Bordeaux 2025 Primeurs: Pauillac
“Start as you mean to go on.”
It sounded like it might be a song title from the great Taylor Swift, but when I finally managed to make eye contact with her, via the rear view mirror, and pose the question, she shook her head.
“Not one of mine. It’s by Aphex Twin. Influential but under-the-radar British electronic music act. If you knew anything, you would know him,” she concluded, the exasperation evident in her voice.
The notebook came out once again, a few fresh notes added to its pages, Taylor whispering the words as they flowed from the nib of her pen;
“Knows nothing about early or influential British electronica – could learn much from Neal Martin…..”
“Also, beginning to think he knows nothing about wine….”
“That seems a little harsh,” I suggested, but my protest fell on deaf ears.
Taylor snapped the notebook closed. “Forget it, you misunderstand everything I say. Sometimes I think you do it on purpose. Look, we’re here in Pauillac, and I just meant that it’s good to see you starting as you mean to go on. With the first visit of the day at a first growth. You know – starting with the best. Start as you mean to go on. Jeez….”
We were indeed pulling in to the grounds of one of Pauillac’s three first growths. I brought Twingo to a stop in the estate’s tiny car park, slipped from the driver’s seat, grabbed my laptop and hotfooted it inside. Mainly to avoid feeling Taylor’s high-heeled boot making contact with the small of my back.
