Thursday, January 7, 2010

Wear It With Pride

You're looking at Drybar's new "Spirit Director"! Check out my blowdryer charm :)


I'll be helping procure adult beverage sponsors for Drybar Happy Hours and Sunday Brunch – when we’ll offer clients a complimentary cocktail, pour of wine/bubbles, mimosa etc. with their blow dry. Sound awesome? It will be. It's my J.O.B.!

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Brunello di Montalcino

Poggio Antico 2001 Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino, 13.5% abv

Very elegant expression of sangiovese. Winemaker's major attention to detail in fruit selection results in a complex and balanced wine. They even note the specifics of the barrel aging on the bottle (5 years in 500-liter French oak tonneaux then 21/2 in traditional Slovenian oak). Opened it on the earlier side...the wine could use another year or two in the bottle, but still shows quite well with some deep breathing. (Maybe we all show a little better with some deep breathing.)

Monday, January 4, 2010

F. Magnien '05 Chambolle-Musigny, 1er "Baudes"

Day 1 (opened at 4:00pm, double decanted, first review at 5:30pm):

Nose: Leaves, smoke, game, and animal fat. Not as perfume-y as I’d like. Think I can smell the barrel, but also think it will open up more in the next few hours and overnight.

Front palate: Ripe strawberry, raspberry sauce, dried red cherries, know it’s over used, but “fruit-forward” comes to mind (Freddy is known for making “big” Burgundies)

Mid to Back palate: Dissonant. Chalk, herbs, some awkward tannin, bitterness, and heat

Finish lingers. Actually sits quite well on the palate after 20 seconds.

Thoughts: Realize this wine needs some age but imho the fundamentals of alcohol, fruit, acidity, and tannin aren’t ideally balanced. I don’t think the quality (aka attention to detail in his winemaking/$) is high enough here to improve that much with age. Maybe this wine’s availability, is another clue to its quality and aging potential.

Day 2 (re-tasted at 5:30pm):

A much more integrated wine now. A sleepover with oxygen definitely massaged out some kinks...nose is prettier, more seductive...palate is cleaner, some cassis and blackberry – less red fruit now – mineral and herbal elements have matured to project a tasteful presence. Tannin has softened, as one would expect. Really a different wine now. I’m very thankful I saved some for Day 2 :)

Bottom line: This is not a poor to good value wine, as I would have deemed it yesterday. It’s young and really needs oxygen and time if opened this early in its development. I love Burgundies because their unpredictable nature and expense challenge me. As wise men say... Stay curious and stay foolish. I believe buying and tasting the wines of Burgundy is an excellent way to practice this philosophy.