Thursday, December 31, 2009

Kaiken, Moet and Southbrook on New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve 2009 ... It was a night of family and movies, and wines, some worked, some did not. My first attempt to get the evening rolling was with a few wines that were in my fridge, a Chardonnay, a mixed fruit wine, a couple of Meads (I withhold the names to protect the innocent), nothing seemed to spark this rather tough crowd and all found their was down the drain quickly. It was not till I got serious with my selections that everyone started to enjoy. Kicking things off I decided to go big or go home with a Kaiken 2005 Ultra Malbec from Argentina, this was a blockbuster with 14.5% alcohol and blackberries, spice and bramble ... went down smooth and easy with the first half of the film Public Enemies (Johnny Depp as John Dillinger); we also sampled assorted cheeses, sushi, crackers and other appetizers.

Next up, we ordered a simple pizza with extra cheese, pepperoni and half onions / half green pepper - to pair out came a bottle of Southbrook 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, which gave a little maturity to the evening. The film now over and eyes drooping all around we sipped on the remnance of the Southbrook wine while watching Elvis Costello interview Tony Bennett for to TV show Spectacle (I got the DVDs over Christmas).

Finally, it was all hands on deck and eyes wide open as we searched for a countdown to the New Year with a bottle of Moet & Chandon Nectar Imperial Champagne ... the cork popped with not a drop lost of the precious nectar (it pays to be a professional at times like this). The nose was of fresh apple bread, the palate had a touch of sweetness, while the bubbles in the glass were persistent all the way till one in the morning, when we all decided enough was enough and sleep was of the essence. I took a few last sips and still found the wine to have the sweet lemon and pear finish that it had when it was first opened, with hints of mac apple through the mid-palate ... wonderfully quaffable for New Year's Eve; and a nice assortment of wines throughout.

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