Hunting around the wine racks.... (what's out vs. what is boxed up in the Wine Cellar aka 'boxes behind the sofa' )...
I poured the last 1/4 glass of a VR Merlot that is about 6 months old and getting past the swill stage. Wanted something more, so I again perused what I have on wine racks. A few months ago to make room I had boxed up the excess wine bottles and stuck them behind the sofa - out of sight out of mind and out of reach - leaving a motley assortment of bottles to choose from for everyday drinking.
There was one bottle out from the Vintner's Reserve Vieux Chateau du Roi kit I made last fall. Checking my log, I see I had bottled that kit on October 9, 2008 so this is Anniversary Day!
When it was very very young, in the first couple months after bottling,
it was nicer than it was 6 months later... a friend I had given a
bottle to back then had pronounced it "the best wine I ever had" (he
doesn't drink much wine, to be sure).
I had opened this particular bottle in May and found it unpleasing, so I topped it up with said Merlot, and had recorked it. So, now that it's hit it's 1-year birthday it seemed the thing to try tonight.
Like I said, in May I had not been pleased. I recall that night - I opened, tasted, and recorked several bottles finding nothing to my liking. Might have been my mood, or it could well have been the young wine just rubbed my palate all the wrong way (or both). Well, tonight I opened this one, and surprise surprise, it's very pleasant.
Still "light" bodied, but there is a definite fruity aspect to the flavor and has a nice aftertaste - it's noticeably 'wine'. (what else it would be I dunno...)
Even Mr. Pelican pronounced it "nice"
There is something to be said for the 3 Ps of winemaking - patience, patience, patience.
I poured the last 1/4 glass of a VR Merlot that is about 6 months old and getting past the swill stage. Wanted something more, so I again perused what I have on wine racks. A few months ago to make room I had boxed up the excess wine bottles and stuck them behind the sofa - out of sight out of mind and out of reach - leaving a motley assortment of bottles to choose from for everyday drinking.
There was one bottle out from the Vintner's Reserve Vieux Chateau du Roi kit I made last fall. Checking my log, I see I had bottled that kit on October 9, 2008 so this is Anniversary Day!
When it was very very young, in the first couple months after bottling,
it was nicer than it was 6 months later... a friend I had given a
bottle to back then had pronounced it "the best wine I ever had" (he
doesn't drink much wine, to be sure).
I had opened this particular bottle in May and found it unpleasing, so I topped it up with said Merlot, and had recorked it. So, now that it's hit it's 1-year birthday it seemed the thing to try tonight.
Like I said, in May I had not been pleased. I recall that night - I opened, tasted, and recorked several bottles finding nothing to my liking. Might have been my mood, or it could well have been the young wine just rubbed my palate all the wrong way (or both). Well, tonight I opened this one, and surprise surprise, it's very pleasant.
Still "light" bodied, but there is a definite fruity aspect to the flavor and has a nice aftertaste - it's noticeably 'wine'. (what else it would be I dunno...)
Even Mr. Pelican pronounced it "nice"
There is something to be said for the 3 Ps of winemaking - patience, patience, patience.