shoup / Gilles Nicault 2012 Chester / Kidder Columbia Valley Red Wine WA (14.9% abv) about $60 for a current vintage. The majority of the mostly Bordeaux heritage grapes were grown in the Walla Walla and nearby Candy Mountain AVA’s along with a dollop of Syrah from the Horse Heaven Hills. Unlike most mature wines I’ve opened, this one had zero sediment and zero chemise. The cork was unstained and looked brand new. The color is a dense black/red with no meniscus transparency. So, it is not surprising that it smells and tastes like a young wine. Alice described it as mature and balanced with just a bit of raw vitality. The accompanying literature describes the nose as fig, cocoa, tamarind and oak. It is certainly a smell that I’ve encountered but I would differ on my adjectives. I get another wood other than oak and a spice more like turmeric or saffron. Lots of cherry jam too. The palate starts out silky smooth, lush and sweet but quickly grips with tannin and citrus-like acidity. Had I tasted it blind, I might have guessed less than 5 years old. It is absolutely delicious and I do think it is ready to drink. It is one of the best Washington State wines that we’ve enjoyed in years. Sadly, because there is only one bottle of each winemaker’s effort in the Vintners Collection, we won’t have the luxury of tasting another bottle in ten years.
TASTED 2/7/2026
As the 2009 futures we purchased many years ago have dwindled, this is one of the few wines left in which we had more than one bottle. So, with tonight’s fondue I decanted a bottle of 2009 “Aster de Beaulieu” Château la Roche Beaulieu, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux (80% Merlot / 20% Cab Fr) FRANCE (14.9% abv) today’s vintage in the $30 range. Nice to drink those kind of wines fully mature that we probably paid no more than $12 back when. This has been one of my favorite 2009’s and remains so. Like most of the wines reviewed below, the inside of the bottle is encased in a dark chemise* yet, it decanted brilliantly clear. It is really dense, rich, composty and full of very fresh black berry fruit. As soon as I pulled the cork, cassis and sweet berries emerged. On the palate, the best part is the finish. The middle is a nice rich balanced expression of what the nose eluded to but as one swallows, it builds texture magnifying fruit and toast. Though maybe not quite in the “Great Wines” category, it is so finely balanced and thoroughly enjoyable that I felt it worthy of this blog post.
*I’ve got a few feelers out among my winemaking friends to see if anyone knows why recently almost every mature wine I open has a chemise. Different winemaking practices? Different wine drinking habits on my part? A cellar that is not as cool or as consistent as those underground cellars I had previously? I’ll report any findings I come up with. ABC
TASTED 2/1/2026
After last nights disaster, Palazzo della Torre, over the hill and back-up Rubinelli Vajol Valpolicella Ripasso, corked, I had to come up with something which would suggest to Alice that I still know something about wine. So, my go-to “Bordeaux in summer (or winter)” prevailed. 1999 Chateau Clerc Milon (Baronne Philippine Rothschild) Grand Cru Classé Pauillac, Bordeaux FR (12.5% abv) for the current vintage about $125 was just exactly what I needed to get out of the doghouse. Alice loved it with a “thank God, not another spoiled wine” smile of well-being as she savored her first sip. Yes, after last night’s wine, it was heaven. Like Napa Cab, Left Bank Bordeaux does possess that very distinct aroma that as soon as the cork is pulled and decanting progresses, anticipation is paramount. A whiff later with the wine in the glass, it proved classic Pauillac of fine breeding and nobility. Yes, it is undeniable and it is in the terroir. I often wonder if my home winemaking career had taken place in the shadow of a Grand Cru vineyard, would I have made wine like this? The wine is fully mature (our last bottle) and its strength is its complexity and loyalty to its location. Cedar, of course, with some compost, highly volatile red fruit, marmalade, roasted carrot and wet wood give a glimpse to what is coming. The palate reinforces the bouquet finishing clear, clean, and remarkably soft. Very nice wine. If I were rating it, I’d give it a GOLD for it’s representation of Pauillac, but as far as winemaking, I couldn’t go higher than silver. Perhaps, our encounter with several great California wines lately left me wanting just a bit more substance from a wine asking more than $100 for the price of admission.
TASTED 1/24/2026
If you like the prime rib-eye cap pinwheels, they are super easy to make. However, you need to have a spouse who prefers leaner meat because the pinwheel is just the cap portion of the rib-eye leaving the eye of rib-eye out. When buying rib-eyes look for ones with about 50/50 proportion of eye and cap. Cut the cap away from the eye very carefully in one continuous strip. You can remove the large clods of fat, but a nice blend of fat and meat is fine. Roll up the cap like a pinwheel and tie it with a string. Because it is tied, it will be about a 1/4 inch thicker than the eye so if you cook them the same, the eye will be a half a degree more done. At least an hour before cooking, I use a few good shakes of Worcestershire sauce with cracked pepper and steak seasoning to season the meat and let it come up a bit closer to room temp. In a hot frying pan, melt about three tablespoons of butter. Put a few springs of thyme in the hot butter and lay in the steaks. At about 4-5 minutes, flip them and put a couple of smashed cloves of garlic in the butter. When the garlic is nicely browned place it on top of the steaks. After the steaks have cooked about 4-5 minutes on the other side place them on warmed plates and pour the pan butter over them. If the pinwheel is rare, the eye will be about medium rare. Try this and you’ll never use a barbeque grill again. Alice likes Malbec so I grabbed a bottle of 2007 Cheval des Andes Mendoza Red Blend (Malbec, Cab and other Bordeaux Heritage grapes) ARGENTINA (14% abv) well over $100 these days. It is another chemise-crusted bottle that decanted brilliantly clear with deep ruby surrounded by a somewhat rosy edge I hate to use overworked wine critic words but the nose is pure cedar. Both the smell of the cedar wood and also a hint of the gin-like greens. Yes, it is emphatically all the classic smells critics use to describe Bordeaux blends; dusty terra cotta and massive concentrated red fruit. Whether Cab, Merlot or in this case, Malbec, it just spills over with all the smells and flavors we use to describe the worlds best claret style wines. The texture is completely flavor driven. It is one thing to have gripping soft tannins but, it is quite another to have tannin loaded with cedar, Mediterranean herbs, char, and strawberry jam. It is so compelling you can’t look away.
TASTED 01/18/2026
Alice is really becoming a California Cab girl. She pretty much has eschewed the bright, edgy, lively wines I call desert island wines in favor of big round well oaked Cabs and Merlots. So, with tonight’s fondue I brought out a bottle of 2016 Amavi Cellars Estate Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon WA (14.5% abv) about $40 for the current vintage. This is the last bottle of our Last Bottle selections of Amavi from way back when Last Bottle mostly sold top quality overpriced wines reduced to the $10-20 range. There must be a real shortage of good Cabernet based wines these days because the price increases have way outpaced quality with West Coast Cabs. I don’t see today’s wines significantly better than those of a decade ago, yet prices have at least doubled and if the wine has any reputation, the prices have tripled. Anyway, this is actually a Meritage blend employing all five of the popular Bordeaux Heritage varietals dominated by 78% Cabernet Sauvignon. Classic varietal bouquet of riper than ripe black fruit meshed with earth, leather and oak seamlessly slides across the palate with Rioja-like terra cotta mouthfeel finishing long, rich and mouth watering. It is a beautiful wine caught precisely at its peak. After dinner watching the Bears and Rams Alice suggested another big Cab and I seem to have gotten it just right with a follow up. 2012 Hall Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon CA (14.9% abv) about $60 for the current vintage was indeed the perfect follow up. Though not quite as big as the Amavi, there is just something about Napa that stands out. I’d actually say that the Amavi is not only a bigger wine but also a better wine. But, the Hall has Napa magic and the Amavi from Walla Walla does not. There is just such a translucent quality to every element within the Hall that illuminates. Yes, it is classic Napa with cassis, herbs, olives, sweet oak, and a mid palate surrounded with leather and tobacco but the purity of red fruit at the end balanced by fresh acidity just makes it so compelling. Again, not a big wine, but every sip triggers a longing for another. Here’s a great fresh wine that I think is as good as it will ever get though I will attempt to age our remaining two bottles to see what other magic might emerge.
TASTED 01/14/2026
Tonight the subject of our ZOOM wine tasting group is Meritage. So, I went in the cellar to get a mature bottle of Meritage and realized that I did not have a single bottle older than 2023. Yes, I had many California red blends from Phelps Insignia to Lyeth Estate but nothing with the word “Meritage” on the label. Turns out that the once top blended wine made from Bordeaux Heritage grapes had gotten so diluted by cheap imposters that the top Meritage producers simply came up with names of their own with no mention of Meritage. By the way, Meritage rhymes with heritage. The word is a contraction of Merit and Heritage. It is a made up American word and has nothing to do with French Hermitage. So for tonight’s exercise, I brought out a 2007 Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains Estate Red Wine (58% Cabernet Sauvignon and 42% Merlot) grown on the legendary Monte Bello vineyard CA(13.3% abv) originally purchased for about $40, today closer to $100. This particular wine is no longer made. Now, from the Monte Bello vineyard only two wines are made. The Monte Bello Estate which is a Cab/Merlot blend and a Cabernet Sauvignon. This particular bottling is from that same Monte Bello vineyard but at the time believed to be more forward and more likely to mature sooner than traditional Monte Bello Estate wines. I believe they are correct. We had a 2000 vintage Monte Bello about a year ago and it was hard and not particularly attractive. This wine at the tender age of 18 is fully mature. Like the Estancia below, the bottle was left with a chemise that completely coated the inside of the bottle after decanting. It poured brilliantly clear and as I was decanting it, the kitchen filled with the scent of black currant and vinaceous expectations of greatness. The perfume is remarkable! The palate is full of complex, fresh fruit sensations, even a bit of citrus peel with composty, leathery, earthy, gumption and a soft but firmly tannic finish. This is absolutely at its peak. We’ll have to enjoy the other bottles soon.
TASTED 01/01/2026
With our usual fondue tonight, I dug out a bottle that could have been included in the “Dead or Alive” post except that there was no doubt in my mind that it would not only be ALIVE but, really show well. I had no idea that it would show this well, however. 1997 Estancia (Simi) Alexander Valley Meritage (59% Cab Sauv/30% Merlot/11% Cab Fr) Sonoma County CA (13.5% abv) originally about $20, no longer available. Although the Estancia Winery now in Soledad (Montery County) also the home of Franciscan still exists, it is no longer the same winery, vineyard or location of this wine. 30+years ago, Simi had an abundance of top level grapes from a vineyard known for its highly complex volcanic soil owned by Simi for what back then was Simi Reserve. It was dubbed Estancia. Back then, Estancia was a source of disposition for excess wine from Franciscan Estates too. When the Estancia brand became an actual winery located in Monterey making a red Meritage from grapes grown in Paso Robles, the Estancia brand name was dropped from Simi’s portfolio. Those grapes from the famous volcanic cap that flew over the county from Mt. St. Helena during an ancient explosion became branded as the Simi Landslide Vineyard. But, I haven’t seen the Landslide Vineyard on the market in at least five years, so that may have disappeared too. No, don’t worry, the vineyard still exists and the grapes have certainly found a new home with a very willing buyer. If anyone reading this knows where those grapes from the volcanic vineyard have ended up, please contact me. Aside from the history, the wine is and has always been one of the most remarkable wines from Northern California. Though I am a bit partial, in general, to Napa Valley, this Sonoma County Alexander Valley wine is as good as any wine from anywhere. The cork had the look and feel of a newbie. It popped right out with an AH-SO. The nose immediately made itself present while I decanted the wine which had a large chemise coating just about the entire bottle. That is always a sign of a great vintage to have so much excessive pigment. The color of the wine was very deep red with burnt Sienna tones well beyond the meniscus. Vineyards with complex rocky soil types just have that something that is hard to put into words but the second you stick your nose in the glass you recognize the spice, compost, highly concentrated condensed jammy fruit and oak that you can’t really smell or taste but makes is presence quite apparent. While we were drinking it with dinner, I never even took note of the rich palate cleansing tannin. But, it is there giving this silky smooth wine some real mouth-feel. This is our last bottle of Estancia made from this vineyard but still do have one bottle left of Simi Landslide. It is a 2007 presumably with lots of life, so my only concern now is to be sure to drink it while we have any life in us. Happy New Year!!
Enjoy in Good Health!
A Brian Cain, the Michigan Vintner
