Like Clay over Liston three days before I was born in ’65, Marissa Tomei over Joan Plowright at the Oscars in 1993 and Princeton defeating UCLA in 1996 (that one’s for you Jason), upsets have captivated crowds since some Gladiator took down a lion at the Coliseum in ’2.
And yet I went into the first round of my Grape Madness bracket confident the higher seeds would prevail.
Here’s how real life played out…
(1) Edge Cabernet Sauvignon ($19.00) versus (4) Aaku Cabernet Sauvignon ($4.00)
It was the battle of the Cabs, Northern versus Southern Hemisphere, 2006 versus 2005.
On paper this was a mismatch, but as Vince Lombardi once said, the games are played on the field, or court, or I don’t even know if Lombardi said this.
The Edge came out strong, with a big, berry nose that pressed the Aaku’s green pepper all over the court. By halftime though the minimal tannins of the Aussie made up a lot of ground on the tightness of the Napa Cab. But the Edge still led with five minutes to play in a low scoring affair but could not convert its free throws, showing Aaku a glimmer of hope.
They called timeout with eleven seconds to go all tied up at 65. Couldn’t have asked for a better chance to win this and not take any chances with overtime. And as Cinderella stories go, the dry and slightly tight finish for the Edge could not stave off a clear shot from the corner by Aaku. Nothing but net.
Aaku 68, Edge 65
(1) Baron De Magana ($18.00) versus (4) Pinot Evil ($5.00)
Spain took on France in this first round matchup of 1 & 4 seeds. 2004 was a mixed year in Spain with weather alternating between miserable and almost perfect for grape growing. And yet Baron did not start well, its barnyardy nose allowing the Pinot to jump out to a surprising but early 22-11 lead.
The mid palate on both wines was better, with the Pinot showing nice balance for the price point and the earthy nose of the Spaniard giving way to some decent black fruit. At halftime the crowd was restless and feeling another upset in the making as Evil lead 48-38.
They say that defense wins championships in most sports and a smothering press in the second half, coupled with continued balance throughout never let Baron back in the game.
Pinot Evil 75, Baron De Magana, 66
Two games in, two BIG, surprising upsets.
As Clay said in ’65, “I shook up the world.” And today, two little wines did too…
Stay tuned for second half of the Cost Plus bracket tomorrow
wow – huge upsets in the cost plus bracket…amazing that both your #1′s went down to your #4′s. interested to see how long they can last…
I was really surprised too. When you rip open the bags you almost want it to go as planned because when it doesn’t you start to question your own palate. But it also shows how fun and informative tasting blind is…