It had been a long day, the kids were fighting, no one liked the dinner I made, and now it was well past time for a glass of wine! I opened a bottle of 2013 Duckhorn vineyards Merlot from Napa Valley, CA*. As soon as the cork came out of the bottle, I could smell the wine and it made a great first impression. I was kicking myself for waiting so long to have a glass! Now, I am going to pause here and say for the record that I am not usually a Merlot person. And by that, I simply mean that I don't actively seek them out. I am definitely not the guy from Sideways who screams "I am not drinking any f@#king Merlot!" I am just used to drinking Merlot as part of a Bordeaux or other blend (where it is not the predominant grape). My point is that I am not a seasoned Merlot drinker. It is definitely a weak spot in my wine resume. I am not really sure what made me reach for this particular bottle. I wasn't in the mood for anything sophisticated, or requiring much thought. If I had really stopped to think about it, this bottle was going to be too good for me. It is like reaching for a bottle of vintage Bollinger when all you need is a $2 bottle of Andre! After opening the bottle and taking the first big sip, it hit me. I made a mistake! There was a lot going on in the glass. This wine was too good for me, and I was not in the right place to appreciate it. I was not emotionally available to give this wine the attention it deserved.
Has that ever happened to you? Whether you are in the store, in a restaurant, or at home, there is a lot that goes into choosing a wine. One of the big intangibles is your mood. Are you in the mood to sip, contemplate, or savor all the components in the glass? Or just drink, and appreciate it for being a pleasant glass of wine without all the thinking and analyzing that can go with a complicated vintage.
Back to the Merlot, and the night in question. My only requirement was that the wine be drinkable. In fact, the simpler the better. I definitely picked the wrong bottle. Don't get me wrong, I still drank it, and enjoyed it. But I feel guilty. If you ask me to describe it...it tasted like wine. It smelled like wine. It was even in a wine shaped bottle. Beyond that, it is hard to say. There were probably tannins in there. But what were they like? Subtle? Firm? Strong? Muscular? Presumptuous? I am not sure. Underappreciated is probably the right word. So, to 2013 Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot, I am sorry. You were too good for me. You deserved someone so much better than me the other night. It wasn't you, it was me. I hope you will give me another chance. Next time, I promise to give you my full and undivided attention.
* Duckhorn Merlot contains 88% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc grapes.
