I broke out both the fancy Riedel stemless glasses and this decanting/aerating contraption called the Soiree to drink this bottle of 2005 Mauritson Zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley. Mostly because I wanted to play with them, as decanting a Zin is definitely not something I do on a regular basis (if at all.) I'll tell you more about the Soiree another day, but I picked it up for $20 at the DC International Wine and Food Festival and the idea is that the unique shape will perform the same task as decanting your wine!The Zinfandel clocked in at 15.1% alcohol by volume, had a real cork closure, and cost us around $25 in a club shipment.
On the nose of the wine I found blackberry, spice, boysenberry, and cedar. The fruit was very fresh and just jumped out of the glass (perhaps due to the Soiree? I have another bottle of this, perhaps I'll taste it sans Soiree and compare my notes!). In the mouth, juicy blackberries, dark fruit, and pepper. The wine was spicy and a bit tannic on the back of the palate, but very juicy fruit up front.
Another great Zinfandel from Mauritson, and much fun and amusement was had in the Wannabe Wino house playing with the new wine toys.
(PS-Yes, I do know it's April Fool's Day, but no joke post here today!)
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Hmmm I have never seen anything like that before. Can you tell a difference when you use it? I know, I know... you are going to post about it another day. You don't have to answer me :)
4/1/08, 9:44 AM
Looks like a mad-scientist toy to me. The Mauritson sounds like a good mix of fruit and tannins. How close is it to a "fruit-bomb"? Does Mauriston make a different style?
4/1/08, 11:12 AM
I seen the Soiree @ NY wine expo also. I ask the rep/salesperson point blank on what is the advantage of using Soiree over a $1glass flask as decantr? The rep just looked at me cow-eyed and finally muttered an answer: "Well, you can carry a glass jar in your purse"!
I hope your experience with Soiree is positive in the long run, but from my point of view, it is a gimmick at best.
4/3/08, 10:41 AM
Hey Melis-Thanks for the comment and visiting. I actually did notice a difference, but I can't say that it's any different from any other decanter!
Orion, it's a bit mad scientist. I love Mauritson wines, so I might be a bit biased. I don't think I would describe them as fruit bombs, but I could see how someone might, since they do have a lot of up front jammy fruit.
RougeandBlanc, A little gimmicky, yes, but fun, and I can be a sucker for such things, so, eh. Plus, I rarely use my actual decanters, too much of a pain to clean!
6/4/08, 8:44 PM