If you've ever ordered a cognac at a trendy restaurant, you've no doubt witnessed the bartender making a show of heating a snifter with hot water before filling it.
It's a dirty little secret (at least it was) that the renowned cognac house of Hennessy prefers to serve Hennessy X.O on the rocks. I learned of this firsthand a number of years ago when I had dinner with Maurice Hennessy and, to my amazement, he handed me a tall glass full of ice and Hennessy X.O as an aperitif.
He had a good laugh at my shocked face, and then explained, "Cognac and ice was the first long drink, even before scotch on the rocks."
Before I could even ask about the tradition of heating the cognac snifter before serving, he had another good laugh.
"That's not the best way to enjoy cognac," he said of the glass-heating ritual. "Do that and what you get when you put your nose in the glass is a big whiff of alcohol. The wonderful complexity, especially of an older cognac, is completely lost."
He went on to say that the ice served to tame the smell of alcohol and allowed the nuance of fine cognac to shine. Over ice, the cognac exhibited a floral note with aromas of dried fruits and spice. And the fire on the palate was subdued, reducing the burn on the finish.
In the years since I've kept my dirty little secret, sharing it only with close friends I thought might appreciate the beauty of aged cognac. But I've just learned that Hennessy recently commissioned architect Paul McClean to design a Hennessy X.O ice bucket, which was unveiled at an event last week in Beverly Hills, California.
Now that the word is out, you, too, can shock and amaze your dinner guests with that most surprising cocktail.
Best Value
Wines are rated on a 100-point scale. Wines are chosen for review because they represent outstanding quality or value, and the scores are simply a measure of this reviewer's enthusiasm for the recommended wine.
Rodney Strong 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County ($20) -- Rodney Strong's Sonoma County Cabernet is one of the most reliable in California in this price range. The 2014 exhibits red and black fruit aromas with a note of dried herbs, vanilla and spice in the background, supple tannins, and good persistence of flavor on the palate and through the finish. Rating: 88.
Tasting Notes
Sonoma-Cutrer 2016 Rose of Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley ($25) -- Sonoma-Cutrer's Rose of Pinot Noir shows one key characteristic that is missing from most domestic dry rose wines: acidity. The firm acidity delivers the structure that makes dry rose from the south of France so appealing. Crisp with mouthwatering acidity, the Sonoma-Cutrer exhibits aromas and flavors of cherry, strawberry and watermelon, as well as an intriguing floral note. Rating: 94.
Freemark Abbey 2015 Chardonnay, Napa Valley ($30) -- Freemark Abbey's latest chardonnay release shows the fine hand of winemaker Ted Edwards, who chooses to ferment part of the batch in French oak to develop richness and a creamy texture, and part in stainless steel to preserve freshness and acidity. The result is a well-balanced Napa Valley chard that delivers a complex palate of lemon oil, pear and baked apple, with hints of wood spice. Rating: 92.
J Vineyards 'Cuvee 20' Brut, Russian River Valley ($38) -- Cuvee 20 has long been one of J Vineyards' most popular sparklers, and it's easy to see why. It hits you on the front of the palate with a dollop of Meyer lemon and then keeps you with mouthwatering acidity that seems to linger long after the last sip. Rating: 92.
Baileyana 2014 Pinot Noir 'La Entrada,' Edna Valley ($35) -- Baileyana's La Entrada pinot offers bright cherry and raspberry aromas with excellent weight and length on the palate and a bit of grip on the finish. The wine is well-balanced and shows hints of wood smoke and wood spice. This is a friendly, easily approachable pinot that you can enjoy now, though an additional year or so in the cellar certainly wouldn't hurt. Rating: 90.
Siduri 2015 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley ($30) -- Siduri is best known for its often-stunning vineyard-designate pinots, but there's much to be said for the winery's less expensive "appellation" wines that are essentially blends from multiple vineyards. Winemaker Adam Lee puts as much care into those wines as he does the vineyard designates, and the upshot is that these offer some of the greatest values in domestic pinot noir. The 2015 Willamette Valley shows exquisite balance of acidity and fruit, a light touch of wood spice and a lasting, satisfying finish. It's a gem for the price. Rating: 90.
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