I have not been well lately – a truck & trailer tipped and spilled its 30 ton load of logs on the road in front of the vehicle I was driving. The car was something of a write-off - and so was I.
Physical wounds (broken arm; busted shoulder etc.) can be fixed, but the emotional scars – the loss of the “confidence of invincibility” do not readily heal. In all my 66 years (and I have been through my share of illness) I have never experienced depression – but for the past couple months I have truly been “the sad man, behind blue eyes”
Ten days ago, everything came to a head – I lost two very good friends, both a couple years younger than I, on the same day (deaths totally unrelated).
I seriously dislike funerals where the collective grief pervades like a fog: I usually choose to excuse myself. However, both these funerals were "must attends" and both proved uplifting. The first was a traditional "tangi" to farewell a respected member of the Maori community, the second service, 24 hours later, was an amazing celebration of a life well lived by a larger-than-life businessman.
My spirits lifted, on my way home, I made a decision - that my current life of misery was a waste of emotion. I decided that my "rebirth" would be celebrated with a very simple “feast for one”.
I settled upon a piece of aged scotch fillet (boneless rib-eye to Americans) – rubbed with evo oil, black pepper and sea salt, pan fried, served with asparagus and freshly prepared potato salad.
I am not one who does notes or reviews – I enjoy the savouring and love closing my eyes remembering the nuances and flavours of a wonderful wine, but find it difficult to put these thoughts into words.
I do not possess a dedicated wine cellar – the few bottles I have collected I keep in an insulated “chilly bin”.
2-3 three years ago, I did a favour for an associate, which saved his son’s job (we unionists can be very persuasive :-) As a “thank you” I was presented with a single bottle of Italian wine, at the time, unknown to me: when I originally saw the word “Casanova” on the label, I thought “uh huh”!But there is nothing “uh huh” about 2001 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto.
I did not decant: I started the first glass while preparing my meal, I had the last a little over two hours later (yes, I consumed the entire contents alone, with a DVD of Pete Townsend, Roger Daltry et al for company)
Was this an epiphany? No! More a symphony with so many elements - ripe berryfruit / cherry flavours; unobtrusive tannins, decent acid with some wonderful subtle spicy nuances (during that last glass, while laying back in a sort of splendid stupor I even “got” roasted coffee bean, dipped in dark chocolate!)
Was this the best wine I have ever had? I don't know - my memory is not that good. But this would rank right there as one of the most memorable red wines (I do particularly recall a 1990 Dom. Santa Duc “Haute Garriques” Gigondas).
I am not suggesting that Sangiovese possesses some miraculous restorative qualities – but next day, I ventured to the beach for my first swim of 2013 (hey, it is summer here downunder), and have also since returned to work.
My neck and shoulder are still painful – but the associated gloom and doom has gone.
Thank you signore Neri – your wonderful wine has brought me back from the edge.