x-fact ~ "oak aged" just means wine that's stored for a particular amount of time with some amount of oak. this could be in the form of storing it in an oak barrel, or by adding oak chips during the fermentation process if the wine is stored in something other than oak. this process affects the color, flavor, and texture of the wine.
paid gift!
reg @13
because we almost lost our house and then we didn't, my father in law brought this wine to me. so this is a celebration. a celebration of the house and of the return of the wine blog. and the wine is EXCELLENT. whew, right?
first off it's a terribly presentable bottle. often times i find that the bigger the bottle (this was a 1.5 l bottle) the less i appreciate the appearance. thrifty in price for the size seems to spill over to the design. but this is a nice clean label, good lines, great graphics, and the foil at the top is the absolute best kind of blue. i once had a old BMW the exact color blue. cirrus it was called. i miss that car.
and who doesn't love a black sheep. always the life of the party, a seminal crowd pleaser. even if you are one of those who pretend to be offended. especially you. you love a black sheep. you just won't admit it.
so at first sip i didn't care for this wine at all. there. i said it. too much of that fetid fruit taste going all unformed and wonky on my tongue. same with the second sip. hmmm. but i am nothing if not a "patient" drinker so i pressed on.
by the fourth sip though it's tuesday i'm in love. oh my goodness this is goodness. smooth and jammy and juicy. all bursting on the tongue and begging to be drunk. the wine i mean. well, okay, and the girl.
it's a sexy pour too. a vixen if you will. all legs and sassy in the glass. and bear with the big official winewords here, but there is just the little smack at the back of your tongue of the ripest, juiciest black cherry you've ever eaten. it's just a smack, though. a love pat. not overpowering, and sweet, but certainly not overly sweet. in fact, it's quite dry for all the juiciness. god that makes sense somewhere. it makes sense here. tonight. with this wine in my glass. sip sip.
so i discovered after the first glass that this wine really needs a bigger glass. it's just too pretty and smells too good to be all cooped up. like a girl who needs room to groove, all hips and lips with her own back beat, so does this wine. so i abandoned my everyday glass and went for the big guns. the fancy glasses hidden in full display under glass. all lighted and pretty and begging to be used. i am so glad i did.
i needed to give it a minute to breathe in the bigger glass, a swirl, some time to warm in the hand. but when it had a chance to primp and preen it was perfect. that black cherry just hit my nose in the best way, bigger and juicier than before, but still a bit dry. still a bit mellow. and it just set the stage for the sip. which is big, but it isn't heavy. not in the least. like i said, mellow.
a perfect date wine if you ask me. all the best without the heft. though i'm sure the big ass bottle might seem a bit "presumptuous." but i'm certain with enough sips and the right company that would cease to be so.
and what i love about a wine like this is that it can go anywhere. a perfectly set table with a perfectly coordinated meal and the perfect balance of guests penciled in on the perfect seating chart. from the asiago stuffed dates wrapped in prosciutto accompanied by the wilted greens with a warm sherry vinaigrette to start, to the flatiron steaks with creamy juniper sauce and hash browns to continue, to who needs desert after all that and with such a wonderful wine?
okay, something rich and decadent and gooey if you must. chocolate. or a warm caramel over a white whipped or melting concoction of some sort. or just a plate of cheese, some grapes, a knife. serve 'em if you got 'em. you won't need it, but why not gild the lily, right?
and hey, who says you might not need a little after after midnight snack for two, huh? providing one of the perfect guests decides to stay on a bit. a bit of forgotten, uneaten desert would be just the thing. hold the forks.
or if not a perfect dinner for many how about a hot tub for two on the edge of the pacific ocean? with only the cypress and the stars for sustenance. or for that matter, a tent in the middle of nowhere with just a fire and the person you love best in the world for company. and that's when you'll be thankful for the big bottle. what with the hot tub or the campfire relaxing muscles and stress you didn't even know you had? well, who wants to get up?
that's what i just adore and appreciate the most about a good wine. you do what you want with it and it just goes along. and like i always say, good wine need not be expensive, it just needs to be good.
and i love how indifferent this wine is in its charms. it just sneaks up on you until all of a sudden you realize how much you love it. how you are promising to buy it again. planning dinner parties that will revolve around it. stocking up for the fall and winter holidays and all their attendant parties.
it's just too charming and too drinkable and too reasonably priced to leave it for too long without drinking, and more importantly, sharing. well, when you're ready to that is.
this wine is like falling in love with the boy and getting to spend as much time as you want doing just that. then getting to introduce him around to everyone you know. and then you just sit back and accept the knowing smiles, the winks, the open jealousy and outright hostility disguised as happiness for you by those who only wished they had found him first. yeah.
wait, where was i? oh, yeah. i really think you'll like this wine.
delicious, sexy, accommodating? a wanton luxury that's easily acquired? well, shit. what in the hell are you waiting for?
really, in these economic times, or any times for that matter, could you ask for anything more?
don't answer that. just try this wine and be happy you did.
tendres baisers!
x.
