It’s the first day of December, which means my birthday is nearby and, most importantly, my first semester in the Creative Writing program at the University of Southern Mississippi is coming to a close. And it was a very trying semester indeed. So relief is on the way. . . . Well, some. I still have to layout and edit the next issue of Redactions, a chapbook for the winner of the Palettes & Quills biennial chapbook contest, and do some prep work for ENG102, which I’ll teach next semester. But, you know what? For one fraking month I won’t have to use a fraking alarm clock!
I do have two papers that are due soon, too, but one paper just needs to be proofread and the other 80% complete, so it’s time to pre-celebrate with McWilliam’s Hanwood Estates Cabernet Sauvignon 2007. I hope it’s good.
It’s color is a deep inky black/purple. It’s 100% opaque. The meniscus is underdeveloped.
The nose is filled with cassis, sour cherries, plums, and vanilla.
Already, I’m thinking a steak would go well with this wine. A steak cooked on the grill and that’s slightly charred on the outside but medium rare on the inside.
It essentially tastes dark. It’s just a big dark taste. Nothing is coming through. It’s a black hole of flavor. No. It’s a flavor singularity.
The finish is dry and sticky. It’s presence remains on the tongue for some time in a chalky manner.
This wine wasn’t worthy enough of a pre-celebration, but I’m glad I got to make the “Black Hole of Flavor” picture.
87 points.//
The Line Break 