We live in a bubble. There, I said it.
So many compelling examples of wine have been poured and shared at Graileys that there are days when it feels like I am simply going through the motions. Worse is, unless the wine shows its absolute best, it is met with comments like, ‘there’s nothing technically flawed about the wine, it’s just not showing its best’.
Then one day, a wine is opened. I sniffed and knew this was going to be a special bottle. Deep aromatics of saddle leather, damp earth, dried herbs, tobacco, balsamic undertones with a core of sweet black cherry notes emanate from the glass. The palate was full and structured yet the seamless, velvety texture and the bright acidity made the wine seemingly more elegant. The sappy tannins get you on the finish with flavors of coffee and more red fruit holding court on that extremely long finish. The 1997 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino ‘Montosoli’ brought it to the table last Tuesday. I couldn’t ask anything more of this wine at this stage. As a member said with her glass in hand, ‘this is a thinking wine’… ‘I don’t even want to drink it with any food because it might dilute this perfect drinking experience.’
Such moments with a wine remind us why a simple fermented grape juice continues to seduce so many of us. Because when a moment with wine happens, it inspires and makes us irrationally happy. Or maybe there was a simpler explanation for my reaction to this wine… well, it was my birthday and I felt blissful, enveloped in pure drinking pleasure. And there was nothing technically flawed about this wine PLUS it was showing its best!