You’ve suffered (haven’t you) through glasses of chardonnay that have all the subtlety of a back massage from Abu Hamza? Glasses of chardonnay, in other words, that purport to be dealing out a luxurious experience, but are actually a savage, raking assault.
Well, this chardonnay is more like a back massage from the BFG. Powerful, sure — but also surprisingly sensitive, surprisingly deft.
Yes, this wine is big. Big enough to make me mutter ‘Boosh!’ under my breath at my first gobful. It’s enormously rich, peachy, full of straw and opulent summer.
But for all its boosh, this wine has a damn impressive balance to it. You can swill it round like mouthwash (if you must), keep it in there for 5 seconds, 10 seconds — and it can take it. Big but not domineering or aggressive.
It’s like watching a prize bullock nimbly walk across a tightrope. A mesmerising combination of weight and balance.
Which is pretty awe-inspiring, even if you aren’t really into that whole bullock-circus thing.
“savage, raking assault” is my new favourite phrase. Brilliant.
Ahhh, shucks, un-doff your hat, it wasn’t doff-worthy.
i read that as “buttock circus thing”; got worried that Oxford was getting too raunchy!
Chance’d be a fine thing