Bogle is readily available to you, I know, and if you’re reading about the 2013 Merlot on Notes Of Note it’s not because you’re wrestling over some life-changing decision with your vino. Bogle Vineyards, after all, probably has a sampling of their entire lineup in your local grocery or big box supermarket. Why then?

2013 Merlot, Bogle Vineyards, Clarksburg, California, USA.

You’re reading further, perhaps, because (like me) you recognize wine sometimes makes an impact on our lives that is greater than just its taste or its scarcity. Maybe you’ll come a little further and know what Bogle means to this guy?

First the nuts and bolts: This 2013 Merlot accompanied about 10 ounces of perfectly cooked steak, replete with good grill marks, a baked potato, and lemon-drizzled asparagus. It was fine in that regard, but I’d have preferred a Cabernet in hindsight.

Nevertheless, Bogle will always remind me of a great Boston meal, a work dinner with new clients. An Italian joint, steps leading down from the street to a dimly lit dining room where new colleagues met to hash out terms and next steps. We had an Amarone (which has left a similar indelible imprint on my brain) as well as the Bogle–which lit up my new contact, a world-class dental ceramist. With wild gestures from Greek hands he talked eagerly about this wine, which I’d never heard of beforehand. The wine itself is fine, but the memory of his excitement about Bogle is, oddly enough, far more lasting. It’s the kind of thing that, if you’re still reading here, is perhaps you recognize too in some of the wines you’ve tasted. Feel free to share…