I am sitting at my computer in California, my fingers twitching as I have not been on an airplane for a week for the first time in many months. I have a great deal of pent up energy and will expend some of it in an effort to create experiences while stationary. It’s a time to reflect on some wonderful bottles and to open up a few great ones from the cellar and not let them collect dust any longer. 

Flam Noble 2013: This wine is a blend of Cabernet, Merlot, Petite Verdot and Cabernet Franc. The most notable characteristic of this wine is that every time I took a sip it improved. The Cabernet and Petit Verdot created the perfect marriage on the mid-palate, the flavors were powerful and bore a hole in my tongue. The Cab Franc was dominant on the finish and the softness of the merlot was as inviting as the empty seat for Elijah on Passover. This wine has many years to still develop and should be part of any large feast you are planning.

2017 Lafon Rochet Bordeaux: The overriding taste in this wine is from the Cabernet. It is passionate, compelling, overpowering and encompassing. The greatness of this wine lies in how it transports you to the French vineyards. I could feel myself walking amongst the fields where the grapes are grown, smelling the air filled with ethanol and seeing the beauty of the chateau where the wine is made. This wine came as a temporary relief from the pressures of the coronavirus. Drink this wine with venison bathed in truffle oil. This wine will last for two decades, minimum. 

2019 Hajdu Vermentino: Just as I promised myself, I am being adventurous even while stuck at my desk. Would I rather be sailing in Sardinia where Vermentino grapes are grown? Yes. Though luckily for me, in lieu of that, the great modern winemaker Jonathon Hajdu has brought me there with his fun, energizing and tantalizing wine. Vermentino is Italian in origin but the 2019 Hajdu Vermentino I am tasting now is from Dry Creek Valley, California. This wine needs to be served cold, otherwise you will look silly constantly puckering up. It is wonderfully dry on the finish, reminiscent of vermouth. The mid-palate is of lovely lime and grapefruit flavors and the opening is like chewing on “spring-scented” dryer sheets. Drink this with baked salmon and zucchini, and imagine you are somewhere far away.