"A pessimist is never disappointed." The quote from Jack Cleary is at the heart of this delicious wine made by Daou. They set out to make a wine so good that even the pessimist would love it. They did it! This wine was very gratifying, and it was the perfect complement to our Wagyu Burgers.
The sentiment of the wine was also perfect for this dinner. Since my husband has been home from this last deployment, he has had some big asks for dinners when we've had friends over...some haven't turned out as well as we would hope (I'm out of practice). So this past Saturday, when I said that I was making Wagyu Burgers, he was not optimistic about the outcome. I chose this wine because of his bad attitude surrounding my cooking. Both the wine and the burger were terrific. OR was it that the lowered expectations led to us not being able to be disappointed? Guess we'll never know....
Winemaker Tasting Notes: The 2017 Pessimist has a powerful and intensely aromatic nose that ascends to greet you with blueberry, boysenberry and black plum fragrance. Evolving layers reveal elderberry and truffle, with cocoa and cardamom spice accents, further augmented by hints of eucalyptus, leather, cherry pipe tobacco and grilled meats. Broad and expansive on the palate, bestowing lush and generous flavors of black cherry, blueberry, crème de cassis and damp forest floor. Notes of lavender, anise and black olives complement the rich fruit. Massive in weight yet elegantly structured, this wine is a powerhouse that reveals itself in controlled stages . The finish is smooth and leisurely. Essences of pure dark berry fruit seemingly refuse to abate with a gorgeous fitting finale.
Regardless of whether you see the world with your wine glass half full or half empty, you should always make sure that it's a good wine glass to give you the best chance of a favorable outcome. And when you're finished, we are optimistic that you will love cleaning that wine glass with this.