Challenge # 7 : Open a Bottle of Wine that I've Been Saving and Enjoy it Now

Sometimes, that special occasion to open that bottle of wine just never arrives and that precious wine just sits in storage never to be enjoyed. I used to have a penchant for collecting bottles of nice wine but as soon as the kids came, I traded in my wine tastevin for music lessons, dance recitals, trips and ipods, all for the sake of the kids.

Fortunately, I am still able to enjoy great wines at work and also through the generous contributions of friends and my French brother-in-law. John and Stephanie Schlinker, loyal JW hotel guests, presented me with this bottle of 2005 Barnett Vineyards cabernet sauvignon as a "thank you" for helping make their visits to the JW always very memorable. It came in a beautiful wooden wine box, and after admiring the label, I took the box straight to my "do not touch" shelf in our kitchen.

Barnett Vineayrds is a boutique winery in Napa Valley; atop Spring Mountain. Wines are cultivated by hand along the steep terraces that wraps around the winery. Because of this, production for the entire winery is limited to about 5,000 cases per year. About 500 cases of the which are the 2005 cabernet sauvignon. That's it.

After months of "maturing" in my pantry, my wife and I took the bottle of Barnett cab to dinner last evening. We invited good friends, Bert and Lindy Crandell, to help partake in the challenge.

I had our server decant the wines about 30 minutes before, and as expected, the big cab didn't disappoint. The 2005 cab has a deep red, beet color with a bouquet of blackberries and chocolate. The nose is pure Napa, however, the wine tasted more like a Bordeaux with soft tannins and an earthy finish. The wine was a huge hit. The fact that we weren't celebrating any special occasion made the uncorking of the Barnett cab more special.

Do you have any "special occasion" wines you've been wanting to open for a long time? Don't wait. Open one this month for no reason, and with the help of some friends, mark the occasion as a special one. I believe I have a few remaining available nights this month for some wine tasting...