Thread: Wine Question?

I was given a couple bottles of wine at my last dinner party and was wondering if they were any good and if I should wait to drink them or uncork them.

-2003 Fransiscan Oakville Estate Napa/ Cab

-2005 Stags Leap Artemis Napa/ Cab

Drink now, ask questions later?

Drink tonight and post the results. Or, ship them to me and I will drink them for you.

Big Luv - pretty good Napa cabs there, WAY WAY WAY too early on the Stag's Leap, though, as Artemis needs a good 7 plus years after bottle date. Don't open it!!! The '03 Franciscan is an okay wine, I've had a couple, they are ready to go. Big nose, not very fruit forward - lots of tobacco and oak.

Do you have a good place to store wine?

The Stags Leap will drink ok now and for the next year or two or more, but it's a wine that's designed to cellar. At the moment it will have big fruit and bigger tannins. After a couple of years in the cellar it will start to dumb down and if you crack it open you'll wonder what the fuss is. If you have the patience to cellar it for a at least 5 years (maybe closer to 10) it will start to turn into something wonderful, if it is kept properly. It's pretty bullet proof, but still, no temps above 80, no above the fridge wine racks, etc. I have 15+ year old Stag Leaps that are doing just wonderfully, but that takes cellar temps below 60 to be assured of success.

The Fransiscan I'm not very familiar with, can't give you much advice there. Suspect it will drink ok now. Maybe be worth cellaring but it might not go very far.

Well, went out on a double date last night and we started off with Rodney Strong Cab 2005 then went to another bar had some Ravenswood (not to shabby), then back to my place and uncorked the Franciscan and it was pretty good too. I am going to take your advice and shelve the Stags Leap for a while.