ONE BOTTLE
One Bottle:
The 2009 Comte Abbatucci Ajaccio Rouge “Cuvée Faustine” The Man Who Threw His Life Away told us that everything we believed in was
bunch of old Burgundies, pour them into a crater, and decant the mix into
a lie. “You sit here, eating and drinking,” he said. “You say grace, you laugh at
brand new Corsican bottles? Is that your idea of a practical joke?”
each other’s jokes, you bitch and moan about the politicians. You think you’re
“I would never do that,” I said.
safe, but you’re not. The truth is, you’re in danger, but you don’t know it, which
“Then why does this taste like a fifty-year-old Chambertin?” he said. “This is
makes your chances of survival that much worse. Everything you learned in high school, or from your parents—everything you think life has taught you? All of that was a lie. None of this is your fault. You never decided to grow up in a culture
the best red wine I’ve ever had.” “Jean-Charles Abbatucci,” I said. “He’s the best of the Corsicans. Or one of the best.”
of dishonesty. But you grew up in one anyway, and now you’re all functioning
“What’s the grape?”
parts of the lie. You depend on the lie as much as the lie depends on you.”
“Seventy percent Sciaccarellù, thirty percent Nielluccio. Nielluccio’s their
I asked The Man Who Threw His Life Away to explain what he meant by a culture of dishonesty. “Take your opinion of me,” he said. “You think, because I threw my life away, that I’m a loser. You won’t say it to my face, but if I wasn’t here tonight, you’d say it to each other. ‘All that talent, and look what he did with it.’ The truth is, you pity me. You think I’m a wasted soul. What you don’t know—what you can’t know—is that when I threw my life away, I set myself free.” “And why can’t we know that?” said Cold Razor.
Sangiovese. Sciaccarellù’s unique to Corsica. It’s interesting that it reminds you of an old Burgundy.” The Man Who Threw His Life Away gave me what we all referred to as his friendly scowl. “Why is that interesting?” he said. “At blind tastings, masters of wine use Corsican reds made with Sciaccarellù to fool aspiring sommeliers. The theory is that it tastes like Pinot Noir.” “Do you subscribe to that theory?” “No. To me, the only thing that tastes like Sciaccarellù
“Because you worship at the altar of self-deception.”
is Sciaccarellù. Not that I have a whole lot of experience drinking
We were sitting around the big oak table in the kitchen at
Corsican reds. Or tasting them blind.”
my house, eating what was left of a roast chicken dinner. My wife,
“You always belittle yourself,” said The Man Who Threw His
Queen of Wands, had cooked the chicken. I had picked out the
Life Away, “at least when it comes to wine. I like that.” He turned
Champagne and the other wines. It was not so much a dinner
to Long Eyes. “Does that answer your question?”
party as a gathering of misfits who liked to eat and drink in the company of other misfits. Careless Wizard was there with his
Which brings us to the 2009 Comte Abbatucci Ajaccio Rouge “Cuvée Faustine.”
wife, Relentless Nymph. Jaguar Lady had flown in for the dinner,
In the glass, Abbatucci’s “Cuvée Faustine” is a clear,
all the way from Morelia. Her new girlfriend, Long Eyes, was
unapologetic scarlet. The bouquet is the wine’s first shot
sitting on Jaguar Lady’s lap. You would think that two grown
across your bow. It reminds you of coves, monasteries, oases,
women would have a difficult time eating dinner with one of
and sacred groves. On the palate, the “Cuvée Faustine” is so
them seated on the other’s lap, but they had a knack for it.
authentic, so direct and pure, that the hair on the back of your
My guess is, they had done it before.
neck stands up. I have tasted some emotional wines but none
Cold Razor was there, too, with his wife, Blessed Ages.
of them sent chills up and down my spine. I have to warn you
Under any other circumstances, Cold Razor would have been
about the finish. If you think falling in love is something that only
the guest of honor. He had written a series of macho-man novels
happens between people, or between people and animals, or
about the end of civilization. One of the novels, A Complete
between people and the color of the ocean, then you will have
Game, had been made into a movie starring Elder Whack-Job and
your opinions about love rearranged by the finish of the 2009
Perfect Ass, so Cold Razor was a celebrity, at least for Santa Fe,
Abbatucci “Cuvée Faustine.”
which made Blessed Ages a celebrity, too. But in a room with The
Late that night, after the other guests had gone home and
Man Who Threw His Life Away, it was no contest. Wherever The
my wife had gone to bed, I asked The Man Who Threw His Life
Man Who Threw His Life Away ate dinner, he was the guest of honor.
Away if he wanted a bottle of the “Cuvée Faustine” to take with
Long Eyes lifted her glass. “Not to change the subject,” she
him. “No thank you,” he said. “The only place to drink that wine
said to The Man Who Threw His Life Away, “but seeing as you’re
is here at your table, with your wife and her killer roast chicken, and
like, an authority on the entire universe, I have to ask. What do
with you and your self-absorbed friends. Anything less complicated
you think of this wine?”
than that would be a shortcut, and all shortcuts lead to hell.”
The Man Who Threw His Life Away asked for a piece of bread. My wife gave him one. He mopped his plate and ate the bread, then he drank all of the wine in his glass. “Damn,” he said. He looked at the bottle, then he looked at me.
One Bottle is dedicated to the appreciation of good wines and good times, one bottle at a time. The name “One Bottle” and the contents of this column are ©2012 by onebottle.com. For back issues, go to onebottle.com. Send comments or questions to jb@onebottle.com.
“2009. Ajaccio. Yeah, right. What do you do? Open up a
| j u L Y 2012
THE magazine | 29