Perhaps it’s because I have playoff football on my mind, but I felt like Peyton Manning this week when I went to taste the Pinot Noir. Mind you, as a football player I can’t stand the guy (I went to Vandy, he went to our in-state rival UT; I’m a Titans fan, he plays for our division rival the Colts), but one thing I will say about Manning is nobody’s better at the audible. And not unlike Manning, it took a whole lot of gyrations and commotion at the line for me to make mine.
Even though the Pinot had spent just 11 of 28 planned days soaking up the oak chips, it was already producing a powerful oaky smell and flavor. So powerful, in fact, that it reminded me of the unpleasant mushroom-like finish that the Malbec started producing this Summer at a point I was never able to put my finger on. The Malbec had 28 days with the oak chips, but it hadn’t occurred to me until that very moment that despite the fact that I followed the instructions on the package to the “t”, the Malbec might be over-oaked. So I called an audible, and quickly racked the Pinot to remove the oak chips. Whether I saved the wine, ruined the wine, or made the whole thing up in my head, it’s still too early to say, but one thing’s for certain – at least I made a call.
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