Chapter 276 - 165: Indeed... Aging
"I knew you would ask," Han Lei raised an eyebrow, smiling without answering.
She casually picked up a "grenade," hooked her index finger around the silver ring, and pulled lightly, making a soft "pop" sound.
She respectfully offered the opened "grenade" with both hands to the Marchioness of the Champion.
"Aunt, try this. It’s a new sauce-flavored fine wine my father recently acquired. It’s even harder to find than the Drunken Immortal Brew."
"Sauce-flavored fine wine?"
It was the first time the Marchioness of the Champion had heard such a term. She took the opened grenade and immediately sensed an unprecedented rich aroma, mingling with the delightful scents of caramel and roasted grains.
She couldn’t help but exchange a surprised glance with the Champion Marquis.
Seeing their interest, Han Lei elaborated with the explanation she had prepared.
"The Drunken Immortal Brew is strong aromatic, emphasizing cellar aroma, layered with cereal aroma, yeast aroma, and fruit aroma. This sauce-flavored wine... highlights the blend of sauce aroma, scorched aroma, aged aroma, and bean paste aroma. It is rich and delicate on the palate, with a balanced acidity and bitterness, and has a lingering finish."
This stream of technical terms left the Champion Marquis couple dumbfounded.
The Champion Marquis had also caught the scent wafting from the bottle, and couldn’t help but twitch his nose.
Indeed, the aroma was initially sweet like caramel, then exuded the richness akin to aged Pu’er tea, and finally, there was a faintly discernible bean paste smell, layered upon layered, truly fascinating.
While speaking, Han Lei opened another bottle, the clear liquid gently swirling in the grenade-shaped bottle.
Respectfully presenting the opened wine to the Champion Marquis, Han Lei continued to boast.
"This wine’s brewing process is extremely complex, requiring two rounds of material input, nine steamings, eight fermentations, and seven extractions. It takes a whole year to complete. Once on the market, its price is bound to surpass the Drunken Immortal Brew."
Han Lei opened the third bottle, then discreetly took a sip from the "grenade," narrowing her eyes in a blissful expression.
"Ah! Absolutely fragrant!"
The Champion Marquis swallowed hard, unable to resist. He mimicked Han Lei and tried a sip.
As soon as the wine entered his mouth, he first felt a silk-like smoothness, then complex flavors burst on the tip of his tongue, and finally transformed into a long aftertaste rising from his throat.
The Champion Marquis, being in a high position, was naturally a connoisseur of wine.
After just one taste, he couldn’t help but slap his palm on the tea table, causing the teacups to clink.
"This wine is marvelous! It’s worth a hundred silver taels a jug."
The Champion Marquis didn’t understand what intricacies differentiate strong aroma from sauce aroma. However, he was familiar with the Drunken Immortal Brew.
The Drunken Immortal Brew has already been hyped to fifty silver taels a jug in the Capital City. Although not impossible to find, it was often out of stock.
Based on his years of drinking experience, once this wine hits the market, its price would soar high, not falling short of the Drunken Immortal Brew.
Seeing the Champion Marquis give the wine such high praise, Han Lei timely pushed the brocade box forward.
"This wine is extremely difficult to brew. I brought only a few into the Capital City this time for uncle and aunt to taste. These two boxes contain a total of twenty bottles, meant to honor Uncle and Aunt. I hope you accept them with a smile."
"Haha, you thoughtful little one! Since it’s your filial piety, I will accept your gift."
The Champion Marquis nodded with a smile, accepting Han Lei’s gift of fine wine.
The Marchioness of the Champion stroked the checkered ridges on the "grenade" lovingly. Suddenly, as if she recalled something, she waved Han Lei over.
When Han Lei leaned in close, she lowered her voice, "Your diligence, could it be..."
The Marchioness of the Champion partially hid her red lips with a round fan, her eyes glancing toward Princess Changle fraternizing with the debutantes in the garden, "Could you have taken a fancy to my daughter, Changle?"
"Ahem!"
Han Lei nearly choked on her tea upon hearing this, her fleshy earlobes instantaneously turning crimson.
Did she really appear to have that sort of intention?
Han Lei’s mouth corner twitched, she uneasily turned half around, inwardly blaming the Marchioness of the Champion for playing matchmaker at random.
Yet, when she turned back, she had already adjusted her expression, pretending the Marchioness had uncovered her secret, showing an awkward demeanor.
"Uh... Aunt... some things are best left unsaid, though I appreciate you knowing them!"
"Hahaha! The shy little one!"
The Champion Marquis laughed heartily, accidentally knocking the teacup on the table, nearly overturning it.
Standing aside, Da Si almost burst out laughing at Han Lei’s amusing antics.
Luckily, the Champion Marquis couple’s focus wasn’t on Da Si. He could timely raise his hand as if to wipe his nose, using it to cover his mouth biting hard on the lower lip.