River of Screaming Skulls
TASTING NOTES:
River of Skulls - “With a name like River of Skulls, you know it has to be good… An ankle bone of blackberry aromas is connected to the shin bone of plums and cedar, which connects to the knee bone of caramel and violets (yes, violets). The knee bone is connected to the leg bone of rich black fruit and cinnamon flavors, which connects to the hip bone, back bone and neck bone of a nice long finish of tobacco with cherry cigar and light smoke. Oh Dem Skulls!” (AbV 14.3%)
Torcido Garnacha - “You remember when you were a little kid, and there was this little store round the corner that had a nice man behind the counter who would sell you a big bag of the best candy for a nickel? We don’t either, no one is that old! But if we were that old, this wine might just remind us a little of those days, with floral aromas of raspberry and cherry; and spicy flavors of tart strong fruit - maybe even that funny pepper candy you used to think was yucky - finishing with impressions of 10W30 oil. Whoops, I guess we wandered into the hardware department, but I think you get the idea…” (AbV 14.4%)
VARIETALS: 100% Mourvèdre, and 100% Grenache.
BARRELS: N/A
PAIRS WITH: River of Skulls with lamb, pork, and risotto. Torcido Garnacha with tapas, spicy sausages and salamis, ham, game, pot roast, linguica, sweet fruit sauces, lamb and goat.
THAT REMINDS ME OF: The Screaming Skull!
A horror movie from 1958 that opens with the narrator saying if you die of fright during the movie, you’ll get a free burial service. Suffice to say, it doesn’t exactly provide frights of that caliber.
Featuring a cast of five people, the story follows newlyweds Eric and Jenni Whitlock as they move into Eric’s estate, which he once shared with his now deceased wife Marion and their strange gardener Mickey. Local Reverend Edward Snow and his wife also occasionally drop by to check in on the couple. Jenni suffers trauma from her parents’ deaths and is the sole inheritor of their wealth. Eric’s previous wife Marion was similarly wealthy and died under sketchy circumstances. By the end, it’s clear Eric did away with Marion and planned to do the same with Jenni, but the repeated appearance of Marion’s skull, culminating in her skeletal ghost chasing Eric down, foils the plan. Most of the film is Eric gaslighting Jenni, people knocking on doors that take too long to be answered, and chasing Mickey around. Honestly, it’s kinda fun.