RKS 2023 Wine: Porthead Alert! Pocas LBV 2015: Massive Blackberry Attack and Berserk Raspberry Personality!

If you want to become a full fledged Porthead hopefully you will recognize the incredible luxury Port offers at a bargain basement price. Yes there are Vintage Ports declared only in exceptional years but there are cheaper Late Bottled Vintage Ports to keep in mind. Quite frankly sometimes the line between LBV’s and Vintage Port can be fuzzy. This Pocas is going on to eight years in age and still behaves like a spring chicken. LBV’s make the luxury of Port even more affordable.

Massive blackberry assault on the nose. Blueberry is behind the main blackberry attack. Lest we not forget the black cherry and milk chocolate. On the palate there are some tannins of a solid nature but barely climbing to the moderate level. Mostly blueberry and blackberry on the palate.

Port has a great capacity to age. While in Porto in 2014 our Port producing hosts knowing we were Canadian opened up an 1867 Vintage Port that still had years left to be consumed. Canada was born in 1867 as a country. This LBV won’t last as that Vintage Port would but I think it can cruise well into the 2030’s!

Try this with a Mary Macleod’s (located in Toronto but ships throughout North America) Dutch Chocolate shortbread cookie where all butter richness meets Pocas LBV richness and the combo causes the Pocas to go into a happy berserk raspberry romp. Sublime. In the meantime I look forward to some LBV with Portuguese ox in February. More about that later.

(Pocas 2015 Late Bottled Vintage Port, Manoel D. Pocas Junior, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal, $21.25, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 642058, RKS 2023 Wine Rating 92/100).

“Travels to a Different Time” : 14 & 15 September 2022 Athens: Hanging on

We must move from Inn Athens to Home Sweet Home Athens as the room was only available for two nights. The ankle is now a shiny red and gleaming and yes more pain. It is very frustrating and tiring. Spent the day in bed reading. The hotel room is very 1970’s except the bathroom has been updated. The shower stall is retro. The hotel is in the Plaka district. A very simple lobby if you can call it a lobby. There are a few chairs and a sofa just off the reception area. The breakfast area is just off the reception. Very simple. Breakfast is more simplistic than other hotels we have stayed at on this trip but more than adequate. French toast for the Americans with Norwegian maple syrup. The manager makes the rounds saying hello, chatting and asking if there are any questions about the food. Breakfasts are interesting here as they always have some sort of regional speciality. The homemade marmalade is delicious. Most interesting was a Pontic Greek “pizza”. There are Pontic speaking Greeks in Northern Greece and when the manager heard that Fotini had relatives in Thessaloniki in Northern Greece she had the kitchen prepare this special breakfast “pizza” for us. Pontic Greek is also spoken in Turkey, Russia, Georgia and Armenia. And yes they have lose leaf tea! The staff here are super friendly.

Entrance Home Sweet Home Athens; Photo Robert K. Stephen

RKS 2023 Film: “The Stalking Fields”: Evil System, Evil People and Victims

Marcus Woodman (Sean Compton) is a former U.S. Navy Seal with over 200 kills. One of his last kills was an American who pleaded for mercy and that mercy was his death which Woodman accommodated. Woodman may have killed many but killing a U.S. citizen is a lynchpin to his post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) common amongst many soldiers. In pre–Gulf War days PTSD was referred to as “shell shock”. PTSD can take a nasty turn with soldiers as they are trained in weaponry so can cause fatalities when having a PTSD “attack”. We had here in Canada an Afghani war vet with PTSD that killed his wife and two children then himself. Yes it would seem that Canadian veterans are praised and glorified by the Canadian government but when many return with PTSD suddenly there is minimal funding to treat the psychiatric disease.

 Woodman has had numerous flashbacks about his kill and his wife pleads with him to seek treatment. After Woodman’s wife dies he seeks treatment in a U.S. Army facility conducting preliminary studies and treatments for PTSD called Operation Stalking Field. Yes an American corporation is deeply involved as well as a particularly cruel woman and her sidekick. Welcome to a new Cruella de Vil!

So what is the essential element of this experiment? Those with PTSD are to hunt down and kill innocent civilians. Far fetched and against all prevailing psychiatric treatments yet backed by a powerful corporation and the U.S. military.

It is a turkey shoot. But matters take an unexpected twist as viewers will witness that not all is what it seems to be. The hunters become the hunted. The innocent civilians are not all that innocent particularly in the last 5 seconds of the film.

Yes the film is exciting and apart from some clumsy and overacted “hunt scenes” the acting is solid and the screenplay is believable because co-writers Sean Crampton and Jordan Wisely come from military families and have personal experience with PTSD. Director Ric Maddox is an army veteran.

Yes the innocent civilians in the turkey shoot are told its is time they served their country to serve those who have served you!

While “The Stalking Fields” is an action film let me take it further saying it is heavily laced with sarcasm and genuine anger at lack of meaningful PTSD treatments for U.S. Army veterans, the stupidity of patriotic jingoism, a fundamental distrust of partnerships between corporations and the upper echelons of the U.S. military.

You can watch the trailer here https://vimeo.com/759234332?utm_source=email&utm_medium=vimeo-cliptranscode-201504&utm_campaign=29220

“The Stalking Fields” will be released on digital platforms on January 17th 2023.

RKS Spirits: Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

The Monkey Shoulder website states that Monkey Shoulder was originally crafted for mixing. The website statement is heretical to the seasoned mature scotch whisky drinker who might wither in discomfort when asked to make cocktails with scotch whisky! But if you ain’t tried it don’t knock it! After being in Greece this September I can assure you in the many outdoor watering holes cocktails are the rage amongst the younger set. However I was given this whisky as a sample to test it with shortbread cookies so perhaps we shall try a Monkey Shoulder inspired cocktail in the upcoming weeks.

The label states Monkey Shoulder is a blend of Speyside single malt whiskies. It is bottled by William Grant and Sons the same company behind J&B Rare Blended Scotch Whisky. My impression from the website, the label and even the name that this scotch whisky is for the younger set that seeks to escape the “boredom” of beer and wine.

Served neat:

Aromas of honey, apricot, toffee, peach jam and vanilla. The palate presents a high-toned spirit that is very smooth and approachable. Plenty of apricot and butterscotch with a slow long-lasting heat. The heat sneaks up on you gradually unlike some scotch whiskies that hit with fire as soon as they are in your mouth.

Served over the rocks:

The ice brings out the apricot and adds ginger and tangerine. In other words it substantially alters the aromatics. It tones down the heat substantially but unlike the Irish whisky Tullamore D.E.W. the ice does not slay it. It holds nicely with ice and I prefer it to being served neat. Just the type of scotch whisky over ice for a long transatlantic flight as it has a long life over ice.

It is available at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario for $54.95.

“Travels to a Different Time” : 13September2022: Mr. Handicapped in Nightmare Alley: Thessaloniki and Athens, Greece

The ankle has worsened. Fotini went down for breakfast. I have not eaten in two days. Packed up and limped to the waiting car to Thessaloniki Airport. Again on the wheelchair all the way into the plane. Me and a 90-year-old grandmother hoisted on the plane. Very dispiriting. A smooth 45-minute flight to Athens on Aegean Air. Wheeled around in a wheelchair in Athens Airport. How bad can this get! Our car pick-up was not there so Fotini had to make a few calls. What a ride once we arrived at city centre. Once you are off the main streets tiny winding streets. What a nightmare for parking! Renovated low rise hotel full of young travelers. Matchbox size room with a huge shower stall but a funky smell in the bathroom. Only one chair and nowhere to sit. Really thin towels. I limped to the corner for some baguette sandwiches and to a snooty and overpriced wine store. Watched more of the royal death watch crap on TV, had a shower and went to bed. Suffering badly I just want to go home. I feel like I am living in Nightmare Alley. When I return home I will relentlessly push to get a firm answer about this ankle situation. You have to assert yourself in this falling apart Canadian medical system.

RKS History: So When Did Germany Start Losing the War?

“The fuel situation, as long predicted by the Wehrmacht military economic war office, was rapidly approaching a critical point. By early 1942, it would not be the Russian mud but the exhaustion of German’s petrol supplies that would ensure the “complete paralysis of the army”. In the event by dipping into the Wehrmacht’s operational fuel reserve and by throttling consumption, the army retained its mobility. The navy was not so fortunate. In November 1941 the fuel oil situation of both the Italian and German navies was described by the Wehrmacht as “catastrophic”. In May 1941 the Royal Navy had sunk the battleship Bismarck as it made a futile bid to escape into the Atlantic shipping lanes. By the autumn the rest of Germany’s surface fleet was confined to harbour, not only by the British but also by the chronic lack of fuel.”

Adam Tooze “The Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of The Nazi Economy” Penguin Books 2006

RKS Literature: Judas and Jesus

“Judas listened to him and knit his brows. He was not interested in the kingdom of heaven. His great concern was for the kingdom of the earth-and not the whole earth, either, but only the land of Israel, which was made of men and stones. The Romans-those barbarians, those heathens-the Romans were trampling over this land. First they must be expelled: then we can worry about kingdoms of heaven.”

Nikos Kazantzakis “The Last Temptation” 1961

RKS Spirits: Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Whisky; Go Neat Young Man!

Tullamore D.E.W. Irish whisky is a blend of grain whisky, malt whisky and pot still whisky triple cask matured in traditional refill barrels, ex-bourbon barrels and ex-sherry butts.

Served Neat

Notes of apricot, peach, orange marmalade and ginger. It is somewhat less fiery on the palate than scotch whisky and you might want to say smoother. Yes there is a burn but a smouldering one as opposed to raging one. As the heat is less intense there is no need to reduce its temperature with a few drops of water unless you are looking for an even mellower drink. Notes of honey, toasted marshmallows, cooked oatmeal and apricot jam. The finish is warm, long and lingering.

Served With Water

It ordinarily takes a few drops of filtered or spring water to tone down but in this case it really messes with this whisky robbing it of much of its taste and identity. I would not recommend serving with water. I had to dump the contents as it tasted like flavoured water instead of whisky complimented and gently altered by water. The question then how does it fair with ice!

Served over the Rocks

With the ice there is initially only a slight modification of the aromas. But it also adds some tangerine and butterscotch to the honey, toasted marshmallows, cooked oatmeal and apricot jam. Unfortunately as the ice melts we have the water attacking and destroying the whisky’s character after  45 seconds. Whisky is not meant to be gulped down in 45 seconds.

You may have heard the expression, “Go West young man!” With Tullamore D.E.W. it is, Go Neat young man!”

RKS 2023 Film: “The Cosmos Sisters”: A Study of Endearing Friendship

Nora (Nora Kaye) and Whitney (Whitney Uland) are 30 somethings and long-time friends although by the bickering and sniping you’d never know that. Whitney is the perky one and Nora is the sullen one.

Nora’s mother recently died and Whitney did not bother to attend the funeral. Nora is brooding and a bit of a rattlesnake ready to strike at Whitney over just about anything particularly not showing up for her mother’s funeral. Whitney may be perky but it is mostly a front as she is struggling to hawk merchandise on social media. Neither of them has accomplished much.

But they fantasize about the good old high school days when they had a band The Cosmos Sisters which really went nowhere a fact both never admit to.

After a couple of pot brownies their facades crumble and their true friendship slowly emerges and strengthens after they apologize to each other. Nora claims to have received a call from the mother of a boy seriously ill with cancer. Would they perform a benefit concert? Old dreams afire they rehearse and write a new song bickering along the way but a friendship bickering. Will the concert be a success. Actually that makes little difference as friendship can endure just about all adversity.

But there is a slight snag. Sullen Nora has a surprising spark of optimism in her that may totally wreck their friendship. Can friendship overcome this little snag?

While there are comedic elements permeating the film there is also an examination of an enduring and endearing friendship!

As far as acting goes the trailer does a huge disservice to the film leaving the impression of a shallow film sabotaged by poor acting however Kaye and Uland are a dynamic team totally at ease with each other even when bickering. They put on a stellar performance. Sort of like Abbot and Costello.

The film is now available on Digital and VOD platforms. You can see the disastrous trailer here https://vimeo.com/579948098

The film was written and directed by Kaye and Uland.

RKS 2023 Film Rating 73/100.

RKS 2023 Wine: Garcés Silva Family Vineyards 2019 Catalino

My prediction for 2023 is that if Chile can maintain its price point that it sits at presently 2023 will see remarkable growth in the Canadian marketplace for Chilean wines. Prices were stable in 2022 without any jacking up of prices one saw with most producers elsewhere. Quality is high.

So we start the 2023 track with a Garcés Silva Family Vineyards Catalino made with Tinto País one of the 8 synonyms for the red grape Tempranillo.

Aromatics: Black cherry, red currants, big bold raspberry and milk chocolate. This aroma suggests a real winner as the slight chocolate influence combines beautifully with the fruit suggestive of a warm, welcoming and approachable red wine.

Palate: Light to moderate tannins with controlled acidity. This is a light red wine that is for easy drinking and where food with the wine is not a necessity. That chocolate and fruit on the nose translates into the palate in a carbon copy format. The finish is mighty tasty and short.

Food Match: Many Tempranillo based wines particularly from Ribera del Duero are dense and full bodied with a blueberry signature. This Tinto País is not one of those. I would match this with a Portuguese Bachalau or pork tenderloin medallions sauteed in a loganberry reduction sauce.

Personality of the Wine: Light and cheerful brimming with optimism.

Cellaring: While the wine will hold steady throughout 2023 I can’t see that it will improve in the cellar.

Price: $19.95

Rating: 92/100

In a Nutshell: YUM!

(Garcés Silva, 2019 Catalino, D.O. Secano Interior Cauquenes (Maule Valley), Viñedos Garcés Silva, Chile, 12.6%, 750 mL, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 25638).