A Noisy Bottle of Isosceles

One of the best bottles of wine I’ve had was given to me by a hotel because they said it was noisy.  The hotel, not the bottle.

I was reminded of this story last Friday when D’Aun and I drove home from Santa Barbara. We stopped at Justin Vineyards and tasted their newest release of the 2008 Justin Isosceles. Wonderful wine … but Friday’s visit is not the story here.

A few years ago D’Aun and I went to Santa Barbara for three or four days. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a romantic getaway. We were in town for meetings that would keep us busy all day.  Good, productive, enjoyable meetings … but meetings nonetheless.

When we checked into our hotel they gave us a voucher to spend on any hotel amenity. We were surprised by this but they explained it was their way of apologizing for a remodeling project that would create noise, dust and traffic.

We were pleased, of course, but then realized that it was unlikely we’d get a chance to spend it. The meetings were long and included all of our meals, so we would be spending little time at the hotel itself.  The hotel was just a place for us to sleep, not a place to play.

A couple of days later, D’Aun headed home early.  So on the last night in Santa Barbara I returned to the hotel room by myself after a long day of meetings. Knowing that I was leaving the next morning, I began to pack for an early check out. That’s when I saw the voucher sitting on the nightstand. I immediately sighed and thought, “What a wasted opportunity.”

Then I remembered that it could be used for room service. Hmmmm …

The room service menu had some great Santa Barbara area wines. All of them overpriced, of course, but that voucher was sitting there tempting me.  I thought … why not?

I ordered two bottles of Justin Isosceles, one of the premier wines of the Central Coast and a perennial favorite.

The room service delivery came quickly, and I surprised the waiter by asking that he not open the bottles. He said okay and after he left I put the bottles into my luggage.

I chuckled at the idea that my “suffering” at this luxury hotel with all the dust and noise (neither of which were noticed) had earned this splurge.

The Isosceles went into our cellar for a few years. We opened it for a special occasion and simply loved the wine. Multiple flavors hit you at once; it’s soft and fruity but complex. A blended wine, Isosceles contains Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. When the folks at Justin get it right, they really get it right. And they usually do.

I went back to the hotel about a year later but they didn’t hand out vouchers this time. Too bad. I would’ve loved to raid their cellar again!

*** One last thought … this summer D’Aun and I are returning to Justin to stay a weekend at their B&B. Don’t you think they should hand out vouchers? 🙂