Cycles Gladiator Transports Us To A Golden Age
The spirit of the Belle Epoque was evoked for a few hours this week in a bright and airy corner of Dublin's Little Museum overlooking the old-world charm of St. Stephen's Green, and just for a while we cast aside thoughts of punitive government levies and troubling times for the global wine industry, and allowed the heady aromas of California to transport us to a better time.
Europe, and Paris in particular, was a place of innovation and “la belle vie” in the late 19th century. The revolutionary invention of the bicycle gave rise to a pervasive spirit of liberation and happiness, captured in G. Massias' famous Parisian poster advertisement. This beautiful piece of artwork became the inspiration for the Hahn family range of classic wines.
Something Racy To Get Things Going!
What is not to love about the Cycles Gladiator wine label? Men love it (It's a naked lady on a bike.) The ladies love it (She's an uninhibited flame-haired beauty floating through a starry night sky.) And, of course, she's bringing us some really rather good wine. Having pedalled through various iterations and won an American Graphic Design award in 2006, the current label is a pared back modern version of the original artwork. It gained notoreity and a subsequent ban in the State of Alabama where it was deemed pornographic, leaving the Hahn family with no choice but to withdraw their beautiful wines from that part of the world. Alabama's loss, we say!
At The Tasting Table
It was Bubble Brothers' pleasure to introduce this inspirational range of wines, along with stars from the Hahn Family Estate and Smith & Hook wine collections, to Dublin's California Wine Tasting event on Thursday 28th February 2013.
As corks were pulled and the wines poured, intoxicating vapours of blueberries, plums, cherries, liquorice, cedar, spice and leather enveloped us and brought a little California sunshine to our wintery corner of Dublin. Tasters at the table shared a lot of love for the Cycles Zinfandel 2007 which is a remarkable wine, offering excellent value at its pricepoint. Likewise, the Cycles Pinot Noir 2011 presents as a worthy opponent to its often costly Kiwi counterparts. The Hahn Family Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is a bold, exquisite wine with a seductive bouquet and a lush full-bodied mouthfeel, while the Smith & Hook Cabernet Sauvignon elegantly balanced “maroon beauty” reveals strong tannins and a long, dry finish with hints of cloves and vanilla. We were thrilled to meet a couple of natives who stopped by, dreamily nosed their glasses and told us they felt like they were right back home in Cali. It's a beautiful and special quality of wine, that power to transport us in time and place. Magic.
All the Hahn wines showcased at our tasting table can be purchased directly from Bubble Brothers at:
- Bubble Brothers at The English Market, Cork City
- Bubble Brothers at The Marina, Cork City
- www.bubblebrothers.com (Free delivery nationwide)
