Casa Nuestra is one of our all-time favorite wineries, an absolute gem in St. Helena that’s all the more fun to visit because it’s so low-key and informal. And the wine is so damn good that they’re one of three wine clubs we belong to–the others are Arrowood in Sonoma and Bonny Doon in Santa Cruz, giving us a nice destination for a day trip no matter what direction we’re headed.
But back to Casa Nuestra. A few months ago, our friends John and Alexa told us a story about a recent wine-tasting trip to Napa during which they asked various pourers at various wineries where they should go, and they wound up at…Casa Nuestra. Where they had this rose–and they’re not rose fans, mind you–that was the best they’d ever had in their lives.
Well, late this afternoon today the Fed Ex guy rings our bell, and I buzz him in and find down in the lobby our quarterly package from Casa Nuestra, which includes a 2002 Meritage, a 2002 Merlot…and the 2004 Rosado (34% Cab Franc, 66% Merlot). The first two go into long-term storage, awaiting the death of some noble Niman Ranch beast. But the latter goes right into the fridge for immediate consumption.
A wise decision–it’s perhaps the best rose of the 20-odd we’ve tried this summer. And we’ll be visiting Casa Nuestra in just a few short weeks. Hopefully they’ll have a little left over.
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