Skip to main content

Miles 23.28; Units 24

Image
By
A modest week, all told, what with travelling and the like. Managed what now seems the usual week of 2 runs, 2 exercise classes. Another week also flows by without setting a clear goal to aim for. I am keen for the work situation to settle down more clearly before I commit myself to a challenge. At the moment the likelihood is to aim for a half marathon in late September or early October, and probably not to train too specifically for it, and see what happens. It will be a useful gauge of performance when fully trained as opposed to partly trained.

I alluded to the work situation last week - so, all is settled, and I am now moving to work for the Value Chain team, in a development role. I am pleased about this, I think it suits my style more, and will I hope give me a bit more consistency so I can get back to running again. Is it my dream job? Well, no, however it is pretty good! I am mindful of the phrase from Thoreau "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them" and am certain that this will not be me..I can perhaps use the time wisely to work out what is really me, what is my true voice, and how that can be my paying work. In the meantime, I can afford to keep the good wine flowing...

..which is a neat segway into wine of the week, which is a real corker. Casa Sola Chianti Classico Riserva 1999, a truly fabulous bottle. Purchased some years ago from the Wine Society, this has been a bit of a sleeper in the cellar, and once again reminds me how sensational Tuscan wine can be, especially if you get the 'sweet spot' for cellarage, which in this case I most certainly did. Lovely, rich, succulent strawberry and vanilla, with a hint of plums on the palate. Not a hint of out of balance acidity or tannin, just everything in perfect harmony. The joy of Sangiovese is when married with a little bit of Mammolo, Colorino, and Canaiolo - or, nowadays, a bit of Merlot, adding fruit and richness, or Cabernet Sauvignon, which contributes power and dark fruit flavours. Altogether gorgeous!

Posting next week from my 40th birthday wine tasting - might be a bit late as the wines of the week will be many and various!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

miles 20.64; Bike Miles 0; Units probably too many!

By
A couple of runs this week, Tuesday and Sunday, the latter a great long run - just over 14 miles - really feeling back in the swing of things, and ready to book some races now. It was just glorious to be out in the cool but sunny weather - absolute joy! I am finally feeling like I am able to run again. It has also been a bit more of a relaxed week at work, with a couple of days on a training course, and the rest of the time in the office. Also, the throat was gently easing out by the weekend ( I did promise not to go on about it).... ....which is good when I tell you that we went to Hotel Terravina again, this time as a gift for my 40th Birthday from Carol and Huw, to take part in a 'sabrage' event, which means that you chop the top off a bottle of champagne with a sabre! All very extravagant and grand - see me brandishing said bottle in the attached photo. What a great experience that was, really very special. Thanks to C&H for that! Other than the Champagne we also had tw...
3 comments
Read more

A beautiful wine experience, and my first run in weeks!

By
Greetings all. It's fair to say that the last 3 weeks have knocked me for six, with the horrible week of the chest infection (and no wine), and a couple of weeks of steadily getting better. So, it was with some trepidation that I stepped outside of the front door today for my first Sunday run in a while. Before I talk about that, Saturday brought an altogether nicer experience, in the form of a lunch with Janet at Hotel Terravina in the New Forest (well, edge of..Netley Marsh). For those who don't know, this is the recent venture of Gerard Basset (formerly of Hotel du Vin fame, now a Master of Wine, a Master Sommelier and winner of numerous worldwine prizes for generally being a great and super-knowledgeable chap in the world of vino). I have written on Terravina before. Its real draw for a wine-lover is that food and wine get equal billing and importance in the experience. So, you have lovely food (tasty, not huge portions) and a really great time with the wine list, includi...
2 comments
Read more

Lovely wines in Hong Kong

By
Have just arrived in Hong Kong for a brief stay. Dined last night at Felix, on top of the Peninsula. Most enjoyable! Four lovely wines - Cape Mentelle Chardonnay 2010, a really delicate, lightly oaked wine, Chablis her Cru Leflaive 2006, crisp, lean, racy and with some age on it, and Zenato Amarone della Valpolicella - a beast of a wine! And to finish, Ch. Guiraud 1998, delicate, ripe, some botrytis. Life is clearly not like this every day. But it's good when it is like this a bit!
2 comments
Read more