Meeting Hannibal
We left the rocky shoreline and azure sea of South Africa's Western Cape behind as we ascended into the lush green mountains of the Hemel en Aarde Valley—that’s Heaven and Earth, in case you haven’t brushed up on your Afrikaans. Anticipation was high because we were headed to a vineyard that had remained on our wish list for far too long.
We were greeted by beautiful terraced slopes and someone quite unexpected: Hannibal. No, not Hannibal Lecter, I’m talking about Hannibal of Carthage. OK, so you’re probably wondering who he is and what he was doing there.
When we looked at the wine list at Bouchard Finlayson, our eyes immediately went to the 2008 Hannibal. As the sommelier poured the red wine, she introduced us to him by regaling us with his story. To refresh your memory, Hannibal of Carthage was the guy who in 218 BC overthrew the Romans by crossing the Alps and attacking Rome using 37 elephants as his army. The Romans were so terrified that they couldn’t retaliate. I mean, wouldn’t you be if you’d never seen an elephant before? It was a gusty move, and Hannibal of Carthage is revered as one of the greatest generals. Ever.
We like bold wines and wondered if the sommelier was just feeding us marketing b.s. or if Hannibal’s namesake wine would be as bold as he was. As we swirled, sniffed, and tasted the 2008 blend — comprised primarily of Sangiovese, Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo — we discovered a deep, rich red wine. So was the wine as big and bold as Hannibal? Hell yeah.
