1993 Chalone Reserve Pinot Noir

I was planning on making duck risotto last night utilizing both the broth made from the carcass and the fat rendered from it. I thought this would be a good opportunity to open a bottle that was a bit ripe. I'd selected a bunch of older Pinot Noirs from the glory days of the Chalone Wine Group, pulling those bottles with the best fill levels. With the older Chalone wines there's always a heightened danger of a corked bottle due to the TCA problems that plagued that cellar for many vintages until it was finally resolved in the mid 90's. I pulled the cork which smelled fine and decanted the wine. It hadn't thrown too many solids and seemed in good shape. The aromas were in fine condition given its age with the typical almost Rhone like spice that this vineyard always exhibits. As the fruit aired out of the wine a little bit of mustiness reminiscent of red Burgundy started to show, but it in no way detracted from the wine. The flavors were perfect and the palate still intact with enough grip to offset the weight of the risotto. I happily slurped down more than half the bottle and would have finished it if I hadn't had a few Scotches beforehand.

commuting

I have been thinking for some time about selling the second car and using the bike as my main transportation. When the tranny went south on the beemer wagon a month or so ago it helped me turn this vague desire into a reality. It is only five miles from home to work, and the weather in San Luis Obispo is mild to a fault. I hadn't really thought about the effects on my cycling. I was really more concerned with lowering my carbon footprint and putting my beliefs into action. I've ridden to work more or less four days out of five since. One of the happy byproducts is that I seem to be getting much fitter and faster as a result. I wouldn't have guessed that an extra four hours a week of riding consisting of half hour rides at an easy pace would have any athletic effect, but it seems that I was wrong. There is virtue in volume it seems, no matter how you achieve it. On Sunday I went on a ride with some friends. It was a good day to "test the legs" after a month or so of solid training, and an easy week leading up to it. We hit the Harmony Hill on the way to Cambria on Rt. 1 hard. When I checked the Strava data later in the day I found that I'd gotten up the hill in the same time I'd done it on Sept. 1st when I was in prime condition. I would never have guessed that I'd have this sort of form at this time of year, and the only real difference between this year and last is the bike commuting. Good for the air and good for the legs - hard to beat.