Marsala: history of falls and rises [ September 8th, 2010 ] Posted in » wine history

marsala-florio-old“Domenico Buff uncorked a bottle of his original” Vergine “ten extracts, prepared exclusively from grapes Grillo, and generously filled glass-sized aquarium for goldfish. In the dim light was visible shimmering color drink - as yellow as a buttercup, dense and rich. I sniffed the wine and felt a mixture of delicious shades of sweet peas, broom, peach and butterscotch with traces of the tubular tobacco. - Great. Brave bunch - I said and did a little sip. Marsala enveloped my tongue gently and tenderly, like a silk scarf, leaving a poignant mix of tastes, including a slight sweetness. And I immediately remembered his first trip to Sicily … “Matthew Fort
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Feelin’ Rhoney

I start to get a little antsy, and a bit sweaty and then naughty and nasty thoughts of Syrah fill my head.

rhone-valleyIt usually happens around 10 o’clock at night, when I’m starting to relax after a long day. I know something is going to fill my glass in a minute, but what is it going to be? I start to get a little antsy, and a bit sweaty and then naughty and nasty thoughts of Syrah fill my head. Yep, I need to pop a cork on something and I think it should go by the name of Crozes-Hermitage. Oh, that feels better, and now another, and now a little more. When I’m feelin’ that Rhoney, it takes about three bottles to get me over it. Of course it could happen to me again tomorrow night, but I’ll be ready.

I like to start with my Gigondas from the Southern Rhone, and then work my way up to the Northern Rhone with its full-blown Syrah’s. Tonight I choose Crozes-Hermitage from the North. I started with a 1998 E. Guigal Gigondas, then moved onto a smooth 1999 Paul Jaboulet Aine “Les Jalets” Crozes-Hermitage, then got my corkscrew into a bottle of 1998 Paul Jaboulet Aine “Domaine de Thalabert” Crozes-Hermitage.
This was a pretty good selection and not that expensive. Here is some info on two out of the three.
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February 8th, 2010 | Leave a Comment

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