I'm definitely not known for histrionics, but it is that time of year again when I received my Sparkman Cellars wine club shipment, so this means my long litigation nightmare is over. Well, not really, because there is new litigation on the horizon. But receiving my shipment marks the beginning of the fall wine-drinking season. I'm not really sure what the planets are doing, except surely Mercury cannot be in retrograde. Nor is the moon full on this day. This must be why I received my shipment from Sparkman just in time to retire to my nerve center and lick my wounds.
This fall shipment included the inimitable 2011 Ruby Leigh and Stella Mae which never last long in my lawyer cave (note: I did not say "man cave" because I am not a man). It also included the luminescent 2012 Lumiére Chardonnay (three of them!), which will most likely be the first one I pop open while the weather is still warm.
And what red wine should I drink during a thunderstorm (which we should be having over the next few days)? Why, the 2011 Rainmaker Cabernet Sauvignon, of course! Alas, only one bottle was included in the shipment, so since I am the rainmaker in my firm, it is mandatory that I hoard that one bottle all to myself, and pick the most fierce thunderstorm during which to drink it. Now that's alignment, folks.
So, where was I? Oh yeah, the shipment. I also received two bottles of the 2011 Ruckus Syrah, which I am very excited to try because, of course, the fabled Darkness of 2008 was a Syrah and received a 93-point rating from Wine Spectator, so I am anxious to do a comparison. The tasting notes from Sparkman's web site say that: "Ruckus takes the wild game, bramble, stone and smoke of Red Mountain syrah and fuses it with the black fruit, cedar, cigar box and iron of Red Mountain cabernet sauvignon to produce a rich, supple, layered soulful goodness."
It's not a direct comparison because Darkness is 100% syrah grapes and Ruckus is mostly syrah but is blended with some cabernet. The 2010 Ruckus was 89% syrah 11% cabernet sauvignon and received 94 points from Wine Spectator. I have no reason to believe the 2011 will not be equally spectacular. I'm looking forward to some roast bison with with the 2011 Ruckus Syrah. I'm not sure how many people will be able to taste any of these wines with me since I will likely be hoarding them. But who knows, if the planets align, I might be completely willing to share! (But not during a thunderstorm).
This fall shipment included the inimitable 2011 Ruby Leigh and Stella Mae which never last long in my lawyer cave (note: I did not say "man cave" because I am not a man). It also included the luminescent 2012 Lumiére Chardonnay (three of them!), which will most likely be the first one I pop open while the weather is still warm.
And what red wine should I drink during a thunderstorm (which we should be having over the next few days)? Why, the 2011 Rainmaker Cabernet Sauvignon, of course! Alas, only one bottle was included in the shipment, so since I am the rainmaker in my firm, it is mandatory that I hoard that one bottle all to myself, and pick the most fierce thunderstorm during which to drink it. Now that's alignment, folks.
So, where was I? Oh yeah, the shipment. I also received two bottles of the 2011 Ruckus Syrah, which I am very excited to try because, of course, the fabled Darkness of 2008 was a Syrah and received a 93-point rating from Wine Spectator, so I am anxious to do a comparison. The tasting notes from Sparkman's web site say that: "Ruckus takes the wild game, bramble, stone and smoke of Red Mountain syrah and fuses it with the black fruit, cedar, cigar box and iron of Red Mountain cabernet sauvignon to produce a rich, supple, layered soulful goodness."
It's not a direct comparison because Darkness is 100% syrah grapes and Ruckus is mostly syrah but is blended with some cabernet. The 2010 Ruckus was 89% syrah 11% cabernet sauvignon and received 94 points from Wine Spectator. I have no reason to believe the 2011 will not be equally spectacular. I'm looking forward to some roast bison with with the 2011 Ruckus Syrah. I'm not sure how many people will be able to taste any of these wines with me since I will likely be hoarding them. But who knows, if the planets align, I might be completely willing to share! (But not during a thunderstorm).
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