From the cellar: Just so damn good.  This is like when you dress up and feel like something that you’re not.  I have the Crockett and Jones shoes that Daniel Craig wore in Skyfall.  When I put on those shoes I feel like something I’m not, much grander, confident and by god do they feel great on your feet.  I would like to win the lottery: Not to be a Barclay brother or a Koch brother though; in other words, not to be some uber-powerful crony on Park Avenue, but rather to drink balanced wines each day and not feel the pinch.

There is a snobbery in the wine world that is repugnant to everyday “appreciaters” such as myself, but there is also immense appreciation for when we have to pay a bit more for something worth paying a bit more for.  As for the west coast, witness, e.g., L’Ecole, La Frenz, Ridge.  I really loved the Napa perfection in this wine.  It wasn’t a fake Burgundy.  In fact, it fell short on some of the buttery expectations I had.  There was more of a citrus kick than I was hoping for.  But Jesus, it drank like a dream.

We served it with (more or less) a vegetarian main, braised fennel, with butternut squash, salad, and some Iberico ham and Rioja chorizo on the side for the non-veggies.  It was superb.  To which I might add, if you don’t know Molly Stevens braising recipes, particularly her braised fennel, then you aren’t even trying.

I guess the sots down at the major wine press mags get to scoff at this sort of wine as beneath them.  But I will swear on a Bible it was brilliant.

Oh, yes, the mandatory wine adjectives: A little short on the Burgundian style, weak on omnipresent Cal chard oak, spectacularly well-balanced, nuanced with citrus, raspberry aroma and a sweet burnt honey overtone with a tropical aftertaste.  Really remarkable.  Just, and I hate to write this but it’s the truth, just a little too expensive for the average prole, and I am the average prole.

Price: Dare I admit $37 USD?  Yes, it’s a fact.  Don’t know where though.  Probably in Seattle.

Market Liquidity: Basic black with pearls.  Not a soupcon out of place.