Let me start by saying that this review is not a part of my summer rosé quest. I didn’t begin the day thinking I’d open a bottle of wine but by the time it came to have dinner, I thought to myself ‘why not?' I’m an exhausted mama of 8-month-old twins who worked her a** off chasing them around the house and it’s a beautiful bright and sunny evening. I deserve it! So I opened my wine cabinet and looked sadly upon the minimal options. Note to self: buy wine. I reluctantly grabbed the 2011 Crozes-Hermitage from Brunel de la Gardine. I was reluctant only because I was hoping to save it for a slightly more special occasion, not to mention a more impressive food pairing. But oh well…
The bottle:
2011 Crozes-Hermitage Brunel de la Gardine
The scene:
Cuddles with the pup while babies sleep
The food:
Homemade broccoli and chicken noodle soup
You might recognize the Brunel estate from my Lust List. Their Cotes-du-Rhone (Grenache, based blend) is one of my go-to favourites. So I knew its sister wine, the Crozes-Hermitage, was going to be a solid sip. Made from 100 per cent Syrah, I waited just the right amount of time to open this 2011 vintage. Now, before I go any further I think it’s worthwhile to address the Syrah vs. Shiraz debate. Is there a difference? Yes. But instead of diving into it too deep, I found an delightfully succinct explanation here that I urge you to read.
As soon as I uncorked this gem, I was transported to the south of France (hellooooo dream vacation). I envisioned the rolling vineyards, the rustic farm houses and the orange sunsets. I photographed the pour mainly because I love replaying it in Live Photo. Try it if you have the iPhone capability…it’s good fun.
The colour was deep burgundy. It’s the colour of wine you’d see a villain drinking out of a goblet in a medieval-era movie. I almost let out a ‘mwa-ha-ha-ha’ after taking my first sip. Except villains don’t take sips. They take gulps, and then they yell at their servants before throwing the goblet into a stone fireplace. I digress…
This wine is immensely elegant with subtle black fruit aromas. The sip was smooth, I didn’t want it to end, and it didn’t. I tasted ripe cherries and raspberries, there was nothing harsh or jarring about it. The smooth robust flavours lingered for an eternity. It made me want to take another gulp, and another, and another.
I drank it alongside my soup and had never wished more for a big juicy piece of steak . I wanted so much for my food pairing to work, but this wine deserved something much more. If I ever manage to get my hands on another bottle I will know better. That's what I get for not keeping my wine cupboard fully stocked and resorting to opening a bottle before I was ready.
So here’s a learning moment; I often say to never wait for that special occasion to open that special bottle. It rarely comes. But in this instance, I should have created that moment and given the wine the food pairing and the occasion it deserved. Lesson learned.
