We were all set to conquer the 47th annual Josh Billings runaground when the universe decided to punk us. You guessed it – the race got canceled faster than a rainy picnic! The culprits? Thunderstorms and winds that were apparently more excited about the race than we were.
But hey, we weren’t about to let Mother Nature rain on our parade. We clung to tradition and had our pre-race dinner, as some had traveled miles and miles for this yearly extravaganza. As we chomped on our pre-race grub, we hatched a plan. If the weather gods decided to play nice in the morning, we’d do a mini version of the race. Why, you ask? Well, we had a legend in our midst – Jon, our fearless leader, who’d been racing for an astounding 42 years straight. We couldn’t let him break his streak, could we? So, guess what? I, the brave cyclist, was bestowed with the honor of making the unofficial official start. Talk about pressure!
Come morning, the weather was as cooperative as Beckett (my Lab) with a kong filled with peanut butter. I pedaled to the starting line, ready to text my official, albeit unofficial, race commencement. The 47.5 JBR was a go, at the same time as originally planned. And you know what? It turned out to be just as much of a blast as the real deal. We had a great time with our crew of old and new buddies, and after the “race” (if you can call it that), we didn’t guzzle down frosty post-race brews. Nope, we went all in with a civilized brunch. To make things even better, we washed it down with a fabulous 30+ year-old Barolo. Cheers to rolling with the punches, folks!
The Massolino presented an excellent expression of nebbiolo with distinct iron and earth notes, complemented by robust tannins. It showcased beautiful cherry fruit flavors. Its age became evident from the pale color and brick-tinged rim, suggesting the development of complex secondary and tertiary aromas and flavors through the aging process. This was a wonderful wine, generously provided by our hosts.🍷