wine library notes
vintages 1996–2009
Vertical Tasting Held on November 14, 2012
Each fall, we look forward to the opportunity to taste through all of our wines as a group and to share with you our collective comments! In November, we had the pleasure of gathering with two “guest palates,” Master Sommeliers Gillian Ballance, of Murray’s Circle at Cavallo Point and William Sherer of Redd and Redd Wood. We blind-tasted fifteen vintages, 1996 - 2010, in two separate flights. Because wines are ever changing, our impressions and evaluations vary from year to year. On this particular day, the group had some favorites — the “Best In Show”— which we’ve designated with a special Lab symbol! 
We expect this “list” to evolve annually, so please check back!
As to the suggestions to drink, hold, or some combination thereof, please remember that if you do choose to drink a younger vintage, we recommend a rough (double) decanting prior to tasting, giving the wine an hour or so to open up in a decanter before serving. All young wines benefit from this experience, and though we might say "hold" in our notes, trying vintages in their youth allows you to track their evolution and development over time, which is among the great joys of wine!
Christie Dufault, Wine Director at Quince in San Francisco, decants the Estate Cabernet in the Spottswoode winery.
