Lynyrd Skynyrd Goes To France

Lynyrd Skynyrd goes to France

     Today, our wine was old-world, and our music was just kind-of, old.  We decided to drink Chateau Fonguillon 2005 Bordeaux while listening to Jesse James Dupree and Dixie, Inc's "Rev it up and Go-Go."  This left bank Bordeaux was 70% Merlot, and when poured through a Vinturi and then into a decanter, it smelled of fresh, sweet cherries.  After decanting for three hours the five years of aging found this Bordeaux to mellow in terms of its fruits. , the wine's cherry flavors seemed to shrivel into streaks of raisin-y aromas.  After smelling the wine, we took our first sips of the Bordeaux.  At first, the wine took Maggie by surprise because of its rubbery flavor, and Nick said it had a strong mineral taste.  The wine was like a smokey, rubbery tire on the back of the palate.


      From the very beginning of the CD, the music didn't really do much for us.  Jesse James Dupree and Dixie, Inc. was quite uninteresting (and that's not just because it wasn't our type of music.)  First off, the album is divided into two parts, "Saturday Night" and "Sunday Morning."  The album began with its title track, "Rev it up and Go-Go," which sounds a bit like Kid Rock with more classic rock sounds and a country vibe - your typical southern rock sound.  This would have been fine if every song didn't sound the exact same.  The next tracks, Bite, Drop Dead Ready, and Tank, didn't stand out as being any different, though their beats were fun and the guitar quality was actually pretty decent (with a couple of cool solos.)  Still, nothing inspiring.  Just cookie-cutter old-fashioned southern rock.
      This was about halfway through the CD, so we tried to figure out how well the wine fit in with the album.  We both agreed that they were both dated, but the wine was "dated" in a good way, and the album was "dated" in a old-and-boring way.
      We tried the wine with both cheese and dried fruit - well, string cheese and raisins to be exact.  The fruit helped the taste a little in that the fruits of the wine became masked and the complex mineral characteristics began to stand out.  The cheese, however, had a less than desired affect and left the wine tasting thin.  This wine definitely had a strong personality.
      The second part of the Album, "Sunday Morning," featured more line-dancing country melodies set to the backdrop of an old-fashioned radio show.  It was a creative twist, and definitely gave a second dimension to the album, but as with "Saturday Night", almost every song sounded the same.  All in all, some pretty stereotypical southern rock and line dancing.
      The wine finished leaving us searching for complexities that we come to expect with Bordeaux wines.  We did agree on our respect for the wine though, because of its personality and old-world distinction.

Nicks Final Reviews



Audio:
       Perfect music for hanging out at the town bar or cruising on your bike, however not a satisfying spin.  At times there were essences of bands like Kid Rock, AC/DC, Aerosmith and The Darkness.  Most of these familiarities came from the vocalist and some appeared to be direct snippets of songs written by these artists.  I tried to maintain a positive attitude and search for sounds that could peak my interest in the album.  A couple of licks involving multiple guitars playing in unison but a few steps apart did this for me, but eventually even this lost its appeal.  Over all I would give this album an average grade and find my self only wanting to listen to them when visiting a tavern with a name like "Longhorns".

5/10 (two songs out of the 20 on the album give you a taste of the whole thing)


Vino:
      Bordeaux is classically known for producing old-world styles that definitely contradict the fruit bombs we all know and love.  This one did not disappoint.  After breathing this wine showed some strong mineral qualities and round tannins that supported a charred and smokey finish.  The nose of the wine began to transform into smells of radishes, green beans, and potatoes.  All the essence of a salad grown from the soil of the land and the minerals that come from that soil.  Great served with charred, blackened, broiled or grilled meats this Bordeaux was an average bargain at $14.99.

86 Pts. (For lack of complexity where complexity was needed)


Maggie's Final Reviews



Audio:
      There were a few fun beats here and there, but nothing was interesting about this album.  The only song that stands out as sounding different from all the others was "1095 Days," and even that sound wouldn't have stood out in a crowd.  Every song blended together on the respective "parts" of the album, and it's hard to recall any specific tunes because they were all quite forgettable.  The best songs on the album were the country/line dance tunes, and even those sounded like all other country/line dance tunes.

3.5/10


Vino:
       I won't pretend that I understand this wine.  I have never tasted anything quite like it before, and I don't think my limited palate knows what to make of it.  To me, it tasted very rubbery and elemental, and it was hard for me to wrap my mind around that taste.  It smelled green and mineral-like, and I understood a lot of the points Nick made about its tastes and smells.  Overall, I think the wine was pleasant, and would like to give it another try once I've learned more about wine.

86 Pts.