Tonight, a couple of colleagues and I hosted dinner at Sushi Den in Denver for Chris Mygatt, President of Coldwell Banker Residential in Colorado. Chris was a great dinner companion, and shared some of the really progressive activities he has been orchestrating in concert with the 1100 Colorado Coldwell agents. It is possible to get the sense from the forward looking Chris Mygatt that the housing market wrecking ball swung clear of his state.
During dinner, my amazing family back home in Massachusetts texted and called repeatedly. They were enduring their 16th back breaking hour battling our flooding home (and me the 16th hour of guilt for not being there to lend a hand). Still, they mustered enough reserve to solicit instructions for raising the lower extremities of my wine cellar to higher ground. They always respect my burdensome travel commitments, but I could tell they were correctly nearing the outer limits of understanding. And here I was, drinking one of the highlight Pinot Noirs of the year: 2008 Brewer-Clifton Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir. The evening rushed forward filled with intellectual, emotional, and sensual overload.
Chris Mygatt
Engaging with Chris and simultaneously balancing the Armageddon, ark-like imagery generated by the calls from home, I steadily kept one eye and nostril focused on the wine in front of me. Staying in one moment at a time is challenging for me; staying in these multiple moments with Chris, the wine, and home required stamina and focus usually reserved for triathlon competition. The flooded home’s final chapter is unwritten and the business and personal relationship that blossomed with Chris was like bud break with the fruits of the vintage fully anticipated but still out in the distance. As usual, the Brewer Clifton Pinot’s story was evident and in full view.
The deep purple wine’s nose soared from the glass in sweet Burgundian style. The sweet fruit aromas combined with herb-like earthiness that had moments of oregano and thyme floating around in the background of light smokiness. Bright black cherry mixed in on the immensely smooth and elegant mouthfeel with sufficient acidity to hold the wine together in a magical construct. The richness of the wine was compelling yet never overwhelming, adding up to a gorgeous texture allowing the wine’s prettiest natural qualities of flavor and aromas to dominate. For me, it’s a classic wine, and one that can be consumed with gusto at it’s mid $30 price point.
I saved some wine for the end of the meal so I could focus and make some notes to be sure that the ethereal impressions I was getting was not an imaginary oasis in the middle of a conflicted evening. The wine is the real thing. I really suggest you try it, without waiting for the next Great Flood.