I’m blaming this one, as usual, on my spouse.  Mr. Cellar-It.  We bought an inexpensive Chilean Cab TEN YEARS AGO, that was a definite “drink now”, and laid it down deep in the recesses of our wine cellar.

Let’s now fast forward to yesterday.  This is what my hard-working Fire Chief spouse comes home to:

Proof positive that we really do have wine on our front porch so we can watch the rest of our neighbors come home and gossip about them chat.

We had done our bi-tri-yearly cellar clean out and took this from our main cellar and then proceeded to plop it in the house in another.  I rescued it.

Casa Lapostolle
Cabernet Sauvignon 
2000 Estate Bottled
Rapel Valley, Santa Cruz, Chile
13.5% alcohol

Cork intact thankfully, not decanted, too much raisin in the color, chocolate and coffee on the nose but not corked, not a lot of fruit but full-bodied, drinkable, didn’t match any of the fruits listed on the back label, gone at least 2-5 years too long.  Paired it with Trader Joes Quattro Formaggi Pizza as it didn’t matter.  85 Eve pts, but when I had it 10 years ago (and since) it was much closer to 90.  Funny the difference a few points, and a few years, can make.

I had heard about this wine from a friend, Michelle Junet, that used to always bring me back 2-4 bottles of wine every time she got to Napa and I didn’t.  (I used to mark a little “MJ” on the Napa wines so Iwould know not to give them away in error – they’ve been our covetedbottles for years.)

Michelle’s palate matched ours, and when she discovered and recommended the Chilean Casa Lapostolle label, we searched it out. 

I still see this wine around and would recommend it too.  Just a little younger, and, on your own porch.

(FTA disclosure: We bought the bottle at the only wine bar opened back then in Santa Clarita, Valencia Wine Company, for $10.99)