Professor Bainbridge...on law, politics, religion, culture & food

Joseph Phelps Merlot (Napa Valley) 2000

We had this wine tonight at one of the good wife's favorite LA bistros. As is all too often the case in restaurants, it was served too warm and in glasses that were too small. Note to restaurant managers: The idea that red wines should be served at "room temperature" evolved in upper class British homes that had real wine cellars and dining rooms lacking central heating. Room temperature as applied to red wines means low 60s, not the 70+ typical of US restaurants and homes. At 70 degrees, red wines tend to taste flabby. They also tend to smell and taste hot, in the high alcohol rather than temperature sense of the word, because that temperature emphasizes the alcohol in the nose and on the palate. Anyway, on to the wine. Deep purple all the way to the rim. Modest nose, although given the serving temperature and the small glasses, it was not a fair test. Tasty mix of the usual supects: red currants and dried cherries, mocha, oriental spices, especially anise, with a hint of earth. Good finish, with a fairly tannic grip. Recommended. Grade: B+