RisqueSommelier.com

“Actually, it only takes one drink to get me loaded. Trouble is, I can’t remember if it’s the thirteenth or fourteenth.”

— George Burns

Castello Banfi Montalcino 2003 Cum Laude

Risqué grants this little Italian all of his well deserved honors, Cum Laude!

Hartford Court 2005 Four Hearts Vineyards, Chardonnay, Russian River Valley

This lovely shimmering golden intense liquid is pumped with aromas of sweet billowous honeysuckle, succulent ripe pears and wafts of soft smoke. The mouth is throbbing with delightfully acidic juicy pineapple, spiced baked apple sprinkled with rich English toffee and Meyer lemons woven with soft oak and more smoke. The pulse of this full bodied 100% malolactic beauty is complimented by the elegant and lengthy finish oozing with rich spice.

Risqué feels everyone should have Four boyfriends Hearts stashed away for emergencies, but only if you like it intense, succulent, and mouth throbbing.

Alcohol: 14.3%($35)

Caymus Vineyards 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

Recently some of Risqué’s neighbor lushes invited him over for a fabuleux table d’hote. To Risqué’s surprise, besides a delectable Medium Rare Choice Prime Rib of Beef, they unveiled a bottle of wine squirreled away on reserve, a Caymus Vinyards 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon. With a discerning whiff of the cork, a fanciful swirl of the glass and a graceful sip, Risqué winked at the neighbors as their status immediately became elevated to “favorite lushes.

The 2004 color exposes a rich saturated amethystine. Up front, the nose is huge! Raspberry and blackberry briar fruit with dark pekoe tea, blueberry and notes of toffee quickly follow. In the mouth it is a jammy orgasmic gush of more ripe juicy brambly fruit, a light hint of tar followed by #2 pencil, toasted oak, subtle mocha and rich black currant. The tannins are wonderfully balanced and the finish continues in the exhausted glass with the gratification of the lovely scent of gourmet toffee.

The best way to Risqué’s heart is simply “straight” through his wine and obviously, becoming a favorite lush involves sharing such a fabulous fermentation!

The Ildefonso Group, Prado, Madrid

Loving the opportunity to share another two brothers, Risqué, in this wonderful engraving of Castor and Pollux, enjoys the homme sur l’homme. As the story goes, these twin brothers were sons of the immortal Zeus, who had changed himself into a beautiful swan and seduced the mortal Leda, the wife of the king of Sparta. Pollux and Castor just so happen to be the brothers (clutch mates) of Helen of Troy…you know, the Trojan War. Eventually, the brothers pursued two beautiful sisters who were already betrothed to suitors. The twins challenged and killed their rivals, but Castor was mortally wounded.

Risqué can’t help but think that they would have been better off pursuing the suitors instead of the sisters. Si tragique! Remember that… Suitors not Sisters!!!

However, filled with “incestuant” love and overcome with grief, the immortal Pollux couldn’t bear being apart from his brother (who had taken up residence in Hades…) so in the end, Z daddy placed both their immortal souls together in the sky as symbols of “brotherly” love. The hatched “youths of Zeus” ultimately became known as the two bright stars that form the heads of the constellation of eternal gaiety, Gemini found in the nighttime skies.

In history the Romans called the stars the “Twin Brethren”, in Egypt they were called “Horus the Elder and Horus the Younger”, in Babylon they were the “Great Twins” and in China they were called “Yin and Yang”.

In Risqué’s mind they are called… more than just …a little gay!

Frei Brothers, 2005 Reserve Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, California

Risqué always enjoys the opportunity to indulge in two brothers, especially at one time and the Frei Brothers provided just that! …Quenching Risqué’s relentless thirst for a fabulous bottle of wine, of course.

The wine is a lush color of brick red offering aluring scents of spice, fresh rose, deep black cherry, hints of raspberry ending with innuendos of vanilla. The well endowed tastes are principally of cherries and violets, depthy smokey oak and lush dark plum with a long lingering finish, nice balance and a very pleasant mouth feel.

With one brother in his right hand and the other in his left… Risqué would say, “délicatement équilibré”..

Alcohol: 13.8% ($25)

Chateau Maris 2005 La Touge Syrah, South of France

As you know Risqué loves all things French and all things just a little gay. From a small property in the South of France that focuses its cultivation using environmentally friendly biodynamic principles, Chateau Maris 2005 La Touge Syrah makes Risqué want to quote the Countess DeLave from the 1939 movie “The Women”… “Oh, l’amour, l’amour!”

The color is a fabulous adulteration of bright garnet and amethystine. The fragrance is buttery toffee, spicy oak, straw, and plum all with a little surprising tang. On the tongue there is huge rich exotic spice, vanilla woody oak, sun ripened blueberry and luxurious creme de cassis …all with a long layered finish.

Surprising enough was that the cork had leaked and was a little spongy but Risqué is willing to try anything once or twice. Sometimes, what can appear to be a bit off can turn out to be quite extraordinary.

Risqué says fabuleux!

“Oh, l’amour, l’amour!”

Alcohol 14.5% ($25)

Hartford Court 2005 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, Land’s Edge Vineyards

This is one of those rare and opulent treasures…. When something brand new takes flight and achieves near perfection. This is that flawless sculpture, the divinely inspired painting, the monumental achievement of a young Olympiad! This inaugural Pinot Noir is Risqué’s liquid dreams…

The color is deep velvet red with just a glimmer of royal purple. A glass perfumed with the scent of nosegays of violets, woven cedar baskets brimming with ripe dark cherries. The first roll over the tongue explodes in lush perfectly ripe juicy dark cool cherries, summer blackberries, rich cassis, vanilla bean and Italian espresso dusted with anise and allspice. The muscular flavors are punctuated with the voluptuous velvety texture of the liquid, rich and supple with the perfect bright acidity and firm round tannins.

The march of time will be very kind to this beauty only improving its already excellent drinkability over the coming decade. Risqué recommends that you tuck away a bit of perfection with an entire case…

14.5% Alcohol ($35)