I didn’t see anyone ask yet:
You mentioned this one is drinking well currently. Can these cellar, if so how long and do you think they’ll get better over time or is the window right around now and the next year or so?
What kind of food pairings do you think are best for this wine?
Thank you in advance for your participation, it means tons around here!
Thank you, wine.woot, for my dad’s Xmas gift. We can drink several toasts to his grandmother, who was a Pellegrini. Yay!
Good Morning! Yes, we think the Milestone will age well over the next 10 years. I’ll let Dan answer what he thinks the best drinking window is…
This red blend pairs perfectly in a glass while sitting in a nice comfy leather chair with your feet up! Seriously will pair beautifully with any beef dish, Mt. Vella Dry Jack cheese and/or anything with dark chocolate.
In for 1. Now time to make some room 
I am not sure RRV is known for Zin but rather Pinots and Chards…Dry Creek Valley is Zin heaven in Sonoma…maybe that’s what you meant? What Zins from Sonoma are your faves?
You’re right, I was thinking Dry Creek and Alexander Valley (north of RRV?, Can’t quite recall), I edited my post!
Doh, now I have to go buy a leather chair!
Seriously though, thanks again for your answers and participation.
ha! the wine is luxurious, so it’s the first thing that came to mind.
I would definitely recommend drinking this wine now AND in ten years. It really depends on what kind of age you like on a wine. Right now the flavors are mostly primary driven, ie: blackcurrant, vanilla, cocoa, etc. As the wine ages, it will soften further and those flavors will evolve into more secondary ones, ie: earth, leather, mushroom, etc…
I don’t think I can improve on Ali’s food pairing advice, sounds like she’s been bringing her work home with her =).
The Merlot that makes up the majority of the blend is from one of our vineyards here in RRV. It’s called “Eight Cousins Vineyard” for the all eight of Jeanne, Richard and Robert’s kids. In answer to your question, YES! RRV is known primarily as a region famous for it’s Burgundian varietals. Merlot is typically grown in AVAs like Alexander Valley and Knights Valley here in Sonoma. If you were to compare the climate to that of Bordeaux however, you would find that they do not get that kind of heat. By limiting the tonnage on our vines we are able to ripen the Merlot in our cooler climate. This yields an exceptionally long hang time which imparts those elegant tannins and bright, blackcurrant fruits.
Thanks for the follow-up! In for 3.
To Ali or Dan,
Would you describe the Milestone as you “flagship” wine, i.e. the one you’re most proud of?
I notice that 1) It’s listed first on your Wine Shop page. 2) At $45, it’s your second-most expensive offering (by $5). 3) From the comments you have already posted, a lot of love and care goes into it.
I’m on the fence with this one, for financial reasons.
I’m on the fence, too. I went “auto-buy” (x2!) with the Wellington Victory, but feel like I need a push here. Where’s RPM when you need him…?
Oh, we are fortunate to have a handful of wines we are most proud of. The Milestone was made with extra care in the cellar and the vineyards, our first offering of this blend ever in 2005. I personally was excited to find this out years ago when tasting out of barrel at the winery, the Malbec and Cab Franc grapes sing in the Milestone. This is a wine for serious California Cab and Bordeaux drinkers most certainly.
As for the price, it’s a chance to experience this bottle 2 at a time at a killer deal. A nice break for us all before the Holidays kick into full swing. Cheers!
PS…this bottle is often “best wine we’ve had all day” from folks visiting our tasting room.
Thank you to the winemaker for the comments. I just sent 4 orders as gifts to my wine loving friends for Christmas.
-Fellow paesano
I see you do manage to keep the acid balance decent too. Ate you going for a Pomerol ot St Emilion kind of style? Or perhaps given the deep new world fruit, a SuperPom? I always wonder how the French often avoid much fruit in favour of harder tannin, earth, mushroom leather and maybe funk, even in young wines.
I’d love to hear from him too on this one, as I’m sure he knows of the winery -although not to be confused with Pedroncelli.
However, as with Gandalf, Merlin, Obi Wan Kenobi and their ilk, we young Hobbitses have to learn how to do it for ourselves sometimes. So, ask questions, use the instincts, and don’t put on that ring!
how do you guys think this 06 compares to the 05 when you started making the milestone?
In for 1. I do like me some red blends!