A Little Age Really Can Help...

[Joe H]

I am sipping a glass of 2000 Sebastiani Cab as I type this. Several days ago I shared a bottle of 1999 Estancia Cab and the day before that 2000 Chateau St. Michelle Merlot. Last weekend I opened a bottle of Chateau Souverain '99 Merlot and the same night a bottle of their '99 cab.

All were remarkably good for wine that cost, on sale, between $9 (Estancia and St. Michelle) and $13 (Chateau Souverain). Whatever one has heard about taking "middle of the road," fairly cheap wine and giving it a couple, three years of bottle age is true: it smooths the wine, adds a bit of depth and results in a wine that is really, in some cases, quite a bit better. I only bought a case of the 2000 Sebastiani; now I wish I had two or three left!

[Joe H]

As I type this I am sipping a bottle of the Chateau Souverain '99 Merlot which the WS gave 94 points to. This is a wine that cost less than $13 when I bought it three or four years ago. It is absolutely delicious now!! I bought three cases back then; now I wish I had bought even more.

[dinwiddie]

As I type this I am sipping a bottle of the Chateau Souverain '99 Merlot which the WS gave 94 points to.  This is a wine that cost less than $13 when I bought it three or four years ago.  It is absolutely delicious now!!  I bought three cases back then; now I wish I had bought even more.

I bought a bunch of the Chateau Souverain '99 Merlot and it is one of my wife's favorite wines. Thankfully I still have 3 or 4 bottles left. It is one of the wines that she will occasionally ask me to pull out of the cellar. Much as I would like to drink it more often, I only bring it out when she asks since it is always good to keep her happy. We had one a couple of weeks ago and it was still excellent.