I’m still feeling distinctly bonkers and greatly appreciating the Clonazepam I was prescribed yesterday in order to deal with the anxiety of being Tonto. In the information leaflet that comes with them they warn that drinking alcohol concurrently can lead to extra sedation. When I got a delivery of wine this morning I thought I might fancy an afternoon kip, so I have joyfully popped a bottle!
This wine is a Cabernet/Syrah/Mourvedre blend from the unfashionable end of the Rhone Valley. But I’m so far I’m behind I’m ahead, so I know that many good wines are being made in this area. They are not all booze-bombs, either, with many showing restrain in booze terms, even if the tannins can be a little edgy at times. After a week of fighting back the tears and hiding from unknown horrors this cheeky little number has brightened my afternoon no end.
Vin de Pays des Bouches du Rhone 2005, Minna Vineyard
I love the scented, herbal, meaty character to this nose. I also love that it doesn’t burn my sinuses raw with incredible booze levels; it’s only 13.5%. Mourvedre is the minimum component in this wine but the grilled meat and dark fruit from that grape really shows. There is a bit of blackcurrant too and some good spicy complexity. I like its powerful stoniness. Yes, it’s a confident nose, but things can be confident about being rather nice rather than just confident about being loud, boorish oafs. The structure is surprisingly winsome considering the tannin value of the grapes its made from. A bit dry on the end perhaps with mere suggestions of toughness; these are not a problem, though. It has a lot of rich and ripe fruit, intertwined with reasonably dense earthiness. Perhaps it is not the most throbbingly complex wine the world has ever witnessed, but there is a lot here to like. Bums, it’s really quite good and would be an absolute treat with some kind of meaty stew dish. It would also be a treat with my next dose of Clonazepam, but I’m getting quite such a lot of pleasure drinking this personality-filled number it may be gone before the Editor clubs me on the head with the next course of chemical coshing.
Buy from Leon Stolarski Fine Wines.
Ah. The old klonakookoo cocktail. I have relied upon those from time to time over the years. I think the key with des Bouches du Rhone situations is figuring out exposition and gradations of hills- remember that Domaine de Trevallon wears this VDP badge proudly.
I’ve just scored a bottle of Trevallon 09, will pop it with some chums next week.
I don’t really like relying on the bennies, but when I’m this freaking bonkers I’ll take them and the red wine. And freaking enjoy it!
Thanks for dropping by, Sheb.