The only guidelines were that each set of neighbors were asked to bring one bottle of red wine at a cost of $15 -$30.

After the bottles were concealed and marked, everyone got a glass, notepad and pen. Each person was then instructed to make any type of notes that they could about each wine. They were to try and pick out the varietal and after tasting all three, choose their favorite. The wines were labeled WDO#1, WDO#2 and WDO#3. Complicated, I know!

This is what everyone had to say about each wine.

Burgess Cellars is a family owned and operated winery located in the picturesque Howell Mountain region of Napa Valley. The original winery dates back to the 1880’s and has been known as Burgess Cellars since Tom Burgess purchase it back in 1972. Tom and his family believe in the idea of only producing varietals which are suited to the individual characteristics of the vineyard. That is why they only produce hand-crafted estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah wines. Burgess is also one of the few wineries to employee the same winemaker (Bill Sorenson) since their very first vintage. Visiting Burgess Cellars is almost like taking a step back in time. They are an extremely laid back unpretentious winery which still hosts its “tasting room” visitors in an old barn of sorts, complete with wine aging in the barrels all around you. To date, this is the only winery that I have visited and was offered a library wine (1995 Cabernet Sauvignon) as part of our tasting. Loved it by the way!

The wine: 2005 Burgess Cellars Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 14.4% ABV $32 Winery Price

It is pretty opaque and has a dark almost plum-like color to it in the glass. On the nose I get notes of blackberry, black currant and light oak. The palate is incredibly smooth with touches of vanilla, blackberry & anise/licorice flavors. This is not a huge over the top in your face fruit bomb type of cab. It is a medium bodied wine with mild tannins and a long supple finish. I thought that this wine had excellent balance and structure.

I have read recently that wine isn’t always about what you taste, rather what you feel. Drinking this wine made me feel like I was back in Napa going through the caves or barrel rooms of one of our favorite wineries.

Would I buy/drink this wine again? I think at $32 this is a wine that you can afford to buy and host friends for dinner without worrying about breaking the bank.

Absolutely and I give this wine 4 out of 5 corks

If you have been looking for an inexpensive wine club with high quality wines, this may be one you need to try out. This bottle is $32 winery price but around $25 wine club price.