Tomich Wines 'Duck and Weave' Pinot Noir 2015

After two months of living in an apartment without working AC and fighting with management to get it fixed, we finally moved out. I still can’t fathom why the apartment manager went so out of her way to screw us, other than perhaps some deranged desire on her part to be incompetent and malicious (though I’m not sure why anyone would strive for incompetence, but hey, to each their own). It was a very frustrating and depressing (and HOT) two months, but thanks to great advice from a friend knowledgeable in tenant rights, we (meaning mostly Kye) finally managed to get the issue resolved somewhat in our favor.

It was still a bit sad though, we’d had some good times and some very good wines in that apartment, but now we’re in a much better place and opening some damn decent wines here. One of which was Tomich Wines ‘Duck and Weave’ Pinot Noir from Adelaide in Australia.

Once upon a time Australian wine was all the rage in the US, thanks mainly to the wonderful wines from Shiraz (aka Syrah) they produced. Then, thanks mostly to sub-par exports and somewhat to the flightiness of consumers, they fell out of favor. There are some producers who survived and almost thrived on that, but it’s been a while since I really loved a wine from Australia.

Tomich’s Pinot Noir changed that. It's 100% Pinot Noir sourced from Adelaide Hills in South Australia, which is a great region for Burgundian style wines. It was light-bodied with blackberry and cherry on the nose. The palate has notes of cherry, rhubarb and hints of spice. There’s a bit of gaminess reminiscent of old world Pinot and ends with bright acidity and very soft tannins. For less than $15 it was most certainly a killer Pinot and led me to pick up a few of their other wines (shiraz, rosé, and sauvignon blanc), none of which disappointed. It’s a perfect summer red wine and great with or without food.

Vina Cumbrero Rioja Reserva 2008

Would you like to know what’s not super awesome? Not having a working AC in your home in the middle of summer… in Texas. It’s even better when your apartment management refuses to replace the unit even though it’s the fifth time in a year that it’s crapped out, because if we “just leave it running nonstop it partially cools” the apartment. Not sure how anyone else feels, but I don’t think 80 degrees is even close to “partially cool” when the temperature outside is over 100. And just in case it’s not obvious (since bafflingly enough it’s apparently not to other people), leaving your AC running nonstop gets rather expensive. Shocking... I know.

So, what do you do when people are awful and your apartment feels less like a home and more like a sauna and potential deathtrap for your dog? First you get your dog the hell out of there and leave her with her adoring grandparents, even though you know she’ll be less than thrilled about it and will probably vent her displeasure by destroying your possessions once she returns. Then you open a bottle of wine and try not to dwell on a situation that you feel utterly powerless to do anything positive about.

Since this super fantastic situation happened (almost an entire month ago) I have gone through several bottles of wine, but one that really stood out was the Vina Cumbrero Rioja Reserva 2008 I picked up from work for under $15.

This Rioja is 100% Tempranillo and aged for over 18 months in oak and with rather intense notes of red fruits and baking spices on the nose. Full-bodied on the palate bursting with flavors of cherry, raspberry and vanilla followed by hints of earth and licorice. Round, silky tannins and lively acidity lead to a pleasant, lingering finish. I decided to decant it as well which helped open the wine up a bit.* It was a great wine for under $15 and did wonders for taking my mind off the still unresolved AC issues. 

Oh well... it could always be worse.

*If you lack a decanter, Tupperware works just as well in a pinch, it just doesn’t look as fancy. And I am obviously all about being fancy.