Cycles Pair

Hello Wine Lovers!
This weekend I thought I would not only treat you to a couple of good wines to drink but also a little info about cork... the other white meat. Oh, sorry, wrong ad... anyway what is cork? (If suddenly this blog comes to a short ending I wanted to tell you why. It is my anniversary and I am writing this while my beautiful bride is in the shower, so if I don't finish by the time she is ready... you get the picture.
Cork is an impermeable, buoyant material, a prime-subset of generic cork tissue that is harvested for commercial use primarily from Quercus suber (the Cork Oak), which is endemic to southwest Europe and northwest Africa. Cork is composed of suberin, a hydrophobic substance, and because of its impermeability, buoyancy, elasticity, and fire resistance, it is used in a variety of products, the most common of which is for wine stoppers. Portugal produces approximately 50% of cork harvested annually worldwide.There are about 2,200,000 hectares of cork forest worldwide; 32.4% in Portugal, and 22.2% in Spain. Annual production is about 300,000 tons. Once the trees are about 25 years old the cork is stripped from the trunks every ten years. The trees live for about 200 years. The first two harvests produce poorer quality cork.The extraction of cork place only during the period from early May to late August, when the cork separates more easily without causing damage to the tree. The first harvest from a young oak, the breaking-in, is done when the plant has about 25-30 years and a circumference of not less than 60 cm. Subsequent extractions occur at intervals of at least ten years, as required by regulations, but also 12-13 if the cork has not reached an acceptable size, and the product obtained is gentle cork that is used, if of good quality, for manufacture of cork stoppers.
The workers specialized for this job are the extractors whose tool is a very sharp axe that they use to make some cuts: one horizontal around the plant, called a crown or necklace, at a height of about 2-3 times the circumference of the tree, and two or three (but more if the tree is very big) vertical called rulers or openings. This is the most delicate phase of the work because, despite having a lot of force to impose the axe to cut the cork, while it must absolutely do not affect the underlying fellogeno, whose disruption leads to the destruction of the plant.
A good extractor must be able to use force and sensibility, and he must well recognized the physical characteristics of the cork who is going to extract in order to operate accordingly. I am willing to bet good money you had no idea that cork was basically a "bark" of a tree. The next time you open a bottle of wine... think about this blog. Ok, enough about cork, lets talk wine.
My entry today is two different varietals from Cycles Gladiator, a California producer who certainly has had some issues in the past. When they first hit the market they id some good things. Then the quality went downhill and I stopped drinking them. I revisited them last week and found the quality was back, so here we go. The Syrah and the Merlot is what I am talking about.
First off, you may ask, why the naked lady holding on to a bike? Well, it is a famous French poster used for advertising "Gladiator" a well know manufacture of French Bicycles. The French know what sells... naked ladies, so the rest is history!
The Merlot you will find a deep ruby color with an inviting mix of ripe fruit and earthy aromas. Juicy black cherry and blackberry flavors mingle with wisps of wood. The lush fruit is complemented by hints of tobacco, black licorice and spice. Slight tannins dance on the tongue, then tapers off, melting to a pleasant finish.
An excellent expression of the varietal, this full-bodied Syrah presents a pleasant combination of rich texture, solid acidity and velvety tannins.
This distinctive, Syrah elicits smoky-sweet aromas of ripe plum, wild berry and spice. Lush layers of dark fruit flavors are complemented by notes of savory pepper, harmonious oak and tobacco, and faint wisps of rose petals. An excellent expression of the varietal, this full-bodied Syrah presents a pleasant combination of rich texture, solid acidity and velvety tannins. You will not believe what is in your mouth for the money. Both of these wines are available at Binny's of the Wine Discount Center for, are you sitting down? $6.99 a bottle! This is just plain nuts! Hurry up and buy this stuff before they wake up and start selling for what they are worth!
Cheers!
J