I pulled this bottle from my underwater cellar for dinner the other night. I had purchased a case in the Mediterranean back in '02 (before the Euro was such a killer!), and it's been drinking well over the years. This was my last bottle and i knew it didn't have much longer to live, so I decided to give it one last whirl!
The color was an attractive ruby red, and the nose contained strong aromas of tobacco with a bit of graphite and thyme in the background. Most of the wine's original fruit has faded away except for the slightest impression of dried cherries and red currants. Its aged tannins are mild but still grippy. Still some nice acidity and a vigorous rush of black pepper on the finish.
This isn't a wine for the everyday Yellow Tail sipper. You'll need to be a hardcore Chateauneuf buff to really get into this one, and you'll need the appropriate food to harmonize with its weighty, earthy flavors. My wife and I had this wine with an old fisherman who leaned too far over the boat while retrieving a striper. Fortunately for us, he must've been a heavy smoker most of his life and the tobacco notes in both the wine and his body played very nicely off of each other.
If this bottle is in your cellar, drink it NOW as it will be headed over the cliff very soon.
Cheers!
-Robert Sharker
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Dear Robert Sharker,
ReplyDeleteAs a sometimes (can't go an hour without one) smoker, I tend to feel left out in today's health conscious society. So I was amazed when you brought up the subject/flavor of tobacco in wine during your last two posts (Very interesting and well written by the way.) Which led me to two questions.
1) Is there an everyday flavor (or "flavour" as the hotty-totty Europeans say) of wine that would go well with my everyday nicotine-laced dinners?
2) Have I stunted my pallet's growth with my smoking? Will I ever taste a hint of oak and cherry pie in my wines?
Thanks for an enjoyable and knowledgeable blog.
Shellfish in Seattle
Dear Shellfish in Seattle,
ReplyDeleteYou know, i've often wondered the same things. I've never been a smoker myself, aside from a few fine Cubans with a nice Scotch here and there. However i know many fine chefs, food critics, and sommeliers who rip butts like there's no tomorrow! Yet they still seem to have extremely sensitive palates. I've always wondered how it's possible to maintain while being such heavy smokers.
I think it's a matter of training your palate despite your smoking habit. My guess is that you CAN taste the hints of oak and cherry pie, but you're just not paying close enough attention. Maybe go have yourself a slice of cherry pie and lick some tree bark to remind yourself what they taste like!
As for wines that might pair well with nicotine? Try some Loire Valley reds, red Burgundies, Ports, Madeiras, and sweeter styles of Sherry.
Hope that helps!
-Robert Sharker