Tonight I’m on blind tasting at its most extreme. Found a bottle lurking in a corner that has no label, capsule or name on the cork. I’m pretty sure it’s from the Languedoc, as it’s awash with fragrant, gentle, herb-strewn fruit, with a hint of old leather. I’d hazard a guess at it being a Grenache-heavy blend, with some peppery Carignan and spicy Syrah, but beyond that, I’m stumped. Ah well, I’ll just get on and drink the stuff – it’s delicious!
great to see you blogging again – always enjoyed your posts.
I assume the bottle was not a sample but a properly finished wine?
Actually, on that note, what happens to “sample” bottlings after some months/years? Are they drinkable? Always wondered about that one.
I have the same sentiments as Robert – good to have your words back on the web.
Thanks for your comments Robert and Colin, blogging is a bit like exercise, so easy to say, ‘oh, I don’t feel like it today, I’ll do it tomorrow’, and then tomorrow turns into the day after, the week after, and so on..
But yes, Robert, it was a finished wine. And as for ‘sample’ bottles, on my experience, some seem to age as well as regular wines, while others keel over faster. And the latter isn’t always a bad thing, if my experience of half-bottle cask samples of ten year vintage port are anything to go by – certainly more evolved than the real thing, but all the more drinkable for that. Will put note to self to open some cask samples of 2000 that I think are lurking somewhere – unless the hamster’s got to them…