When it comes to the matter of wine preference, I’m most certainly in the red corner. And it’s not only about vastly superior taste. White wine gives me an almost instant headache. And somehow, for some reason, I’ve always perceived white wine to be the lady’s drink… As a result I can say with almost absolute certainty that the few instances that I’ve bought a bottle of white wine was because I was asked/forced to do so.
Except for once.
If you were to ask me what the best bottle of wine I’ve ever had the pleasure of opening was, I’d have to say the 2008 Grande Provence Chardonnay – an elegant wine with an astonishing bouquet of flavours and a soft, lingering finish. I liked it so much I bought a bottle of it.
This was a mistake.
You see, because unlike that day at Grande Provence when I had my first taste of its Chardonnay, and when the Karoo Lamb was unfathomably brilliant, the scenery spectacular, the company hilarious and the weather uncharacteristically friendly – for July – the ambience was entirely different the day I opened my bottle of ’08 Chardonnay…
It was at my home, and the food wasn’t succulent Karoo lamb, but borscht soup. Furthermore, the peaceful Franschhoek ambience made place for two toddlers intent on breaking into my model car collection. And our guests had brought a Chihuahua that kept scent-marking my coffee table. Perhaps predictably, the best wine in the world didn’t taste the same that day. It tasted like normal white wine. And I had a headache halfway through the first glass.
The new Renault Laguna Coupé recently provided me with the automotive equivalent of the Chardonnay experience and proved once and for all how crucial an element ambience is.
My perception of white wine is very similar to most people’s perceptions of Renault – that the cars (mostly “for girls”) will leave you with a lingering headache. But like most perceptions, they’re half-truths. Yes, Renault’s image, deservedly recovering as it may be, still causes many people to snort when I suggest buying one of its cars – which happens rather often these days. And let’s be honest now, spending R500 000 on a Renault will be a hard one to swallow, even if the car in question looks like a million bucks.
And yet, if you were to ask me what the best executive coupé that I’ve recently driven was, the Renault would enter my mind first…
My first day with Regie’s new flagship was one of those rare creations when yins and yangs were in perfect harmony – the weather was mild, the roads clear and I had both nothing to do and nowhere in particular to be, something that rarely happens. Also, a friend had given me a copy of Afri-Frans, a CD of famous old Afrikaans songs, sung in French. So, I slipped it into the Renault’s CD player, selected Drive, and headed for the Winelands, for no other reason than to have a relaxing drive.
It was très magnifique. The Renault glided along, it’s Nissan-sourced V6 engine purring softly, but providing enough thrust when needed. In fast sweeps, the benefits of its 4Control rear-wheel steering system could certainly be felt through impressive stability and grip. The seats were superb and somehow Mannetjies Roux, sung in French, added a soothing musical background that raised the experience from impressive to extremely memorable. When I parked the car that night, with the soft light of the beautiful Cape sunset caressing the car’s almost Aston Martin-esque lines, I thought I had driven a best-in-class machine. And yes, I’ve driven its German rivals in similar environments.
But the next day was a disaster.
A friend in need had an emergency, and I had to get from Blouberg to Hout Bay as quickly as possible. The Laguna Coupé, I was to find out that day, does not like cut-‘n-thrust driving. The car that responded so beautifully to considered, but smooth throttle inputs the day before was hopeless at dealing with quick, forceful mashing of the throttle. Entering busy roundabouts therefore took an eternity. Furthermore, there is no Sport button to sharpen things up. The steering is too electronic and wish-washy in feel. The body-roll too pronounced in sharp corners. A few creaks started from the facia. The radio interface is unfathomable to operate in a rush. And the sat-nav system too complex for a first-timer to use on the move. And to put the cherry on top, when I looked at it that day in harsh sunlight, its front-end reminded me of the Hyundai Tiburon…
To say I was disappointed would be an understatement of immense proportions.
And yet it is a car that I’m struggling to get out of my mind. Just like that bottle of ’08 Grande Provence Chardonnay, it keeps lingering in my memory.
Would I buy it? In fact, would I recommend someone else buying it? Maybe not. Perhaps, like all other finer things in life, the Laguna Coupé requires some compromise from its buyer. Just like that Chardonnay is seemingly only palatable when drunk at its winery of origin, perhaps the Renault should only be bought by people intent on using it for long, cross-country trips.
But sadly, in today’s hectic, rushed world, where most of us race to and fro in buzzing city environments and where decisions can hardly be based on romanticism, the Renault Laguna Coupé is unlikely to find many takers.
At more than a R100 a bottle, I’m not going to buy another Grande Provence Chardonnay, because there’s no guarantee that I will definitely enjoy it. But one day, if I happen to spot it in a bargain bin somewhere, I may very well be tempted to take another chance. I suspect it’s the same with the Renault. It may be too much of a stretch at R500k, but a used example at a bargain price… now there’s a tantalising thought…