After what's turning out to be a nearly endlessly delayed introduction to summertime - here it is, June already, and it's still cloudy, cool, and altogether disappointing - I suppose it's time to drink myself into summer, even if it's technically not quite here yet.
Richly spiced, with a shimmering overlay of nutmeg over pineapple, this pretty much does the trick, reminding me of an imaginary barbecue out back of the US embassy in Saigon shortly before the fall, or, rather, liberation of the city: there's a smoky haze in the air, with suggestion of tropical fruits, spices, and something damn near approaching decadence.
The taste of the wine makes a beautiful counterpart to what the nose suggests: instead of a fat, flabby, sugary wine, you're instead treated to an unctuous, mouth-filling wine with keenly balanced acidity, Yes, there is a hint of sugar - or is it alcohol? - which is entirely appropriate for the style, but it's miles away from simple, mindless muscat. The overall effect is not unlike doing something you shouldn't with someone you shouldn't be doing it with: you, serious wine drinker, are well aware of the societal repercussions of drinking muscat, but as soon as you taste this you really, really won't care. All you'll care about is making sure you get more out of the bottle than anyone else you're sharing it with.
Richly spiced, with a shimmering overlay of nutmeg over pineapple, this pretty much does the trick, reminding me of an imaginary barbecue out back of the US embassy in Saigon shortly before the fall, or, rather, liberation of the city: there's a smoky haze in the air, with suggestion of tropical fruits, spices, and something damn near approaching decadence.
The taste of the wine makes a beautiful counterpart to what the nose suggests: instead of a fat, flabby, sugary wine, you're instead treated to an unctuous, mouth-filling wine with keenly balanced acidity, Yes, there is a hint of sugar - or is it alcohol? - which is entirely appropriate for the style, but it's miles away from simple, mindless muscat. The overall effect is not unlike doing something you shouldn't with someone you shouldn't be doing it with: you, serious wine drinker, are well aware of the societal repercussions of drinking muscat, but as soon as you taste this you really, really won't care. All you'll care about is making sure you get more out of the bottle than anyone else you're sharing it with.
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