I was thirsty this evening, as often happens when I feel that writing is in order. Leaving my recent bout of writer's block behind along with my nasty bleeding ulcer and gastritis, I decided to open a red wine and just say "to hell with how I feel later, I want a glass!"
First let's talk a wee bit about the Mischief and Mayhem. They're a negotiant based in Burgundy and make a bunch of different wines from many sub-appellations in the region. This is their entry-level Burgundy, made with grapes sourced from the entire region. Monica bought some from a retailer on the East Coast and was kind enough to give me a bottle. For more information on the Mischief and Mayhem 2006 Bourgogne, click this link.
2006 Mischief and Mayhem Bourgogne Pinot Noir
I love the color, it's something I think anyone will notice right away. Palest ruby, clear to the point of looking like a dark rosé. Under the light, the color grabs your eyes and refuses to let go. My imagination conjured up words like: "elegant, delicate, nuanced, classical", and "yay" to describe what I saw.
Sticking your nose in the glass reveals this is no California pinot noir, syrah-added or otherwise! Bright acidity jumps out in the form of a fresh sour cherry aroma. From there, baking spices and a hint of rhubarb even. Whenever I smell a Burgundy, without fail I detect a beautiful earth component. Some may call it minerality, for me that aroma is evocative of damp, freshly turned dark brown soil.
Finally after the hemming and hawing over the color and aromatics, I get to taste the 2006 Mischief and Mayhem Bourgogne. Right away, lots of acidity that is very well integrated with red berry flavors, a ghostly hint of oak and beautiful spice elements. There are some silky smooth tannins present, manifesting all around the sides of my mouth. Like the acidity, they fit well, enhancing the mouthfeel of the wine rather than distracting me from other flavors. One of the few knocks on the wine was the all-too-quick finish, I was hoping and expecting something longer, more drawn out considering the wine's origins. Not a huge knock, but obviously I noticed this enough to feel like I had to comment on it.
Ok I admit, it's hard not to like this wine. The fine people at Mischief and Mayhem did a great job in a solid vintage, producing a delicious pinot noir. For those who aren't familiar with Burgundy and the style of pinot noir produced there, this is a nice, inexpensive introduction. At about $25 the 2006 Mischief and Mayhem certainly won't break the bank, yet it has quality written all over the bottle. Well not really, more metaphorically I mean. I easily give this wine a B+ and a STRONG BUY recommendation. A note of caution, I'd use Wine-Searcher.com to find any of the Mischief and Mayhem wines, as they don't seem to make it to the West Coast in any quantity.
Beau Carufel
