Monday, March 5, 2012

Open That Bottle Night 2012 Report: A Bevy Of Stars Come Out To Play


It was a double header for the TWAV tasting team as we celebrated Open That Bottle Night and the Academy Awards. The elegant party was hosted by Glorious T and Ace of Bass and featured a lineup of stars both on and off the screen.
Our lineup included:
  • Wines That Rock 2007 Police Synchronicity Red Blend
  • Tattinger Domaine Carneros 2005 Le Reve
  • Clos du Bois 2007 Sonoma Reserve Merlot, Alexander Valley
  • Reif Estate 2007 Meritage, Niagara River VQA
  • Ecco Domani 2010 Merlot Sicilia
  • Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 2007 Artemis Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

The Synchronicity wine was a bottle picked up by Wine Chick and Sax Man to enjoy on a special occasion. When the call went out for Open That Bottle Night, they knew this was just the right time. OTBN encourages wine lovers to savor the moment by opening a special bottle to celebrate life, rather than waiting for a perfect moment that may never arrive.

The Police laid down some great grooves with this blend of Carignane, Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Grenache and Viognier. This was a light and compelling wine that delivered a multi-faceted performance with floral aromas and juicy berry palate. My only regret is that it was almost gone by the time we arrived at the party.

Next up on the red carpet was Domaine Carneros by Tattinger 2005 Le Reve. Le Reve translates to “the dream” and to many this Blanc de Blancs is the best sparkling wine in America. Tattinger is a famous French Champagne house that established Domaine Carneros to make sparkling wines in the methode champenoise with California grapes. This is a luxury cuvee made entirely from Chardonnay grapes. Le Reve proved to be the Meryl Streep of the evening, delivering an award-winning performance that was elegant, not overly dry and refreshingly bubbly.

The Clos du Bois Merlot is a limited production wine made from the superb hillside and benchland vineyards of Alexander Valley. This had a full, silky body with blackberry, toast and mocha.

Delivering an Oscar-caliber performance was the Reif Estate 2007 Meritage. This is a classic Bordeaux blend of 47% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Cabernet Franc. It was picked up by Glorious T and Ace of Bass during a trip to the Niagara Peninsula and it was a blockbuster. This vintage is just coming into its own and exhibits rich vanilla and blackberry on the nose. On the palate spice, plum and smoke are at play. The superior finish deserves a standing ovation.

Merlot was again on center stage as we sampled the 2010 Ecco
Domani. This has bright cherry and soft blackberry flavors, a perfect fit for a variety of foods.

As the crowd was gathering around the big screen to see who took the top awards, we sampled the final vino: the 2007 Stag’s Leap Artemis Cabernet. Like a Hollywood leading man, it was big, rich and powerful. This is Napa Cabernet at its best. The tannins are strong but loosened in the glass. It delivers a punch of black cherry and cassis with a woodsy flair. This offers some spice and rosemary flavor notes as well.

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