May 22, 2011 – The Twilight Lounge
Before I became the near cocktail snob that I am now, I was a near wine snob. I know, it seems hard to believe, but its true. In fact, at one point my wine “closet” was overflowing with over 400 bottles. Even now, the Twilight Lounge wine cellar (I know, that sounds so funny, but it is so true) has a couple of hundred bottles of various vintages and varietals from around the world.
So, with that explanation I’ll launch into my first wine review on these hallowed pages. Several weeks ago I decided that Sunday dinner would be a partial whole beef tenderloin on the grill. Accompaning the steak would be grilled asparagus (marinated with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, cracked pepper and crushed garlic) and baby bella mushrooms, also grilled (after a brushing of olive oil, salt and pepper). Well, a meal like this calls for a solid red wine to go with it. As I perused the Napa section of the wine cellar I hit upon the Seavey Merlot. This was my last bottle. I had originally purchased a half case of the ’98, a marketing ploy by the Seavey Vineyard to allow me to get, what at that time, was my standard purchase of a case of their wonderful Cabernet along with 2 magnums of Cabernet from ’97. I’ve never been a big Merlot fan, but I do have to admit that the Seavey Merlot was always good.
So how did this bottle fare after nearly 13 years since the harvest? In a word, fabulously! The color was still a deep purple with just a tiny hint of brick red around the edges. On the nose it was almost fruity with hints of darker flavors such as chocolate and nuts and a bit of leather. A bit of age had crept into the nose, but this wine was still near its peak if not at it. Sipping it was outstanding, with a great balance between the tannins and fruit. It was bold, clean and stood up as the perfect compliment to my grilled beef and vegetables.
Alas, this was my last Seavey Merlot. I still have one bottle of ’94 Seavey Cabernet, which will be the subject of a future post…stay tuned!
There and Back Again, A Cocktail Journey 