Altamura Vineyards Napa Valley Cab 2007 a stunner
A terrific read, "I am John Galt" by Donald Luskin is a must. Anyone who has read Ayn Rand 's "Fountainhead” and/or "Atlas Shrugged" will love the comparisons Luskin draws. Barney Frank as Wesley Mouch, Angelo Mozzilo as James Taggert and Allan Greenspan as Robert Statler are especially poignant. Although Rand's novels had some obvious overreach and even, some say, some flawed rationales, there is no doubt now that her writing was clearly prescient in many areas. She wrote in the 1940s and 50s. I pray constantly that somehow we are able to halt the slide into the abyss she ably predicted. Even if you haven't read Rand, you should truly get a flavor by enjoying the Luskin book.
Altamura Vineyards Napa Valley Cab 2007, written about here two years ago, is on sale. This spectacular wine was selected No. 5 on Wine Spectator's 2010 best list and surged in price. Drinking well now, but ready 2012-22; true to form, the price has reverted. Still a bit pricey at $80, this 95-point stunner is well worth the asking price.
More in keeping with our goals, here is a $15, 92-point top pick. Borsao Tres Picos 2009 is a delectable, old-vine Spanish Garnacha. Viscous ruby color with legs, the nose is an explosion of blackberry, cherry, cola, violets, cracked black pepper and a smidgen of smoke. Dense and flavorful mid palate provides Asian spices, more red fruit and pleasing minerality. The persistent finish releases the smoky notes and cleans up the palate. This is the most wine for the price I have sampled in quite a while. You should be able to buy a case for $165. Will cellar for at least eight, but is drinking well now.
Relatively speaking, 2006 La Serena Brunello di Montalcino is also a very great bargain if you can buy it under $50; 97 points and it still would benefit from some time in your cellar. La Serena is a nearly perfect reflection of the B di M profile. Rose, peony, black currant, tar and licorice aromas and flavors. Ripe and dense, the fruit and savory notes ride a well-balanced acid tannin frame into a long, lovely denouement. Complex and intense; 2013-24.
Regulars are aware that the 2009 Bordeaux are the bomb. The vintage should rate up there with '61 and '82. I recently sampled 30 petite chateaux samples. Not a bad one in the bunch. Please, my friends, back up a truck on this vintage and lay it down. A great idea for those with young children and grandchildren born in 2009 is to lay in a case or two and then cellar until they are 21. We did this with all three of our children and had very good luck. Sample as many as you are able or, if you wish, email me and I will let you know about shelf life. Stump the critic chump, if you will.
I strongly recommend Chateaux Pasquet, recently on sale at $192/case, due to price and value.The wine is black purple. Tough nose to open, but enough time in theglass yielded fresh-squeezed berry notes, currants, plums and hints of wood. Tannins were elevated as one expects in new, dark, closed wine, but there were notes of vanilla, more berries, currants, some licorice, prune and smoke through a puckery finish. The 2009s need a minimum of eight in the cellar and will improve through 2040 in my opinion. Others worth searching out are Chateaux Myres and Mondorian. Narrow your search to left bank from Paulliac, St. Estephe, Margaux and St. Julien for best results 96-100 points, although right bank St. Emilion and Pomerols are nothing to sneeze at in the 90-95-point range.
Don't forget, when an occasion like this happens and a vintage is wildly applauded, the surrounding vintage's prices fall off a cliff. The 2008s and the 2010s (when released) will be on fire sale. Right now the 2005-08 are dropping in price. If you are a Bordeaux lover, now is the time for you and your well-cultivated pal at your wine shop to start searching for bargains getting close to their drinking age. Grand Puy Lacoste 2005 is a pretty good example.
