The Loach
TASTING NOTES:
2021 - “Bright citrus, lemon zest and peach on the nose. This full-bodied wine is rich and weighty, showing integrated acidity with flavors of Bartlett pear, lemon curd, white flowers, and baking spices on the palate.” (AbV 14.5%, pH 3.22, TA 5.1 g/L)
2020 - “On the nose this wine reveals nectarine and ripe pear aromas. The palate is endowed with integrated oak structure, hints of vanilla cream, lemon zest, and baked apples. Building momentum across the mid-palate, this wine is formative with lingering flavors of spice and crème brûlée. The finish has refreshing and persistent acidity that is well-balanced.” (AbV 14.5%, pH 3.42, TA 5.6 g/L)
VARIETALS: 100% Chardonnay.
BARRELS: French oak, 10% new.
PAIRS WITH: N/A
THAT REMINDS ME OF: Loaches.
Loaches belong to the suborder Cobitoidei and are fresh-water, ray-finned, bottom-dwelling river fish. Loaches have quite a bit of variance between the different families and species under its umbrella. Some are stout, others are eel-like. Some adults are smaller than an inch, others are longer than a foot. Many might have barbels, those whisker-like sensory organs, around their mouthes, but it isn’t always the case. Without molecular phylogenetics, using DNA analysis to uncover evolutionary relationships, it would be difficult to realize many loaches even belong in the same suborder.
What I found interesting is the primary morphological aspect of the loach that is shared between all the varied species is skeletal. Particularly modifications around the neurocranium. That’d be the brain case. So while they look pretty different on the outside, they all have that shared feature.
