I am excited to announce that C+C is going to be upgrading the photo portion of our blog in the coming weeks. We are on our third (and final for a while) camera since our first post—the best decision we ever made. But, we have made a hobby out of chasing light across a wall to position a wine bottle, or across town for Carey to strike a pose. My solution: 2000 watts of wine-destroying light that will transform the majority of our unphotogenic (read: dim) home into an instant photo studio.
I thought about getting some smaller, imitation photo lights in lieu of the real thing—that was until I got a chance to use the photo studio at Carey’s work. I was sold. C+C is getting lit.
Defiant. de·fi·ant. adjective. full of defiance; openly and boldly resisting.
Raised in black, block print on the bright orange aluminum capsule and purposefully arranged on the center of the label in a power position—the word commands attention, everything else is secondary. The perfect presentation for a tribute wine—which is exactly what it is. A tribute to great-grandma Angela Seghesio who directed the winery in the chaotic wake of Prohibition all the way up until her death in 1957. How many Prohibition-era wineries are still family-owned today? Well, I actually have no idea, but there can’t be many.
The ’07 Defiant is in its infancy. I struggle with timing when deciding when to open and review a wine like this. There is a tradeoff between performance and relevancy. Good wine sells out… but good wine also gets better with age. The key is to have two bottles! I wish I always had that arrangement.
Incredible dark-fruit density and intensity. The color is absolutely transcending—as close to opaque as possible without losing the garnet flashes in its core as it moves in the light. Interesting candle smoke nose notes. Notable plantain or banana flavors join the mix berry palate.
Tannins are heavy, but will no doubt integrate, further adding incredible depth and balancing the structure. Prior to dinner, I was picking at some crispy bacon pieces right out of the frying pan—the tannins sailed through my mouth. Right now, this is a food wine. Barbecue or burgers—it will pair perfectly with heavy juicy foods. There is going to be a point in the next year or two when Defiant grows into itself. I hope it doesn’t lose the Gamay-like, banana, youthful nature. This wine has uniqueness of flavor, fruit strength, and potential for great complexity.
Stay tuned to see the various objects I plan to douse in light and take pictures of once my new lights come—including Eli.
Enjoy!
-Rob
oooh we were just there and bought some of this wine! bit i sure take living so close to Napa/Sonoma Wine Country far too much for granted. Holler if you want me to swing through and pick you up something! Love you guys.