April 21

A common request in the store is for a wine that is not too expensive now but will be fabulous in a couple of years or more. Not too expensive is a relative term in the wine trade, but rarely can I find a wine under $20 a bottle that will dramatically improve with a few years of time. $30 a bottle is a good place to start and picking a region or grape variety not well known gives the best bang for the buck.

The Domaine le Sang des Cailloux Cuvee Floureto 2007 at $29.99 a bottle is HUGE bang for the buck. When I tasted it, I tried to buy ten cases, but they would only let me have 4, an unusual number. This is a Rhone Valley wine from the town of Vacqueras. Most Vacqueras are $10-20 a bottle, but this is not most Vacqueras. If rob the cradle and taste it now, you will love-hate it, or hate-love it. When the bottle is first opened, it tastes like a California fruit bomb with gobs of lush ripe fruit flavors. Sometime later, between a half hour to a full hour, the wine closes all the fruit down and you are left with tannic, barnyard and peppery flavors. Over time these two separate sensations will meld into one terrific wine. My guess right now is to wait until 2015 for a wine extravaganza. I would serve it on a cold winter's night with a leg of lamb or roast of beef.
Venison would be awesome too.