Birthday Dinner for Shane

Shane's Tasting Notes
February 5, 2005

For my birthday dinner at the Outback, Jen and I went with one of our all time favorites – the Harris Vineyard Merlot from Nickel and Nickel. My parents, not being oenophiles, would not appreciate the Nickel and Nickel ("too dry" would be their refrain), but they were paying for dinner so Jen and I decided to bring a second bottle of wine that would be more accessible to them. I had recently been to their house and was surprised to see them drinking a pseudo port – a California monstrosity priced at $10 for a magnum. I tried it out of curiosity, and it had a slight sweetness which was quickly engulfed by a flood of oak and tannins – it was more discordant than a post modern symphony. I almost gagged when I drank it. Jen and I decided to give them a genuine, affordable port experience, so we brought the Krohn Late Bottled Vintage 2000.

We really enjoyed strutting up to the Outback with our fancy wine carrying case. I also had a corkscrew in my pocket because we were concerned about the corking proficiency of the Outback staff. We set the wine on the table and watched in horror as the waitress whisked the bottles away and said she would have them opened for us. Now we were unable to witness the corking and intervene if our help was required. As the minutes ticked away, our fears were partially confirmed when the waitress said that we would have our wine shortly but that they were having problems with the corks. I immediately offered my services but she politely declined. After she left, Jen began crossing herself and praying to St. Bacchus for help. It was a tense, silent five minutes, but two bottles of cork-free wine were finally delivered to our table. Catastrophe averted.

My family turned the after dinner port into a pre dinner port which actually worked out quite well – family gatherings always run more smoothly when everyone is "happy." My dad screwed up his face in disgust when he tried the port but my mom and brother really enjoyed it and couldn’t believe how much better it tasted than the "port" they had been drinking. In fact, I had difficulty saving a little so that Jen and I could enjoy it after dinner. The Krohn was as good as I remember – it has a nice, sweet berry flavor up front (the typical vintage port sweetness) with a smooth finish and just some very mild tannins on the backside. It’s an excellent deal for the price.

The Nickel and Nickel Merlot was superb. A red wine from Nickel and Nickel is like a symphony by Mozart – they both exhibit complexity within a beautiful structure. The Nickel and Nickel Merlot has a beautiful, silky texture and a nice upfront berry flavor mixed with a tinge of vanilla. The tannins are beautifully integrated providing a sound structure without any astringency.

However, with the exception of Nickel and Nickel and perhaps a few others (Rutherford Hill in a good year), merlots are insipid and lack complexity. If the Napa winemakers are listening very closely, they can hear me whispering, "Please start blending your Merlots."