Cardenal Mendoza
"Claret is the liquor for boys; port, for men; but he who aspires to be a hero must drink brandy". Samuel Johnson
Late last night, at the end of a full day, I poured a snifter of Cardenal Mendoza for Mrs Fitzgerald and another for myself. Cardenal Mendoza is the darkest of all the Jerez brandies and it is distilled by vintners Sanchez Romate. This has to rank amongst the greatest spirits of Spain. The nose is spectacular with hints of dates, plums and roasted nuts; the texture is rich and creamy with a commanding, lingering finish, and the flavours include apricot, fig, peach, smoke, toffee and honey. Here is a brandy that makes one eager to be heroic in the Johnsonian sense.
The pleasures of the brandied evening were further enhanced by the music of Alboka, whose latest CD, Lorius, I listened to courtesy of my charming colleague Enrique Recabarren. With Juan Arriola (violin), Alan Griffin (alboka) and Joxan Goikoetxea (accordion), Alboka play a distinctive form of Basque music that's full of an Iberian passion tinged with Celtic melancholy. On this recording, they're joined by some first-class guest musicians, including Marta Sebestyen from Hungary, one of finest singers of contemporary folk music.
Cardenal Mendoza, Alboka and then, to bed.
