10 Great Wines you should Buy and Cellar Now

Wine is one of the special things in life that can get exceedingly better with age. Unfortunately, collectible bottles get very expensive, and one of the biggest regrets I hear from collectors is that they didn’t start collecting great wines while they were young and affordable. I grew up watching my father’s wine cellar collection expand and was always excited when he’d make a trip down to the cellar and bring up special bottles to pair perfectly for holidays and special occasions. To me, this is one of the reasons I always came to associate wine with love, happiness, celebration, family, and festivities. The gift my Dad gave my husband and me for our wedding is very dear to my heart - he researched and selected 10 wonderful wines from around the world and nearby Napa that would age beautifully for the next 10 - 40 years, gifting us a case of each of them (they're currently being stored in perfect temp-controlled space in my Dad's cellar - photo credit above goes to Garrett Gaudini). This gift is perfect because as we grow older together, we’ll also be able to celebrate our marriage milestones by opening up these wines - and it's a good thing they aren't stored in our home here in San Francisco, because I'd be lying to say I wouldn't be tempted to open up a bottle or two before they've reached their prime. I look forward to growing old and enjoying these beautiful wines with my husband, family and friends for years to come. Below are the ten wines we’re cellaring, with notes and ratings - and if you're temped to open them, you can always consider storing them at an "off premise location" such as the Wine Center SF, where you can assure your "wine investment" is going to rest safe and sound until you're ready to enjoy!

2007 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa
By Stephen Tanzer
Saturated, deep ruby-red. Deep aromas of blackberry, blueberry, violet and minerals; Silky on entry, then dense and sweet in the middle, conveying an impression of power. There's a youthfully medicinal quality to the dark berry and licorice flavors but unusual early sweetness and pliancy to this long-aging wine. Finishes with very suave tannins and impressive persistence. This is actually 14.3% alcohol, which is unusually high here. Barrett could only recall the 2004, 1994 and 1978 surpassing 14%.
Rated 93 Points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

2007 Nickel & Nickel Cabernet Sauvignon John C. Sullenger Vineyard
By Stephen Tanzer, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
Bright medium ruby. Bordeaux-like nose offers cassis, black cherry, graphite, mocha and leather. Lush on entry, then suave in the middle, with redcurrant, plum, licorice and mocha flavors given definition by harmonious acidity. The dusty, building tannins spread out horizontally to coat the palate. (Nickel & Nickel was established in 1997 by the partners of Far Niente with the objective of producing 100%-varietal single-vineyard wines from Napa and Sonoma Valleys.)
Rated: 92 by Stephen Tanzer

2007 Palmaz Estate Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa
JancisRobinson.com
This acclaimed vintage exhibits a concentrated balance of dark fruit flavors and opulent oak notes with beautiful transitions throughout. The structure of this wine promises to age elegantly with an abundance of fine grained tannins exhibiting our signature style of supple rich texture. This is a vintage of extraordinary depth and complexity and has lived up to all the anticipation for this renown Napa Valley vintage.
Rated 93 Points on Cellar Tracker.com

2009 Peay - Pinot Noir Ama Estate - USA - Sonoma Coast
By Josh Raynolds - Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
Vibrant red. Pungent, sexy aromas of black raspberry, cherry pit, cocoa powder and incense. More serious, even masculine, compared to the Pomarium. Fresh and gripping, with impressive sappiness and extract to its dark berry and bitter cherry flavors. Finishes vibrant and very long, with palate-dusting floral, mineral and spice nuances. This is the inaugural vintage for this wine, which is sourced from a section of the Peay vineyard that's planted to a suitcase clone and Dijon clone 828.
Rated 93 points by Stephen Tanzer

2008 Figeac St Emilion
View From the Cellar - By John Gilman
The 2008 Figeac is a beautiful bottle in the making and was clearly one of the best 2008s on display at the UGC tasting. The bouquet is deep, complex and utterly classy, as it jumps from the glass in a stunning blend of red and black cherries, raw cocoa, tobacco smoke, coffee, complex soil tones and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and very elegant out of the blocks, with excellent mid-palate depth, ripe tannins and outstanding length and grip on the youthful and very pure finish. Figeac is of course raised in one hundred percent new wood, so it always shows a bit more flamboyantly at this early stage than wines such as Canon, and it will be very interesting to compare these two classics a decade or two down the road. A great vintage of Figeac. 2018-2045+.
Rated 94 points by Wine Enthusiast

2008 Montrose, St-Estèphe
View From the Cellar - By John Gilman
Château Montrose is making such profound and classic wines these days that it is hard not to argue that this is the golden age for this estate! The 2008 Montrose is a great, great wine in the making, as it offers up a deep and very complex nose of black cherries, cassis, Cuban cigars, a wonderfully complex base of gravel, espresso and cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, tight and very, very pure, with a rock solid core of fruit, stunning soil signature, plenty of firm tannins and plenty of lift on the backend from the superb acidity of this vintage. The finish here is very, very long, displays excellent focus and grip and is still very, very closed. This great wine will live forever, but will take at least a good dozen years to blossom. Under the direction of Jean Delmas, Château Montrose is the claret purists’ perfect wine. 2022-2100.
Rated 95 points Robert Parker, 94 Points by Wine Enthusiast

2008 Grands Echézeaux- Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret
View From the Cellar - By John Gilman
For as long as I can remember, Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret has produced one of the greatest examples of Grands Echézeaux in all of Burgundy, so it comes as no surprise that their 2008 is stupendous. The absolutely beautiful, youthful nose soars from the glass in an inspired mélange of dark berries, plums, espresso, woodsmoke, incipient notes of gamebird, a kaleidoscopically complex base of soil and a judicious base of cedary oak. On the palate the wine is deep, pure and very primary, with a rock solid core of fruit, laser-like focus, beautiful, nascent complexity, ripe, seamless tannins and tangy acidity lifting all these elements in a peacock’s tail of transparency and purity on the very long finish. This will be an absolutely brilliant example of the vintage, and a decade down the road, it may well prove that I have slightly underrated this beautiful wine. 2018-2060+.
Rated 95+

2006 Domenico Clerico Barolo Pajana
By Stephen Tanzer - Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
Good full red-ruby. Knockout nose offers dark cherry, strawberry, dried flowers, cedar, tobacco, leather and musky spices. Silky and sweet on entry, then powerful in the middle, with a firm spine of acidity giving lift and cut to the wine's red fruit, tobacco and dried flower flavors. Offers a compelling balance of stuffing and energy, and has the sheer fruit extract to buffer its ripe tannins. This really spreads out to saturate the palate, and is riper and more harmonious than the 2005 bottling. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2031.
Rated 93 points - StephenTanzer

2004 Bodegas Muga "Prado Enea" Gran Reserva Rioja
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

The 2004 Prado Enea Gran Reserva is not quite as dense as the 2005 but is more expressive on the nose and rounder on the palate. Dark cherry, orange edge. Complex aromas, spicy, toasty, fine cocoa, fruit expression. Palate: powerful, full, rich, spicy, ripe tannins. Complex bouquet, spicy, fine wood and leaf, stewed fruit. Balanced, with body and nerve, tasty, ample. It is a complete effort that should prove to be one of the best Prado Eneas Muga has produced.

Rated 94 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2007 Le Clos du Caillou Chateauneuf du Pape Les Quartz
The Wine Advocate
The prodigious 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Quartz (85% Grenache aged totally in foudres and the rest Syrah, which is aged in small barrels) has terrific floral, raspberry, and black cherry notes intermixed with a striking minerality and precision. A Musigny grand cru Burgundian style of wine, with power and elegance, a thoroughly compelling flavor profile, and a rich, intense finish, the tannins are sweet and the well-integrated acidity gives uplift to the wine. Stunningly proportioned yet never heavy, this is a sensational wine that should only get better over the next few years and last for 15 or more.
95 Points - The Wine Advocate

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Bell Cellars - Secrets of the Cab Clones

I first came across Bell Cellars while on an early morning run in Yountville, Napa with my husband, Garrett. We love taking advantage of the flat, beautiful trail that runs alongside St. Helena Highway 29 . When we’re feeling curious, we’ll ventureoff the path which inevitably leads us to hidden wineries which never cease to surprise and delight me! We had to pause and take a peek when we discovered Bell - the exquisite pale stone winery, just south of downtown Yountville. The outside of the winery is beautifully erected to look like an Italian villa - the patio boasts a wood fired pizza oven, two bocce ball courts and outdoor patio seating that’s perfect for leisurely enjoying a picnic, a sunset with friends or a romantic glass of Bell’s sparkling wine. As we were investigating the premises, we came across Johanne Lefebre, Bell’s retail sales and hospitality manager, picking red roses to set out in the winery for the day. It was such a quaint, pleasant and intimate run-in, that we vowed come back to taste the wine! We returned to Bell a few months later, but we were using the gorgeous winery and surrounding vineyards for our engagement photo shoot with incredible photographer, Andre Niesing, and didn’t have time for a formal tour and tasting of the property.

Six months after our wedding, Garrett and I finally scheduled a private tour and tasting for 11:30 am and were pleased to find the inside of the winery is as well-designed and beautiful as the exterior. Inside the tasting room, soothing music filled the air and we were delighted to be welcomed by Johanne by name. We were basically the only folks in the winery - one of the perks of finding hidden treasures like this and the Reserve Room was set beautifully for our tasting. Johanne tailored a great private tour of the winery and tasting to us based on our schedule after welcoming us with a taste of unfiltered 2011 Sauvignon Blanc straight out of the tank, which already showed crisp green apple and citrus and a nice minerality on the palate. This tasting of Sauvignon Blanc was a great way to start the day as it cleansed our palate for the big red wines to come and also nodded at winemaker Anthony Bell’s Roots in South Africa.

After growing up in South Africa, Bell spent his teenage years working in Spain, France, and South Africa. In the US, Bell got his Masters degree in enology at U.C. Davis, and had a 15-year tenure at BV, became the general manager and raised the bar on BV's grape quality by conducting groundbreaking research into the differences and impact of clonal variations on Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s the Cab clonal research that makes Bell wines so special - they use only Clone 4, 6, 7 and 337. We looked at photos of each clone and I was shocked to find that Clone 6 has about a third of the berries that you’d see on a typical cluster of grapes making it appear almost sickly it’s so sparse. But therein lies the secret to the intense highly concentrated wines that Bell produces from 100% Clone 6, and the only winery in Napa that makes wine exclusively from this clone. The small amount of grapes on the cluster allows more nutrients to go into each grape, so while this produces a smaller yield, it produces much more intensely concentrated wines.

Bell Cellars grows Cabernet and Merlot on its estate winery in Yountville where its famous Cabs are produced and outsources the rest of its fruit from around the Napa and Sonoma Valley, getting the Clone 6 grape from just one vineyard that currently grows it - Baritelle, near the Mayacama Mountains. Bell used to source the Clone 6 from Beckstoffer Vineyards, but they no longer grow the clone. After our clone lesson, Johanne led us through a vertical tasting of a 2005 and 2010 Clone 6 Cabernet, and the difference was astounding. This is attributed mainly to the different soil and microclimate that each vineyard come from and creates two noticeably different wines.

We concluded our visit with a great tasting in the rarefied Reserve Room and if it hadn’t been my first stop of the day, I might have sat there all day. Tasting notes from my favorite Bell wines listed below. In summary, Yountville is one of the most famous towns in Napa with equally famous wineries. It can be daunting to decide where to taste. Visit Bell if you really enjoy any of the below in a winery visit - you won't be disappointed.

• Small, intimate tour and tasting as opposed to large, crowded tasting room
• Enjoying a picnic outside on the veranda
• Playing bocce ball with a glass of vino and a slice of pizza in hand
• Leisurely tasting in a luxurious Reserve Room of luscious Bourdeaux-style red wines
• Tasting out of a tank - yes, a tank, not a barrel.
• Friendly staff that will tailor your visit to your preferences
• Have a group and want to plan a special tailored event at the winery

2005 Cabernet Clone 6 - Beckstoffer Vineyards
This unique wine has a nose full of sun-ripened tomato, red bell pepper and fresh cut herbs. On the palate, it shows dark concentrated flavors of black cherry, mulberry, current with undertones of chocolate, coffee, and pepper. This classic Bordeaux style wine has hints of damp earth and mushroom with supple tannins and a lengthy finish that reminds you of a walk in Autumn dusk.

2010 Cabernet Clone 6 - Baritelle VineyardsThis wine, though young, already displays tannins that are smooth and supple. On the nose, aromas of cassis and blueberry abound. On the palate, a burst of blackberry, dark cherry, mocha and vanilla combine to make a silky, polished wine with Cedar notes and concentrated flavors. This wine tastes like a fresh baked blackberry pie fresh out of the oven ready to be served with vanilla ice cream on a summer day.

2010 George Latour Claret
The Claret has multiple layers of fruit derived from the five grapes used in the blend. The wine shows blackberry flavors of the Merlot, floral notes from the Syrah and a rich, cocoa finish from the Cabernet Sauvignon. The addition of the Syrah to this wine makes this wine approachable at an earlier age, while still having enough layered tannins to allow it to age for several years.

2008 Canterbury Syrah
This deep purple-ruby wine has the spicy fruit aromas expected in a syrah with a rich and elegant mouth feel. The vanilla from the oak is balanced with the big red fruit flavor to yield an appealing wine that is bright and complex and can be enjoyed now with food or aged for many years.

2007 Masa Ranch Petite Syrah
This deep purple wine is rich with black currants, spiced plums, and black pepper. It is a jammy wine with complex secondary flavors of herbs, toasted almond and and leather with enough supple tannin to allow it to age beautifully for years. This would be a deicious wine paired with winter stews, lamb and game.

Ruby Port

This port was served with the perfect pairing - a piec of dark dove chocolate. It’s actually produced from some of the classic Portuguese varieties from Lodi, CA and aged in small oak barrels for approximately 40 months. Deep ruby in color with rich fruit aromas, this wine has a rich, luscious mouth feel and soft, elegant tannins. The fruit concentration balances well with the alcohol and grape acidity to yield an appealing, elegant wine, bright on the palate, with great depth and concentration.

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The Secret to Del Dotto Wine - it's the Barrels

I’d wanted visit Del Dotto winery for a couple of years, and was growing tired of people asking if I’d been to Del Dotto yet and only being able to reply in the negative. So we finally joined one of their infamous tours, taking a group of friends with us to join in on the adventure. We arrived right at noon to Del Dotto, located right next to the famous Silverado Country Clubon Atlas Peak Road. There is very little signage in front, but look for all the ivy covering a historic looking building on the west side of the road. I scheduled a group cave experience & barrel tasting tour in advance, which is worth the $50 price tag - The tour is 90 minutes to 2 hours long and for most of it, you walk through the very historical caves which were hand dug in 1885, following your guide from one wine barrel to the next sampling wine. That is the core of the tour and because of this focus, you taste a lot of wine here - other wineries have told me they actually reject groups for private tours if they hear the group has previously come from Del Dotto.

After assessing our personal wine preferences, our guide, Dan, dove into the history of Del Dotto and the man, Dave, behind the winery’s notably robust reds. To briefly summarize Del Dotto’s history, in the late 1980’s, Dave Del Dotto, originally from San Jose, California, was tasting wine to purchase for his personal collection in Napa at Heitz Cellar, known for it’s big Napa Cabs. While there, Dave got a “sign” that he should purchase wine making land of his own- literally, he saw a “For Sale” sign advertising the vineyards right next to Heitz along St Helena highway. Dave purchased his first vineyards where he began growing grapes in 1990. When his first wine, vintage 1993, was released, it received a 92 point rating by Wine Spectator and ‘94, ‘95 and ‘96 vintages followed suit with the same high 92 point rating. As the winery grew and thrived, Dave found the Atlas Peak Sacred Caves which became the home for his new winery. In 2000, Del Dotto opened the caves to the public, and started an educational program to teach customers how wine barrels can so strongly affect wines. There are now two Del Dotto locations in Napa - the second winery recently opened along St. Helena Highway and has been described as “the most beautiful winery in Napa”. But while that location may be the new girl on the block, the Atlas Peak caves win out with historic charm.

One thing you will surely take away from a tour and tasting at Del Dotto besides a "buzz" is just how much of an influence barrels can have on a wine. Dave Del Dotto and his winemaker, Nils Venge, have been experimenting with over 40 different barrels from various coopersfrom France, America and Russia. They have invented and trademarked some awesome barrel techniques such as combining and coopering French and American oak in the same barrel to give it a uniquely balanced flavor profile - a perfect blend of New and Old World style wine. They’ve also carved grooves into the insides of some of their toasted oak barrels to give the wine more exposure to the sweetness found deeper in the wood (think...where does maple syrup come from after all?). The tour featured several demonstrations of how changing the barrel a wine ages in can affect a wine so much that it tastes like a different vintage or varietal. Del Dotto is actually the only winery that actually labels bottles of wine with the actual types of barrels they’re aged so that folks who prefer French Oak’s more delicate vanilla flavor can have their 2007 French Oak-aged Cab and those who like American Oak’s meatier flavor can have their 2007 Cab labeled as such. It’s an interesting concept and works for these big full-bodied wines that lend themselves well to the secondary notes derived from the wood.

Overall, the quality and variety of wine tasted was impressive and they were all served to us straight from the barrels in a beautiful authentic candlelit cave with Italian opera arias echoing throughout the venue. The easy-going pace of the tour allowed us to linger, chat with each other and enjoy an overall jovial experience. We were led back out to the beautiful tasting barrel room, where a delectable display of cheeses, charcuterie and chocolate was displayed for us to enjoy along with lone final taste of the late harvest zinfandel - perfectly paired with chocolate. From a marketing standpoint, Del Dotto definitely gets it right; by the end of the tour, it was hard not to purchase the wines, which are priced on the higher end of the spectrum even for Napa. If you’re a first time Napa visitor, or just looking for a different wine tasting experience, this is a great place to visit. Plus - the location is ideally located on the Silverado trail, five minutes away from Downtown Napa, so you’ll be close to a great assortment of restaurants and the Oxbow Market to help you soak up some of the damage from this bachanalian experience! My tasting notes are below:

2010 Pinot Noir- Cinhiale Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir - $75.00 per bottle
This is a big pinot that is dark, vibrant and full-bodied with ripe fruit flavors. The 2010 immediately shows its concentration of fig, wild strawberry and winter spice, from nose to palate. Delicate notes of wild flowers and light perfume continue to emanate from the glass. The entry is silky smooth and soft and flows seamlessly across the palate with a rich, elegant lingering finish.

2010 Napa Valley Sangiovese - $55.00 per bottle
This is a dark, fruity Sangiovese, beautifully balanced with baked and dried dark fruit flavors and slight notes of earth, chocolate, flowers and leather. It has an opulent finish and should age well as a Brunello would.

2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - $65.00 per bottle
A beautiful bouquet of plum and currants leads to a full fruit forward highly concentrated wine layered with cloves and peppercorns. This wine is reminiscent of fall pies and warm evenings by the fire. With a dark ruby color and the aroma of the forest floor, this wine has a silky finish with notes of vanilla creme brulee. Though ready to drink now, this wine will continue to develop with age.

2010 Napa Valley Cabernet Franc - $85.00
This cab has a solid structure with aromas of wet rock and freshly cut herbs. The palate has bright red cherry, green pepper and a slight caramelized brown sugar character, with a bit of wood tannin.


Other notable wines tasted:
2010 Oakville Cab - Centre Sylvain - $145.00
2010 Oakville Ca - Missouri U Stave South - $145.00
2010 Cabernet St. Helena Mountain Colbet Block 2 - $165.00
Port Wine Syrah - $55.00

Photo Credits:

Photography by Gunnar Counselman.

Photos feature: Anna Mongayt, Basia Terrell, Chris Terrel, Garrett Gaudini, Gunnar Counselman, Matthew Smith and Danica Steinle

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