BH Seven | February 2021

1 4

4. Balance in Our Lives

10. A Healthier Plan in 2021

14. Puzzles

S2. Short Story

S4. Skincare Myths

S6. Sky Watching: Sirius

S10. Travel: The Seychelles

S12. Recipe: Cherry Shortbread Hearts

S18. Language of Flowers

S22. Recipe: Salmon Cooked in Wine

WelcometoBH7EVEN!

Hardtobelieve that we areover half wa ythrough thewinterm onths anddaffodils arealreadyinbloom , asure sign that spring is on itsway.

Withever ythingelse that is going on in theworld,itm ay have escapedyourattentionthat Valentine sday is loomingand although youwon t be able tobook atable at your favouriterestaurant thisyear, whynot spoilyourself ora lovedone with therecipes that can be foundonpages S12and S22. Andifyou aresending abouquet to someonecheck outpageS18to make sure youchoosethe right flowerandcolourtoavoid any misunderstandings!

Best Wishes, Julie

Please be assuredthispublicationhas beendeliveredwiththeutmostcare andconsideration in thesedifficult times.

S26. Hedgehogs: The Gardeners Friend

S28. Tracking Birds of Prey From Space

S30. Point of Ayr Lighthouse

50. BOAC Experience

54. Living Gardens: Wildflower Meadow

58. Book Review

60. Wine of the Month

62. Losing a Loved One

Editor:Julie Smith

Tel:01425270100 or 07762701271

Email:julie@themudefordmag.co.uk

www.themudefordmag.co.uk

Cover PhotoCourtesyof John Clarke

Printedby WarwickPrinters

Disclaimer: Whilst everycarehas been taken to ensure that data in this publicationisaccurate,thepublisher cannotacceptan yliability to any partyfor loss or damagecaused by errorsoromissionsresultingfrom negligence ,accidentoranyother cause.

BH7EVEN doesnot officiallyendorse anyadvertising material included within this publication. No partof this publicationmay be produced,stored in anyretrieval systems or transmittedinany form,withoutprior permissionof thepublisher.

Mary Gernat Artist & Illustrator

Photo:JanZikán~UnSplash

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Ithinkwecan allagreethat this time last year,few couldhavepredicted how 2020 would haveturnedout. Lookingforward to thecomingbrighterdays, phraseslike ‘socialdistancing’and ‘lockdown’ will soon be athingofthe past.If2020has taught us anything, it’s thatourhealthand the healthofeveryonewecareabout is more important than ever.Togiveyouthat spring in your step we allneed, here are some smallchanges youcan make right away.

DrinkPlentyofWater

It sounds simple doesn’tit?Weall know we should bedrinkingatleast 2litresof watera day,buthowmany ofus actually do?Depending on your lockdown situation,itmay feellike2 litresofcoffee maybemoreappropriate,but your body definitely isn’tgoingto thankyoufor that! Drinkingatleast 2litresofwater aday will keep your body in tip-topshape and can even make youlookyounger.

Exercise

WhenI’mtalkingabout exercise,Idon’t mean we should allrushout andbuy a gymmembership;thoughI do enjoy my gymvisits, Iknowthat many people loathe the ‘G’ word.W ecan andshouldhowever, be making sure we take regular walks. Walkingis agreatexercisefor heart fitness,andfor improving digestion. It also refreshes your mind andallowsyour internalorganstofunctioncorrectly Exercise canalsoboost your metabolism (whichI am sure we allneedafterthe festiveperiod!). Whetherit’s walking to tire out thekids or dog, or walkingtowork, thereare lots of opportunitiestogetout and about. Thereare some fabulous places to explorelocallyso2021isthe yeartoputthosewalkingbootsonand startexploring.

EatHealthily

Atthis time ofyear Idonot want to see another mincepie for averylongtime. We

all startthe NewYear offwithsuchgood intentions, but sometimesstruggle to keep themup. Your 5a day canseemlikethe trialsofHercules,especiallyfor those of youwithfussy eaters athome. However, thereisa wealth of healthy alternatives out theretotry.W hy nottry“nomeat Mondays” for instance whichmayforce youtobea bitmorecreativewithyour cooking.

Sleep

It is highly recommendedgettingthose 8 hours in as regularly as possible as there is awhole hostofreasonswhy.Itis necessarytorest to allowyourbodyto repair;whether it beafter along day of labourwork, or astressfuldaysitting in front of ascreen, youneedrest! If you don’t allow those batteries to recharge you willfindit increasingly difficulttostay focussed onyour daytodaytasks.Much likeregular adjustmentsworktoaid your centralnervous system with itsregulatory functions, sleeprechargesthebrain to make sure it’s workingaswellas it canbe.

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Gardening Jobs for February

Cut back deciduous grasses left uncut over the winter

Sow some vegetables under cover

Prune trees and summer flowering clematis

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Other Jobs to Consider

Net fruit and vegetable crops to keep the birds off

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Fa llingin Lov ew ithDavid Ag ain

Shor tStory by Mark Laming

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o ethenoisesheshouted hfor od ssake whatareyougoingtodowith thatthing

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Photo: Rémi Walle ~UnSplash

the asinheengagedgear. arolwas right,thedesignwasflawedasthebrush eca ewedgedintheu endandwater wasthrownupwardsonto a id sface andclothes. estruggledtofreethe rush and arolcouldn thelp utlaugh. he crossedo ertowhereherhus andwas leaningo erthetoilet asin. twaslucky hehadn tpressedthedetergent uttonas itcouldha egoneinhiseyes. he uickly unpluggedtheelectrictoilet rush.

arolthen reachedout ahandand pressedtheflushbuttononthetoiletand therewasanenor oussplurgeofwater thrownupwardsontoherhus and sface.

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hatnight arollayawakethinking ack toherhus and sin entionsandwondered ifhe’dfinallygotthemessagetogiveup onthosecra yideasofhis. hethought backtohispreviousefforts.Therewere theself closinggatestostopthepost an lea ingthe open. eigh ours reported seeingsparksco ingfro thehingesand wiresthatleadto acar attery. nd what a outtheinfa oustoolthatsupposedly ena ledtheusertostoreanironing oard onthe ackof adoorreadyto epulled down. hepro le wasthedoorhadto e intheclosedpositionandpre entedanyone enteringthe roo whileitwasdown.

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ellgoandgetyour ook.

hedidn tha etheheartto re indhi she d eenusing a indle readingde ice foratleast ayear. hen arolwenttothe edroo shehidher indleinthewardro e andpickedupanoldpaper ack ook.

ackinthelounge a idasse ledhis in entionandplacedtheclipon apageof herchoice. hede icewassurprisinglylight andturnedthepageseffortlessly.Putting asidethethoughtthatso eoneelse ay alreadyha eco eupwiththisidea she congratulatedhi . hewasgenuinely i pressedand owedtoditchtheelectronic ook reader. he dgo ackto reading actual ooksandonceagaine periencethe thrillofowning feeling s ellingandlo ing a ook. hepassionfor readingwould e enhancedandshehadherhus andto thankforthat.

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sshekissedhischeekshewhispered potondarling.

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Sirius,TheSky’sBrightestStar

Sky WatchingwithRufusHenderson-Smith

SiriusisonlyoutshonebyourSun, the oonand acoupleofourSolar Systemneighbours, enusand upiter. hisstar,whichappearsinthe constellationof anis a or,the reat Dog,iseasilyspottedatthistimeof year ustabo etheSouthernhori on mo ing astto estbelow rion. he ree sbelie edthe reatDog andthe ittleDog, anis inor,were assisting rionwhilsthewashunting.

o gi eyouanideaofthemagnitude ofthisstar,itis timesmore luminousthanourSun,butthefact thatitisnearly light yearsfrom arthaccountsforitscomparati e smallsi e oursunlightonlyta ing around minutestogethere.

hysicsonsuchdensestarsis incomprehensible,somethingabout thesi eofthismaga inewouldweigh around tons

anymythssurroundSirius,theDog Star,saidtoberesponsibleforthe NorthernHemisphere’shot,muggy ‘DogDays’thatoccurinSeptember. Itrisesaroundthesametimeasthe SuninlateSummer,originallythought togi etheSunmoreenergyand warmth

he gyptiansusedthestarasa calendar,realisingthatwhenSirius roseaftertheSunitsignifiedthestart oftheannualfloods.Importantfora nationwhoseeconomyreliedchiefly onagriculture.

So,ifyougetthechancetoloo outto seaon aclearnight,tryandspotthe DogStar,placedinthes yby eusto celebratehisspeedinthehunt.

Canis MajorshowingSirius

Canis Majorand Canis MinorbelowOrion

Aguide to theS eychelles

stra el restrictionscontinuetolinger wouldliketosharewithyou aguideto the eychellesas are inderof alu ury destinationthatyoucanescapetoonce nor ality resu es. fyouarealo erof paradise eacheswithpowderysands lapped ya urewaters the 5islands which akeupthe eychellesare lessed with hundredsofthe . eyondthe each there snoshortageofscenichikes a ongsttheunspoiltnaturereser es i ranttownshipstoen oyandnatural wonderstoe ploreinthissu li e ndian ceanarchipelago.

nownas thelandofperpetualsu er uchoftheislandsthat akeupthe eychelles re ain uninha itedtothisday with any re ainingasnaturereser es howe erthethree ainislandsarea eleeofhotels arsand restaurants not to entionthepicture perfect eaches.

eychelles tatistics

opulation97 000

apital ictoria

urrency eychelloisrupee

ciallanguage reole, nglish rench

i e one 4 lightti e 0 hoursfro ondon

sanincreasinglypopulartourist destination,youcanflyvia aconnection stopin ubaior bu habiwith mirates and tihad .Nowevenmoreaccessible andaffordable,the eychellesis agreat placetospend ualityti e whetherits withthefa ily as acoupleortra elling solo. oucanalso isitthe eychellesas partof acruiseitinerary il erseaha e acruisefro an i arto ahein pril22.

sland hoppingisalways afa ouritefor isitorsandtheislandsof raslinand a igueare ust 5 inutesaway y planeoranhour yferry. here youwill finde cellentopportunityforswimming, snorkelling,hiking,golfing,sailingand ore.

he eychellesis adrea honey oon destination withthewhite sand eaches crystalwatersandalluringsunsets aking itonesofthe ost ro anticspotsinthe world. t sunsurprisingthat rince illia and ate iddletonchoseNorthIslandfor theirownhoney oon alongside awhole hostofotherfa ousfaceswhoha e isitedtheislandsfor aro anticescape.

ereare afewofourtope periences fornewlyweds nwindwith acouple’s assageo erlookingthe ndian cean. Hireaconvertibleminimokeand e ploretheisland. n oy aromantic candlelitdinneron asecludedbeach. osnorkellinganddisco ertheincredi le arinelifeup close.

Thecoral reef-filledwatersofthe eychellesmakeitperfectforflyfishing anddiving.Thebestfishingspotscanbe foundon lphonse sland andthe est ti esforsnorkellingare prilthroughto ayand ctoberthroughtoNovemberas thewaterisclearandcal .

tisnow orei portantthane ertotake outtra elinsuranceassoonasyou ook yourne ttrip. ra el ounsellorsha e enhancedtra elinsuranceoptionsfor ra el ounsellorcusto ers pro ided y ush nsurance underwritten ytifgroup. tnowincludes o id 9co er.

ouldyouliketo recei e yweekly e ailsfortra elinspiration hey ight gi eyouso eideasandtheycontain usefuladviceandhotelideas,offersetc. hereisusuallyone aweek pleasegetin touchwith eifyouwouldliketo recei e the .

fyouwishtoplan atriptothe eychelles orifyouha eanyothertra elideasin indpleasecontact e you llen oy e clusivebenefitssuchasfullfinancial protectionand a -hourdutyo ceto supportyou efore duringandafteryour trip.

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THELANGUAGEOFFLOWERS

t snearly alentine s ayand illions willberushingouttosendflowers. raditionallythiswill e redrosesofcourse. thers aychoosetheirpurchaseson the asisofcolour s ellore enprice ut there sawholelanguageand eaningto flowerstoowhichiscalled loriography.

oses: ed osesas ostwillknow sy olise o eand esire utchanging thecolouroftheflowerleadstodifferent connotations. ore ample, ellowisfor friendship inkforperfecthappinessand rangeforfascination.Thereare different meaningsforspecifictypesof rosetoo, suchas ea oses eaning ll re e er always and og osesconnectingto painandpleasure. ormationsalsohave ani pact. hinking acktothetraditional do en redroses a unchof asingle loo eans lo eyouor stilllo eyou whilstanassort entofcolours represents thesenti ent you ree erythingto e. do en redroseshas eco ethenor becauseofthesignificanceofthenumber twel ewithinnature philosophyand religion. henu er 2often represents afullcycle so 2 onthsoftheyear 2signsofthe odiac 2hoursona clockforinstance. romancienttimes, culturesaroundtheworldha ede eloped calendars asedoncyclesoftwel e and

thereare any ythologicaland religious connectionstothenu eralso. heuse of 2acrossthenaturalandspiritualworld eansthat 2or ado en hastakenon auni ersal ualitywhichenhancesthe significanceof ado en roses.

Turningnowtootherflowerswefre uently uyinthe

arnat ons: arnationsnowco ein manydifferentcolours,butpinkwastheir originalcolourwhichpro a lye plainswhy theyarestill referredtoas pinks rather thancarnations. inkcarnations ean llne erforgetyou whilst redsy olise ad irationandyellow re ectionand disappoint ent sopro a ly esttoa oid those

l es: iliesofallcolourssy olisepurity andde otion utthiscanchangeslightly dependingonthecolour. igerlilies representconfidence,prideandwealth,so agoodchoiceifyouwanttoi press ut also oyandhappinesswiththeir right orangeandpinkcoloursand ayellow lilyalsostandsforhappinessaswellas thankfulnessanden oy ent. helilyis recognisedasthe thanniversaryflower andis agoodoptionforpeoplecele rating a ilestone.

Photo: DebbyHudson

Photo:Natasha Welingkar

Tul ps: epresentloveandpassion. ellow ones ean there ssunshineinyours ile whereas redtulipsareadeclarationoflo e andwhiteonessay worthyofyou. Thetulipwasfirstcultivatedon alarge scale ythe urkishpeoplewhosawitas paradiseonearthandwasthereforeused in any religiouspoe sandartwork.

the reek od arcissuswhowasso

o sessedwithhisi ageinthewaterthat hedrownedtryingtocapturehisown reflection.

Daffodils: sdaffodilsareoneofthe earliestflowerstobloominthespring, theyarenaturallyassociatedwithnew eginnings. owe er theycanalso sy oliseinspiration creati ityandinner reflection.Theybelongtothenarcissus genusfa ilywhichgettheirna efro

rees as: Thebeautifulfreesiaflower representstwothings trust indicatingyou arehonestinyourfeelingsande otions andalsofriendship. ivingtheseflowersto so eonesy olisestheyareyour special friendorloyalpartner.

fcourse thereare any orewonderful flowerstochoosefrom,soifyou really wantto esureof akingtheright impression,it’sworthaskingyourflorist a outtheir eaning.

Photo:Josh Mills

Photo: TijanaDrndarskr

Photo: KrisztinaPapp

Photo:Jessica Lewis

TR B R S R R S y on oft

hristchurch arbourattracts awide rangeofbirdsthroughouttheyear a smorgasbordofcommon,uncommon andrarespecies.

Towardstheendof ,the arbour wasgracedwiththepresenceof oneofthe smosticonicand endangeredbirdsofprey the beautiful en arrier, ircuscyaneus.

Whatmadethis individual especially interestingforlocalobserverswas that,unusually,they newthebird s entirelifehistory whereandwhen ithatched,whereitwanderedafter itleftthenestandwhen it reached hristchurch arbour.

irdersandornithologicalresearchers arefascinatedbyavianmovements, bethey purelylocalorinternational.

Lagertha the i ingnamegivenby aturalEnglandtothe hristchurch arbour en arrier emergedfrom alatenestin umbrialastsummer.

en arriernestsinEnglandare usuallyfoundamong heatherandbuilt ofheatherandlinedwith negrass.

Thisparticularnest,however,was madeofrushesand locatedin a eld ofrushes,aswerethreeother nests within metres.

uringthebreedingseasonin England, en arriersfre uentupland areas.Inwintertheymovetocoastal marshesandlowlandheaths.

smallmicrowavetelemetrysatellite tagweighing ust . gm wasattached toLagertha afemaleor ringtail en arrier on uly,beforesheleft thenest,soscientistscouldfollow her movements.

Trac ingbirdsofpreyfromspacehas openedup avaluablenewresearch windowandprovides newinsightsinto theirmovementsandthepotential threatstheyface.

fterleavingthe nest,Lagertha,who wasnamedafter a i ingshield maiden,spenttimeontheeastcoast ofEnglandbefore headingdiagonally acrosscountryto limbridgeonthe evernEstuary.

Lagerthathen ewto hristchurch arbourwhereshespent vedays cheeringuplocalbirdersasshe huntedovertheentireareaand roostedatdus . nfortunately, communicationwas laterlostwith Lagertha.

ingtail orfemale youngmale

en arriers aremottled brown birdsdistinguishedin ightbytheir conspicuouswhiterump. alesare muchmorestri ing,palegreybirds withdistinctiveblac outer wings.

en arriers,whichsportaone metre wingspan,areonthe edListofbirds ofconservationconcerninthe and aspeciesof eyimportancefor biodiversityconservationinEngland.

naction plantoincrease en arrier numbersinEngland,published in anuary ,statedthat a populationsurveyconductedin hadfound ust territorialpairs,of whichonlyanestimateddo enwere inEngland

learly,thereismuchmoresuitable habitatavailableintheEnglish uplandsthanthereare en arriers. ersecutionoftheseemblematic raptorsis ama orproblem.

nsurprisingly, breedingsuccess ismoresuccessfulonmoorland wherethereislittleornogame bird shooting.

Thesightof amaleorfemale en arrierisenoughtogladden anybirder sheart,andthoseof usfortunateenoughtolivenear hristchurch arbour havebeen blessedthiswinterwithfre uent sightingsofLagertha,aboutwhichwe already nowsomuch.

upportlocalbirdsandthe conservationofthemby oiningthe hristchurch arbour rnithological roup chog.org.u

ll hotosby lan ayden

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BOAC Experience

In memor yofBrian Grinterwhosadlypassed away in November2020

Thefollowingarticleisaninsightintothe British Overseas AirwaysCorporation.

Written by Brian Newman Grinterwhostar

tedhis careerwithBOAC inBristol’s old airpor t,Whitchurch,in1944. Laterstationed at Hurn,whenBOACtookoverthe RAF Officer’smesswhen WorldWar 2ended.

“Afterthe war, Hurnbecamethenumberone Internationalairpor tforlongdistanceflights fromtheUK ,including Australia, India, South AfricaandtheUSA.

The‘Kangeroo’servicetoAustraliacatered foramaximumofninepassengersandits royalmailcargo.I ttook twoand ahalfdays ofstopgapflyingonan Avro ‘Lancastrian’, developedfromthefamous wartime Lancasterbomber.I twastheonlyaircraftof thetimethatcouldofferlongdistanceflying without refuelling.With itsfrontand rear gunturrets removedand replaced by pointed streamedfairings.Bombbays wereremoved to accommodate extrafueltanks,makingthis ‘SilverBird’ amuchmoreattractiveaircraft. Thecrewconsistedofthe Captain, co -pilot, navigationand radioofficers.Beforethedays of computersandwithlittleinthe wayof radar agreat dealdependedonthenavigator and radioofficer to keeptheaircraftontrack . In somecases,still relyingonstarnavigation visiblethroughthe ‘AstroDome’ontopofthe plane.Altitude wasusually at amaximum of10-12thousand feetintheLancastrian. If it wasnecessar ytoclimbhigher overpoor weather,oxygenmasks wererequired by both crewandpassengersas compared totoday’s modernaircraftwhich canflyeasilywitha pressurisedcabin at 35,000 feet.

Mostof my trainingas asteward washands on.Just amatterof“there’sthe aeroplane, there’sthe passengers,now getonwithit!”

Afewoftheladsdidtheirfirsttripona trainingflight, wheretwo completecrews would fly to Karachi, to familiarisethemselves withthe route.Commercialflights were still intheirearlydays andit wasonsuch aflight thatwelost twotraineestewardsandthe ex RAFcrewwhentheir’Lancastrian’crashednear Paris.

My firstflightwas a12hourhaul to Lydda, TelAviv.OnarrivalatHurnIwasshownwhat foodanddrink wassupplied forthejourney, thenon to theplane.Withthehelpofthe1st Officerweensuredpassengers were safely strappedin, knewwherelifejackets were stowedandhowtousean ox ygenmaskif required.Eachpassengerhad abunk to be erectedaftertheinflightmealofporkchops, potatoesand vegetables.

As youcanimagine,reston a12hourflight in aconvertedbomberwith four Rolls RoyceMerlinengines,wasnoteasy for thepassengers.Myjob wastostayawake spendingmanyhoursinthe ‘AstroDome’ takinginthebeautifulviewsoftheclear Mediterraneanskies.

BrianGrinter

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i ing ardens

By ndrewSim son

san grono istandconsultantin orticulture ha e eenin ol edin thehealthandprofitabilityofgrowing andnurturingplantssince 99 . ach onth will e ringingyouuseful andinterestingtopicsin relationtothe ardenseason. nterspersedwith uicy facts regardingsoillifeanditssy iotic relationshipwiththeplantswegrow.

InmyfirstarticlebackinNovember uningintothelife eneathourfeet discussedthefascinatingworldofsoil iologyandthesy iotic relationship etweensoilandplants. hereis uch e idenceindicatingthelossofournati e plantsinthe eingduetotheloss ofNativesoilbiology,andinturnweare losingournati epollinators.

tis asadfactthatournati epollinators areindecline asareournati e irds mothsandbutterflies.Thisisan e pandingecologicalcala ity. fyou ha eanylandunderyourcareperhaps weshouldconsider re wildingandgi ing

so eofthatspace acktonature. anygardenersandindeed anyof y clientsha e recognised andunderstand theneedtoencouragewildlife ackinto theirho espaceandenhance theirgarden.

n y ece erarticlewelookedat weedsanddiscussedthe anyways gardenersandgrowers iewthese wonderfulhealersofthesoil. heword weedca efro the nglo a on word eod which eans littleher ifher sareintendedforhealing we shouldlookatweedsashealersofthe soil. o eoftheseareco onlycalled weedsandothersarecalledwildflowers. Theymaybeweedsbyonedefinition and eauty yanother.

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BookReview ur al tes y anna ent

Abrilliantliterarydebut,inspiredby atruestory:the finaldaysof ayoungwomanaccusedofmurderin Icelandin1829,oneofthelastexecutionstotake placeinIceland.

Inspiredby atruestory,BurialRitesis abrilliantdebut novelwrittenbyHannahKent.SetagainstIceland’s starklandscapein1829,AgnesMagnúsdóttiris chargedwiththebrutalmurderoftwomen,oneof whichisherformermasterandissenttolivewitha familyonanisolatedfarmwhilstsheawaits Wherexecution.

Horrifiedattheprospectofhousing aconvicted murderer,thefamilyatfirstavoidAgnes.OnlyTóti, apriestAgneshasmysteriouslychosentobeher spiritualguardian,seekstounderstandher.Butas Agnes’sdeathlooms,thefarmer’swifeandtheir daughterslearnthereisanothersidetothesensational storytheyhaveheard.

Rivetingandextremelywellwritten,thisbookcomes highly recommended.

FromCafayate ValleyinNorthernArgentina.

1800mabovesealevel.

Thisis averyinterestingwine.Madefrom Bonarda(100%).Duringproductionthegrapes aredestemmed,coldsoaked(toobtain aricher/ darkerwine)itisthenmaceratedfor 3weekspost fragmentationwherewinespends 8monthsina mixofAmericanoakbarrels.

Blackcurrantandplumsonthenose.

Fullbodiedbutdeepandsilkycoupledwithgood cleanacidity.

Aperfectwinterwarmer.

CREATIVE PAVING

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