#334 Convert to the dark side of the Force

 

One of the most memorable scenes from any movie of my childhood was when Luke Skywalker was dangling having just lost his right hand, and Darth Vader tries to convince him to turn to the dark side of the force.  Today I tried a pair of wines that reminded me of that scene - a battle verses the evil Empire of alcohol and the old rebellian ways of low alcohol and refinement.

Firstly was the 2003 Rockford Local Growers Semillon.  This eight year old from Barossa is an interesting, clean, fresh (despite its age) wine.  It has gunpowder on the nose, a little apple and some lettuce aromas with just the tiniest amount of honey, or honeydew melon, sweetness coming through.  The palate is all about pineapple skin and pencil, but what amazes me is that it is only 11.5% alcohol and you don't notice any of it.  This is an old school Australian white, and what I really want from this country, but sadly now wines like this are too high in booze.  Low alcohol is an old way of life in Australia, nearly extinct and except for a few old bottles. (7.5/10) Similarly, Star Wars Episode 4 tells the story of an old Jedi way of life, on the brink of extinction, with the evil Empire ruling all.  Until now, I have been a low alcohol Jedi. 

And then came The Empire Strikes Back, and the scene at Cloud City.  Darth Vader tells Luke Skywalker that he is his father and tries to convert Luke to the dark side of the force.  When I tried the 2006 Flaccianello della Pieve from Fontodi, I was being converted to the dark side.  At 15% alcohol, this is, in theory, far too big in alcohol for me, but such is this wines seductive ways, you become sorely tempted.  Very ripe fruit, lots of cherry and purple plum skin bitterness comes through on the nose with a good dose of chocolate, toffee and semi dried fruit including prunes and dates.  You are enticed further with big, powerful tannins that are delivered in such a soft way that before you know it you have been beaten up by them but don't care.  You get bitter chocolate, loads of leather and then the berries - at first slowly, but then a rush of more plum skin, then flesh and bramble leaves coated in juice.  A mighty wine with meaty elements, and earth on the finish. (8.5/10)

It is so seductive, instead of letting go and plummeting as Skywalker did, I'm getting Vader to throw me down a rope and I'm climbing up to join him in his high alcohol evil Empire.