The 2005 Grand Mayne has been uncorked and other ramblings.

[JimHow]

In celebration of the fact that Nicolas is going to comply with his benevolent dictator's edict and uncork a Lynch, I have decided to pull out a 2005 Grand Mayne. I need some good Bordeaux after the week I've had.

[JimHow]

Speaking of weeks that wuz, Hound, I don't know if we've ever had a week in Boston sports like this past one. You know, Boston teams can't just lose playoffs normally, they have to rip out your heart in epic, soul-sapping fashion. Ah well, we saw some great hockey. That final minute-nineteen though was surreal. It was like you're walking down the street on a warm summer day, the sun is out, the birds are singing, the flowers are in bloom, everything is perfect, you're going to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup, and then all of a sudden an escapee from the state prison dashes out of the bushes and bludgeons you to pieces in a matter of 17 seconds. Huh? What? What just happened!

[JimHow]

And the Aaron Hernandez story is just too much to absorb. This is going to be a two year ordeal. I thought this kid was a nice polite young man, clean cut, sure a lot of tattoos, etc., but he seemed like a good kid. 23 years old, $40 million contract. All he has to do was catch Tom Brady passes and receive the adulation of thousands. He was Guildenstern to Gronk's Rozencrantz. The Grand Mayne showing nice medium bodied right bank balance. The nose is very pretty right from the get-go.

[JimHow]

And I was as big a Doc Rivers fan as anyone, but he's bull-shitting us, he's lost my respect. Ah well, we still have the first place Red Sox. Crazy. Hey we've played 81 games, this is starting to get serious!

Black raspberry. Was 2005 a year when Grand Mayne suffered TCA? The wine seems healthy but I thought I detected a whiff of TCA at the beginning, Parker says this estate experienced some TCA issues. Certainly not in 1998 it didn't!

[JimHow]

Had my first lobster roll last weekend. Mmmm, summer in Maine. You guys don't know what you're missing!
The Blackhawks wrote a nice letter on a full page in today's Boston Globe, thanking Boston and the Bruins for their sportsmanship. Very classy. I really like Joel Quenneville, he's a good man. If we had to lose I'm glad it ended up being to Chicago, they play the game right.

Well, the Sox just surrendered a 5 run lead to the Blue Jays. Beautiful. Just beautiful.

Well, at least the wine is drinking well, although I would not rate it at the level of the 1998.

[JimHow]

You know what's really pathetic? The New Hampshire liquor stores have released their 2010s. They used to have THE lowest prices in the country, now they have like the HIGHEST prices in the country. They usually make a big advertising splash when they release their Bordeauxs annually around this time of year, but this year they just quietly put them on the shelves with no mention. The prices are obscene.


Saw the Rolling Stones in Boston a couple weeks ago, I wrote my review:

ROLLING STONES AT TD BANK GARDEN, BOSTON, JUNE 14, 2013

In 1972, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were arrested following an altercation with a photographer in Providence, Rhode Island, during a particularly violent tour following the release of Exile on Main Street. With a Stones gig scheduled that night in Boston, Mayor Kevin White got on the phone with the mayor of Providence and got the boys bailed out. The band arrived late but electrified a ready-to-riot crowd in one of the most memorable moments in the history of the old Boston Garden.

This past Friday night, The Rolling Stones, still around over 40 years later, played the second of two shows at the less dangerous TD Bank Garden to a welcoming crowd of all ages. “We’ve been coming here since 1965,” a reflective Jagger said. “Everyone has been so friendly to us.”

This was my fifth Stones concert, all in the Boston/Foxboro area. My previous favorite had been a Fenway show a few years back. My expectations were low: I mean, their average age is about 70 for crying out loud. On this night, I’ve never seen them better.

As one of the actress celebrities said on the video introduction to their set: “They’re so skinny! I hate them!” They looked and sounded fantastic. Keith’s hands on the big screen close-ups on the Gibson were those of a 69 year old, but his energy was that of the same “Keef” that rolled in from Providence an eon ago.

It was a bared-down stage by Stones standards, a good thing, it seemed less synthesized, you got the impression that you were hearing 100% of what was actually being performed up there on stage.

Some highlights:

Following the celebrity video intro (Pete Townsend: “Keith once threatened to stab me.”), they got the crowd immediately involved, repeating at Mick’s invitation the “Heys” and “Yous” of Get Off of My Cloud, one of their earliest hits. (See video recording below.)

Mick and Lisa Fischer were as sexually charged as ever during Gimme Shelter, the body grinding and her primal shriek never getting old. These two will be a hundred years old and it will still be violently erotic. She looked great! (See video recording below.)

Memory Motel was just so pretty: “When I asked her where she headed for/(Back up to Boston I’m singing in a bar).” Maybe I was just seeing what I wanted to see, but I could have sworn Keith had a tear in his eye when he sang: “She got a mind of her own and she use it well....” This was the “internet request” song of the night, a song I guess they rarely play live, a real treat. (See video recording below.)

Emotional Rescue: My vocal chords were sore just listening to his falsetto in this 1980 hit. Man, that had to hurt!

The anime on the big screen was a highlight as one would expect. Anti-war, anti-corporation images of oil in the sand morphing into bright red blood during One More Shot brought reminders of last year’s Roger Waters concerts. I haven’t done the research but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was produced by the same group. I guess I’ve never associated the post-Altamont Stones with anti-war/anti-capitalism, and as we sat in our $150 “cheap seats” to watch Rolling Stones, Inc., I guess I had a little trouble connecting with the message. But, hey, there’s never a bad time to be anti-war.

Honky Tonk Women: Chuck Leavell’s piano solo near the end of the song was one of my highlights of the night. (See video recording below.) God, I love this song, but who doesn’t?

You Got the Silver: I was not real familiar with this song, so it was a real pleasant surprise. The first of “Keef’s” two solos, particularly poignant because it featured just Ronnie and Keith at center stage on acoustic guitar. A beautiful song.

Midnight Rambler: I missed the first minute of this song on the video below but don’t fret, there was another ten minutes to come. Mick Taylor came on the stage at this point and the big screen focused on him during almost the entire song. (See video recording below.)

Brown Sugar: I turned on the iPhone video only half way through the song but that’s okay because it is in the second half that Bobby Keys brings us to a new level of ecstasy with his sax.
(See video recording below.)

Sympathy for the Devil: A 70 year old man dressed as Lucifer, screaming the lyrics to the greatest rock song ever recorded. Silly? I think not. I say: Fun.... It’s just fun, that’s all. Don’t over-analyze it. Don’t worry about whether the Stones are too old to be doing this stuff. It’s just fun, that’s all. With Mick Taylor in the building, it would have been a perfect opportunity for the Richards/Taylor competing guitars in the “Get Yer Ya Yas Out” version of the song, but that is picking nits. I heard young and old fans alike screaming “Woo-hoo!” on the way out of the arena following the show. (See video recording below.)

The encore:

You Can’t Always Get What you Want: Obviously an emotional highlight of the show, with the Boston University Marsh Chapel Choir joining the boys on stage. (See video recording below.)

Jumpin’ Jack Flash: As usual, probably their song of the night. They just absolutely kill this song, every time. Ronnie Wood may be the most underrated musician out there today. Wish I had this on video but my cell phone battery was running low.

(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction: ‘Nuff said! (See video recording below.)

Was it their last show ever in Boston? I mean, they’re not 65 anymore! There really was a poignancy, a hint of urgency to the set, as though this truly was the end. Just seeing the serene Charlie Watts up there on the big screen was good for the soul. Whatever happens, one thing is for sure: The Rolling Stones have never sounded better!

The Rolling Stones 50 & Counting Touring Band:

Mick Jagger
Keith Richards
Charlie Watts
Ronnie Woods
Mick Taylor
Darryl Jones
Chuck Leavell
Bobby Keys
Tim Ries
Lisa Fischer
Matt Clifford

The Rolling Stones Playlist, Boston, Massachusetts.
Friday, June 14, 2013:

1. Get Off of My Cloud
2. It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll (But I Like It)
3. Paint It Black
4. Gimme Shelter
5. All Down the Line
6. Memory Motel (By Request)
7. When the Whip Comes Down
8. Emotional Rescue
9. Doom and Gloom
10. One More Shot
11. Honky Tonk Women
12. You Got The Silver (with Keith Richards on lead vocals)
13. Happy (with Keith Richards on lead vocals)
14. Midnight Rambler (with Mick Taylor)
15. Miss You
16. Start Me Up
17. Tumbling Dice
18. Brown Sugar
19. Sympathy for the Devil
Encore
20. You Can’t Always Get What You Want (with the Boston University Marsh Chapel Choir)
21. Jumpin’ Jack Flash
22. (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (with Mick Taylor)

Videos from June 14th Boston concert:
(Found most of the songs on YouTube, so forget what I said above about my videos.)

Get Off of My Cloud:
http://youtu.be/9Eu1IZ3rhWc

It's Only Rock 'N' Roll (But I Like It):
http://youtu.be/VjTLxdxx8K4


Gimme Shelter:
http://youtu.be/7aeIPbSzzQQ

Memory Motel:
http://youtu.be/yRz3x9wFMH8

Emotional Rescue:
http://youtu.be/h9P55G5xjVk

You Got the Silver:
http://youtu.be/h9P55G5xjVk

Happy:
http://youtu.be/k6GDJ7J94uo

Midnight Rambler:
http://youtu.be/1_411CyubEI


Honkey Tonk Women:
http://youtu.be/_71H2fa-VHs

Brown Sugar:
http://youtu.be/aCjXxSMnasM


Sympathy for the Devil:
http://youtu.be/qbai4AWpIPE

You Can't Always Get What You Want:
http://youtu.be/8Wg-49hiEYA

Jumpin' Jack Flash:
http://youtu.be/_N-rDm2u1qA

(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (From my iPhone)
http://youtu.be/307vFBPx2kE

A pretty interesting analysis of the Stones legacy in Boston:
http://youtu.be/7dy3bFMypm0

[stefan]

Wow! What a concert that was, Jim. I would gladly have given up a bottle of Pichon Lalande to be there.

stefan, translating to his preferred medium of exchange

[JimHow]

Indeed, it was worth the price of the HWSRN100 2009 Clinet I bought in NH last summer.
Coaxing the Grand Mayne. A nice wine but a bit of a disappointment so far....

[JimHow]

So I was reading the Johnny Depp interview in this week's Rolling Stone and I decided he reminds me of me. Has anyone seen The Lone Ranger yet? Is it out yet?

[JimHow]

Sox win, 7-5! Hey I'm starting to get excited about this team, Hound!

I'm getting excited about the wine, too. This has a lovely balance to it.
It's no 1998 mind you.
Just checked the label.... 14.5%??!! That shocks me.

[JimHow]

I was unimpressed with Aaron Hernandez's representation this week.
He really needs to go on the offensive. He needs to go Johnny Cochran.
I mean, I'm not saying he's innocent or anything, but if I were his lawyer I'd be going much more on the offensive early on, trying to establish some seeds of doubt at the outset, raising some questions about the other two guys at the scene, etc., etc. That needs to happen right from the beginning. Johnny (god rest his soul) recognized that right from the beginning with OJ back in 94, when he took the case over from the out-of-his-league Robert Shapiro. Hernandez needs his Johnny Cochran right now, BIG TIME. I guess Hernandez was a real gang banger. That is insane to me. Doesn't the NFL have a mentoring program for 23 year olds who have signed $40 million contracts? They say he was gang banging in Holyoke/Springhfield, Hound, that is absolute insanity to me. How could this possibly happen?

The 2005 Grand Mayne... very right bank. 14.5%??!! Insanity!

[JimHow]

If I were Aaron Hernandez's lawyer, I'd be looking to change the dynamic. Right now, it is all overwhelmingly pro-prosecution. There was a scene in one of the early Star Trek movies, where Kirk was a young cadet. And he was going through these impossible simulations, where the Enterprise was presented with impossible situations of survival. I mean, it was IMPOSSIBLE for the Enterprise to survive. Like zero percent chance. And all of the future potential commanders failed the simulation. Because they played by the rules. Except one of them: Kirk. He recognized that the problem could not be solved as it was rigged. So he changed the computer program. He changed the rules. And he avoided catastrophe in the simulation. And he went on to command the Star Ship Enterprise, and attained an incredibly successful career in TV, movies, theater, and priceline.com commercials. Many times I've looked at the initial police reports in criminal cases, and I've said: Jeez, we're fucked! We're doomed! If we look at this case through the prism of the real world, we are doomed. We WILL lose. So, obviously, we can't pursue THAT course. Because, a traditional defense will result in almost certain defeat. We need to do something differently. We need to pull a James T. Kirk. We need to change the rules. We need to change the dynamic. Johnny recognized that in the OJ case. Clearly, the Hernandez lawyers are not there yet.

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

Bruins: Chad Finn said it would go seven. That was the kiss of death. The guy is on a serious 0fer. Having said that, hard to complain about the team. And what do I know, the last 15 minutes of the 2011(?) Cup was the only hockey I've watched in the last 25 years, and that over a webcast.
Celtics: Hey, it was a great run.I thought the big three/two should have chucked it after losing in 2010. Can't fault their effort and pretty solid citizens. Doc Rivers? I guess he's a good coach. He didn't impede things anyway.
Patriots: Which brings us to A. Hernandez. Assuming the case against him is proved, one must wonder what is the mentality of this guy. It's not the ordinary gangbanger who says, I'll give up the $40 million and life in prison won't be so different from a life of no cares and wants on the outside. Heard one scout profiled him as having low self-esteem. He'll have plenty cred in Walpole or werever the state pen is nowadays. The other thing is, he was supposedly smart enough to understand the Pats' offensive scheme - from multiple positions. You'd think that given 72 hours from the grievous disrespect, he could have planned things so not every possible piece of evidence pointed directly at him.
Red Sox: Hey, it's a likeable crew and the summer is there for them to make of it what they will.

2005 Grand Mayne. Well even though it's merlot (mostly) probably the RB 05's that weren't made in an obviously forward style may need a couple more years from this point.

[JimHow]

2005 Grand Mayne: Good but quite disappointing. Expected much more. 89+.

[OrlandoRobert]

Disappointing to read about the Mayne, not bad, but would have expected more. I actually went to storage last night. Headed to the mountain house for vacay so needed to grab 18 bottles for the trip. Your initial post caused me to pull the '05 Monbo just for checking in. Hopefully it shows better.

Aaron is a Gator Alum like me. What a remarkable talent. Big, fast, tough, great hands. He will need those talents in prison. Johnnie was a bit clownish for my tastes. I'd hire a Roy Black or a Berry Scheck over him.

Back to Bordeaux, I cracked a few very highly rated, highly touted Cabs this past week. Nice, really good stuff, but at the end of the day, most Napa Cabs are missing that sense of place, that earthiness that ties the wine to the place, and instead try to make more of what they are by extraction and toast. Sad to see St Ems going so heavily in this direction, but I'm still finding more solid wines than I have time to buy or drink, so all good. And there is always Chinon!

[robert goulet]

jim, those alcohol levels just keep creepin up and up on those right bankers....disappointing to say the least