New World Sangiovese

Just for fun, I tried a bottle of Pride's sangiovese (2006.) I've really only tasted Italian sangioveses, but given my experience with Pride's other wines, it was very much what I expected. Ripe but not too ripe, very rich oak and dark fruit flavors to bump up the wine's intensity (given the varietal) and certainly the inkyest sangiovese I've ever encountered. So there ya have it. I think cabernet stands up better to their style of winemaking.

Willamette Valley Pinot Find (under $40)

I love a lot of the Oregon pinots. They usually showcase the varietal and are balanced (or even have acidity at all.) Picked up this wine recently at Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa and it simply made me smile. All the components of a lovely pinot were there - the berries, earth, delicate oak and integrated alcohol - and my husband and I had sipped away the bottle before we knew it. Here's the info if you want to check it out :)

Anne Amie, 2009
Pinot Noir (in all its glory!)
Willamette Valley, Oregon
Vineyards: 41% Anne Amie Estate, 28% Boisseau, 11.5% Gran Moraine, 8% Rainbow Ridge, 5% Alloro, 4% Louise, 2.5% Zena Crown
Clones: P4, 114, 115, 667, 777, 828
Oak: aged 10 months in French oak, 21% new, 20% 1 year, 59% neutral
Soils: Willakenzie, Laurelwood, Ritner
Alcohol: 13.9%

OakJamNapaCabFest

Cimarossa, 2007
Riva Di Ponente Vineyard
Howell Mountain
Cabernet Sauvignon

This wine was just too much for me. I want to write about it so I remember to not buy it again and stop trying  different Napa cabs when the style of 95% of them is just TOO jamberry syrup and woody for me. 

Cozy Fall Cabernet

Thanksgiving came to an end. I'm completely turkey and pinot-ed out and left with a craving for a sultry cab, reserve gouda, roaring fire and spanish guitar.

Popping a Fontanella Family Winery 2009. Premiere Napa Valley. Auction 15 Lot 124, Melanson Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon...Bottle 14 of 60. Not exactly sure what every detail means (except that this juice sounds pretty darn special) but also not in the mood to be a student tonight...just ready to drink something intense and tasty. That I got...

- Stains the glass a brickish purple

- Red rose on the nose, prettypretty

- Dense fruits: red and black but not pure jam, acidity is present with a youthful freshness

- Some oak on the finish, alllllllmost too much (others would hardly detect but I'm supersensitive to wood in my wine)

- Very silky tannins

- Leather, leaves, and a mellow dustiness/extra dimension

- Pleasant grip on the finish

- Ubercab

c o l g i n (napa cult syrah)

I know what I like and don't like. While I can appreciate how well made this wine is, the wine's meaty, smokey and herbal qualities stand out way too much. Those on top of the high alcohol (15.8%) start to mask the fruit which I'm sure is of the highest quality. Wanted to write again to remember this wine's first impression on me. Have a few more entries to make - have had a few noteworthy bottles recently.

Colgin, 2007, Syrah, Napa Valley (IX Estate)

West Coast Pinots

Two to recommend. Maybe more to come...it's fall and the perfect time for pinot noir. This season, I want my pinots reliable (bye bye Burgundies under $65), modern with traditional inspiration (sturdy fruit with balanced alcohol and good acidity), and velvety (melt in your mouth tannins). So, classically sexy, I guess.

Walker Station
Leslie
Russian River Valley, CA 2009
14.8% abv
~$65

Sineann
Resonance Vineyard
Yamhill-Carlton District, OR 2009
13.8% abv
~$45

Wise Advice From Mama Hut

Been overwhelmed lately trying to consolidate and organize clothes/stuff. Big picture...this is a fortunate problem to have. When talking to my mom she shared her new motto with me:

KEEP.

SHARE.

DONATE.

TOSS.

I dig it. Deep breaths. Everything has its place.

Sippin' Pretty

Tried these wines recently and was pumped. All reasonably priced and very tasty. Trackem down and enjoy :)

Sebella, Chardonnay, 2007
Sonoma Valley, California
Grown, produced, and bottled at the winery by Hanzel Vineyards
- bright, nice acid and subtle oak, a very drinkable new world chard that brings some complexity to the table

Castello Romitorio, Rosso di Montalcino, 2007
Montalcino, Italy
- an artist buys a winery and what do you get? a gorgeous label and a beautiful wine. roses, red fruits, potpourri, low alcohol and tannin, integrated acidity...baby brunello...classic italiano

Triton, Prieto Picudo (Old Vines), 2008
Castilla y Leon, Spain
- those old vines make for a very concentrated wine, lovely. dark fruits, licorice, chocolate, and baking spices, french oak adds another layer to what sounds like candy juice. it's not though, just dense and delightful

Please put your phone down and

pay attention.

love yourself.

show respect.

eat well.

work hard.

study something.

teach something.

abandon artificial.

make sacrifices.

be thoughtful.

give thanks.

embrace tradition.

worship nature.

breathe deep.

Locanda Veneta

This was my first Italian dinner with Yarom & The Hedonists, however, the night just felt different without our chief. No pictures, no facebooking, no 69n tee-shirt. We missed you, Yarom. Get well soon!

For those present, it certainly was a fine night of food and wine. The table's favorite Locanda dishes seemed to be the grilled calamari salad, the polenta with boar ragu (did I get that right?), and the branzino.

We tasted many wines as usual. Ron couldn't resist bringing some vintage boutique champagne ('90 Alain Robert Mesnil) and the first whites just happened to be the perfect producer side by side tasting (we had the '04 Latour v. Bouchard Corton Charlemagne). My vote was for the Latour which really blossomed during dinner and was very nice to revisit with dessert. A '95 Paolo Scavino Bric Del Fiasc Barolo had been decanted before we arrived and went quickly. The '98 Romana Dal Forno Valpolicella Superiore and the Bordeaux (sorry, I didn't get the notes) didn't get quite the same attention as Robin's silky '01 Vega Sicilia Valbuena (they didn't make Unico that year), Ron's '79 Grange, and Howard's '02 Esmonin Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jacques.

Shout out to Ron and Lana (thanks so much for organizing and hosting the dinner), Ron's son, Andrew (who joined us for the first time), Howard (who I finally met), Michael Gold (for making me feel like I still know a thing or two about wine), and Robin (for making the trek from SD). Great night! Hope to see everyone again soon :)

Katana with Yarom & The Hedonists

Big wine dinner at Katana with Yarom and gang last night. It had been way too long since I've spent a night outside tasting fine wine and sampling Katana's top dishes (that's pretty much how this group rolls two nights a week!). Almost a year to be exact ;)

As usual, I really enjoyed the yellowtail sashimi and tuna carpaccio we started with, but then they brought out the whole fish. It was unlike anything I've ever tasted. The outside was crispy, sweet, savory (maybe some kind of bbq/soy glaze?) and Dawn and I did a pretty good job with our chopsticks scoring a few succulent chunks of meat. Great call with that order, Yarom.

Here are my shoutouts to top wines of the night. All were appreciated and enjoyed, but the follwing my personal favorites:

1975 ZH Pinot Gris

- we started with Ron's champagne and this beauty...cheers :)

1966 Riesling Cabinet

- perfect follow up to the pinot gris with a bit more weight and intensity

1998 Beaucastel CDP

- my man Larry did me the favor of opening this noteworthy red, needed a little time to breathe then climbed until the bottle was empty

1973 Muller TBA

- dessert, thanks Yarom :D

When Life Starts to Blow...

Link to a funny little freebie we're doing at Drybar:

http://yourdailythread.com/2010/02/17/when-life-starts-to-blow-get-a-blow-out-giveaway/?utm_source=Weekday+Newsletter&utm_campaign=d576655677-Your_Daily_Thread_Weekly_Newsletter9_25_2009&utm_medium=email

Come Visit Me

at Drybar! We're located on the ground level of Brentwood Gardens (on corner of San Vicente and Barrington) next to Ron Herman and across the street from Tavern. Hours are 8am-8pm Monday through Saturday and 10am-7pm Sunday. Even if you're not coming in for a blowout, prepared to be dazzled by the space, meet our warm and welcoming team, and drink the tastiest spa water in town (I make both cucumber and citrus from fresh produce every morning). Can't wait to see you! XO

Drybar ~ a blow dry bar

11677 San Vicente Boulevard, Suite 100

Los Angeles, CA 90049

(310) 442-6084

http://www.thedrybar.com

Drybar Press

DAILY CANDY (2/12/10)

http://www.dailycandy.com/los-angeles/article/80153/Drybar-Blow-Dry-Studio-Opens

LIVE SHOOT ON "GOOD DAY LA" (2/13/10)

from 8:30am

http://vimeo.com/9380297

from 9:30am

http://vimeo.com/9381777

VANITY FAIR (New Hollywood Issue, 3/10)

page 166, Drybar made the "Luxe Locks" list!

Michael's Fortune

After a delicious dinner at Bamboo Bistro last night, Michael got this nice message in his fortune cookie. Do the fortune cookie gods know we're about to open LA's first blow dry bar, Drybar, this week? They must... :D

Old School Coupons

I enjoy clipping coupons. Here's why I think this is so:

1. It's kind of like a little arts and crafts project (fun!)

2. You can be selective without having to make a purchase decision that moment

3. Once you're done with the coupon book, you throw it away (guilt-free)

4. Once the coupon expires, you throw it away (quasi-guilt-free)

5. When you eventually use the coupon - after promoting it to the precious space in your wallet, carefully carrying it on your person at all times, and find yourself at its retail partner for the promotion - you feel indescribably good about saving $1 on toothpaste.

(It's the little things)

My Number Two

Love you, B!

Message From a Closet Packrat

I'm thankful for things expiring. It gives me a reason to throw them away and not feel guilty.

New Drybar Wardrobe

I bought 5 new yellow items for my Drybar "Sprit Director" wardrobe last night. The guy ringing me up at Target said, "somebody's ready for spring..." and I thought, "that, AND DRYBAR'S OPENING ON FEB. 12TH!"

UGC 2007 Vintage Bordeaux Tasting (hosted by Wally's at The Annex, Los Angeles)

As I sit down to write about this event I think it only appropriate to give you some context:

2009’s UGC 2006 vintage Bordeaux tasting was the first “big city” tasting I didn’t work (and by work I mean pour for free for a producer for a chance to taste some wines at the end). I had just moved to California and bought my ticket online, having no idea what to expect. I drove up to LA…it was my first time on the 405 (scary)…and my first time trying to park there (circled the InterContinental twice before parking in the Century City mall garage). I threw on a dress in the car and proudly fixed my sommelier pin to its collar. I hadn’t started the blog yet, so I guess I was there to improve my palate for Bordeaux wines – and maybe meet a fellow corkdork. Hiking up to the InterContinental from the mall garage, I felt prepared, but still nervous. The night before and that morning, I spent studying the characteristics of the different appellations and the top chateaux, but when it came to navigating a large tasting with strangers, it was best to just try to enjoy those few minutes of anticipation…

Suddenly, the holding room was crowded, I was sweating and casually talking to someone about the turnout. I was really just trying to watch what was about to go down. The receptionists were then given the signal to open the doors and we were off to the races. After checking in, I grabbed my glass, smelled it (because I saw everyone else doing that), and headed to the whites, which were stationed to the front left of the room. I didn’t even see there was a price list. Just went by my study guide and made my way from the whites, to right bank Bordeaux, to left bank, and then to Sauternes (or what was left). I took my time, scribbled notes, spit, ate some bread, used the restroom, and drank lots of water. It was a very modest, educational experience.

As you’ve probably guessed by now, this year I will write a different story. Probably because I feel different. My head is in another place - one that has me constantly thinking about my family before myself and trying to make the right decisions about participating in extracurricular activities, like wine tastings.

Sunday night, I buy the ticket at the last minute (secretly hoping the event will sell out so I’m not even tempted to go). I spend every hour before the event working on Drybar tee-shirt designs and Sponsorship Packages. I hail a cab on Santa Monica and call a friend on the walk up to The Annex to meet him in line. I take a look at the price sheet, circle a few chateaux and then ask my friends who they recommend tasting. I swallow and get a little buzz. I’ll give a list below of some flawlessly balanced, fineFINE wines, but no details. I can email them to you, if you like.

The point of this post is that like many physical things in life, my experience with them becomes less about a myopic personal encounter, and more about enjoying the opportunity this thing presents to bring human beings together. Offline.

On Wednesday night, I was in a large, loud room with PEOPLE. Looking into their eyes, backing into them (sorry), feeling their wine spit backsplash in my face, grinning at them with purple teeth, shaking their hands, and giving high fives (like I tend to do after a glass or two).

This made me beyond happy. Yes, the wines were outstanding, but it was also the environment they were tasted in that made me crave awareness for those two hours. Every time I tried to put my head down and take detailed notes, a conversation would start or a friend would say “hi.” This was a time to step away from the minutia and appreciate how fortunate I was to be there.

Thank you to the following chateaux who poured me outstanding wines (I felt bad even putting one and two stars next to some, but had to give them a little credit for somehow standing out among their peers):

M A R G A U X

Chateau Las Combes**

Chateau Rauzan-Segla

P A U I L L A C

Chateau Clerc Milon*

Chateau Lynch-Bages*

Chateau Pontet-Canet*

P E S S A C - L E O G N A N

Chateau Haut-Bailly**

Chateau Pape Clement (blanc and rouge*)

Chateau Smith Haut-Lafitte (blanc and rouge*)

Domaine de Chevalier (blanc* and rouge)

P O M E R O L (HAD TO TRY THEM ALL...)

Chateau Clinet*

Chateau Gazin

Chateau La Cabanne

Chateau Conseillante**

S A I N T - E M I L I O N (GRAND CRU)

Chateau Angelus**

Chateau Canon-La-Gaffeliere

Chateau La Gaffeliere

Chateau Troplong Mondot

Clos Fourtet**

S A I N T - J U L I E N

Chateau Beychevelle*

Chateau Gruaud Larose**

Chateau Talbot*