Anonimo Dominimo
TASTING NOTES: “Opulent bright red in appearance, the nose gives lifted aromas of wild raspberries, cherries and pencil shavings. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and vibrant acidity, showing notes of cranberries, cocoa and herbs de Provence. Made from a blend of 60% Sangiovese, 20% Petit Verdot and 20% Petite Sirah that is very well integrated and balanced.” (AbV 13.7%)
VARIETALS: Well, you heard ‘em. 60% Sangiovese, 20% Petit Verdot, 20% Petite Sirah. Would be kinda funny if I’d put 19% Petit Verdot and 21% Petite Sirah, I guess.
BARRELS: French oak, 60% neutral.
PAIRS WITH: N/A
THAT REMINDS ME OF: Anno Domini, or AD.
Anno Domini comes from the phrase “anno Domini nostri Jesus Christ” and, as you might surmise, means “the year of the lord.” Some people believe AD could also refer to “After Death,” as in his death, but that is not actually an accepted interpretation of AD. It makes sense that people sometimes think that, though, given that BC literally only exists with the English phrase “Before Christ.” So AD is Latin, but BC is English. Non-English-speaking countries that used AD would use AC, Ante Christum. To make things less Christo-centric, the acronyms can be smoothly switched to BCE and CE, Before Common Era and Common Era.
The guy who came up with the AD dating system was a Roman monk named Dionysius Exiguus. At the time, Romans were often using “anno Diocletiani” or “anno martyrum,” based on the Emperor Diocletian. However, Diocletian was the perpetrator of the final major push against Christianity in the Roman Empire, so Dionysius wasn’t a fan of that. Instead, he roughly calculated where Jesus would’ve been born relative to the current year, which turned out to be around 525 AD. It was finally popularized throughout Europe by Charlemagne around the 800’s.
