Hey, it's good to be back home again.... 2005 d'Issan

[JimHow]

"Oh, the time that I can lay this old tired body down...."

Drinking a 2005 d'issan tonight that I have kept my hands off of for many years, but I figured tonight was a good time to wipe the dust off and uncork. I have four more bottles left.

It's so, so great to be back here in my home in Maine. You have NO idea.
We were away for 44 nights, most of them in a hotel room in Fairbanks, Alaska, near the Arctic Circle.
I'm an old guy, now, 63 years old, and I've felt I've experienced many things, have thought I've seen it all.
And yet, I continue to be amazed. I guess that's a good thing? I dunno.
I come away from the experience with my sentiments about the judicial system as cemented as ever.
We are in big trouble, my friends. Our country is in very big trouble. Our judicial system is a canary in a coal mine, and the dynamics I'm seeing here in the courtroom, where law and order meets murder, anarchy, and chaos, are chilling.
I come away from an experience where I end up feeling a guy charged with the torture, rape, and murder of a young Alaska native girl 29 years ago is himself... the victim.... Where fact is fiction and TV reality.... Where every cop is a criminal, and every sinner saint.
I have no idea what the future holds, there will be post-trial motions, and the sentencing, and the appeal at multiple levels at the state level, and likely a direct appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court on the genetic genealogy fourth amendment issue.
Many concerns....

In the meantime....
This 2005 d'Issan is quite stunning.
It is still very youthful but you wonder whether it will get better but, in the same breath, you wonder whether that is such a problem.
It's GREAT now. I did not decant, but I've made a point to drink it slowly over about a five hour period.
It is an outstanding wine. It's what you look for in Bordeaux, especially Margaux. Perhaps just a bit shy at first, and it still took a while to come around... at first you are thinking, this is the shy Emily in Paris who pretends to herself that she's the shy schoolgirl from America, but in the end realizes, what the fuck, I'm going to spread my legs for the French chef hunk. That's kind of diminishing d'Issan. it has NOTHING to do with Emily in Paris, I'm still struggling with why I went down that detour, maybe there's something there, but I doubt it.... But what the 2005 d'Issan does offer is a lot of sensuality and 2005 in-your-face, this is a Gibraltar-Rock of a vintage, no matter how much you try to interpret it (like I'm trying here), it is going to be a force of an experience... as here.

I absolutely love this wine, with its sour cherries in a good way, its personality, and development.
95 points. Bordeaux from the Margaux appellation, in a profound vintage, at its best.

Rating: 95 points.

[JimHow]

By the way, if you have concerns about the Bordeaux trend towards modernism, the 2005 d'Issan should allay your concerns, at least at that snapshot in time. This is Bordeaux.

[Racer Chris]

Its good to know you're home Jim.

[marcs]

I secretly like Emily in Paris too

It really seemed like there was reasonable doubt in the Alaska case…in fact it seemed like a classic example of it

[Nicklasss]

Feels good to be home. Happy to read your comment about a nice wine like the 2005 Issan.

And i agree, North America is under concussion i guess.

Emily in Paris tells me nothing. But in 2022, i hope i can see Nicklasss in London...

[Dom_P]

I used to travel an awful lot and can appreciate that 44 nights is a very long time to spend in a hotel. "There's no place like home" as Dorothy would say. Get some well deserved rest, it sounds like it was quite physically and mentally draining.

[jal]

John Denver
Emily in Paris

The range in your pop cultural knowledge never ceases to amaze me.

Can't wait to read the book.

[Tom In DC]

Glad to see you home at last, Jim. As no doubt you are as well.

I watched a few episodes of the trial and Gail and I both watched final arguments. It seems unfair (and I hate to and rarely use the word unfair - no one should expect life to be fair) that the prosecutor gets a second final argument after the defense's final.

DNA has been the king of all evidence on TV for 30 years. No juror now or in the future will be able to resist the pull of DNA evidence.

[JoelD]

Glad you're back, Jim.

I always love D'issan, especially in the good/great vintages. I'm a bit annoyed I passed on a 6-7 of these a year ago for under 100.

It sounds like a bigger/more flamboyant version of the 2000 that is a my favorite D'issan so far (when the bottle is correct). I'm still partial to 05 in general as long as it's not spoofy. Sounds like this is a good example of what 05 could be. Thanks for the update.