Bollinger NV Champagne

This was a gift from Apple Inc.  Enjoyed this while on a double date with the Formicas ... Not too bad!  A fairly straightforward champagne with more wood notes than the Veuve, but a bit more boring in the mid-palate.  Fine bubbles, not too sweet, nice and approachable. $35, 92/100

Chateau Suduiraut 2001

Wow wow wow.  This is an incredible sauternes!  A youthful mild acidity and gorgeous mouth feel, with a finish that just keeps going on and on!  Everything I love about sauternes.  Aside from d'Yquem, only the Rieussec bests this wine.  $45 (750 mL, Costco!), 99/100.

Rosenblum Zinfandel Rockpile 2005

Very nice - the Rockpile '03 was phenomenal, '04 was very good, and the '05 definitely has a lot of the same characteristics.  I love the fun and fairly complex sweetness of this appellation, and combined with Rosenblum's fruit-forward philosophy, you get a really amazing and approachable wine.  $35, 94/100

Veuve Clicquot Champagne NV

Yum!  We saw this champagne being poured over a pyramid of glasses in Born Rich, and wanted to give it a shot :-)  Very tasty, with fine yeast and wood notes, mild sweetness, and medium complexity.  $40, 95/100.

2005 Pride Merlot / Le Papillon restaurant -> Happy Birthday, Julie!

This evening, Julie and I went to Le Papillon for a special birthday dinner.  The ambiance was very pleasant and romantic, the service was top-notch, and the food was presented nicely.  We started with two amuses-bouche (duck pate, and bacon-quiche), then had a small appetizer (buttery cod), Ratatouille as the main appetizer, the soup of the day - a tasty cream of tomato reduction, and for the main course, I had the "Pepper Seared Filet of Beef with Brandy Demi Glace", and Julie had the "Grain Mustard Crusted Rabbit with Golden Chanterelles and Tarragon Jus".  For desert, we had a chocolate-gram cracker-whipped cream thinger, that was pretty tasty!  Overall, I'd rate the food a 9/10.

The wine we had with the meal was a 2005 Pride Merlot - the wine list showed it as an '04, and I assumed the '05 would be similar to the 94pt '04.  We were both a bit let down - from my post on CellarTracker: "Very fine and velvety fruit, with little or no tannin backbone.  Fruit and character disappeared 30 minutes after opening, leaving a soft and unremarkable wine.  94pts the first 30 minutes, and 88 thereafter."

Chardotto Zinfandel/Syrah port (from Del Dotto)

Wow wow wow!  After being in a lack-of-complexity funk for a bit, this port comes along and blows my socks off!  Layers of brown sugar, one more complex than the other, washed over me as as I sipped in gleeful bliss.  Since we had 10 people over, the $75 bottle didn't go very far :-)  I opened up a Graham's Six Grapes (our house port) afterwards, and was astounded how terrible it was in comparison!  I have found this port for $51 here - go long.  99/100.

iPhone Tips & Tricks: Easy punctuation!

The next time you need a dot, don't just tap the .?123 key, but rather press & hold it, then drag your finger to the desired key.  When you let go, you'll have the punctuation, but still be in the regular keyboard!

Delaforce Ruby Port NV

A port for $6 at Trader Joe's, crazy!  Fairly edgy & hot right after opening, turning into a jammy but very uncomplex wine the next  day.  Not bad for an open everyday wine.  85/100.

Panilonco Carmérère 2005 (Chile)

Wow, $4 from Trader Joes!  Surprisingly, there was almost none of the nasty mineral flavors I've come accustomed to from inexpensive Chilean wines.  Rather, this had a creamy and unrefined awkwardness, which paired well with simple foods.  No complexity here :-(  87/100.

Annabella Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 (Napa Valley)

Fairly tasty, but definitely improved with a bit of air - became purple and powerful, with plum and an edge ... 87/100.  $12.

The Hair!

(sung to U2 One Life, One Love)

Is it getting better

all the product i've put in my hair

is the weave

making people stare?

well it's, one comb

one perm

one weave

will bring it together

.... laaaaa laaaa (like, someone's pulling your hair)