We stayed home for the holidays…because we knew our January schedule would be packed full in order to celebrate a milestone birthday for S. We won’t say which one, but the travel took us from Santa Cruz, California, to the North Shore of Hawaii and back, with several wine-fueled meals and gatherings along the way.
Far Niente 2023 Chardonnay
From Napa Valley. This wine came out at our stop in Santa Cruz, where it featured along side a dinner of dungeness crab and caesar salad. A favorite of my uncle’s, who we were visiting, the chardonnay was a bright light straw color, with a light to medium weight, with no real legs. I found Chanterais melon on the nose, and tangy green apple and very light oak on the palate in the form of some vanillin.
Glenfiddich 30 Year Scotch
After the meal with my uncle (favorite?), he pulled out a bottle of scotch that had been gifted to him by a very grateful client prior to his retirement from the legal profession. At first, the brilliant cage flummoxed us in trying to unlock its contents, but a trip through YouTube rendered to us the clearest directions after sifting through a few very drunken clips. The amber liquid ended up smooth, with an even flow to it. I found vanillin, cassia bark, star anise, buttercream on the nose. For the palate, it offered up orange peel and leaves, ampero, walnut, and Chinese cinnamon.
