1997 Pahlmeyer Merlot Napa Valley: A

ok so i am accutely aware of two potential judgements that readers of this blog (if there are any left) could be making about me at the moment:

1. "what the hell chris?!?! - you said you were going to try to post once a month...not twice a year"

and

2.

"wow chris, what happened to your roots as the original blue collar wine blogger...something about only bloggi

ng wines that you could buy at a gas station...stags leap followed by a '97 pahlmeyer aren't exactly two juices known for their proletarian terroir."

ok - both fair charges. with regard to the first complaint, guilty as charged...i have been an egregiously negligent poster. but fear not, this d

oes not mean i haven't been enjoying good wine. and on count two, the stags leap was brought over by a dinner/tv guest (who also happens to be a wine educator), and in the case of the pahlmeyer, it was a generous gift from heather's dad who is about as knowledgeable a vinophile as you will ever find running an emergency room. so thank you robb and dr. berkman. cheers to you both. and now, after that rather protracted preamble.....TO THE WINE!!

Heather and I decided to pair this one with two nice cuts of filet mignon, rosemary potatoes, and a spring mix, gorgonzola, blueberry and grilled nectarine salad.

We decanted this merlot for about two hours while we shopped and cooked and i think by the time we got around to consuming it had opened up nicely. the first thing heather and i perceived was a bouquet that, in heather's word's "hits you like a fist to the nose...but in a good way". I also got some thin alcoholish stuff in the nose - not a bad thing, but you could tell this wasn't going to be a facile dark bomby cali new worlder...it was a bit I noticed it has a nice ruby (or as heather contended - garnet) color, not super deep purples, more of an over-ripe strawberry color. I also get a bit of strawberry on the palette and maybe a hint of subtle sour cherry. it has very nice balanced tannins, and really holds up well in your mouth. very deep taste. this is by far one of the best vinos i have had in the rememberable past. We'll give this one a robust A. Off to Gaspar's birthday.