A Star is Gorn
When I was a young child during the last century, my father
used to take me into the garden on clear but freezing winter evenings to
teach me the names of the constellations. Being brought up in northern
climes, I became very familiar with things like Taurus and the Great Bear
and especially the splendid constellation of Orion.
One of our stars is missing
It’s one of the
constellations that you can see almost everywhere in the world including
Thailand, although I didn’t know that at the time.
Orion always was an inspiring sight, especially in the winter months when it
stood majestically in the clear, cold northern skies. Years later, I was
delighted to discover that the constellation was nearly always visible from
my apartment in South London. I felt such affection for the stars of Orion
that for a time I used to wonder whether I was an alien. Perhaps I am. At
least it would account for the strange glances I get from time to time.
You’ll know of course that the so-called “belt” of Orion is made up of three
bright stars. Everyone knows that. Even the mangy parrot next door knows
that. Their names, in case you may have forgotten, or possibly never knew,
are Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka. If the names sound slightly Arabic, it’s
because they are. Alnilam (it means “string of pearls”) is the centre star
of Orion’s belt. It’s actually an enormous blue supergiant, thousands of
times brighter than our Sun and at least forty times as big. Now, you are
probably wondering why I’m telling you all this. (The thought had crossed my
mind – Ed.)
Orion Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 (red), Chile (Bt. 399 @
Friendship)
Seeing the name of this wine in Friendship the other day brought back
childhood memories of those freezing winter evenings, so I was compelled to
try a bottle. But when I got it home and looked closely at the logo I
realised to my horror and dismay that Alnilam, the middle star of Orion’s
belt, had disappeared. Gone! I mean, how can you draw the most well-known
constellation in the universe and get the most important bit wrong? How
could someone simply forget one of the brightest objects in the night sky?
Quite easily, it would seem.
Anyway, let’s get to the wine (I was hoping you would, sooner or later -
Ed.) This is an entry-level wine from Bodegas De Aguirre SA, a family
business with a strong agricultural tradition. In 2011 the company evidently
received more awards in wine competitions than any other Chilean winery. But
they won’t win very many awards from planets in the Alnilam system, I can
tell you.
This rich, dark red wine has a friendly, jammy sort of aroma with reminders
of herbs, but it doesn’t smell like a typical Cabernet Sauvignon to me - at
least, not this bottle. Chilean wine laws state that wines for export must
contain 85% of the grape variety shown on the label, so it’s quite possible
that other grapes have been used in the blend. Although the wine is quite
dry, the mouth-feel is very soft with hardly a trace of acidity. There’s an
attractive base of soft and ripe tannins, although the finish is a bit on
the short side. It has a rather high 13.5% alcohol content but it’s a
pleasant enough rustic quaffer, though perhaps a tad expensive for what you
actually get.
Four Rivers Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 (red), Chile (Bt.
395 @ Friendship)
For slightly less money, this strikes me as a better wine; firmer, more
balanced and better focused. It comes from Gracia de Chile in Santiago, part
of a group of wineries whose roots go back over a hundred years. I’d like to
tell you the names of the four rivers but my knowledge of Chilean geography
is a bit scanty so you’ll have to find out for yourself. Yes, I know life is
full of disappointments, but that’s how it is.
This dark, red wine has a rich aroma of black fruit, fresh black cherries
and vanilla with hints of violet and mint. It smells just like a Cabernet
Sauvignon in fact, which is a good start. The mouth-feel is very soft and
velvety and even though the wine is completely dry, there’s just the tiniest
hint of sweetness from the fruit. There’s plenty of black fruit on the
palate too and you’ll find that the richness of the taste develops
significantly after about fifteen minutes or so. The tannins are very soft
and gentle and the wine has quite a long and pleasant finish. Although the
alcohol content is quite high at 13%, the wine gets away with it because
there’s loads of fruit to balance out the alcohol. If you enjoy generously
fruity reds with very little acidity or tannin, this might be just the
ticket. Try it with steak or any rich meaty dishes.
Right. That’s it. Another column finished. Now I can go outside with a small
glass of vino and gaze at the night sky with the dogs. With a bit of luck, I
might see my three old friends, Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka. But I’ll
double check that Alnilam is still there too.