This is the wine from
the Paola store that I
PREVIOUSLY purchased
at a “negotiated price”
because the vintage
WAS SUSPICIOUSLY OLD.

This is a repeat at
full price ($23).

I enjoyed the first
bottle so much that I
decided to pay up for
a second bottle in an
attempt to redeem myself
for “cheating” on the
first bottle.

I think I paid $12 or
so for the first bottle.

Maybe the wine is a bit
old, but it shows up as
a very mellow blend of
flavors and qualities.

The fruit marries the oak.

The acidity marries the tannins.

Flavor marries paleness.

This works NOW
but would obviously
degenerate over time.

For the time being, it
is quite delicious.

To me anyway.

I have no idea whether
this wine is actually
GOOD or not.

Don’t care either.

Story time…

Years ago I thought it
would be interesting to
try the PNs of CA going
from north to south.

Starting in Medocino,
I got lost after drinking
just a few wines.

I knew that the Russian
River AVA was in my path
but I never figured out
how to get there.

One obstacle was price.

I have not made it a point
to purposefully try RR PNs,
but this wine has me thinking.

What WAS I thinking?

I don’t know.

I’m thinking NOW that
I better get my fill
before CA burns up or
falls in the ocean.

Saint Peter: Do you
remember California?
OTWN: Wasn’t that a
vegetable dish?
SP: Don’t you ever
get tired of being
punished?
OTWN: I’m getting
used to it.
SP: What kind of
wine went with
California?
OTWN: Anything not
exported to Peru.
SP: Help me with
these Alpaca harnesses.

The wine almost tastes
moldy.

In a most delightful way.

The only KNOCK on this
wine is the high ALC
level.

At 14.5%, it is above my
maximum of 13.5%.

So what?

So, I have to to be
REAL CAREFUL not to drink
TOO MUCH of this one
in one sitting.

How hard is that?

REAL.

Hang in there.

This one came from the liquor store in Paola.

They generally have “decent” PNs, so I go there
when I don’t have time to “go to town”.

I have learned from experience that they sometimes
have some “outliers” with respect to “vintage”, so
I got suspicious when I saw a 2007 PN.

I showed this wine to the owner and basically said
WTF.

Even HE was a bit mystified.

It was listed at $22 on a “red tag” so I suspected
that it wasn’t a “fast mover”.

I told him I would “take a chance” on it if it
was $10. (I wasn’t bargaining, just making
a matter-of-fact statement.)

He said “sold”.

I couldn’t wait to try it.

OMG.

The first sip revealed that paleness and
perfume that I could only hope for in a
Bourgogne wine.

Just BEAUTIFUL.

It packs a lot of heat at 14.5% ALC, so I’m
going to TRY TO BE CAREFUL with this one, but
it WILL BE HARD.

I owe SOMEBODY $12.

One of my “goofball” wine exploits was to
drink CA PNs working from the north and moving
down the coast.

I got stuck in Lake/Mendocino counties and never
bothered to METHODICALLY venture south.

If this wine is “exemplary” of a RR PN, then
I might acquiesce to leap frog other AVAs just
to resume my fantastic voyage.

I’m using the PN-specific Riedel glass for this one.

It’s pushing 1:00pm and food is the farthest thing
from my mind.

(I do notice however that it is lacing up its sprinting
shoes and will be here in record time.)

I feel like a deer in the headlights.

Holy Moly.

Man cannot sustain himself by fasting alone,
he must have RR PN.

I sent a “contact us” email to the Picket Fence folks
sharing my notes up to this point.

I don’t want to drink another wine unless it is
AT LEAST THIS GOOD.

Something like that.

Just kidding. Obviously, I’ll drink ANYTHING hoping
it’s YUMMY.

The good thing is that most of the time IT IS.

Flo-Jo arrived with lunch and I had two different potatoes
“things”; Omaha Steak “tots” and “red smashed”.

I should have had the pork combo…

Day Two…

Lunch Menu: Andre’s quiche and the little bit of this wine
I managed to save.

The wine has tannins.

Not big, bad, or ugly; just palate soothing,
delicious, and gorgeous.

I can’t distinguish the start from “the finish”.

Why CAN’T tannins be noticeable on “the start”.

I DON’T KNOW.

The tannins are welcome whenever they show up.

As long as they don’t bring along their oaky friends.

Unless they are all French tarts. I could make an
exception for that.

I need to make a trip to Paola…

And relax.