Santa Barbara Winemakers.
Vita Nova, 2002, Acronicus, Santa Barbara County, 40% cabernet sauvignon, 40% merlot, 20 petit(e) verdot. 13.3% Alc.
Lot to think about here. Vita Nova is an auxilliary label of Jim Clendenen (the mind behind) Au Bon Climat. Acronicus, gave me a chance to rummage into my 1911 Oxford English Dictionary to find the root of the name. It appears to be formed from the Greek "akronukhos", akros "topmost" or "outermost" and nuktos which means night. The basic translation rendering "happening at night". That being said, I understand Jim's meaning to be even more profound, because we should accept nothing less. Acronicus is the lipservice made to garagistes, the guys who make their wines by night if they work and have jobs by day. I'd like to know of other variations if you have them.
Cab, merlot, petit verdot is a recipe for bigness. How big? Let's get into cheese and stinky cheese, sliced salame, olives, both black and green. A "pick" evening, catch as catch can with bread and crackers and about 6 kinds of cheese minimum that should include two blues like rocquefort and stilton, some tallegio, some perlagrigia and assortment of strong stuff to stand up to this bad boy.
But what of the mind? This wine is brain food, not some simple name but deep thought to explore the depths of enshrouded history. Not to be taken lightly and not for the feint of heart. This is ultimately a literary wine, creator of ambience, provider of inspiration, brain food indeed. There is a lusciousness that reminds of velvet. Curtains of velvet pulled closed against a cold Boston winter, a warm leather chesterfield moved close to the log fire, a dimmed slightly reading light, illuminating a first edition Nathaniel Hawthorn, your legs comfortably crossed with a lap blanket. A side table holding a glass of Acronicus, an ashtray allowing a Macanudo to slowly burn quietly. The howling wintry snow muffled by the curtains. Where else do you want to be? I'd go further but unfortunately I finished the bottle far too quickly for my liking. Curses for 750 mil, curses for not buying 2 bottles for the night. And so it goes. Who shall we have reading Mr. Hawthorn? Vladmir Nabokov, Vera tending to his every whim, another conspiracy of the Mind Behind. You could Bend Sinister with the evenings thoughts but Pale Fire seems more apropos.
Cheers
May 24. 2006
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