Stop The Clocks

Nonni

When you get spoiled and exposed to wines that are delightful, yet affordable, it’s easy to run into wines that are going to bring you down the earth.   Not everything is going to be highly rated.  Life doesn’t work out that way.  I wish it did.  I wish every wine would be four stars and up.

If that were the case, the vintages that are actually on that level lose so much of their shine and luster.

I purchased the 2016 Nonni Malbec with all the intentions of bringing it to someone, somewhere.  I honestly don’t recall.  Maybe I was going to bring it to a dinner party, maybe I was going to well, I don’t know.

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Without even opening the bottle, that doesn’t sound like a ringing endorsement.  However, at only $12 (technical info can be found here) and under retail price, and a charming label as well, what can go wrong? It’s a Malbec, and based on my experience those are usually the more reliable wines.

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Reliable is exactly the word you would use.  It’s there, it’s nothing special, and it’s about as average a wine you’re going to find.

My friends seemed to enjoy it a little more than I did, but more or less we were on the same page.  When a night spent hanging in involves lots of food, drink, and all kinds of other fun things, not everything is going to be perfect.

The perfect days or nights usually involve little to no planning, what usually stands out is something you would never expect.  This wine is good enough to talk about, but more in the lines of the entire night itself.   Which means this is going to be ongoing.  How ongoing? Well…

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I can’t describe this wine, other than there’s dark fruits and it’s easy to drink, along the lines of a Pinot Noir.  But taking out all the pseudo expert analysis, this was a fine that was simply, just there.

‘There’ isn’t always a bad thing, it’s just well, there.

It’s a talking point I look forward to, and can sometimes go into a passive aggressive direction, if framed a certain way.   Oh wait…

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This goes back to a night in May. where I got together with pals and some animal friends I don’t see enough.  There’s plenty of people in our lives we can say that about. How often have you said to the people you care about the most, ‘We need to see each other more often’, or ‘Let’s get together soon, it’s been too long’.  Then the next time you see them, that conversation may come up again.

It’s either because you don’t see them enough, or no matter how many good times you’ve had with them in succession, it’ll never be enough.

This applies to so many loved ones I think about on a regular basis.  And likely people are thinking that way about you.   That’s the good kind of being ‘there’.

This particular evening went hours on end.  A lot of laughs were shared, stories were recanted, and a lot of food and drink were imbibed.

What stood out wasn’t one thing in particular, but a collection of things.  Well maybe one or two things, but you get what I’m saying…

The other day the memories were a little more clear, but now it’s a it hazy.   And that’s the place I’m in.   Ask me tomorrow, I might have a few other things to say.

What matters is that there’s never enough great times to spend with the people you love and care about the most.

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This is to be continued…

Peace Be With You,

Ideen

 

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La Princesse By The Pool

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This, like most posts, is not just about the wine.  But it’s about the experience that revolves around the wine.  Because with out that, it’s just a glass and nothing more.  And not that there is anything right or wrong about that.  But I like to think that with every bottle, every sip, and then every sip after that can tell a story that adds meaning to your life and maybe someone elses.

If that sounded a bit more dramatic than intended, I don’t apologize.  Its been an interesting summer, at least for me.  It’s been a transition.  Things are happening that remind me of what is important in life.   And I’ve always known this, but sometimes you need a reminder, no matter how simple or harsh it might be.   However, a nice bottle of wine and some great company will always make the transition of the next aspects of life the next season, or the next anything, at least a little easier to navigate through.

We had a Summer in Maryland that gave us many beautiful days, but maybe not enough pool days.  It could be a scheduling thing, some off timing, or the universe resetting itself, but I hardly felt like I got to take advantage of pool season.   Where it used to be double digits became barely past a count on one hand.

Fortunately, late September provided one more day.   So because of that I’m happy to talk about at least one more Rosé.

The 2016 Rosé from Cellier des Princes may not be a blow away wine.  But it’s a solid, light, and approachable Rosé that will do its job when applied to any occasion.   This happened to fall on one of the last days of pool season.  And I don’t mean official, I mean the last time my friend may have hosted a pool day.   It’s all subjective.  We could get some glorious days in October that remind us that fall and pumpkin season arrived just a bit too soon.  But I’m not holding my breath, and that’s just fine.

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This Rosé with the majority being Grenache, with a little Syrah thrown it to keep it honest, tastes light and refreshing as any Rosé  should.  The lighter salmon pink color would also be a strong indicator of a lighter Rosé.

I couldn’t find much information on this wine otherwise.   The website is not the most organized, and I see no mention of the aforementioned bottle anywhere.  To tell you the truth, it doesn’t matter.  The wine was fun and that’s what matters.

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And since it was hot, a little more ice was needed.  You might think this may water things down a bit, but I think the ice only enhanced our sipping experience.  I say our because we had a great group of friends, but we also had their animal friend soak in some rays.

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She is the princess by the pool.    Thanks to my friend for the inspiration on this title.

For me, the wine started a bit slow, but after a few seconds that all went away.  I don’t think the bottle needed time to breathe or open up.  I just think my first couple sips started off awkward but just got better with time.    This is where the bottle never had a chance.

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And what a glorious bottle it was.  As fun as this wine was, I was even more enamored with the positive notes of celebration and friendship that adorned the label itself.  I was fortunate that at my local retailer, I grabbed one of the last one out of the cooler.  And at $10-$12, you really can’t go wrong and won’t be taking that much of a hit if its a wine that doesn’t win you over.

But those notes of positvity translated into the wine, the day, the experience, and all the other good stuff that should never fall by the wayside.

An animal friend always helps too.

This hopefully doensn’t conclude the Rosé and white wine portion for the year.  But this is traditionally where more reds will be appearing in the coming weeks, with a few whites thrown in for measure.  It’s only uphill from here but that’s been the intent of this blog from the onset.

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We had fun with this one and that’s the point of this thing.  I look forward to this continuing, and I look forward to maintaining this ongoing dialogue, conversation, and story with you.

Thank you so much and peace be with you.

And dogs are the best!

Ideen