BEg2 ice cream / 9:30 Cologne / 1985 Sassicaia

[Michael Bailey]

How is she going to carry all that ice cream and the money?

“She ends up with a number of half-kilo Family Packs in an assortment of
flavors.”

Pynchon helpfully states the meeting with Igor took place about 11:30 am,
so she had time to go home first, hard to imagine Chuy’s going full tilt
before dark.

Also, there was no appointment, but - like the absence of parking
enforcement - it’s hard to imagine it was a chance meeting near her office.


Allen Ruch wrote:
The 9:30 Club in DC is legendary. But the club did change venues sometime,
I dunno, late 1990s? Early 2000s? And that's the joke here about the "9:30
Club cologne."

The *original* 9:30 Club was a real shitty place, and was FAMOUS for
the terrible smell: a mixture of urine, beer, and sweat. You just had
to deal with it. I saw many groups there in the late 1980s, early
1990s. It was *the* place to see underground music and alternative
acts. (I used to drive down from Harrisburg, PA to see Hawkwind,
Electric Hellfire Club, etc.)

When they moved the 9:30 Club to a different venue, they lost that
terrible smell, and people even joked about missing it. The original
9:30 Club also had terrible Fen Shui, with these fucking columns that
obstructed the stage...


- thanks for that!


Waiting on her office doorstep is a case of wine, which when she sees
its label causes
            her to observe, “Well, holy shit.” An ’85 Sassicaia? A
case? Must be a mistake. There
            seems to be a note, however—“Turns out you saved us some
money too,” unsigned, yet
            who else can it be but Rocky, the ol’ ethnoenologist? Good
anyhow for enough guilt
            to get her back into the increasingly problematic
hwgaahwgh/hashslingrz books.



1985 Sassicaia -

https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-4666309

A lot of 3 magnums sold for $15,275.

A case is what, 12?

About 60k? And there’s no mention of giving that back. Heck, the note
isn’t even signed. Plus Slagiatt might take offense, although he has
certainly taken a shine to Maxine, hasn’t he?


Wine writing is even more florid than sports or music writing, isn’t it?

“As a student in Pisa, during the 1920's, the Marchese Mario Incisa
della Rocchetta dreamed of creating a "noble" wine. Like most of the
Italian aristocracy at the time, the Marchese's taste in wine ran
strongly to fine Bordeaux. After settling with his wife into their two
thousand acre Tenuta San Guido estate, he experimented with several
French grape varieties and concluded that Cabernet, "the bouquet I was
looking for," would thrive in central Italy. Distinct from the local,
traditional Tuscan and Piedmontese varietals of Sangiovese and
Nebbiolo, the use of Cabernet Sauvignon as the primary component of a
wine represented a radical shift away from the traditional Tuscan
varietals. The Marchese's decision to plant Cabernet was also
influenced by the microclimate of Tenuta San Guido, which is similar
to Graves in Bordeaux. Just as "Graves" means gravel in French,
Sassicaia in Italian means "place of my stones." The Marchese Mario
Incisa della Rocchetta passed away in 1983. His son, Marchese Nicolo
Incisa della Rocchetta, now oversees all estate operations. The 75
hectares of vineyards are planted with 85 Cabernet Sauvignon and 15
Cabernet Franc.

“Vintage 1985 *****

1984 provided the sparks; in 1985 the engine fired. A brilliantly
successful and well-timed vintage. Producers rose to the occasion,
merchants bought and their eager customers, me among them, fell for
them. With the advice of Belfrage and Gleave, I explored a wide range
of the best. Unquestionably my favourite Italian vintage.
MB, Vintage Wine

[ not me (-; I would’ve said “I among them” for one thing ]

Sassicaia--Vintage 1985
Tuscany
In original wooden case
"I had this wine in a blind tasting - I have had it frequently, and
have never failed to give it a perfect rating. At the same time, I
have often mis-identified it in blind tastings as the 1986
Mouton-Rothschild. In this tasting, the wine was phenomenal. The color
remains an opaque purple. The bouquet is beginning to develop
secondary aromas of cedar and truffles to go along with its intense
cassis, black-raspberry, blackberry, tarry, toasty personality.
Exceptionally dense, concentrated, and full-bodied, this wine
possesses layers of concentrated fruit that are beautifully balanced
by the wine's sweet tannin and well-integrated acidity. The finish
lasts for nearly a minute. A monumental Cabernet Sauvignon, it is one
of the greatest wines made this century. Tasting after tasting
continues to confirm this wine's surreal level of quality. Despite
being 11 years old, it remains youthful. My best guess for when it
will reach full maturity is between 2000-2025. What a wine!" Robert
Parker, Wine Advocate (Feb 1997) (erobertparker.com)

3 magnums per lot