A few nights ago, my father and I toasted the end of a successful school year with the Soirée and a 2009 Argentinian Malbec. This clever little piece was sent to me from the PR folks at Soirée, and was exciting for me to try out with dinner.
The Malbec that we tried, upon first taste, was robust and tasty, and ended up being much sweeter and berry-like than I'd thought, with better legs than Julia Roberts and a fruity, dark nose. Alone, it was really quite delicious, but I was intrigued to see how it would taste with the addition of a little aeration.
Using the Soirée was a little bit complex, as both my father and I were dubious about completely upturning a wine bottle over our glasses, but lo, with the magic of science and pressure, it was entirely plausible. And for a tiny little device, it creates a very memorable effect. Like magic, the wine swirled all over the interior, effectively covering all surfaces and aerating all the wine instantaneously.
Now, color me jaded, but I'm not as big a fan of this as I ought to be. It's all very attractive and gadgety, and it sure looks pretty on top of the bottle, like a giant glass bong, but I didn't taste any difference between the undecanted Malbec and the decanted one. In fact, when I decant wine, I prefer less of a smoke and mirrors, "ta da" effect, favoring one that mulls over a little more. Wine can be just as easily decanted in a $350 Riedel bottle as a regular glass, letting it air for a bit, in my opinion. Decanting is only really good for a select few, anyhow. I'm sure it released some nice flavors in this one, but hell, you wouldn't decant a '45 Rothschild, would you?
This is pretty and cute and makes a lovely gift, but as far as actually decanting, I'm on the fence. It would definitely be a hit at parties when you want to show your guests a good time and can't fit a hibachi grill on your back patio, but if you're looking for a decanter, don't look here. It's all talk and no aeration. And rhyming is for pussies.
The Malbec that we tried, upon first taste, was robust and tasty, and ended up being much sweeter and berry-like than I'd thought, with better legs than Julia Roberts and a fruity, dark nose. Alone, it was really quite delicious, but I was intrigued to see how it would taste with the addition of a little aeration.
Using the Soirée was a little bit complex, as both my father and I were dubious about completely upturning a wine bottle over our glasses, but lo, with the magic of science and pressure, it was entirely plausible. And for a tiny little device, it creates a very memorable effect. Like magic, the wine swirled all over the interior, effectively covering all surfaces and aerating all the wine instantaneously.
Now, color me jaded, but I'm not as big a fan of this as I ought to be. It's all very attractive and gadgety, and it sure looks pretty on top of the bottle, like a giant glass bong, but I didn't taste any difference between the undecanted Malbec and the decanted one. In fact, when I decant wine, I prefer less of a smoke and mirrors, "ta da" effect, favoring one that mulls over a little more. Wine can be just as easily decanted in a $350 Riedel bottle as a regular glass, letting it air for a bit, in my opinion. Decanting is only really good for a select few, anyhow. I'm sure it released some nice flavors in this one, but hell, you wouldn't decant a '45 Rothschild, would you?
This is pretty and cute and makes a lovely gift, but as far as actually decanting, I'm on the fence. It would definitely be a hit at parties when you want to show your guests a good time and can't fit a hibachi grill on your back patio, but if you're looking for a decanter, don't look here. It's all talk and no aeration. And rhyming is for pussies.
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