Drink Up Your California Cellared Wines

  Styles have changed. Most California reds began changing in the late '90s from the drier Old World style (high acid, tannins, no residual sugar, relatively low alcohol  levels) to wines the opposite of those that just don't age well. These wines are soft and very drinkable when young when you compare them to the Old World style, but they have no where to go but down. 

  Not saying that's all bad as the vast majority of wine is consumed within a few days of purchase. I am saying if you are buying California wines for the cellar you have to be careful what you buy.

  So if you've got '80s or '90s "old school" wines in your cellar they are most likely ready. Of course, if you have any CA wines older than that you probably know you should drink 'em up. If you are saving wines from this millennium they are probably ready or even over-the-hill. What? Over-the-hill already?

   Yes, I've noticed that with my own cellar. I had a habit of aging most non-Cabernets at least five years, often seven-to-ten before consuming. Well, that's not working anymore. And Cabs? Well, ten is almost too long for them. These are all generalizations, of course. Some California red wine is still built to age, just not very much of it.

   My old way of going 10-20 on Cabs and 5-10 on other reds has now been cut in half. Again, not necessarily a bad thing, just something I learned by trial and error.