Trapped at home, with a tornado toddler, my office and garage bulges with nearly 180 bottles of samples that I can’t taste with my accounts. Some bottles may not make it to the other side. So, time to turn on a light in this viral tunnel.

If you are looking for something, well, at least interesting. When in doubt, go with the label with the most words:

Domaine Faiveley, Mercurey 1er Cru, Clos des Myglands, Monopole, France 2017

Is that the back label? What it all means:

This is an estate (Domaine) of the Faiveley family, in Mercurey (warm-ish southern Burgundy), from a 1er Cru (1st ranked and regarded) Clos (single vineyard) des Myglands (it’s name), Monopole (owned outright by the Faiveley family), from the 2017 vintage (generous and ripe, well, for Burgundy).

The appearance looks clear medium intense brilliant ruby core, with a wide clear wash rim.

Aromas smell clean, pronounced with oodles of baking spices and earth, balsamic, clove, blood orange, carob, tart red cherry, fennel.

The palate is dry, with high acidity, willowy medium intense tannins, medium alcohol, a medium body, and fine grained powdery earthen texture.

Lifted, complex, medium plus intensity flavors zing with blood orange, tart cherry, fine clove powder, granite powder, dried tobacco leaf, leather that carry a long length.

Faiveley’s Clos des Myglands 2017 is outstanding quality, bright but spiced, earthy and complex. I forget this is grapes. I did not even mention the grape is Pinot Noir until now.

It has personality, youth, and is all edge and energy with the world before it. This may be the blind hope of middle school. It may not age like its prestigious northern Burgundy neighbors. Give it a decade. But we could all use a bit of blind hope about now.