Exploring Library Wines: A Journey Through Aged Flavors While Enjoying A Party
Discovering Library Wines: Experience the Richness of Aging
In this library there’s no need to be quiet. There is actually a lot of slurping and oohs & ahhs as 20 of us sample Cass Wines’ private owner stash.
You are actually encouraged to slurp and verbalize your tasting pleasures. That’s because this library has no dewy decimal cards, microfiche or online computers. This library holds vintage wine bottles dating back to the year 2005.
Every winemaker has a collection of bottles dating back to their early beginnings of mastering the art of wine. There are several reasons to maintain a library of California bottles of wine. One reason is ego or pride, another is gauging the wine’s aging characteristics and the other is the opportunity to sell older bottles of wine at premium prices. On your favorite winery website look for their ‘Library Wines.’ You’re bound to find triple and quadruple digit prices for older bottles of wine.
What’s a vertical tasting? It’s tasting wine from a variety of vintage years. As an example we drank a Cabernet Sauvignon from 2014 all the way up to 2022.
| ‘So remember, don’t be afraid to ask for a second or third extra glass so you can compare and contrast wines side by side. You don’t need to finish one wine to go to the next.’ |
Some wineries also host Library Wine events for a price. Some are free for members. For an opportunity to taste wine with the winemaker you’ll likely need to pull out your credit card. Wineries like Sonoma’s Rodney Strong (@$75) Lodi’s Harney Lane (@$50, members perk) or Paso Robles’ Booker Winery (@$400.)
For us, 20 wine affecianados visited Paso Robles’ Cass Winery’s library event last August. Winemaker Sterling Kragten filled in for co-owner Ted Plemons (their normal host and resident entertainer.) It’s a casual mid-day tasting with a lots of shorts, flip-flops and casual wear. There’s no ostentatiousness in this particular library.
What did we taste?
2014 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Syrah & Petite Verdot and other Rhone varietals. Sold Out ✰+/✰++
2015 Reserve Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Drought year W/Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petite Verdot) $200 (case price $2,400) ✰+
2016 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (El Nino rain year W/Petite Sirah & Merlot from two barrels) Sold Out ✰++/✰+
2018 Signature Cabernet Sauvignon (W/Merlot, Malbec & Petite Verdot in a 3 liter bottle) Sold Out ✰+
2022 Cabernet Sauvignon (fire taint year with Syrah, Petite Sirah & Touriga Nacional) $55 ✰+
For this particular tasting we sampled from one glass. It’s not our preferred way of tasting multiple vintages of the same wine. We really prefer at least three glasses for side-by-side tastings of different vintages against each other. We often imbibe different aged varietal wines (ie: all Zin, Syrah or Pinot Noir) in three or four glasses at the same time. It gives us an opportunity to compare and contrast wines from different years and different soils.
It’s also advantageous when tasting the same varietal from multiple vineyards. As an example, Hope Family Wines in Paso Robles blends similar Cabernet Sauvignon from five different appellations. Some vineyards are cooler, some are hotter and some are in specific soil. It’s a treat to taste each one of the five wines lined up side-by-side before tasting the final blended product in a sixth glass.
So remember, don’t be afraid to ask for a second or third extra glass so you can compare and contrast wines side by side. You don’t need to finish one wine to go to the next. Save the previous wine in a glass alongside your current glass(es).
We’ll warn you though, it’s tough convincing a wine host to pour these expanded tastes. Sometimes it takes a little conversation and money to see extra bottles shared this way. But, it’s the best opportunity of tasting your way to an understanding of the wine making art. They’re not just crushing grape, fermenting it and bottling it. They’re looking for ways to round out a single varietal or appellation of wine into a highly enjoyable glass of vino.
Some notes on our wine ranking system.
Bill & Erin Hodge write about California Wine, the estates & winemakers producing them and educational information about Vino. Living in California Wine Country provides a front row seat to the places you want to visit the most here in the Golden State.
– -✰ means -What’s next on your list of wines
-✰ means -Not liking it too much
✰ means -We’ll drink this wine, especially if it’s hosted!
✰+ means -You’ve got our attention and we might buy this wine.
✰+ + means -We’re hooked and we’re going to buy this wine.
When you see -✰/✰+ with a slash, it means we disagree.
