CorkTale | Wine Reviews

Bullets whizzed by my head louder than Grand Central Station at rush hour. It was fortunate I was dropped with at least some barrier for protection. I replayed the last sequence, where I knew I had eliminated thirteen enemies with my 9mm. I knew there was at least two on the upper barrier, three within 30 yards on the ground level, and from what I could tell, five more in the office behind the bullet proof glass at the other side of the room.

Why did I have to drink that bottle of La Crema Chardonnay 2007 wine tonight? So what if it's light citrus flavors were accented by hints of red pepper heat. The long and strong finish accented the oak flavors. It definitely lived up to its La Crema cliche, as the flavor of cream shined through. I could almost detect a hint of saffron spice in this wine, but certainly the wine that I drank was not worth slowing down my reflexes. But that was the beauty of this wine, it was a decent glass to have after work, or with some mild cheese.

I had no idea I'd be called into this scuffle. That's the life I chose though, and now I was living up to the responsibilities of it. I wasn't free to drink and review wine whenever I pleased, I needed to stay sharp, alert, and ready to act. Wine has many health benefits and is my ultimate relaxation drug, but it was also a vice that could jeopardize my well-being. The La Crema Chardonnay may well be the last wine I taste.

Javier's wine tasting

It was a hot Mexican night. The sun had set about an hour ago, but the heat from the summer still radiated throughout the dry land. It was now approaching 8 pm, and still Javier had not been served the Barbacoa de Puerto and Sterling Vintner's Collection Zinfandel he requested.

Javier had spent years masterminding his ascent to the top of the Mexican drug cartel. The notches on his belt were impressive, but his true genius was his ability to get new recruits to follow him blindly into the future. Now at the top of the underground mountain, wine flowed like water and Javier was king.

His staff, which included a personal chef, a driver who was also his bodyguard, a personal assistant, and a full time personal lawyer had all retired for the evening. All except the chef, Ricardo. Ricardo was Venezuelan, extremely pretentious with his wine, and made Javier nervous. It had taken Javier nearly two years to fully accept Ricardo, and allow him into the inner sanctum.

Javier's villa was not only large, but extremely secure. The 10 foot perimeter fence was over two feet thick, and had a hard stucco exterior. The 5 doberman's rested quietly in their pen. Security guards were fully armed, and on duty outside the gates of the villa. The lanai in the central courtyard however, was were Javier was able to relax, review wine, and eat his meals. Tonight was no different as the last drop of his glass of Chardonnay disappeared into his mouth.

"Here you are, Javier" Ricardo stated plainly as he placed the dish in front of Javier and began pouring the Zinfandel into a fresh Riedel crystal wine glass.
"Thank you Ricardo, your Barbaco de Puerto is damn good, I can't wait to eat it." Javier responded as Ricardo turned away and lit a cigarette.