This Week in "Stuff I Can't Afford"

Since we opened that Altesino last week, I decided it was high time I opened another expensive bottle. It's raining ropes outside (il plait pleur), in typical spring Nor'easter style, and cabin fever is the best reason to open a bottle. Getting on all fours in the cellar, we dug out one of my birthday presents, Jeffrey O'Neill and Laurence Vosti's Xtant Napa Valley 2001 Red wine blend ($$$$).


This wine's fruit is ripe, maybe too ripe (use a decanter, unless you're drinking this in a year or two). This wine is reminiscent of wild berries, you know, the one's you shouldn't eat but you do, 'cuz they taste so good. There are hints of loam/dirt. This wine reminded me of gardening with my mother. The tannins are firm, but not grainy.
This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Malbec from a small handful of Napa Valley vineyards. It is an homage to the Napa region, and according to the winemakers, is the "epitome of the traditional Napa Valley blend". Its price can be explained by its limited run -- 392 cases (4704 bottles)were made.

I definitely enjoyed this wine, even if its opening was premature -- I'll have to ask for another one for Christmas. It was fun to drink, but I won't recommend it unless you have the money and/or cellar space to spare. At this price point, there are a great deal of wines that would be amazing now as opposed to 3-7 years from now.
Wine Spectator gave it a 92.