d'arenberg

Choosing a meal to go with my liquid dinner is fun. To match my 2011 d’Arenberg Galvo Garage, I chose to fire up a simple pasta dish with some of my home made meatballs. This cabernet blend tips the beret to the 'Jean-Pierres' making wines in their sheds in Bordeaux. Sugo sauce with fried onion and garlic was simmering on low so I got cracking on the meatballs. One glass in and I can taste the cherry and spice but it seemed like it wanted to show me more. I gave it a hand to jump out and say hello by putting the lid back on the bottle and giving it a good shake. Geez! It spoke. More about that in a sec.. My meatballs are 50/50 pork and lamb and I mix them with salt and pepper, paprika, onion and fresh basil and oregano and rolled into small balls with the help of some eggs and flour. Both the liquid and solid meals were delightful and the herbaceous, black and blue berry notes were well supported by tannins that provided a length of consistency that Glenn McGrath would have

Most things should be consumed in balance and the one thing that could balance my wine consumption is the binge watching of an entire season of Peaky Blinders. With a 2013 d’Arenberg Custodian Grenache in hand, the sin, guilt and redemption of Tommy Shelby was on full display. Although a little patchy at the start, the season became a little more balanced, much like the vino. The sweetness of the fruit is balanced by a nice level of acid and grittiness. The low yield old vines have produced juice with character and a little intensity. Red liquorice on the nose highlights the undeniable grenachiness and the red fruit of raspberries, mulberries and cranberries come across on the palate. Arthur may not be a wine drinker but this may be a good one for him to start on as it would go really well with a slow cooked hog. Tatiana would love it as it reflects her perfectly. Approachable, delightful, yet give her some time and she will open up and reveal she is much more than you first