Nov

Wine with Daniel Radcliffe

Jacob Gaffney in Red Wines, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot 2003, Bordeaux Superior, Chateau de Lauagnac, France, Gironde

InterWined faced an interesting challenge last night: to pair wine with a very specific movie. I rang my friend Brian Kirk to tell him I was eagerly anticipating watching the movie he just directed, My Boy Jack, starring Daniel Radcliff, the actor who came to fame as Harry Potter. I asked if I should have red or white wine with the movie. Brian told me it was definitely a red wine movie, but that he didn’t know enough about wine to make a better suggestion and ask me to do it instead.

He’s off to Rio next week, he said, and when he gets back the answer damn well better be on InterWined.com.

And it will be, but not today, as the wine I had with the movie certainly did not go down well. For a start, Brian directed the movie admirably, the camera moved with confidence. Quite frankly, I expected that a movie played on national television on Sunday night would have to be as sterile as urine in order to play for the wider audience. I figured the powers that be would have boxed Brian in. But they didn’t.

The movie ebbed and flowed with its waves of sentiment. “Jack” was a lovely tragic figure, his flaw hard to pin down. Ego? Perhaps, but too easy. The most unusual taste of the movie comes in the form of the wealthy citizens clamoring over one another to send their boys off to a near winless war. In today’s times, by contrast, the wealthy do all in their power to keep their boys away from the front lines, though our enemies are no less dangerous than the hordes faced in World War I.

Speaking of children, my three-year-old daughter picked the wine I enjoyed with “My Boy Jack.” Just pulled it off the shelf at the supermarket, the wife said. A 2003 Chateau de Lauagnac, Bordeaux Superior from Gironde £9 ($20) at Budgens. The Bordeaux Superior designation does really mean anything, except that for whatever reason the wine can not be named with a designated appellation. It’s grown and made in Bordeaux, sure, but the grapes may come from several vineyards, scattered across districts.

This seemed like a good start, a French wine scattered about. It was encouraging with the geographical implications. Indeed, the wine that would go well with “My Boy Jack,” is in fact also a Bordeaux of no specific home. But sadly, the de Lauagnac is not suited for war.

Oddly, the earthy aromas and hints of rain in the nose went well with “My Boy Jack,” but the wine leads with this strong nose, but has such a weak follow through (World War I symbolism, anyone?). It’s a typical-tasting Bordeaux, over prices by two pounds. I would guess its softness makes it 60 percent Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet France. Too bad, because a straight 50/50 Merlot, Cab Sauv would be better.

8.5 points alone. 8.2 points with “My Boy Jack.”

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