When picking today’s wine, we took into consideration that on this day in 1814, Francis Scott Key pens a poem which is later set to music and in 1931 becomes America’s national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The poem, originally titled “The Defence of Fort McHenry,” was written after Key witnessed the Maryland fort being bombarded by the British during the War of 1812. Key was inspired by the sight of a lone U.S. flag still flying over Fort McHenry at daybreak, as reflected in the now-famous words of the “Star-Spangled Banner”: “And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.”  Not sure about you, but neither of us can hit that “high note” at the end of this spectacular song – but nothing rings truer than someone who can.  Truth be told, we have both been known to break a glass or two, but sadly not in conjunction with our singing ability.

So it seemed appropriate to break out the 2009 ‘Elevated’ High Note Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina.  This wine is a beauty.  You can tell immediately it’s got something to prove just by looking at it.  Felt like we were looking at a purple crayon – deep, dark and velvety.  (Anybody out there remember “Harold and the Purple Crayon”? – what a fantastic children’s book!)  We were greeted with a nose of spice berries, kerosene and vanilla.  The taste had a smooth finish with black cherry that kept on going and going.

Now, one of the things that this wine showed us was how different it would smell and taste after it had been open for a while.  Within 45 minutes, the nose opened to a floral and vanilla scent that was smooth and void of the kerosene after pulling the cork.  The vanilla carried through to the taste as well along with the black cherries and cinnamon.  If you like Malbecs, and there are a load of them out there, then you’ll want to try High Note.  At a retail cost of $12 a bottle (less when on special – another shoutout to Twins), you’re going to get a lot more wine for the money.  This wine seems to underscore some of the high quality, value-priced wines that are being produced in Argentina.  From our standpoint, this is a wine that we’ll buy again.

Like Francis Scott Key, we believe in the land of the free and the home of the brave.  There are a lot of young women and men at various points around the globe exhibiting incredible bravery that helps keep us free – free to go to work each day unencumbered; free to go to school each day in relative safety; free to travel from one end of the country to the other without being stopped for passports; and even free to go to our favorite wine shop and pick up a bottle of grape juice (thank you, Patrick for reminding us that at the end of the day, it’s all Grape Juice) for enjoyment with food, friends and family.  Hard to believe though the National Anthem came from the War of 1812 – it still rings true today!  You’ll hit the high notes with this 2009 ‘Elevated’ High Note and it’ll keep you singing for a long time to come!  That’s all for tonight; join us again tomorrow for our ‘end of the week’ review.

Please remember to enjoy responsibly and recycle whenever possible.