If everything that is good lasted forever, would we really appreciate it? Probably not, and one of my reasons for loving wine.
Though wine is an ephemeral thing (I love that word), the truly good wines do last, on our palates and in our memories. This was one of those wines.
Also, it's no secret that I believe a bottle of wine is your passport to see the world and in no other time has this resonated more. Our passports may be locked up but our wines do not have to be.
Here's my theory: When times are good, people drink wine. When times are bad, people drink wine. My question to you is, during this very new experience called COVID-19, which camp do you fall into?: 1) Buy less expensive wines in bulk because, well, pandemic, OR 2) Buy higher priced wines and empty your cellars because, well, pandemic?
I proudly do both and this bottle is most certainly in the #2 category. I stared at it longingly for months during lock-down. What would finally bring me to open it? How about any day that ends in "Y", that's what. This bottle was a gift from a friend, so it had even extra meaning.
This Syrah hails from Cortona, a wine growing region in Italy (eastern Tuscany to be exact). It sits about an hour and a half south and east of Florence for all you world travelers out there (remember traveling? Sigh.). Syrah really shines here and this wine exceeded my expectations. It had layers and layers to it and the longer it was open, the more it shone. Picture a bowl of stewed black and red berries with drizzled dark chocolate on top with a few crumbles of bacon-- that's this wine. Well integrated tannins and good acidity gave it a great "finish"...I was still tasting it almost forty five seconds after swallowing it. I have always had a love affair with Syrah but this was my first from this region. As usual, well played, Italy.
I hope this time finds you cooking all the meals and drinking all the wine. Even though we cannot physically travel, these two things can take us somewhere else altogether.