Baton Rouge wine cellars have the Napa Valley bottles you need as California Wine Month rolls on.
In the land of Bacchus, we Louisianans welcome any reason to raise our glasses to fine wine. September marks California Wine Month, a nationally recognized celebration of West Coast wines. But there’s no need to hop a flight to sample the best of Napa Valley. We asked some of Baton Rouge’s leading wine cellars for their top California vino recommendations, so pop open a bottle and enjoy.
Calandro’s Select Cellars
Hardest to Find Bottle: The elusive 2011 Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir stands as the most coveted California wine at Calandro’s Government Street wine cellar. Called “medium to full-bodied, layered and structured” by The Wine Advocate, this pinot noir carries notes of plums, dark cherries, herbs and spices.
Galatoire’s Bistro
Most Expensive Bottle: Galatoire’s is known for its high dollar (and high quality) wines, and the 2009 Shafer “Hillside Select” Stags Leap District weighs in as the priciest California wine on the menu at $570 a bottle. Shafer Vineyard, a family-owned winery, makes this cabernet sauvignon with its own Napa Valley grapes aged extensively in French oak barrels.
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Bin 77
Cellar’s Choice Red Blend: A stunning blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, petit verdot, cabernet franc and malbec, the 2011 Opus One is a bold Bordeaux red blend. This $420 bottle leads with bright red fruits and bay leaf, followed by white pepper and black tea.
Alexander’s Highland Market
Cellar’s Choice White: One of the city’s newest wine resources recommends an elegant, well-balanced 2013 Far Niente Chardonnay. Each $63.99 bottle comes straight from Napa Valley with flavors of melon, citrus and honeysuckle that make for an excellent dinner companion.
Matherne’s Supermarket
Cellar’s Choice Rosé: Home of the city’s only wine dinner in a grocery store, Matherne’s Supermarket carries a wide range of California wines. At only $11.99, the cellar’s top pick for a California rosé is a 2014 Simi Roseto Dry Rosé out of Sonoma County. If you’re into Meyer lemon, lime zest, citrus flowers and cherry, this wine will brighten up your night.