It's Jan 22, 2024 and I think we have survived a week of arctic cold without any major plant or house damage. Our new pup Duke got his first taste of snow (albeit about 1/4"). My Bills lost another heartbreaker in the playoffs to the Chiefs. And my youngest son accepted a bid to an unnamed fraternity at his college in what should be a long long semester of hearing about his pledge class escapades. The highlight of the week was me finding one of my favorite pictures from the past and drinking a bottle of my favorite merlot.
The below picture of me and my two boys, was deemed sarcasticly by wife as "dad of the year" given I am holding a bottle of beer on a cruise ship while posing with my two young boys. As I recall this was from the late 2000's and was a cruise from Long Beach to Mexico with my inlaws. Just me and the boyz chillin with a Corona - the good old days.
My wine of the week was my favorite bottle of merlot - Duckhorn's Three Palms - aptly named for the three iconic palm trees located in this warm vineyard in the Napa Valley. The 2014 vintage was named Wine Spectator's wine of the year. This week I had a 2016 bottle and what stood out to me most was cocoa and french oak, creating a slightly chawky taste on my palate that I like in merlots - I am probably weird in that merlot is still my favorite varietal of grape - going back to the first bottle of wine I ever had - a 1989 Monticello merlot. Moshira and I began visiting Duckhorn before they even had a tasting room back in the early 1990's and it continues to be one of my favorites. I have 23 bottles of merlot in my cellar - almost all Duckhorn. Cheers!