No bloodshed at the Harvard Club. Just great wines.

Howdy there, wine lovers!

So we have had an exciting week here in Boston! Fortunately, our human disguises seem to be working like a charm. We are enjoying ourselves quite much, and who knows? Maybe we'll even stay a little longer. Maybe Boston's mayor will even give us the key to the city for helping to reduce the city's homeless population!

But seriously, we are here mostly on business. We attended Ruby's wonderful annual wine tasting on Thursday night, and had a smashing time! In case you are unfamiliar, Ruby Wines is another major distributor of wine and spirits in Massachusetts; not the biggest, but certainly one of the best. Their portfolio contains a stunning array of fine, unique wines from all over the world in addition to some major brands such as Cavit, Beringer, and Wolf Blass. Held at the very exclusive Harvard Club, their annual tasting is one of the main events on Boston's social calendar. Should you be lucky enough to earn a spot on the guest list, you can expect an overwhelming selection of top-notch wines and finally, some fucking real FOOD!

Let's see...they had a sushi station, a pork tenderloin station, a fondue station, a prime rib station, a bruschetta station, bread, grilled vegetables, fresh fruit, little pizza slices, camembert, aged cheddar, smoked gouda, manchego, stilton, roquefort, brie, and CRABCAKES as far as the eye could see! Are you listening Carolina Wines? This is how you treat your guests, and this is why all of Ruby's senior management left with all of their limbs and genitals intact. Just feed the sharks and nobody gets hurt!

Now for some highlights of the vino variety...

Calera
No surprise here, I guess. Calera has long been making some of (...if not THE) best Pinot Noirs in all of California for some time now. Along with two excellent Chardonnays and a late harvest Viognier, Calera had four Pinot Noirs on display at the tasting, three of which were sourced from single vineyards. All of the Pinots show an extremely floral and fragrant nose with wonderful, wild strawberry, violet, and cherry notes. These are as close as you'll ever get to Burgundy in the Golden State. My favorite was the 2005 Mills Vineyard Pinot Noir (around $50).

Mas de la Dame 2003 "Le Stele" Rouge
This is a powerhouse Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Provence. Ah, just the word "Provence" conjures up memories of carefree days frollicking in the warm Mediterranean... absolutely ripping apart young French boys and girls. Anyway, this wine is a TITAN showing thick layers of ripe blackberry and plum, with a gravelly minerality and quite firm tannins. That deadly hot and dry '03 vintage sure produced some memorable wines all across Europe.

Planeta
Again, not much of a surprise; this has long been my favorite producer out of Sicily. Whereas most Sicilian wines are soft, fruity and often a bit pedestrian, Planeta produces weighty, terroir-driven wines of real varietal character. Their 2007 "Cerasuolo di Vittoria" Nero d'Avola/Frappato blend presents a very focused beam of pure raspberry and blueberry, and framed by mouthwatering acidity. The 2004 "Burdese" Cabernet Sauvignon/Franc blend is a tightly-wound ball of leather, black currant, vanilla, and smoke.

Charles Smith Wines and K Vintners
Washington-based winemaker Charles Smith is the man behind the well-known and respected "House Wine"; you know the wine with the simple black and white drawing of a little house on the label? Gimmicky labels like this are normally worthy of suspicion but these are the real deal! The Charles Smith line and the higher-end K Vintners lineup all have some of the most eye-catching labels out there but make no mistake-these are quite serious, and often quite expensive wines. The 2006 "Phil Lane" Syrah from V Vintners is Washington State's answer to Hermitage. Enjoy it with some manatee osso bucco!

2004 Chateau Listran, Medoc
Nice, affordable wine from the Medoc here. Classic black cherry, graphite and an intriguing note of dill. I frequently swim up the Gironde river to do a little tasting (..haha!) each year, and the Medoc is my first stop on the right. I've had some previous vintages from this Chateau, but for some reason this '04 might be my favorite.

That's it for now, wine fanatics. We are checking out today and under the cover of darkness, will retreat back to the safety of the ocean. These disguises can't hold out forever and we shall not push our luck.

We've had a great time with you here in New England these past two weeks; we've made some world headlines, drank some stellar wines, and devoured many of your fine harbor seals! Perhaps we can do it again next year?

'til next time.

-Robert Sharker.