There's this guy, he's crazy. Then he gave me three bottles of wine. "They're old," he said, "I have more, take them."So I took them and then I opened them, three weeks in a row, from perceived possible worst to perceived possible best. There was no worst, it was all best.
1979 William Hill Napa Valley Mt. Veeder Cab. Maybe the year I graduated high school, I thought no way on this stuff, because it's really old. I was very wrong. It was GOOD and lovely and nice and pleasant and the last glass the second night was delicious.
1998 Burgess Napa Valley Merlot. I usually open wine on the weekends, but something about Friday decided it would be the the new weekend. I opened this. Here's how it was:
Max came in last week and we got into a conversation about the few things in a life that can restore the equilibrium of civility. For everyone these are different, for instance there are few harrowing bits of a day that can't be momentarily reprieved by a really good cup of tea, most specifically a malty, hearty deep Assam. It's the thing that resets you, the thing that reminds you what is real and what matters when everything around you is otherwise awry. In our conversation Max and I both agreed (good)wine is one of those things. And by Friday evening I was deeply looking forward to this stuff. It delivered. It was easy and resolved and pleasant as heck, absolute civility in an otherwise absurd arena.
Even troglodytes got culture, most of it questionable but nonetheless. Ode to the good things in life, simple but necessary. Ode to the tiny bits most real and the moments that remind us. Ode to simple pleasures in small doses that grant huge and relieved sighs. And Ode to the Crazy Guy who contributes to these civilities. Cheers.