Updated 11/14/11

Cellar Selections

Here we’ll list a selection of highly-rated, hard to find wines that would serve as excellent additions to your home collection.

Charles Smith Syrah “Royal City” 2008
“The 2008 Royal City Syrah was sourced from the Stoneridge Vineyard. It displays a soaring perfume of sandalwood, garrigue, lavender, smoke, bacon, game, blueberry, and black raspberry. Super-concentrated, it deftly marries power and elegance in a seamless wine that should see its 20th birthday in peak form.” — 99 points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

“Savory, with layers and layers of flavor on a deftly balanced frame. The velvety style emphasizes black olive, green olive and roasted meat flavors around a subterranean core of blackberry, tar and spice. The finish rolls along unimpeded by polished tannins. Drink now through 2018. 600 cases made.” — 96 points, The Wine Spectator
$149.99 / 750 ml

Dominus Estate’s Napanook 2008
“The 2008 Napanook (84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot) may be one of the greatest Napanooks made. It is a deeper, richer, more intense wine with full body, an endearing texture and a long, pure finish. These two are “take your pick” vintages, but wine enthusiasts would probably be remiss in not having both 2007 and 2008 in their cellars.” — 93 points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
$69.99 / 750 ml

Belle Glos Las Alturas Vineyard Pinot Noir 2009
“Bold, rich and layered, exhibiting dense dark berry fruit that shows touches of spice, wild berry and blackberry, with attractive floral scents. Full-bodied, this expands on the finish, where the flavors fan out. Best from 2012 through 2020. 2,852 cases made.” — 92 points, The Wine Spectator
$35.99 / 750 ml, normally $47.99

Concha y Toro “Don Melchor” Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
“The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon is opaque purple in color. The nose delivers a splendid array of pain grille, smoke, pencil lead, espresso, and black currants. It makes a youthful entry on the palate with layers of black fruits, mouth-filling flavors, a plush texture, with plenty of ripe tannins to hold this big wine together. The finish is long and pure. The wine demands 8-10 years to show to full advantage and should drink well through 2032.” — 94+ points, The Wine Advocate
$99.99 / 750 ml

Chalk Hill Proprietary Red 2007
“Bold, rich, graceful and full-bodied, offering a wonderful beam of ripe blackberry, currant and wild berry, with touches of spice and tobacco leaf. Full-bodied, firming on the finish, where the flavors gain depth and maintain their persistence. Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Carmenère. Drink now through 2017. 5,000 cases made.” — 93 points, The Wine Spectator
$69.99 / 750 ml

Belle Glos Clark & Telephone Vineyard Pinot Noir 2009
“A rich, extracted style that’s dense, but also very complex and detailed, with spicy berry flavors that fan out nicely while retaining their focus, gaining depth on the finish. Best from 2012 through 2019. 2,777 cases made.” — 93 points, The Wine Spectator
$35.99 / 750 ml, normally $49.99

Bodegas Catena Zapata “Nicolas Catena Zapata” 2006
“The 2006 Nicolas Catena Zapata is composed of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Malbec and spent 26 months in new French oak. It displays a superb perfume of pain grille, spice box, truffle, wild flowers, black cherry, and black currant. Rich, layered, dense, and complex, it, too, combines elegance and power. The wine is structured for the long haul and should easily see its 25th birthday, with 50 not out of the question. There is no track record, and I won’t be around to find out.” — 97 points, The Wine Advocate
$124.99 / 750 ml

Luce Della Vite Toscana “Luce” 2006
“Very pretty aromas of cherry pie, blackberry and spices follow through to a full body, with clean, velvety tannins and a delicious, fruity finish. Turns chewy and powerful. Already hard to resist. Merlot and Sangiovese. Best after 2010. 7,200 cases made.” — 94 points, The Wine Spectator
$69.99 / 750 ml, normally $99.99

Tenuta San Guido “Sassicaia” 2006
“The 2006 Sassicaia may very well go down as one of the all-time great recent vintages for this Tuscan thoroughbred. The year started off very warm but by August evening temperatures had moderated, leaving the fruit with a stunning combination of ripeness, perfume, acidity and tannin. The wine is simply glorious, that’s all there is to it. Layers of dark fruit meld into smoke, leather, violets, menthol, earthiness and tar as this profound wine opens up in the glass. The creamy, silky finish lasts an eternity, as waves of fruit caress the tannins with breathtaking elegance. Everything is in the right place in this magical Sassicaia. This is one for the ages. In a word: Awesome. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2031.” — 97 points, The Wine Advocate
$229.99 / 750 ml

Belle Glos Taylor Lane Vineyard Pinot Noir 2009
“Notably oaky, yet very complex, extracted and deep, with rich dark berry fruit that shows touches of spice and mineral. Picks up a hint of mocha on the finish. Drink now through 2018. 908 cases made.” — 92 points, The Wine Spectator
$49.99 / 750 ml

Phifer-Pavitt “Date Night” Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
“This gorgeous wine—the best yet from this producer—is sumptuous, graceful, rich and fleshy, with ripe blueberry, plum and wild berry fruit that’s dense, elegant, focused and layered. Full-bodied, ending with a long, lingering finish. Drink now through 2022. 400 cases made.” — 94 points, The Wine Spectator
$79.99 / 750 ml

Chateau LaForge St. Emilion Grand Cru 2006
“From the bottle, the 2006 Laforge, which was not included in the February report, was rated 93. A brilliant wine for the vintage, it possesses sweet tannins, abundant fruit, and remarkable concentration and intensity for this vintage.” — 93 points, The Wine Advocate
$64.99 / 750 ml

Achaval-Ferrer Malbec “Finca Altamira La Consulta” 2008
“The 2008 Finca Altamira is a bit broader and richer on the palate. It is an opulent wine that combines elegance with power. Give it 4-5 years of cellaring and drink it from 2014 to 2028. Achaval Ferrer is now firmly established as one of Argentina’s benchmark producers.” — 97 points, The Wine Advocate
$124.99 / 750 ml

Zenato Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2006
“A massive, towering wine bursting with black cherries, dried flowers, herbs and leather. The wine’s sheer concentration and richness have been achieved while maintaining considerable grace, even if this isn’t the most subtle Amarone readers will come across. Still, it’s impossible to deny the wine’s personality and class.” — 95 points, The Wine Advocate
$79.99 / 750 ml

Ili Brovia Barolo “Rocche” 2003
“The 2003 Barolo Rocche presents a fresher color than the normale, with sweet candied cherries, spices and menthol that open in the glass. It possesses outstanding depth, precision and vibrancy in a tightly-wound style that will require at least a few years of patience. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2018.” — 91 points, The Wine Advocate
$57.99 / 750 ml

Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape 2006
“Powerful, with a round, almost creamy core of blackberry and raspberry fruit all layered with cocoa, sweet toast, mesquite and fig paste. Long and rich through the finish. Still quite primal, with lots in reserve. Best from 2010 through 2030. 17,500 cases made.” — 95 points, The Wine Spectator
$119.99 / 750 ml

Kaesler Shiraz “Old Bastard” 2003
“A candidate for Shiraz of the vintage from South Australia. Exhibiting an inky/purple color along with serious velocity and intensity, it is a superb expression of top-notch Barossa Valley Shiraz. A glorious perfume of charcoal, blackberry liqueur, smoke, and vanilla is followed by an enormous, but neither heavy nor over-ripe wine that is a testament to the winemaking skills of Reid Bosward.” — 96 points, The Wine Advocate
$132.99 / 750 ml

Altamura Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
“A brilliant 2006, showing gorgeous, rich, supple and juicy blackberry-laced Cabernet flavors that are bold and intense, yet supple and refined, with complex mocha, roasted herb, espresso and anise flavors that combine power with finesse. Drink now through 2020. 3,000 cases made.” — 94 points, The Wine Spectator
$99.99 / 750 ml

Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
“Firm in texture, a bit chewy with tannins but glowing at the core with currant, dried blueberry and smoke aromas and flavors that linger nicely. Best from 2013 through 2017. 5,000 cases made.” — 92 points, The Wine Spectator
$46.99 / 750 ml

Noon Shiraz Reserve 2006
“Sourced from a 45-year-old vineyard and aged for 18 months in small and large French and American oak. Opaque purple/black in color, it gives up a lavish perfume of smoke, mineral, game, bacon and blueberry that leaps from the glass. Thick, opulent and intense, it coats the mouth with savory fruit, spices and a hint of chocolate. Seamless on the palate, it nevertheless conceals enough structure to evolve for a decade for those able to resist its immediate come-on. It should be at its best from 2012 to 2030.” — 99 points, The Wine Advocate
$79.99 / 750 ml

Darioush Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2007
“Robust and potent, offering ripe, dense blackberry, licorice, lead pencil, cedar and roasted herb flavors that are full-bodied and concentrated, all the while holding onto a tight focus and ending with a long, chewy, persistent finish. Best from 2013 through 2023.” — 94 points, The Wine Spectator
$85.99 / 750 ml

Marchesi Antinori Guado Al Tasso 2007
“Guado al Tasso is a wine that will make you fall uncontrollably in love with Italy. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot are expertly blended to produce amazing intensity, purity and texture. You’ll appreciate aromas of mineral, ripe fruit, leather, tobacco and chocolate.” — 97 points, #2 Wine of the Year, The Wine Enthusiast
$114.99 / 750 ml

Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia 2007
“A wine that does everything right and puts it all in beautiful balance. Full-bodied, yet reserved, silky and elegant, with wonderful fruit and friendly tannins. Best after 2012.” — 97 points, The Wine Spectator
$199.99 / 750 ml

Rodney Strong Symmetry 2007
“A great Bordeaux-style wine that can stand proudly next to Napa bottlings that cost far more. It’s mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, with the other four permitted Meritage varieties, and there seems to be lots of new, sweetly toasted oak. The blackberry, cherry, red currant, mocha and bacon flavors are delicious, but even better is the tannic structure. It’s soft and alluring enough to drink now.” — 94 points, Wine Enthusiast, $54.99 / 750 ml

Banfi Brunello di Montalcino Poggio Alle Mura 2004
“Shows dried raspberry and cinnamon on the nose. Full-bodied, with an impressive density of fruit and round tannins. Long and flavorful. Just starting to open up. Powerful and rich. Best after 2010. 6,650 cases made.” — 94 points, Wine Spectator, $87.99 / 750 ml

Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
“One of the richest Cabernets of the vintage. Amazingly soft and velvety in the mouth, yet there’s a solid grip of acidity and tannins that balance the richness. The flavors are extraordinary, ranging from blackberry and cherry-pie filling through currant liqueur and milk chocolate to leather. So decadent now, it’s hard to resist, but should develop for 4–6 years.” — 96 points, Wine Enthusiast, $89.99 / 750 ml

Chateau Talbot St. Julien 2005
“Sweet tobacco, berry and currant aromas follow through to a full body, with soft, silky tannins and a fresh, racy aftertaste of currant and mineral. The texture of the tannins is very beautiful. Best after 2016.” — 92 points, Wine Spectator, $91.99 / 750 ml