Does this wine age well?

[Mitch]

My husband and I are carrying on a tradition that my European parents started with me. Our son was born in 1997 and we wanted to pick a nice red wine from that year to keep until his 18th birthday for all of us to drink together. We tried Stag's Leap 1997 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon in a restaurant and loved it. We would love to buy this bottle to save for 16 more years. Does anyone know if this ages well?

[mrdutton]

I think the Stag's Leap Cabernet Sauvignon is good. But I am not so sure I would lay it up for eighteen years or so. I really believe it is meant to be drunk younger.

I can not address my suggestions below from experience. I've enjoyed the Kendall Jackson wines but have not had one that has been layed-up for a long time.

Other members of this board will provide you with some very good advice and opinions.

Sticking with California wines, here are two possible candidates:

1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Hillside Reserve from Flora Springs winery. Still tasting sweet, as if the fermentation isn't complete, this is an enormously complex and concentrated wine, brimming with currant and black cherry.

Flora Springs Winery, www.florasprings.com,
1978 W. Zinfandel Ln., St. Helena, CA 94574
Phone: (707) 963-5711 Fax: (707) 963-7518
Tasting room: 677 St. Helena Hwy, St. Helena
E-mail: greatwines@florasprings.com


1997 Cabernet Sauvignon California Grand Reserve from Kendall-Jackson winery. Dark, grapey, with spicy plum, currant and wild berry. Finishes with firm tannins and fine balance. Notably elegant at this early stage.

Kendall-Jackson, http://kj.com, member of Rhone Rangers, 421 Aviation Blvd., Santa Rosa, CA 95403
Phone: (800) 769-3649 or (707) 544-4000 Fax: (707) 544-4013
E-mail: kjwines@kj.com

The Kendall-Jackson might be more readily available here in Virginia than the Flora Springs. Check with your local wine merchant, he/she can give you some very good suggestions.

Laying up any wine for a long period of time can be a risk, but it can also be very worthwhile! Good luck in your venture!

Another idea would be to wait until just before your son's eighteenth birthday and then engage a wine broker to find a case of good 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon for your consumption.

[Innkeeper]

One sure fire bet would be a Brunello Di Montalcino. Does not have to be a Riserva. The plain ole 1997 Brunellos will be released in 2002, so pick one up then.

[hotwine]

Others on this board will probably address your question directly. However, suggest you consider a fine European wine as a candidate for that worthy event. Depending on how much you're willing to spend, and whether you can provide proper storage for several years, a wine of the Crus Hors Classe Bordeaux would be a premier choice. You might be looking at a price in the range of $250-300 for a single bottle. 1997 was a good but not exceptional year for the wines of that region, but the wines of the five top houses should do very well. They have not yet been released into the marketplace.