1.    Have goals. Are you focused on collecting wines to drink, for investment, or both? Consider buying birth or anniversary year wines, which are especially rewarding to open later, but don’t forget key vintages that are sure to age well. If you’re investing, Bordeaux, Burgundy, and “cult” California tend to have the most potential for returns.

2.    Know your budget. This doesn’t have to be a large number, but as with all purchases, it helps to know what you’re willing to spend and tailor a plan to work with that number.

3.    Define your interests. Think about regions, producers and varieties that excite you, and then broaden your purchases from there. Let’s say you especially love domestic Pinot Noir. Consider expanding to villages level French Burgundy or to Italian Barbaresco or Barolo to explore further.

4.    Purchase in quantities of 6 or 12. This will allow you to taste and enjoy a specific wine as it matures and help you dial in your preference for wines at certain points in their development.

5.    Protect your purchases. Whether your wines are for drinking or investment, you’ll need to protect them. Wines will last longer when stored at the proper temperature (55-58 degrees) and humidity (70-80%). In some parts of the US, the cellar under the house is ideal, but in most locations, some kind of professional storage is better. Your options range from a storage locker to prime full service storage like Vinfolio’s.

6.    Manage your collection. Sure, some people love keeping a hand-written log of their purchases, but it’s much easier to find the bottle you want if you can sort your list online. Two options are Cellartracker and Vinfolio’s VinCellar. Both give you access to data such as professional scores, community tasting notes, and wine label images, but only VinCellar is integrated with Vinfolio’s wine store and the Vinfolio Marketplace, allowing you to buy and sell bottles easily from your account.

7.    Taste, taste, taste! As with any pursuit, practice makes perfect. Exercise your palate by trying new regions, producers, and varieties. Join a tasting group or open bottles regularly with friends. More than anything, collecting wine is about enjoying wine, so have fun!
Vinfolio’s Wine Specialists love to discuss wine collecting! If you have questions, call us at 800-969-1961 or send an email to winespecialists@vinfolio.com.

2000 Bordeaux: As Good As It Gets
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“The 2000 vintage is today the region's magnum opus — the pinnacle of quality.”  - Robert Parker, “Bordeaux 2000: The Pinnacle of a Qualitative Revolution”

The millennium vintage in Bordeaux brought with it the most massive, powerful and concentrated wines of the previous thirty years.  Add extraordinary consistency, record breaking levels of tannin and extract and exceptional potential longevity and it’s safe to say the 2000 vintage in Bordeaux is one of the greatest ever produced.  

In spite of concerns about inconsistent weather at the beginning of the 2000 growing season, the tides turned in August and September was flawless.  This was not the first exceptional harvest in Bordeaux, but the wines will go down in history as some of the best ever due to the quality of winemaking in 2000.  Improved viticulture, better-equipped cellars and more precise selection elevated all wines - top to bottom - and across all appellations to heights previously unreached.

The reaction to this qualitative revolution came in the form of dizzying, record-breaking prices and boundless critical acclaim.  Robert Parker re-iterated, “Re-tasting the 2000 vintage three to four months before bottling provided overwhelming evidence that this is the greatest vintage Bordeaux has ever produced.”

2005 Burgundy: The Year the Wines “Made Themselves”
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“2005 is quite simply the best top to bottom vintage that I have ever seen, period, full stop… Moreover, in terms of regional and villages wines, 2005 is so good that it blows the next closest recent contender, 1999, right out of the water.” -Allen Meadows, Burghound

Unpredictable weather and fussy Pinot are terms typically used to describe Burgundy. But in 2005, its growing season became – “easy” and “leisurely,” signs that it would be a different kind of vintage.  Flowering came right on time at the end of May, with dry, warm weather carrying through the summer months. Very little rain in September and during harvest time meant that winegrowers could pick at their leisure. The fruit reached uncommon levels of ripeness; no sorting or chaptalization (adding sugar to the fermenting must) was necessary.  

As some producers commented, the wine very nearly made itself. The 2005 Pinots boast fresh tannins, with rich fruit and mineral components; the Chardonnays are balanced with fleshy fruit and fine acidity. Burgundy of this caliber—possessing the “complex balance” noted by Allen Meadows—has the requisite characteristics to age

2001 California Cabernet, Merlot and Blends: Superlative Across the Board
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“A superlative vintage across the board, 2001 appears to be the finest year for Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot since 1994 and 1991.” - Robert Parker, “California Dreamin’ – Deja Vu”

With eight consecutive vintages from 1990 to 1997, California made history, producing outstanding quality year after year and solidifying its place among the powerhouse wine producing regions of the world.  After a few challenging growing seasons from 1998 and 2000, California roared back to the forefront with its most stunning vintage to date in 2001.

An extended, cool growing season was followed by gorgeous warm weather in September and October, which allowed producers to harvest at their convenience.  The resulting wines were exceptionally ripe, balanced and consistent with tremendous aging potential.   Upon first experiencing the new 2001 vintage, Robert Parker wrote “my tastings revealed the finest young California Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot I have ever tasted.”  Years later in a retrospective piece, he echoes his earlier enthusiasm: “As brilliant as I thought the 2001s were eight years ago, today they have exceeded even my highest expectations.”

2004 Italy: Made for the Cellar

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“Quite frankly, I have never tasted young Barolos with this level of sweet, perfumed fruit and silky, ripe tannins. These are wines of extraordinary elegance, balance and finesse . . .  A number of producers have made their finest wines yet.” - Antonio Galloni, “A First Look at the 2004 Barolos”

“Simply put, 2004 is a superb vintage in Central Tuscany…Not to be left behind, 2004 is also a superb vintage for the Super-Tuscan blends of indigenous and international varietals…the best 2004s are reference-point wines for the region and are not to be missed.” – Antonio Galloni, “Central Tuscany 2003 and 2004: A Tale of Two Vintages”

Compared to Bordeaux, Italian Barbaresco, Barolo and Brunello are relative bargains considering their quality and age-worthiness. This is especially true in the best vintages—2004 being the most recent. On the heels of a scorching 2003,  the “weather [in 2004] was much more balanced throughout the growing season, which caused plants to unleash the large amounts of energy they had held in reserve from the previous year [and]… the long growing season and relaxed harvest presented growers with the conditions to make great wines.” Again, the balance in the vineyard has led to balance in the bottle.

The results? Structured Brunellos with fine tannins, captivatingly nuanced Barbarescos, and highly aromatic, balanced, age-worthy Barolos. The overall structure and balance of these Piedmont and Tuscan beauties promise years of future enjoyment. Italy’s 2004 wines truly are made for the cellar.

If you haven't tried the Tarlant Champagnes yet, they need to be on your list. The two we have in stock - the Brut Zero and the Rose Zero - are no dosage examples that clearly reflect the region's chalky soils. The Brut was showing particularly well yesterday, with brioche and apple tart on the nose leading to a palate of pear and apple peel. This was a really clean wine that didn't show any of the bracing nature of some no dosage Champagnes. For the price, this gets my vote! 

We pulled two 2008s from inventory, just to see how they doing after resting for some time in our warehouse. Allen Meadows reported that “like 2007, [2008] is a very good to sometimes excellent but highly variable vintage...in short it’s a classic Burgundian vintage.” (Issue 41)  

If you enjoy terroir-reflective Pinot Noir, then here are a couple you might like, from excellent producers Perrot-Minot and Domaine Dujac. Perrot-Minot’s village level Gevrey Chambertin has a nice clean balance of earth, mineral, and cran-raspberry. It’s on the lighter side, and we all agreed it would make a fine pairing with food. Drink this one over the next couple of years.

Dujac’s village level Morey St Denis shows a bit more depth and complexity. After some initial Pinot funk on the nose, which blows off after about 15 minutes, the darker fruit, floral  and spice notes pick up and complement the characteristic iron scent on the nose. I would have liked to revisit this one the next day, but where did that bottle go…?

Domaine Leflaive is truly a reference standard for Puligny-Montrachet, from villages to grands crus. The family-run estate is farmed bio-dynamically, with low yields and close attention to detail in the vineyard and cellar. The 2009 vintage was notoriously warm, resulting in wines of accessible fruit flavors. The straight Bourgogne showed this off readily and at the moment, it is a pleasure to drink. The Puligny Montrachet showed the additional complexity and verve that one sees when moving up the quality ladder in Burgundy. It’s somewhat reserved at this point, but the material is clearly there for a lovely villages level wine to emerge. So again, with wines like this, how could you NOT love white Burgundy?

For comparison, we opened the 2004 Merlot Mountaintop, the 1999 Cabernet Napa Valley, and the 2004 Cabernet Reserve. Of the 3, the Merlot was showing the best for near term enjoyment. The 1999 Cabernet is a nice mature example of mountain fruit and the 2004 Reserve is one for the cellar and, definitely a wine whose structured tannins will benefit from a few years of further development.

You can read full tasting notes from these and all of our tastings in the Community Tasting Notes section for each individual wine in the Vinfolio Wine Store.

Before describing this particular wine, let’s confront the one most common criticism of Domaine Serene. Is it pretentious to buy advertising in Wine Spectator claiming your wines beat out DRC in blind tastings? Yes. Ok, now that that’s out of the way, a bit about the wine.

The Jerusalem Hill Vineyard is located in the Eola Hills and is part of the Serene estate. It’s a dry-farmed, sustainable property that averages just under 3 tons per acre. For 2008, the wine was aged for 20 months in French Oak, 82% new.

The sweet new oak is apparent but not overbearing in this expressive Pinot, which shows off ripe red fruit balanced by loamy earth and a backbone of bright acidity. While it’s certainly approachable now, it will definitely benefit from a few years in the cellar. Pinot fans would do well to pick up a few bottles of this classy wine and any other 2008s they find.

No doubt about it, there’s something about rosé’s light shades of pink that scream warm weather, light foods, and sheer happiness. Two French roses tasted this week were great examples and one in particular stood out as an especially great value.  We opened both of these mid-afternoon, popped and poured.

The 2010 Margerum Rose VdP - on sale now! - is sourced from just outside the Rhone Valley and made by Santa Barbara-area winemaker Doug Margerum. As consulting winemaker for Chene Bleu, he was able to use Grenache from the property to make a rosé under his own label. The resulting wine is immediately accessible with white peach and stone fruit on the nose, and bright tart cherry on the palate.  

While the Margerum is definitely enjoyable, the 2010 Triennes Rose, at just $14.95, was the real show stealer. The Cinsault is from a property in Provence joint-owned by Jacques Seysses (Domaine Dujac) and Aubert de Villaine (DRC). This is a clean, refreshing rosé that impresses with focused acidity and a minerally structure. Nectarine and bright strawberry balances things out nicely for a delicious, complete rosé at an excellent price.

Our regular Wednesday afternoon wine tasting featured three domestic Sauvignon Blancs we have in stock: 2009 Cade from Napa Valley, 2010 Capture Tradition from Lake and Sonoma Counties, and 2009 Margerum Sybarite from the Santa Ynez Valley. We’re all hopeful that one day soon summer will come to San Francisco and we can enjoy these whites in the warm sun.  

Since Sauvignon Blanc tends to be popped and poured, that’s exactly what we did. The Cade’s handy screwcap made the job easiest; this is an obvious take-along wine.  No simple white, this Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc showed refreshing citrus and wet stone on the nose. The palate followed with tropical fruit balanced with refreshing acidity and a long, clean finish.

Next up was the 2010 Capture Tradition, a sommelier favorite since its inaugural release last vintage.  Floral and slightly herbal on the lively nose, this blend of Lake and Sonoma County fruit is an easy drinking white perfect for warm weather. The 2010 Pionniers bottling is another favorite, and represents a slightly “geekier” version - more mineral and less upfront fruit - from this up-and-coming producer.

We finished up the tasting with the 2009 Margerum Sybarite, which showed considerably more weight on both the nose and palate. Citrus pulp and rind balanced smoky mineral notes for a more serious Sauvignon Blanc.

Any of these three would be great choices for a relaxing summer day. Try a few and let us know what you think!

Right on cue, I came across Matt Kramer's article entitled "Free at Last! Free at Last!," in which he suggests, "You should get a divorce from the marriage of food and wine." I read on, skeptically. After all, our profession delights in the challenge of perfectly matching an elaborate meal with a wine that sings in harmony. I recalled a particularly galling conversation I once had with the salesperson at a wine shop. When I asked his advice on what would pair nicely with the prosciutto and fig jam I was holding, he launched into a lecture on how wine does NOT match food and in fact that he never drinks his wine with food, instead preferring the liquid portion of his meal before the solid.

Kramer's point is not so extreme, and in fact instead of being revolutionary it is more freeing, as the title suggests. "Good wines can work wonderfully with any food that is remotely plausible for the wine." The end. Almost. The key, aside from the adjective "good," is of course "remotely plausible." Kramer offers this corollary: "...the more extreme the dish or the wine, the less sociable it is."

That brought me back to my conversation this morning about big Syrahs and Cabernets. Compared with what I cook on most nights, full-bodied wines are not the most "sociable," but for many they are exactly that. It all comes down to eating and drinking what you enjoy and keeping the water glass handy in case the pairing isn't just right. Good news this holiday season if you're under pressure to choose the "perfect" wine.

A good friend is a Napa vineyard manager and this being something of a slow season, we decided to make some tasting appointments. Lauren had actually brought in a mature Stony Hill Chardonnay to a tasting when she worked at Vinfolio. We served it blind alongside other Chardonnays and it was mistaken for a younger white Burgundy – good sign!

It was perfectly sunny after a few days of rain and the fall leaves were brilliant red, orange and gold as we headed up Spring Mountain from Hwy 29 to climb a few miles to Stony Hill. There we met with Willinda McCrea for a tour of the dry farmed vineyards and a walk down to the crush pad and barrel room. Compared with their neighbors in the Valley, the winemaking facilities here are “rustic”; the press isn’t shiny and new, and the barrels don’t smell of freshly toasted oak. In fact, with the large, mature foudres in the corner, it reminded me a little of a home cellar in Alsace, in a good way.

As it turns out, Alsacian varieties are part of the Stony Hill portfolio, as there is old vine Gewurztraminer and Riesling planted along with the Chardonnay and Semillon.

Heading back up to the house, Willinda briefed us on the history of the property: Eleanor and Fred McCrea’s purchase of the property in 1943, the vineyards planted in 1947, and the winery’s first vintage in 1952. Winemaker Mike Chelini and his wife Kathy arrived in 1971, and Mike continues as winemaker today. Willinda and her husband Peter have been proprietors at Stony Hill since 1991; this is truly a small-scale family operation.

Our tasting included the new release 2008 Chardonnay, just a baby now. It’s structured and balanced with a long life ahead. I picked up the 2008 and a 2007 for comparison, though I’m not sure I’m patient enough to test their ability to age for decades. I also took home a bottle of 2009 Riesling, as I'd yet to find a domestically produced version that I enjoyed. Within a week I'd enjoyed it with the first dungeoness crab of the season. It's a fun wine, not overly complex but pretty, with noticable minerality, and excellent with the sweet crab.

Next time you're in the Valley, make an appointment at Stony Hill, or any of California's historic, family owned wineries.

As you know, some of the best truffles come from the world’s most prestigious wine producing regions in France and Italy. It seems only natural then that Napa Valley wineries would desire to cultivate this luxury product as well. As reported by the Napa Valley Register, Robert Sinskey Vineyards plans to do just that by growing the underground mushroom in the Carneros District with the help of the American Truffle Company, who also happens to be the principle organizer of the first annual Napa Truffle Festival this December 10–12.

You can imagine then that all of this truffle news has made me not only hungry for truffles, but also led me to think about the best wines to pair with them. As I perused a menu that was sent to me for a special truffle dinner at Florio Cafe & Bar in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights this Friday and Saturday, I honed in on what might go best with the Beef Carpaccio with Piemontesi Black Truffle and Parmigiano Reggiano starter, as well as the Tagliatelle with Alba White Truffles and  Parmigiano Reggiano. My initial thought was a bottle of 2001 Altesino Montosoli Brunello di Montalcino (96 WS). This more classic styled Brunello has the rustic and mushroom qualities that will pair well with these particular entrees, and I just happen to be a connoisseur of Brunello. Other wonderful pairings include the 2001 Damilano – Barolo Cannubi (93 WS) or even the 1997 Ceretto Barbaresco Bricco Asili Faset (92 WS), as the gaminess, spice notes, earthiness and dried fruit characteristics of these wines will compliment the musky and earthy aromas that are particular to truffles.

Depending on the type of cuisine being prepared, there are a variety of excellent wines to pair with white or black truffles, including aged Burgundy, which pairs especially well with black truffles. Whatever your choice, be sure to enjoy the 2010 truffle season with a fresh, well prepared meal and an excellent bottle of wine.

I purchased the 2007 Thackrey Andromeda Pinot Noir with plans to pair it with a lamb dish I was preparing for the weekend. The lamb was going to be rubbed with Ras el Hanout, a North African spice I have also been curious about ever since it caught my attention on the addictive Top Chef reality television series.

The wine certainly did not disappoint. This is definitely not a wine for those looking for a lighter styled, sub-13% alcohol, elegantly crafted pinot noir. This pinot noir was THAT type of pinot that would cause some to ask – “Is there any syrah in this?”  And while the color would lead you to believe there would be, the flavor of the wine still had the pinot-nicity character you’d expect in a 100% bottled pinot noir. This wine was intensely flavored, mouth-filling, deeply layered, deeply nuanced and downright delicious. There was also exoticness in the flavor that mirrored the exotic character of the North African spiced lamb on the table. If Thackrey’s other wines are as singular and exciting as this one, I will certainly seek them out. If you’re looking for a truly unique and exciting wine, you should do yourself a favor and buy some of his wines. This one is currently sold in our wine store for $41.95.

The points that received attention in readers comments addressed the challenges in purchasing mature wine: uncertain provenance, availability, and cost. It's difficult to determine the details of purchase, storage, and transport on many older bottles. Buying at auction leaves no recourse for the return of bad bottles, and many retailers won't guarantee these wines either. As time passes, supply on older bottles is diminished, making bottles more difficult to find. And with supply down, cost goes up. No rocket science there. 

Another point that drew comment was the question "why do young people hate mature wine?" In this case "young"is defined as under-40. The point was made by many readers that the challenges listed above really come into play with younger wine buyers who don't have the means to purchase older bottles or the space to store younger ones for decades.

I agree. The challenges make it extremely difficult to purchase and enjoy mature wine. As a member of that "young" group, I've always wanted to drink mature wines. My birth year was a notoriously terrible vintage so that's possibly out, but as Dr. Vino relates, it's fun to take a trip down memory lane with bottles from the almost distant past. In fact, I'll take him up on his challenge to drink more mature wine between now and New Years!

Fortunately, the Vinfolio Marketplace and Wine Store offer plenty of chance for me to find these bottles. Our Buying Team brings in private collections stocked not just with collectibles like First Growth Bordeaux, but with wines I won't feel guilty opening with my friends. California offers tremendous value - older Spottswoode, Dunn, Dominus, Montelena - all guaranteed if purchased through the Wine Store, eliminating the challenge of uncertain provenance!

The Vinfolio Marketplace takes care of the other two challenges. There's a huge selection of mature wines available to purchase from other collectors and I can place a bid instead of paying a set price. My brother is turning 30 this December and even though 1980 was another notoriously terrible vintage, I'm looking forward to finding mature bottles from other memorable years for him so we can take a walk down memory lane later this year.