Picture it now: you and boo, feet up by the fire at some swanky lodge, in matching plush robes and slippers, cheeks blushing and reminiscing stories of your 10 years of marriage while sharing this perfectly purple cab, possibly even apres ski. One of Robert Parker's favorite 2012 private reserves to buy and save for years to come, this bottle really shows off why Beringer has had such a long and successful American winemaking legacy — and why they should earn a place in your cellar.
Forget everything you heard in Sideways. At Duckhorn, merlot is — and always has been — king. Back in 1976, Dan Duckhorn was a true visionary when he became the first Napa winemaker to see the potential for Merlot as not just something to blend with Cabernet but as a worthy grape on its own. Now, 40 years later, Duckhorn is still synonymous with luxury, estate-grown Merlot, an iconic label that's a must-have in any proud wine collector's cellar — quickly snapped up each year by an army of superfans. The Three Palms is probably the most famous of all the Merlot that Duckhorn makes, named for the single-vineyard estate of the late Lily Hitchock Coit (of San Francisco's Coit Tower fame) on which the grapes are grown. Open this layered, complex, plump red on your 10-year anniversary while reminiscing stories dating back to when you first met. As a wine connoisseur once wrote, "It's friendly stuff now and will grow with time...a few years of waiting can be counted upon to make a very good thing even better." Just like your marriage! (Magnum, 1.5)
Good things come to those who wait, as any couple who've endured the journey of a long-distance relationship knows all too well. Celebrate your Sisyphean triumph by cellaring this critic's darling to open on your 10-year anniversary. The Allomi vineyard lies in the gently rolling hills of northeastern Napa Valley, where the combination of a typically long, warm growing season and well-drained soils create optimal ripening conditions for Cabernet Sauvignon earning them a 94 point gold medal at the 2016 Sommelier Challenge.
For Robert Mondavi, the unequivocal Godfather of American Wine, none of his vineyards were as magical, as special as To Kalon in West Oakville — "the beautiful" in Greek — and this is only one of two single-vineyard vintages ever produced from those treasured grapes. A Cabernet that Wine Spectator rated at 95 and described as "an iron fist in a velvet glove," the 2013 was bottled as a tribute to Mondavi's 50th year of winemaking, this is the perfect California classic to open (and decant!) on your 10th anniversary.