Thank You Yo-Yo

Sometimes you should pamper yourself, I mean really ham it up. I did about a month ago by opening a bottle of 1996 Dom Perignon. I personally would never go out of my way to drop $200 on a bottle of suds, but this very special bottle was given to me by score writer and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. You know, the guy who wrote the music for Hidden Dragon and Memiors of a Geisha.

At my old wine retail job Yo-Yo Ma came in to buy an absurd amount of wine. After he made his purchase and left, I noticed an envelope sitting on the counter. Inside was his passport. As cool as a popsicle, I scooped it up and tracked down his assistant's phone number through the credit card company. About an hour later a black towncar pulls up and Yo-Yo Ma and his assistant hop out. The ever-thankful assistant offered me money to show his gratitude, which I declined. Mr. Ma told his assistant something, then looked at me and smiled. The assistant ran to the trunk of the car, pulled out a green box, and hurried back in with it. "If you will not take money, then you will take this," Mr. Ma demanded, and handed me the bottle of Dom '96. Pretty generous, I have to say.

Later that evening I got home and contemplated the future of the champagne. To store or to drink? After what seemed like hours, the jury of one made his decesion to store it.

About a week passed, and I couldn't wait any longer! Off goes the top, and into the glass it went. This Dom showed beautiful toasted color and a perfect amount of fizz. On the nose I found a hint of citrus and mineral. At my first sip, I thought that the wine was too young, and I was right. I should have put it down for another 5-10 years, and my lack of patience cost me dearly. Toasty biscuit, lemon and metallic flavors came through the stampede of bubbles, with a nice dry finish across my palate. Definitely a good bottle, but I wish that I could have waited.

I am beyond grateful to Yo-Yo Ma for his generosity. Unfortunately, however, my ability to wait to open something good resembles a 9-year-old on Christmas Eve, so my first experience with Dom Perignon was memorable, but not as epic as it would have been if I'd waited a bit.