I opened the last of six bottles of Sullivan Vineyards’ 1999 Napa Valley Merlot.  We bought it from the wine club after tasting it straight out of the vat at the vineyard in 1998. It’s been cellaring since 1999...and the verdict is: inky—no light’s getting through that sucker; jammy upfront and a nice, not-too-dry finish. It’s a little past its prime; I guess Merlot’s not a great long-term cellaring wine.  But I’m looking forward to finishing it off with our favorite pizza (made by me, of course) tonight.

Two hours of decanting did the trick.  A delicious wine; sad to say goodbye to our stash.


Opened the much-anticipated Old Field 98 Pinot Noir that we picked up during our recent trip to the North Fork of LI.  Owner Chris Baiz personally recommended it and we bought it without tasting it.   Chris described it as a “Santa Barbara-ish” Pinot Noir.