1997 Regusci Merlot

Well.. Talk about a bitter-sweet experience.

This past weekend, we went out to dinner with my in laws to once again celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. To be honest, we had a surprise party for them a few weeks ago and they wanted to take us out to dinner to say thank you. Since we were going to one of our favorite restaurants, the Rajun Cajun in Belmar, NJ (1102 River Road, Belmar, NJ 07719 Phone:732.280.6828), I figured I would surprise them one more time with a nice, but hard to find bottle of 97 Regusci Merlot. Now, for a little history, the wife and I went to Napa for the first time for our 10 year anniversary. My sister-in-law suggested we stop at Regusci because they had some excellent wines at rather reasonable prices. We picked up a case when we were there (half Cab/half Merlot) and this was was the last bottle we had left. I was holding onto it for a special occasion, and this seemed like the perfect reason to open it.

When I first pulled the cork, I was amazed at how deep purple - almost black - the bottom was. It had almost no scent and even after a quick sip, it was very tight. I let it breath through the appetizers (blackened steak and Mahi bites) while we enjoyed a nice Sangiovese from Umbria (more on that later). The great thing about the Rajun is they never rush you - hell, you could probably stay all night and listen to the excellent acoustic guitar sounds that fill the place. When dinner arrived, I somewhat hesitantly poured the Regusci for everyone. After a quick toast, the expression on everyone's face said it all. The wine blossomed into everything I had hoped for. The bouquet was still a bit tight, but the initial pepper hit mellowing into a caressing, velvety black cherry finish brought smiles to everyone's face. The second and third tastes confirmed that this bottle had a lot more to give, and over the next 15 minutes in the glass, really opened up, getting better as the night went on (if that was possible). It paired very well with both the blackened pork chops as well as the blackened tuna and catfish - not to mention the red beans and rice.

So, as I said, it was a bittersweet night. I had opened the last bottle of that special trip so many years ago, but it was with great company who appreciated it as much as I did. What more of a special occasion could I ask for?