There is a word missing. I know what it means. I swear I once knew what it was, but I can't remember it. The word means risky, teetering on the brink, slightly corrupted, nearly in decay, almost over-ripe... but at the top of the game.
These are positive attributes. You find them in cheese. In certain scents. In music, too (think of David Bowie covering Wild is the Wind on his Station to Station LP... you're sure he's going to go over the top into the absurd, but he never does... he just balances in that tension). You find these attributes in the sensual.
You find these attributes in wine. You find them in Bogle Phantom 2002. Phantom is a dark blend of zin, syrah and mourvedre-- surprisingly light on the latter. Open it well before you're ready to taste it-- it improves with air and time.
Stick your nose into the glass and smell the forest... smell a hint of melon, a little caramelized blackberry... and something unknown and unnamed that grows in the dark mulch under a fallen tree.
Taste it. It's dark, it's brooding, it's dangerous and it's suave as hell. Start with concentrated and intense blackberries, and move on to pepper, smoke, tar, and caramel. Run your tongue around your mouth and taste the finish-- spice, tobacco and (strangely) a meaty flavor.
There is a word missing. I know what it means. I swear I once knew what it was, but I can't remember it. The word means risky, teetering on the brink, slightly corrupted, nearly in decay, almost over-ripe... but at the top of the game.
Or maybe the word never existed.
This post really exhibits your way with words. I hope you found the one you were looking for...
Posted by: emiglia | February 21, 2008 at 11:13 AM