Toothe And Nayle, Reclaimed
TASTING NOTES: “The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon bursts from the glass with aromas of plum, black cherry, sandalwood and tobacco leaf. A luscious mouthfeel delivers velvety flavors of black fruits, boysenberry, crème de cassis, mocha and vanilla with hints of gravelly stone. Plump tannins unfold into a soft, enveloping finish.” (AbV 14.5%, pH 3.80)
VARIETALS: Cabernet Sauvignon
BARRELS: 10 months in French oak barrels (25% new)
PAIRS WITH: N/A
THAT REMINDS ME OF: Tooth and Nail
The phrase “tooth and nail” is older than you’d think — English speakers have been fighting that way since at least the 1500s, when Thomas More used it (spelled “toothe and nayle,” which I now want back) to mean defending something with absolutely everything you’ve got and nothing else. No swords, no strategy, just whatever equipment you were born with.
What gets me is that other languages pictured a completely different animal doing the fighting. French has “bec et ongles” — beak and claws — same all-out, no-weapons energy, except somewhere along the way the mental image shifted from a person biting and scratching to what I can only assume is a extremely committed chicken defending her patch of yard. I like that there’s apparently a whole multilingual tradition of describing fierce resolve by imagining barnyard animals losing their minds.
ICYMI, you have two choices:
- Worried Summer heat might get to your wine before your wine gets to you? Order from the sale linked here, and we’ll get it to you at a cooler time of year!
- Want it shipped now? Every package during the summer will have protected temp control ground shipping for much of the country that takes longer but will ensure safe delivery. Expect up to two weeks for delivery. Now through the September 12th offer.
