Lack of Internationalism

Just had a Las Rocas Garnacha '04 ($10) with a typical dinner. The wine was more distinctive than any red I've had lately. You know the Ste. Michelle Syrah we had the other night was not that different from the the Rosenblum Zin that followed it. The Las Rocas tasted like a place; they left some shale in there at the expense of fullness or roundness. More distinctive, more intriguing. Ultimately more satisfying if less seductive. We've been drinking this since the '01s and its always been excellent. The first time we had it at a superb dinner at Il Forno before seeing Roseanne Cash and her husband do a beautiful, gut-wrenching show in a church right after her father died. She did "I Still Miss Someone." Oh my.