Mother Nature complicated ripening in October of 2000 by sending a chill through Wine Country and following that up with rain.
It was a one-two punch.
Our recent Press Democrat Cabernet Sauvignon 10-Year retrospective tasting revealed that a band of wineries were resilient, while others didn't fare as well. The winner was Burgess Cellars 2000 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Vintage Selection.
"Cross your fingers and drink 'em up" said Ben Pearson, wine buyer of Santa Rosa's Bottle Barn. "Even if these wines will age, they won't improve and they're not going to improve in value."
Pearson doesn't have any bottlings from the 2000 vintage in stock and only sells a handful of older vintages, but he's quite fond of older cabernets in general. He recalls that upon release, the 2000 vintage was considered average at best, although he said there are always exceptions to the rule.
"The 2000 vintage was surrounded by better vintages," he said. "The 1999 vintage was solid and the 2001 vintage was good."
Why bother aging cabernets? What's the point?
Long-time collector Jeff Parlett of Santa Rosa said older wines from top-end producers bring rewards for patience.
"I just opened a bottle of the 199l Shafer Hillside Select for our wine group and it was a wonderful wine that still had a lot of life in it."
The 64-year-old semi-retired accountant belongs to three different wine clubs.
"I've sold a little bit but my general purpose is enjoyment," he said. "As a general rule I'm not doing this (aging cabernet) as an investment."
Parlett has a 600-bottle cellar with about a fourth of it dedicated to 10-year-old cabernets.
He takes older vintages to high-end restaurants because a 15-year-old wine there could cost $300 to $400 even though it may have sold for $30 to $50 upon release.
"Older wines are pleasurable," Parlett said. "Young cabernets are packed with tannins, and what happens with aging is the tannins soften and the fruit then begins to be very enjoyable."
Pearson said at his shop a common question is: "Can you show me a great cabernet that drinks really smooth?" He said what people really want is a current wine with the flavors that come with 10 years of age.
"With the truly great wines you can have both, fruit and complexity," Pearson said. "They'll have it all. These wines will magically retain fruit for 10 years and beyond."
Wine writer Peg Melnik can be reached at 707-521-5310 or peg.melnik@pressdemocrat.com.
UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy: