Wine Wits (#010): Beaujolais Nouveau, Cillian Murphy & Dune 2
The latest from grape juice drinker Aleksandar Draganic
Hi friend!
It’s been a great week BOTH for drinking wine and reading, a rarity in my book (no pun intended). Since starting this series, many people have asked me how I manage to read one book a week and the approach is quite simple - just do it. Last year I read 70+ books, the routine being pretty much the same every day - read an hour or two in commute (I work in sales, so I use the bus A LOT), then read in bed for as long as I can (helps me pass the fuck out). After a while, reading becomes a habit, like going to the gym or brushing your teeth, plus you’ll have great benefit from it.
WINE I’M DRINKING
Domaine des Terres Dorées Beaujolais Nouveau Cuvée Première 2023 (unfortunately not available in Singapore)
I had this beautiful red with friends a few weeks ago and again today. The first time we had it blind (a great indication of quality without bias or prejudice) and it ended up being in the top 3 Beaujos of the 14-bottle tasting. Though many cringe at the mention of Beaujolais Nouveau (usually bottled as candied, thin Gamay juice), Jean Paul Brun tends to shy away from any kind of carbonic maceration and commits to pure traditional Burgundian winemaking, even for his Nouveau!
The 2023 vintage was an intense one - heatwaves, severe storms, rainy spells close to harvest. Definitely not a favourable rollercoaster for any vigneron. The warmth of the vintage is quite obvious in this wine, but having a skilful winemaker helps a ton. Jean Paul managed to bring this wine “under control” and create a Nouveau with a great deal of character. Lovely aromas of fresh berry fruit, strawberry, some cooking spices. Light-bodied, zippy acidity. The real glou glou red. Buy a case. Or two.
BOOK I’M READING
Since watching Peaky Blinders, I kind of became obsessed with Cillian Murphy’s work. I dived down the Youtube rabbit hole, watching interviews and performance compilations, but what drove my curiosity the most was an article I read about Cillian’s favourite books. There are some great recommendations in there, Eclipse being one of my definite favourites. It’s a trip for sure, mixing different vibes - mystery, fantasy, and even ghost stories - but in a way that hits you right in the feels. It's about this guy, Alexander Cleave, who's had a pretty rough go of it. Imagine being haunted by your dead dad's ghost as a kid, and then fast forward to being fifty, coming back to your old house, and it's still Ghost Central. But now, there's even more spooky stuff going down.
Cleave used to be this big-shot actor, but he's hit rock bottom after freaking out on stage. He's back at his childhood home, trying to get his head straight, but instead of peace and quiet, he finds himself dealing with a whole new crew of ghosts. Plus, all these messed-up memories start popping up, forcing him to really look at his life - his tanked career, his shaky marriage, and the whole mess with his daughter he doesn't talk to much. Pretty much every page of this book is like a treasure hunt, making you forget the weird vibes you get from the plot. Banville’s sentences create vivid images that sucked me into the book and took me away. With sublime writing, this is one of those novels that’s really tough to put down.
RANDOM THOUGHT
I’ve heard so many good reviews of Dune 2. Looks like it’s going to be a banger, so I’ll have to check it out this week. And no, I’m not starting movie reviews, ever.
As always, thanks for reading - stay thirsty, stay curious.
See ya in a week!
Aleksandar