I found my favorite wine - in the whole world. And it is an experience that I cannot reproduce. Which is sad. And probably going to end up being a little mean...to you.
I believe that wine is art. A fairly subjective experience with an objective standard that most people acknowledge either explicitly or implicitly. All wine is valid but some is certainly more "beautiful" than others and people are aware of that if they pay attention.
But before I start getting philosophical about wine, the point of this post is to share a sublime experience that I had.
Rarely do people have the opportunity to taste old wines anymore - at least not on most budgets. The wines exist but they are hidden in private cellars or cost an arm, leg, and first born child. So when a friend of mine mentioned that he had a 1964 Spanish Rioja, I had to try really hard not to both scream like a little girl or act too nonchalant as if I didn't care...because I cared...a lot.
It is also worth noting at this point that Spain is my current favorite wine region (if you haven't had a good reserve Rioja, you have no idea what you are missing out on). I also am just beginning to learn that older is better when it comes to wine (most of the time).
Finally, we set a date, had dinner planned, and the group together that was going to taste this practically 50 year old wine. We opened the bottle with bated breath, hoping that it would not have been over exposed to air (even in the bottle), and battled a decaying cork that almost didn't want to come out.
Then we poured it into our glasses. A rich, red, velvety elixir that had so much potential for ecstasy.
Hesitantly, we sniffed at our glasses. Each inhale telling us that we could possibly be in for the experience of a lifetime.
Finally, we took our first sip and waited as air and wine mixed and bathed our tongues in...heaven.
If this seems like an exaggeration then you have a whole world of amazing waiting to be experienced. The taste was smooth, no acid, no tannins to interfere with the pure fruit and wood and pure liquid beauty of this wine. And it felt velvety. It was like drinking the most luxurious thing you can imagine. The texture was actually velvety on the tongue - I couldn't get over that sensation! The fruit flavors were so balanced and gentle that the dark berry and faint savory herbs that you got seemed to have been locked in a beautiful dance that was going on and on.
It was a truly amazing experience - in my wine glass. A few moments of beauty and other-worldly glory in liquid form. I'm not sure that even my words here are sufficient to record this event. Which maybe is a good thing. Then you won't be too mad at me for not inviting you to share this bottle with you. =)
Have a beautiful day!
