Old and dry with a sleeper of water in follow. Without the unspeakable, this medalic red has an over-suggestion of forgotten earthiness. It’s finish isn’t too strong in the chest, but it feels frail and precious. The nose hits well before the tongue, the dry, fragile silk shimmers down, and all that’s left is a paper-thin memory of what we wanted to last forever. Taken with fried Taiwanese leak flatbread roll.
Velas Marinas Tinto Seco
The best of medicine delish! Oaky on the tongue front, richly wet at the mouth back. Not so tannic as it is an oasis that comes with its own desert for dessert. Happy as cherries, tasteful and concentrated in flavor. This has all the things we secretly love about cough syrup, but don’t tell on the bottle.
Taken with medium steak, brie, and omelette a la kimchi. Who thought wine suited a late night breakfast. But, the brie—together with this red in your maw and you’ll forget which is which. Even if you could remember, you’d never never want to.
Rubicone Merlot Sangiovese 2013
Pays d’Oc Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot
Drier than a volcanic beach at low tide, tannic as the sun at high noon, strong as it is wild, a true drink for the gods. Overtones of pomegranate and a suggestive aftertaste of crispy, morning bacon. Tried with mahjong spice and dark greens a la garlic.
Santa Margherita Merlot Veneto 2015
Delightfully tender and rouge, dry as sand, mellow, and strong. Lightly dry, vivid and vibrant with a cherry follow. Well aged and thoroughly enjoyable. Quite tannin and balances with spice, oily nuts, and toufu. Taken with mozzarella snack sticks one day and peanuts the next. A second bottle with pepper smoked duck from Yilan, Taiwan. Always best on a full stomach.