I was sorting through my wine cellar on Christmas Day as a diversion to the NFL games that were trying to ruin my day. I have an odd collection of California wines — all reserve and expensive — dating from 2004 to 2018. I decided to sort them by year so I had a better opportunity to drink them as they aged. More than once I’ve discovered a forgotten gem I let age well beyond its peak. I was determined not to let that happen with these expensive red wines.

With that fear well in mind, I opted to open a 2007 Frank Family Vineyards cabernet sauvignon. Would it be over the hill or a gem I didn’t anticipate? Frank makes great wines but this regular cabernet sauvignon was never a standout for me.

It was ripe and in remarkable condition, but I was more struck by its sweetness. Where did that come from? Not sure, but my suspicion is that Frank, like many other producers, vinified this wine by leaving a little residual sugar. You don’t pick up the sugar in its early years, but as the wine ages and sheds its tannins and acidity, the sweetness stands equal to the ripe fruit.

Alas, it is my complaint with many Napa Valley cabernets: too alcoholic, too fruity, too bold, too sweet. Comparitively, French Bordeaux is more balanced and ages gracefully. Of course, this is an overstatement as the best Napa Valley cabernets are incredible — and balanced — with a decade or more of aging. Still, the Frank experience was disappointing.