Men of the Wahluke
TASTING NOTES: “Dark red. Black licorice, dark cherry, blackberry purée, mocha, black pepper, and olive tapenade. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with lots of dark fruit, great sweetness, and savory tones. The wine shows beautiful volume and texture and finishes with perfect acidity and remarkable length. Drink now or in the next 10 years.” (AbV 14.2%)
VARIETALS: 80% Syrah, 20% Malbec.
BARRELS: 20 months in new and neutral oak.
PAIRS WITH: N/A
THAT REMINDS ME OF: The Wall, and the Men of the Wall.
George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, also known as the Game of Thrones, takes place on the continent of Westeros primarily, ruled by seven kingdoms up to a point in the north known as The Wall. It is a literal wall, although made mostly from ice, several hundred feet high and three hundred miles long. Created by men, giants, and the children of the forest thousands of year prior to the main novels, the Wall was the solution to a war fought with beings simply known as the Others. During a time known as The Long Night, the Others encroached south from the top of the continent under the cover of a night and winter which lasted years.
Pushed back behind the walls, the Others haven’t really been seen in a long time. Nonetheless, the Wall is manned by a group known as the Night’s Watch. Joined by men from all over the continent and without allegiance to any single kingdom, the Night’s Watch keeps watch atop the wall, maintains the wall, and scouts beyond it. They built 19 castles along the Wall, several of which with guarded tunnels that move through the wall and beyond it. As of A Game of Thrones, the forces of the Night’s Watch have diminished with time, and only three castles and their tunnels were manned.
