Six Strands of Central Park

"Cut Grass lies frail: Brief is the breath, Mown stalks exhale"

[Philip Larkin]

HERE ARE six strands of Central Park, enveloped to my Blackheath door by a young lady still in the 'Big Apple'. A stylish gesture.

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Below Dijon and above Fixin, Marsannay to most means rosé, it being the 'stomach' of France's only still pink producer. This 2000 from Château de Marsannay [£9.99, Majestic] is however red. It impressed me with its finesse: a noticeable - but unobtrusive - tannic structure was wrapped around ample but never clumsy mature raspberry fruit. It took two decanter-days to fully ripen.

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I think France is still wine's textbook. To liken a new world wine to an old world counterpart, particularly the French correlate is generally considered fair praise. To show willing, I have been trying to polish schoolboy French with Michel Thomas CDs when time permits, like when ironing (pictured, proof of intense concentration!)

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South African masters of spin, Stormhoek, famous for gifting bloggers bottles (as well as maintaining an excellent one of their own) have pioneered the 'Ultimate Freshness Counter', an idea which will no doubt be a boon with consumers...