This week’s wine marks a very significant happening for me. The journal that I purchased to log my wine tastings is now officially complete. This wine marks the final entry in that journal and completes a journey that began almost two years ago. I’ve learned quite a bit since I originally bought the journal. I know the difference between Syrah and Petite Syrah. I know never to scoff at a wine blend. I know that Rosé is more than just summer water.
My journey won’t be ending here though. I’ve already purchased a new wine journal from Wine Folly, an especially helpful website and resource when it comes to wine. The new journal is more refined and through it I’m hoping to learn even more in the coming years. Maybe in the future, I’ll be able to designate terroirs on smell alone or correctly name every varietal in a blind taste test. Until then, I’ll just continue with my own tastings and recordings.
I wanted to end my journal with a little something special, so I pulled a bottle out of the wine fridge. It was from our winery tour trip earlier this year in Eastern Washington. I chose this special wine, because the tagline on the back of the label read, “Boldly structured, perfectly fit for patient aging – It’s not just big, it’s MAMMOTH. This was a mammoth moment for me, so I needed a mammoth wine!
This wine was from Richland, Washington and sampled on October 23, 2019. The deep maroon color had me intrigued. I was listening to “Romeo & Juliet” by Hobo Johnson. The scents of crushed dark plums and wet earth bounded up my nose. There was a leftover scent of leather that lingered behind. The first taste brought dark chocolate covered cherries with a little bit of baking spices and star anise. It stood up nicely with the New York strip steak and served to wash it down well.
I gave this wine a rating of 4.5. It not only was a fantastic wine, but it made wrapping up my first wine journal very special.
Sources: Wine Folly’s Tasting Jounal