At Last...

...I can move! I'm off work all this week, but I'm no longer confined to my recliner prison! No running, rock or tree climbing, cliff diving, riding bikes, motorcycles, bulls, or horses...so, that pretty much leaves me incapacitated.

Heh.

Seriously, other than those things, I can do almost anything I want. I'll be on medication for a while, but the doctor gave me great news.

I can drink wine. And yes, those are angels singing.

To celebrate this occasion, we decided to open up a special bottle. Not one that made the last post, but special just the same.

About a year ago, maybe 2, Doug & I went to a tasting at The Wine Barrel of Buena Vista Carneros wines. We had the pleasure of meeting Jeff Stewart, the winemaker, but most importantly, we loved his wine! Jeff wasn't the first winemaker we'd ever met, but he was cool & he signed both bottles that we bought. (I think I've said it before, but a lot of winemakers can be really boring, so it was refreshing to meet one that's not!) While Buena Vista prides itself on its Pinot Noir, we couldn't help ourselves when we tried the Merlot & the Syrah. It also helped that we were quite Pinot-heavy at the time of the tasting...& we have no regrets other than we should've bought more. (No, I don't know what I'll do with the empty signed bottles. I suppose if we keep it that it'll be something else to dust.)

We opened one of those bottles tonight, the 2003 Buena Vista Merlot.

I reached for this bottle tonight because of fear. We've held onto bottles that we thought would be ok, but fell apart as soon as we pulled the cork...& my friends, that qualifies as a tragedy in my book.

My, mymymymy-myyyyy.... what a lovely experience this was! Rich fruit, perhaps crushed berries, with some leather on the nose, & full-bodied, luscious, well balanced, & divine in the mouth. Blackberries, mocha, & some kind of spice - maybe clove - on the palate. An amazing cool climate Merlot. Fantastic.

Maybe we should've let this wine sit a while longer...I think it could've handled it. It's a tricky call. I mean, 95% of wine made today is made to drink NOW. As much as I'd love to open no wine before its time, who in the hell am I to know when that time is? Aaaauuurrgghhhh!!!

Ah, no regrets.

(Except that we should've bought more! Damn it, we should've bought more!)