by Al Drinkle
Impeded from enjoying an evening outdoors by merciless June rain, my wife and I found ourselves halfway down the Youtube rabbit hole. We were taking turns selecting video clips, mostly obnoxious punk rock footage, and somehow or other, I Hate You by the Monks popped up. Decent enough song (Big Lebowski fans will recognize it), but I was ecstatic to be reminded of the brilliant title. “Wow... I Hate You,” I said, “that's obviously the best song name of all time!”
My wife paused for a moment before replying, “yah, it's good. But you've got your own I Hate You, don't you?”
I froze, wineglass halfway to my lips. She was right. I hadn't thought about it in years, but in 2002 I wrote, recorded and released a timeless hit of the same ingenious name. I Hate You… it's so beautifully succinct! Absentmindedness is creeping in with age. But as my memory deteriorates, my perennially great taste persists.
Further evidence for this is a recent arrival of the Borie de Maurel wines from Minervois in France's Languedoc. When Richard first introduced me to this producer almost 15 years ago, I was enamoured of the extroverted, rugged spiciness and pure, textural suavity of the wines. Few vintners are as in touch with their environs as the Escande family, and their wines are the ferality of Languedoc gone liquid.
I may not be as sharp as I used to be, but I take pride in my consistency. And the current lineup from Borie de Maurel more than justifies my unwavering admiration for this talented, thoughtful family of winegrowers:
2019 Charivari selon Borie de Maurel Grenache $20
