2005 Almaviva

OK, I’ve wanted to write about this phenomenon for a while now: Have you ever had wine that’s almost too good for the occasion? Where you only had one bottle; you didn’t expect much and just opened it on a random, casual night; and it knocked your socks off? You think to yourself, “Man, this could have been the main event at a dinner party.” That happened to me tonight with this 2005 Almaviva. I found it in a random Louisiana wine shop stored at room temperature, albeit appropriately tilted, for $125. And given Cellar Tracker said I should drink by 2025, I figured tonight (by myself, wife out of town, eating we’ll-seasoned grilled chicken) was as good a time as any to see if it had life. Boy did it ever.

Don’t always trust what you read on Cellar Tracker. This wine was in great shape and probably has another 5-7 years of prime drinking to go. The tannins were perfectly integrated. Plenty of fruit remained (I would say “black current”). A tiny kick of acidity to boot. I now have to wonder if the shop owners pulled it out of their cellar to sell or if room temp is not always as harsh as people say. In any case, my conclusion is that there is never a bad time to take a chance on a bottle and that sometimes a surprise great one on an otherwise milquetoast occasion can make the night.