First Course

To explain my passion about wine is asking me to give an answer that is not ever going to be complete. I can say so much and only come close to a failed attempt to tell exactly what I need to say about vino. In water one sees one's own face; but in wine one beholds the heart of another.

There might only be one thing I love more than wine, and that's only because its my rock and constant. Wine will change from vintage to vintage and you can fall out of love with one producer and permissiveness actions allow us to accept and choose another wine. Ahah! we found a new lover, a wine never tasted or appreciated till that current vintage.

I have always liked the idea of wine from the vineyard to the bottle. Most wine drinkers understand that great vineyards are what make great wine. I want to talk about wine in the romantic sense . I want to share whats in my glass. That's why I have titled this blog, "thoughts from the glass." When the mood hits me, I will post my review/educational value of a particular wines I'm drinking. Tonight is a what is not a normal wine. But since this my first blog entry, I wanted to give you something that is not always a everyday wine. Nor an every holiday wine, this specail wine is an Alter Ego, made by Chateaux Palmer. Vintage 1998.

A snap shot of Chateaux Palmer, is that's it's one of fourteen "Troisièmes Crus"(Third Growths) in the historic Bordeaux Wine Classification of 1855. Alter Ego de Palmer, previously named Réserve de General. This is a second wine from the Chateaux its always been a blend Cabernet and Merlot. I love it some much because of it being in Margaux. These wines are elegant not overpowering and have a sense of style that demands your attention creating the act of foreplay and seducing my palate.

Margaux produces wines to that are silky in texture over the tongue, giving just enough kiss to make you yearn for the next sip. The 1998 Alter Ego has a wonderful nose, showing dark fruit, plums, a hint of wood but not enough to think anything less then a mahogany highlight. Its an excellent bottle to showing its maturation, but still could hold out for a bit more. To me its a classic rating of 92 + points. I never pay much attention to others or Parker's ratings. But I would agree with him and others on this one........