we went and got engaged as an excuse to drink better wine for little to no money

Apologies for the lack of recent posts, it's been a hectic couple of weeks, what with the ecWino team finally getting engaged and all. (It took almost fourteen years)

There have been some impromptu celebrations as a result...

The night of the engagement, we went to Crave in Ansonia (102 Main St. 203.735.3300). We first mentioned it here back in November. I kept hearing it referred to as the new Roomba, and had stopped in a few times for lunch (which by the way offers probably the best black bean burrito I've ever had), but had yet to go for dinner. We got all crazy (read: vegetarian) and ordered a stew that was to die for. More importantly, we ordered Black Bart Stagecoach Vineyard Syrah 2005 ($$$-$$$$) from Veraison.
The past two vintages have scored well over 90 points from anyone worth their salt (and a few who aren't), and this bottle did not disappoint. The color is a striking ruby color, with a nose of bacon or smoked pork and cinnamon. The palate offers some flavors consistent in California syrah -- blackberry, cherry, and black ground pepper -- but also offers up dark chocolate and espresso. The whole wine is smooth and elegantly balanced with a mellow finish.
For comparison, we recently tasted a 2004 Black Bart Syrah ($$$), which had very similar qualities. The main differences in our notes were a nose that offered more wildflowers than "bacon", hints of salted red meat on the palate, and a finish that brings you back to the wildflowers.
Both of these wines are highly recommended if you get the desire to spoil yourself.

Later that evening we ended up at, where else, 116 Crown in New Haven. I wanted to keep the evening on the high note, so we ordered a bottle of 2006 Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($$$-$$$$). This wine is well deserving of its cult status, but was a bit of a let down compared to the Black Bart. I realize I'm comparing apples to oranges, but I suggest drinking this wine on its own, as opposed to giving it second bottle status.
It offers plenty of red fruit on the nose, but the fruit is kept tame by curry spices and French oak, giving this wine an overall exotic character. The wine's mouthfeel is soft and plush with the fruit masking the acidity until the finish. It's definitely a California wine, but the exotic accents made me feel this was the perfect wine for drinking at a Moroccan resort overlooking the sea. The curry makes me think this wine may stand up to spicier light dishes, but is perfectly fine on its own.

There were several celebratory bottles of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Yellow Label ($$$) which is one of our favorite non vintage Champagnes. It was mentioned back on Christmas.
The real star, however, was our celebratory bottle of Krug Grand Cuvee ($$$$$+). This Champagne is a blend of several years worth of grapes, from several vineyards surrounding the main Krug estate. The color is a perfect golden yellow, reminding me more of a fine Weissbier than a Champagne. The nose is floral with touches of honey, while the palate is rich and nutty. This almost spoiled Clicquot for me, but fortunately is normally out of my financial reach. This nonvintage sparkler is ensured consistency in flavor and quality by blending still wines from the previous six to ten vintages with younger grapes.