At first, this may seem to be in particularly poor taste. learned my lesson with 2005 Bordeaux. Winter-Spring 2009 Cult Wine Release Schedule with pricing (where available) January Ridge Monte Bello 2007 $125 Quilceda Creek 2005 $140 Kistler 2006 avg. Why would anyone purchase the 2006 as a future release for 250% of the 2001?) MORE >>

Thus, every trip up Monte Bello Road is a lesson and an adventure. Difficult to compare to recent vintages (which have all included at least some cabernet franc or petit verdot) this is less flamboyant than the 2006 and 2007, and will benefit from extended cellaring. The bottle of 1997 I tasted was the best I have ever tried. MORE >>

I find it hard to understand wine at large tastings because I can't enjoy them slowly and see how they unfold in my glass, see how they work with dinner. All I can really do at large tastings is just that - taste wine, and see whether or not it interests me enough to seek out on my own. Also, they tasted great. Aubin. MORE >>

Anyway, here are a few interesting wines from the past month or so that did not get their own post: BrooklynLady and I learned our lesson, and went to dinner last weekend on our date (no more cooking classes for now). bet this would have done well in our recent blind tasting. went with a Gamay from the Loire Valley, a glass of 2006 O. MORE >>

The cooked flesh tastes and feels something like a cross between tuna and Spanish mackerel. Sure, no more 2005 is available, but the 2006 is on the shelves. A $42 lesson in smelling wine. But it was an important lesson for my nose and palate, and it was equally important that I had the cohones to crack open the second bottle. MORE >>