The Negress has been busy and traveling so it seemed appropriate to catch up on the wines you missed with the return of “24” to the airwaves. In case, you don’t know “24″ is a television program that resembles a video game. The antihero, Jack Bauer, manages to save America from terrorist attacks all conveniently situated in Los Angeles and environs in the space of a day where no one seems to use the restroom. The Negress loves “24″ beyond reason and tunes in faithfully, suspends disbelief, abandons her intermittent pacifism and relishes the sight of Kiefer Sutherland kicking butt in senseless ways. So, a wine to stand up to two hours out of another hectic day in the world of clandestine doings was necessary. I chose the Clos de les Siete 2006, a Argentine red blend that was a forceful, fruity and fraught with flavor. It was the first red I’d had in a while for a variety of reasons, and it got the job done. A fellow “24″ fan suggested Jack would drink tequila and pooh-poohed the idea of a “24″ wine. I almost agree, but think Bauer would be a single malt scotch guy. Single malt scotch triumphs over overwhelming odds and is aged longer than Jack has ever sat still. I think he would like the idea of a spirit that’s had time to rest and contemplate a timeline and atone for early sins. I suspect Jack may hope to atone one day (hence time at the Sangalese school, not to be confused with, like, Darfur or Sierra Leone or the Congo or some real African tragedy). But in the meantime, he’s all about scotch.
The Negress is still all about the wine so since the days of Clos and land mines in the bush, she’s downed the Bedell 2007 Taste White (glorious, textured and surprising; a blend of Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc), a 2004 Crauford Sauvignon Blanc (a California wine with tamer acid than some of the usual NZ SB’s), the 2007 Bedell Reserve Chardonnay (this is only available through the wine club in the interests of full disclosure) and the bestest wine of recent memory, 2005 McCrea Cellars Rousanne from Washington State. The McCrea was complex, with hints of pear and honey but a full-bodied presence that nestled hard by a 10 oz. filet at Craftsteak and announced its presence with quiet authority. That was some wine, and the Thanksgiving it followed, when most of the aforementioned wines were consumed, wasn’t too terrible either.
