When I first started working at Sokolin, there was a buzz in the air about a specific wine. This wine was inexpensive, secretive, and from what I heard, delicious. In fact, the first bottle of wine I ever received from Sokolin was this wine. I am sure you all know where I am going with this?Waterstone! This was the 2005 vintage, and I saw email after email and maybe more important, order after order from our customers.
What was this juice all about, I wondered. I was about to get a crash course from the makers themselves. It was about 8 months after I started working when Brent Shortridge (winemaker of Waterstone) came to our tasting room to do a vertical and to introduce the 2007 vintage. I was about to understand the reason for the love of this wine.
I had to get in on the action. I started to amass a collection of this "" bottle of wine for $19.95/bottle. First, it was a few bottles which turned into a few cases then I decided I wanted to do a magnum vertical.
I bought a 2004 and 2005 magnum, and I was excited to continue the large format vertical?unfortunately Waterstone didn't make magnums in 2006 or 2007. Not to worry, 2009 brought the return of the magnum, and I was ecstatic. Recently, we picked up the 2003 from a private collection. I had to get some!
What could be better than a night with Waterstone, venison filet, and your fiancé?nothing! We pulled the cork on the 2003 and were instantly taken back at the cedar nose. I wondered how in the heck a $19.95 bottle of wine could age so effortlessly! We poured the juice into a decanter for just long enough to let the 10 years blow off and a glass of exceptional wine followed. Deep purple with no signs of aging, dark fruits and smooth tannins all for $19.95! WHAT!?!? It made me realize that I needed to get as many of the 2007s and 2009s as possible.
Waterstone in any vintage is amazing, but in the 2007 and 2009 vintages, this wine is at its best. The newest vintage, the 2009, is the highest scoring Waterstone ever, with 93 points from James Suckling. This is one for the cellar, by the case load! Experience the taste of Cali-Cult wine without the Cali-Cult price and pick up some 2007 and 2009 Waterstone today!