TODAY: Red Wine And Wine Gadgets For Father’s Day, including a Spirits Aerator… for good measure …
Yesterday, I wrote about the 2012 Simi Sauvignon Blanc and the HOST CHILL Cooling Pour Spout. Breaking it up into two separate days just makes good sense, since we all know how little time we have for blog reading. I didn’t want either story to be missed. So, here we go for those geeky red wine loving Dads.
Going for a full bodied wine, so a decanter makes good sense…
2011 Casillero del Diablo Reserva Carmenere, do I love this story, before I even begin to love the wine?
- Their story: Stored in Hell, Made in Heaven.
- My story: Deliciously Naughty Wines
Casillero del Diablo wines are are very affordable (line priced at $12/bottle) from Concha y Toro. I tasted the very tasty whites and haven’t had time to actually open the reds, until right now. The Carmenere is the red grape that Chile is hanging its hat on, as so it should.
Tasted PRE decanting with the Vinturi aerator:
- Dark, rich, thick garnet in color
- Blackberries and plums on the nose
- Tight tannins needing lots more time to show the fruit, with a lovely spicy black pepper finish (begging for decanting)
Tasted POST decanting with my Vinturi aerator:
- Bright, mashed, ruby red in color
- Red raspberries and blueberries on the nose
- Ah… fruit delivers deliciously, and I’m thanking my lucky stars that I’m connected to some fabulous aerator options
- I highly recommend this wine, and trust you’ll decant it for now, for your most enjoyment… even if it’s only to open the bottle and let it breathe for a few hours
Vinturi makes a host of aerators, and I’m a huge fan. If you don’t know, I’m the founding executive director of PS I Love You, the wine advocacy group for Petite Sirah. If any wine can greatly benefit from decanting, it’s definitely Petite Sirah. HOST has sent their products to me in the past and I’ve reviewed them, including a little travel aerator, which is perfect for Petite and other huge red wines.
Giving Dad an aerator is a great option. I really love my travel one. It’s so easy to carry with me, and does the job in seconds.
I was asked if I’d like to try another aerator, and honestly I went for something I wouldn’t have thought of in a thousand years. My area of expertise is wine, not spirits. So, I had to call on my son-in-law Heath Hoffman. Heath recently landed a job at Clos Pegase Winery in Napa Valley, and has – since I’ve known him for all these years – also had a strong interest in the Spirits world. This makes a lot of sense. Winemakers are scientists, besides having that artistic side… They like being in a laboratory setting, mixing this and that to make concoctions. So, I went to him for guidance on what he thought the advantages of an aerator would have on Spirits.
The Consensus? The Vinturi Spirit = Flavor intensity, textures softened, while bring out some of the hidden nuances. This is a Spirits enhancement tool, something that Don Draper of Mad Men would have loved owning for all those old-fashioned drinks he’s downed over the seasons.
Here’s a video from Anthony Dias Blue (an expert in Spirits) and Rio Sabadicci of Vinturi…
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