Hopefully they were using the André for spraying purposes only.
http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/Lady-Gaga-Grigio-Super-Bowl…
Patriots Celebrate Super Bowl Victory with Fine Cigars, California "Champagne"
In case you missed it, the New England Patriots pulled off a rather remarkable second-half comeback last night, winning Super Bowl LI in overtime. Of course, all Unfiltered really wanted to know was how the winners would be celebrating. Details of the "official" celebration still aren't out (and knowing the secrecy of the Patriots organization, may never be), but we can report that team owner Robert Kraft joined the players in the locker room after the game to hand out some very fine Nicaraguan cigars. According to our esteemed colleagues at Wine Spectator sister publication Cigar Aficionado, Kraft was handing out Padrón 1964 Anniversary Maduro cigars, which are priced at about $300 to $400 a box. They're quite the splurge compared with the victory bubbles that defensive end Chris Long was popping. Chris, the son of Fox Sports studio analyst and Super Bowl XVIII champion Howie Long, broke out some bottles of André California "Champagne" for his teammates. “I got them from Walgreens,” Chris told USA Today.
FYI from a blog posted to the Speculator site.
Bruce Sanderson
http://www.winespectator.com/blogs/show/id/54457?utm_medium=email&utm_sourc…
Several times during my tastings of the 2015 vintage in Burgundy there have
been moments where the wines have really made an impact, emotionally,
viscerally, even spiritually. There are truly some magnificent wines from
this vintage.
To have a complete range in one cellar is exceptional. Domaine de la
Romanée-Conti
<http://www.winespectator.com/wine/search?submitted=Y&search_by=exact&text_s…>
achieved
success in a hot, often dry, but very fine vintage. Although the wines are
unfinished and still require refining in barrel and bottling, this is as
impressive a range as I have tasted since my first visit here in 2005.
Unfortunately, Aubert de Villaine, DRC's co-director and statesman, had to
appear in a Dijon court to testify against yet another counterfeiting
operation.
I tasted with cellarmaster Bernard Noblet, who knows these wines as if they
were his children. Some had been racked
<http://www.winespectator.com/glossary/index/word/Racking>, due to
reduction and high amounts of carbonic gas; others were not, as noted
below. Noblet told me that bottling will begin at the end of February.
For fermentation, Noblet retained 100 percent of the stems, for the first
time since the 2009 and 2005 harvests. He also noted that, due to the
grapes' high natural potential alcohol of 14 degrees, the indigenous yeasts
were sluggish. Therefore, the wines finished their alcoholic fermentations
in barrel. "This required a lot of attention and care, but we had no
problem of any kind," de Villaine wrote me a few days later via email. "On
the contrary, I believe it added more richness and balance to the wines.
These 2015s have been very good and easy children!"
I found the cuvées that had not been racked to be the most integrated. Any
type of operation like racking or bottling the wines can disturb them, and
they require time to restore their equilibrium. Add the fact that the
cellars were very cold—about 4.5° to 5.5° F cooler than usual—and the wines
are developing at a glacial pace!
The Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Corton 2015 was still on the lees
<http://www.winespectator.com/glossary/index/word/lees>, not racked. It set
the pace with an added level of elegance that earlier vintages did not
show. Full of rich, dark cherry and spice aromas and flavors, it's still
rooted in the earth yet balanced and focused on the long finish. The first
vintage for DRC was the 2009, when it contracted to farm the vineyards of
Prince de Merode. The DRC team has worked hard to integrate the vineyards
into its biodynamic cultivation and has also begun replanting some of the
vines in Bressandes with its own *selection massale
<http://www.winespectator.com/glossary/index/word/selection_massale>* of
Pinot Noir. Thus, for now, it is a blend of the oldest vines from
Bressandes, Renardes and Clos du Roi.
The Echézeaux had been racked after the 2016 harvest. It was the last *climat
<http://www.winespectator.com/glossary/index/word/Climat>*to be picked in
2015 and was the ripest of the group. Often the Echézeaux can be a bit
sullen from barrel, but this is expressive, bursting with ripe black
cherry, blueberry and spice notes, a round, charming personality, juicy
texture and fine length.
The Grands Echézeaux had been racked at the beginning of December. It
exudes ripe black cherry, floral, spice and mineral flavors. More linear
and tense than the Echézeaux, it's also more elegant, with fine grip on the
long finish.
As good as these first three wines are, the fireworks began with the
Romanée-St.-Vivant. A wine of great class and finesse, it features aromas
and flavors of rose, strawberry and cherry, married to an aerial profile
and lacy texture. Its finish extends gracefully. Not yet racked, this is a
stunning RSV.
Both the Richebourg and La Tâche were racked after the 2016 harvest. The
Richebourg's attack is rich and fleshy before turning focused, structured
and more serious. Pure cherry and red berry fruit gives way to oak and
tannins on the finish, its length revealing its ultimate potential. La
Tâche offers its typical power and density, with tannins more integrated
than the Richebourg and notes of black cherry, licorice, sandalwood and
spice.
We ended with Romanée-Conti, also still on its lees in barrel without
racking. Simply majestic, complete and different from the rest of the
range, it expresses pure cherry, floral and spice flavors, gossamer texture
and terrific aftertaste. "*Un autre monde*," said Noblet. Indeed, it's a
wine with profound depth, breadth and an ethereal, spiritual element that
delivers great pleasure along with a sense of place.
Cheers,
--
James Ellingson cell 651 645 0753
Great Lakes Brewing News, 5219 Elliot Ave, Mpls, MN 55417
James(a)BrewingNews.com BeerGovernor(a)gmail.com
