The Problem With “By The Glass”

So I was sitting at the wine bar at Ruth Chris Steak House last night, and someone offered to pick up the tab on a couple ‘good glasses of wine’.  Never one to turn down free wine, I gave him the thumbs up…

Next thing I knew, I had a glass of 2003 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon in my hand…. NICE! I’ve been a fan of the Silver Oak (be it the Alexander Valley or the Napa) for many moons.

Right away the familiar layered aromas of chocolate, cherry and spices filled my nose, with a hint of something a little green. Hmmm; a bit young and OF COURSE… We’re drinking it by the glass with NO DECANTER. Lots of dark fruit, with some cherry and caramel on the palette, but still that young, tight feeling, hampering the finish and leaving me with a feeling that there would be so much more if we could just DECANT.

And I can say this with confidence because we had some at a tasting just a few months ago, out of the decanter, and I was able to taste this wine it all of it’s glory.

The lessons here? 1. The Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet is fantastic, but the 2003 is still young and needs to be decanted. 2. When ordering wine in a restaurant, get a bottle (so you can decant) or if you’re only ordering by the glass, stick with the less expensive stuff.

I’m just sayin’…