how are these...

[marleyplaydead]

clos du bois 99 reserve cab aleander valley

penfolds thomas hyland adelaide hills chardonnay 2001

columbia crest grand estates columbia valley cab 2000 (and is 99 better?)

blackstone 2000 merlot napa valley (i tried another blackstone 2000 merlot which was very good -whats the difference?)

also can you suggest some other merlots for about $15?

[Innkeeper]

1. Would age it at least three years. Their regular bottling (not reserve) is now made just about ready to go.

2. Oak bomb.

3. Give it at least to the end of year or decant it a hour ahead of time in a wide mouth decanter. We are still drinking '99s, but the producer is very consistant. The '00 has just been released, and it usually takes a year to open up completely.

4. The Napa Valley should be better than the California bottling.

5. Bogle and several recently posted from Washington state down under the Merlot thread.

[marleyplaydead]

1 & 3. i keep reading that 90% of wines are ready to drink now. how can i know whats good to wait on (other than asking you guys?)

2. do you mean that in a bad way?

thanks for your help!

also what are some good cabs to drink now? (around $15)

[Innkeeper]

Didn't say you couldn't drink 1 & 3. Just making a recommendation. Would look for the '99s on the Columbia Crest and the regular bottling on the CDB. They will be ready to go. There are quite a few '99 Cabs from Oz that are drinking well now. Look for Bleasdale 'Mulberry Tree', Rosemount 'Hill of Gold', Water Wheel, Wolf Blass 'Yellow Label', and others down on the Australia thread.

I only like New World Chardonnay that is clearly marked "unwooded" or "unoaked", or are specifically recommended by reputable authority to be very "light" on the oak.

[marleyplaydead]

thanks again!

[wondersofwine]

Had the Blackstone Napa Valley Merlot Friday night at a tasting. I liked it (and I don't like that many West Coast merlots). I'm told it retails for about $16 and it is probably worth the extra over their more generic Merlot label (the California bottling). The Clos du Bois cabernet from Alexander Valley (not sure it was the "reserve") was my favorite red at the Pinehurst Wine Festival last year. The wine voted overall favorite red by all attendees was a single-vineyard cabernet from Clos du Bois. Keeping in mind that we were not offered top classification Burgundy or Bordeaux wines or cult California wines, still, coming out tops in the vote indicates some perceptible quality. So hopefully you will find the Clos Du Bois to your liking.
Oops, I think it was a single-vineyard Chardonnay from Clos du Bois that was voted favorite white. Two zinfandels from other vineyards came in one and two as favorite reds. However, in general I was impressed with the quality of the Clos du Bois line.

[This message has been edited by wondersofwine (edited 02-03-2003).]

[hotwine]

I chose the Blackstone (CA) Merlot for pairing with grilled T-bones Sunday evening, and again tonight. Much prefer the CA bottling to the Napa offering. Not sure I can quantify the difference....the Napa seems to lack the structure of the CA wine, the depth of flavors and variental character. For Merlot, though, the CA label is the one I reach for (and there's only one bottle left now in the cellar).