The 2006 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon was the winning bottle in the May Installment of Pick My Next Bottle. The bottle was decanted for several hours. Spottswoode is a family owned winegrowing estate located on the western edge of St. Helena in the Napa Valley. The 46 acre estate, established in 1882, is distinguished by the historic Victorian home depicted on…
The May installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on 2006 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. As I mentioned in the first installment, the purpose of this series is to provide insight into specific wines or producers you may currently have in your cellar. I plan on opening the winning bottle this Friday and will publish a Bottle Note shortly thereafter. The…
The April Installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on 2003 Bordeaux. As I mentioned in the first installment, the purpose of this series is to provide insight into specific wines or producers you may currently have in your cellar. The winning bottle will be opened this Saturday and a Bottle Note will be published early next week. We all…
The March Installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on Syrah from the 2012 vintage. As I mentioned in the first installment, the purpose of this series is to provide insight into specific wines or producers you may currently have in your cellar. The winning bottle will be opened this Saturday and a Bottle Note will be published shortly thereafter.…
The February installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. As I mentioned in the first installment, the purpose of this series is to provide insight into specific wines or producers you may currently have in your cellar. I plan on opening the winning bottle this Thursday and will publish a Bottle Note shortly thereafter. Napa…
The January installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on 2004 Bordeaux. The purpose of this series is to provide insight into specific wines or producers you may currently have in your cellar. I plan on opening the winning bottle on Friday and will publish a Bottle Note shortly thereafter. The 2004 Bordeaux vintage set a record for being the…
The 2018 vintage in Sonoma is shaping up to be maybe the best vintage ever for Sonoma Zinfandel. The growing season was absolutely perfect. Fewer heat spikes. No fires. Rain was minimal. Harvest was several weeks later than previous vintages and yields were generally higher than normal. Mike Officer of Carlisle Winery said in his release letter “Not too hot,…
The December installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on Bordeaux from the the now 25 year old 1995 vintage. The intent behind Pick My Next Bottle is to provide insight into specific wines or producers you may currently have in your cellar. The winning bottle will be opened on Christmas Night and a Bottle Note will be published the following…
Seven years ago I wrote Too Old for Young Wine. At the time I had decided that despite being just 46 years old, I probably did not need to buy much more Bordeaux. My cellar was well stocked with bottles going back to the mid eighties and frankly the idea of buying wines that would need twenty five years in…
The November Installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on 2005 Châteauneuf-du-Pape. As I mentioned in the first installment, the purpose of this series is to provide insight into specific wines or producers you may currently have in your cellar. The winning bottle will be opened on Thanksgiving and a Bottle Note will be published this coming weekend. 2005 was…