Today I’m suffering from imposter syndrome. One of the newsletters I really enjoy recently dinged the winery I talk about today as rather proletariat (not his word, but it was his point). He seems to think that saying “it’s what you like that’s important” isn’t really accurate anymore. I disagree. The way I see it, people drink wine for all sorts of reasons. Some people drink wine for that relaxed feeling. Others, like me, drink it to learn and search out different stories and tastes. Either way, the point is to enjoy the wine. I’m now doubting myself a bit, as I liked this wine, but I’m going all-in anyway.
2020 Josh Cellars Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
2-months aged in charred bourbon barrels (most probably American oak)
14.5% AbV, ~$22
With the first pour, the nose told me that I should have opened it a few hours earlier and decanted. So that first taste was hot.* I grabbed a decanter and waited. I only waited about 2 hours because I’m impatient, but there was already a marked difference.
There were lots of blackberries on the nose, and some woodsy notes. I tasted more dark fruits and some not-so-dark, such as raspberries, more wood, and even some smoke. I’d say that those last two are a result of aging the wine for 2 months in bourbon barrels, which are charred. Wine barrels are usually toasted. Yeah, there is a difference. I would love to know what distillery originally used the barrels, as each one has a different recipe for the charring process. The finish still came up a little hot for me.
This is a heavy wine. Quite frankly, it overpowered my pasta. This is a chewy red and it needs a steak. It’s a multi-night, relax-into-it kind of bottle.
I had two more nights of wine in the decanter, and night #2 was much better. The alcohol on the finish had disappeared, and I was left with a big, fruity wine.
So, imposter syndrome or not, here’s my rating:
*When I mention that a wine is hot, I’m talking about how the wine is balanced. In many higher alcohol wines, you can taste the alcohol, and to me that’s hot. I prefer lower alcohol wines, 13.5% AbV or less, as I seem to be sensitive to the higher alcohol bottles. Often, this imbalance will right itself if you decant the wine ahead of time. So unlike me, you need to think ahead!
iOS only. Coming soon to Android.
Book pairings: Resistance Women and The Lost Girls of Paris
Resistance Women
by Jennifer Chiaverini
Published: 2020
Genre: Historical Fiction
My format: Both
The Lost Girls of Paris
by Pam Jenoff
Published: 2019
Genre: Historical Fiction
My format: Both
I’m pulling out two of my old favorites this week. Both of these books are historical fiction taking place during WWII. The Josh Reserve cabernet is a big wine and both books take on some hefty topics.
Resistance Women is more truth than fiction, I’m afraid. It opened my eyes to the Resistance within Germany and how many women played a part in that, how many died for it. Reading this book sent me down a rabbit hole of researching the Resistance movement, as well as the main (real) female characters in the book.
The Lost Girls of Paris roots its story on the women who were brought into small villages across the front and worked as radio operators and couriers. This was, of course, done in secret and many of the real-world women lost their lives. I should note that Lost Girls hops between WWII and a contemporary timeline.
I’ve read so many WWII-era books where women are working as pilots, radio operators on the front, as ambulance drivers, code breakers at Bletchley Park, and I’m always left to wonder how so many went quietly back to their old lives as homemakers. I don’t think I could do it.
I purchased both books after reading them on my Kindle. When I buy a physical book, it’s a big deal. It means I know I will read it again.
Rating for both:
What are your thoughts on these books? Or historical fiction in general? Any chewy cabernets you would like to recommend? Let us know in the comments.
If you have the app, join us in the chat!
As always, thanks for reading.
Cheers,
Michelle