Question about purchase

Been following this group for a while and trying to take in as much as I can. Wine is a new hobbie for me and I love finally learning about something that well....I grew up in a household where wine was drunk in quanbreasty and quality was ignored. Let's just say an immediate family member recently got into a fight with the store clerk because they wanted the 6 bottle discount on six boxes of wine.

Tonight I took the suggestion of a store clerk (Against my better judgement. I have noticed that the local liquor stores usually hire the villiage idiot.) I picked up a 1999 Robert Mondavi Winery Napa Valley Pinot Noir for $23. I see in the Sept issue of Wine Spectator online that this particular bottle received a score of 82. I see in my reading that other '99 Robert Mondavi Pinots from this issue say drink now through 2003.

Question - Should I open this or return. I don't mean to sound cheap. But on the other hand $23 for a wine that is a couple years past it's prime seems like a waste of money. I would choke it down if I picked out the bottle myself but I feel like he pointed me to a wine just to sell it. Last bottle in stock and they want to clean that rack. I hate feeling like I've been taken advantage of.