wines 4
i am currently hanging out in berkeley and checking out the new digs. perhaps some of you might be more interested in that than another list of wines that i say smell like dog-ass with a slight hint of woodsy clove or whatever inane crap i normally say, but i'll talk about wines regardless.
- Marc Bredif, Vouvray '97, Loire Valley, France
-smells like bathroom potpourri (the kind found in bathrooms, that is -- i do not mean to imply that anything about this fine wine is reminiscent of feces) with a bit of gingerbread cookie
-tastes slightly sparkly, semisweet, and grapefruity without turning to acrid bitter shitdeath
-i enjoyed this wine some but it didn't make me shout for joy. it is made from Chenin Blanc grapes, but i had to look that up because higher-end french wines apparently label by region rather than grape variety (or varietal for those of us concerned with nomenclature for its own sake. nyah.). - Cascina Val del Prete, Serra de Gatti '03, Barbera d'Alba, Italy
-smells like black cherry, alcohol (you know, when it stings your nose), and wood (probably oak from context)
-tastes like black cherry infused with rubbing alcohol, to the point where it cools off your tongue as it evaporates. texture is also pretty tannic, and man oh man is this wine full-bodied. drinking it is akin to what i imagine drinking blood would be, without all the silly taboos and no doubt the messy cleanup.
-this wine is made from barbera grapes, by 2 dudes named mario and luigi. and it was quite good.