Kids rarely understand their parent’s affinity for certain movies, music, books and such. Most of us have stories growing up about battling with our parents for control of the television, car radio or weekend afternoons. Back in the 80s, I remember the sounds of Lionel Richie and the Commodores playing from the cassette deck of my father’s car as I accompanied him to his office on Sundays. I would have preferred the electric beats of Michael Jackson as he chauffeured me to a Phillies game.
This feeling of disdain for all things adult is hard to shake. In fact it gets worse before it gets better. You can hear the collective groan from teenagers nationwide when dad tunes in to NPR or mom wants to watch another movie in black and white. Being young means an attraction to mind-altering, 3-D special effects versus dialogue, heart-pumping electric major chords versus minor, and all things that create a dopamine infused euphoria leading to immediate and intense gratification. The same feelings apply to wine.
Like music and movies, there are wines that offer immediate cork-popping pleasure and those that reward the patient sipper. Think Beyonce versus Bob Dylan. I can remember forcing myself to listen to Dylan over and over again until I was finally able to appreciate the little lyrical genie hidden within the music. On the contrary, Beyonce just kind of clicked.
As wine novices, perhaps we were first drawn to the instant appeal of Beyonce wine, and made a yucky face the first time we sampled a drop of Dylan. But, we matured and so did our tastes. Eventually, we discovered that “classics” are called “classics” for a reason. If you give them a chance, you’ll discover that they are really, really good.
When it comes to wine, Bordeaux undoubtedly falls into the classic category. The Bordelais have been making wine at least since the poet Ausonius first wrote about it in 310 AD. The red wines crafted mostly of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc grown in vineyards flanking the Gironde estuary and the rivers Dordogne and Garonne are some of the best in the world. You may know them as Chateaux Margeaux, Mouton-Rothschild, Haut-Brion, Latour and Lafite.
However, it’s not just history and pedigree that makes Bordeaux a classic; it’s also the wine. They are not hedonistic fruit bombs made to appeal to the youthful wine drinker for popping open with Friday night pizza. They are typically more subtle, shy, and inclined to reveal their true self only after patiently giving them your attention. In short, Bordeaux is wine for grown-ups.
After nearly four years in existence, our crew at 90+ Cellars decided it was finally time to grow-up. Recently, we received a small shipment of a 2010 St. Émilion Grand Cru, our latest Collector Series wine crafted to dispense blissful satisfaction to mature (but not snooty) wine lovers. Comprised of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, this wine is filled with pensive aromas of blackberry, plum and earth resting beneath gentle puffs of cedar and brioche. If you prefer Casablanca to the Hunger Games, or The Picture of Dorian Gray to Fifty Shades of Grey than this wine is for you.
Today it brings me great joy to think about those afternoons in my father’s blue Pontiac and the sweet sound of “Easy Like Sunday Morning” drifting soulfully from its two working speakers. It’s a small miracle that we grow to enjoy, and even love, the things that at first seemed agonizing. We are blessed by our ability to grow up, patiently realizing that life will reveal to us many of its hidden pleasures if we stop to observe, listen and taste! We plan to savor every drop of this St. Émilion and we hope you do too.
– Brett
The post Tangled Up In Cru: Introducing 90+ Cellars 2010 St. Emilion Grand Cru, A Wine for Grown-Ups appeared first on 90+ Cellars.