smartbuy issue dated december 22, 2010
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Smartbuy issue dated December 22, 2010TRANSCRIPT
SmartbuyWednesday, December 22, 2010
G A D G E T S | A U T O | L U X U R Y www.blsmartbuy.com
Business Line
Toyota EtiosExclusive test drivePage 8
Christmas SpecialWindows 7 phones+
2 December 22, 2010Smartbuy
WHAT’S HOT this week
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This 7-inch tablet from Viewsonic weighs just about 375 grams, making it a highly portable device. Thetablet offers 3.5G HSDPA/HSUPA service, extensive Office support and runs Android 2.2. You canbrowse the web, check emails, and have access to thousands of apps available at the Android Marketon-the-go. Multimedia options are boosted by a dedicated graphic chipset. The tablet has stereospeakers, a 3-meg webcam and can activate functions based on voice-recognition.
Rs 32,000
View this Viewsonic Viewpad 7
Wind back to the flower-power era with the cute little CRT from LG that is a tribute tothe earliest TVs that adorned our drawing rooms. Although it comes with a remotecontrol, the 14-inch TV has been styled with old-world antennas, rotating knobs toswitch channels and adjust the volume and an option that lets you watch your favouritesitcoms in B/W or Sepia.
Rs 6,990
Go Retro! LG TUBU 14SR1
The latest Androidentrant from Motorola isthe Quench, which runsAndroid 2.1. It has a3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen, and also comeswith a trackball for easy,one-handed navigation. Itis equipped with a 5-megcamera with LED flashand 32GB of expandablestorage. The phone alsoships with a free 2GBmemory card.
Rs 15,990
Moto’s thirstbusterMotorola QuenchXT5
Cover photo: S. Muralidhar
3 December 22, 2010Smartbuy
This new netbook from Samsung runs an Intel Atom 1.5GHz Dual Core Processor. At just 1.34 kgs, it’s lightenough to carry around, and the 10.1-inch anti-glare LEDbacklit screen is visible even in bright sunlight. Otherfeatures include three USB ports, 4-in-1 card reader,320GB hard drive, island keyboard, Kensington lock portand 6-cell battery.
Rs 22,990
Enough said Samsung NF Series
The 55-incher LED display from VU might just bethe perfect head-turner in your living room. Theultra-slim TV plays content in high-def (1080p) andhas an HDMI port where you can plug in your Blu-Ray player and watch your favourite flicks. The unitalso has an USB port through which you can playback family photographs, listen to music or watchvideos.
Rs 1.25 lakh
What a ‘VU’ VU LED N55T28
What’s NEXt? Sony α NEX SeriesSony’s new series of cameras claim to be the smallest andlightest in the interchangeable lens category. With a 14-megsensor, these cameras have features like Background Defocus,Full HD Movie, 7fps high speed shooting and 3D SweepPanorama. ISO of up to 12,800 allows for good low-lightcapture, and the 3-inch LCD monitor can be tilted to adjustviewing angle. The α NEX series is compatible with a wide-range of A-mount and E-mount lenses, letting you captureDSLR quality photos.
α NEX 3: Rs 29,990; α NEX 5: Rs 34,990
SMARTPHONE review
Anticipation has been building up like a ty-phoon off shore ever since its launch wasannounced way back in February. Now Win-dows Phone 7 is finally here, ready to blow
us away.
HTC, Samsung and LG all have handsets ready to go,and the OS actually looks good enough to put Micro-soft shoulder-to-shoulder with Apple iOS and GoogleAndroid – or at least at their elbow.
Let’s take a look at what the first ever WP7 phoneshave to offer.
All the phones sport impressive specs, because theyhave to. Microsoft has specified that all WP7 handsetsmust have a 1GHz processor, 256MB of RAM, 4GBflash storage, a capacitive touch screen, five sensors –accelerometer, A-GPS, compass, proximity and lightsensors, and a 5-meg camera.
phone to run a Windows OS without the disguise of aSense interface.
Make it first!
LG’s Optimus 7 will possibly be the first WP7 handsetto land in India. It has a neat, gimmicky augmentedreality mode built into its video camera. Point it atyour surroundings and it’ll overlay points of interestor provide a weather forecast.
It also has a ‘Play To’ feature - basically DLNAsharing - which lets you send video, music and photosto your compatible TV or stereo.
Silvery screenSamsung’s offering is the Omnia 7, proud owner of thebest screen of the bunch, a 4-inch Super AMOLED. It
Best of the lot
Arguably the pick of the bunch is the HTC HD7, with amassive 4.3-inch, 800x480 resolution screen that’scrying out for movies and games to play on it.
It even has a kickstand on the back for propping iton the table for prolonged viewing. Also around theback, you’ll find the requisite five-meg camera withadded autofocus, dual LED flash, 720p video record-ing and various auto modes.
Music-orientedThe HTC Mozart 7, as the name suggests, is moremusic-oriented. It has SRS WOW virtual surroundsound on top of a 3.7-inch screen and an 8-megapixelcamera – obviously Mozart was also a keen photog-rapher.
It’s testament to how far ahead WP7 is of the late,unlamented Windows Mobile as this is the first HTC
Open up the brig
1
2
also contains 16GB of storage, the same 1GHz Qual-comm processor as the HTC handsets and 720p videorecording.
It’s a very solid start for Microsoft, with the qualityof the third-party hardware matching the promise ofits sparkling OS.
Other highlights of WP7 include live, constantlyupdating tiles on your home screen, Xbox Live gameson the go – albeit scaled-down versions – and the Zunemedia player.
Two omissions do glare - no multitasking and no cutand paste - although these are promised to arrive by“late 2011”.
With a slick OS capable of taking on Apple andAndroid and high-‘spec’ed, good-looking handsets,Microsoft is back in the mobile game. With supportfrom app developers, WP7 should really fly in 2011.
jump to contacts in that section of the alphabet
7. In Music + Videos, just hit the Play icon to listen toyour music collection on shuffle
Highlights1. HTC HD7The biggest WP7 handset has a 4.3-inch screen, sameas the HD2. There’s also a stand on the back forhands-free viewing 2. LG Optimus 7Also known as the E900, LG rates augmented realityas a key selling point of the Optimus 73. HTC Mozart 7Features an 8-meg camera as well as SRS WOW techthat provides virtual surround audio4. Samsung Omnia 7Has the brightest screen of the bunch, a four-inchSuper AMOLED similar to the Samsung Galaxy S
7 top tips for Windows Phone 71. If your phone is locked, just press and hold thecamera button to take a picture without having tounlock
2. Press and hold the Start button and speak yourcommands to make calls, search the web and openapps
3. To delete multiple emails, just tap next to anymessage in your inbox to display check boxes anddelete at will
4. Tap a misspelled word to see suggestions from thebuilt-in dictionary, iPhone-style
5. Give any icon an extended press to reveal hiddenmenus – just like right clicking on your PC
6. In the People menu, tapping a block letter lets you
ht new Windows
This material is translated or reproduced from T3 magazine and isthe copyright of or licensed to Future Publishing Limited, a Future
plc group company, UK 2010. Used under license. All rightsreserved
3 4
GAME review
In case you live in a place where the In-ternet doesn’t exist, Black Ops (BO) is thelatest in the Call of Duty franchise fromdeveloper Treyarch. It’s a first person
shooter with heavy emphasis on big, spectac-ular moments rather than gameplay groundedin reality. At regular intervals, you’ll be pum-melled by some insane, over-the-top scriptedsequence that’ll leave you begging for more.
It’s nothing you haven’t seen before; only, alot bigger and way more insane. BO is stillhighly linear, and you’ll face wave after waveof enemies till you complete a particular ob-jective or reach an invisible trigger in the formof a checkpoint.
As much as I loved the Modern Warfareseries, Modern Warfare 2’s campaign felt a bitweak. Not only was the story a bit off, butgameplay sagged quite a bit in certain sec-tions, making the game feel more like a chore.Thankfully, BO rectifies this with clichéd yethigh octane, in-your-face gameplay that’llbarely give you a chance to catch your breath.Certain missions did feel like a drag, but real-istically, it’s not possible to expect every singleminute of any game to be full of “OMG, did yousee that!” moments.
CampaignIn older CoD games, you constantly shuttledbetween multiple soldiers, but in Black Opsyou’ll mostly play the lead character – AlexMason, giving the plot a more cohesive feel.The CoD franchise has slowly been making its
way to a more ominous and darker setting, andthis game ups the ante in a big way. Not only isit backed by a riveting plot that feels like it hasstepped out of a mature espionage thriller, butthere is also a lot of violence that makes thegame not quite suitable for kids.
Even though the campaign is praise-worthy,it is not without its share of faults. For one, theAI is dumb. Painfully dumb. On multiple occa-sions, the squad just ran past enemy soldierslike they never posed a threat. Enemies toorarely flank or try to save themselves. All oftheir strength is in infinite numbers. Besidesthe dumb AI, the game even falters a bit onpacing, where some missions feel like a mind-less grind. It’s not as bad as Modern Warfare 2,but it’s there nevertheless. Thankfully, thegame has axed the infamous grenade spam-ming that’s synonymous with this series.
Brownie PointsOnce you get done with the campaign, you andthree of your friends can indulge in some co-operative zombie genocide. Besides slaughter-ing hordes of the ‘undead’, you’ll have to tacklecertain obstacles in your path. For example, abig chunk of debris could be blocking your way,so one of you will have to shell out credits -earned by killing zombies - to clear it. You canalso earn additional credits by fixing environ-mental barriers like doors or windows thatmay have been broken by the zombies. It defi-nitely encourages team play and is an excellentaddition to this game. Treyarch has even paid
homage to co-operative top down games withsomething called Dead Ops Arcade, whereplayers bind together to hunt zombies from atop-down perspective. The areas are full ofpower-ups and other awesome weapons thathelp you decimate the ‘undead’. It’s old-schoolfun all the way.
MPG Time!Now we come to what I feel is the game’scrowning achievement – the multiplayer angle.Building on the solid structure laid out by Infin-ity Ward, Treyarch has improved on the mul-tiplayer by leaps and bounds, giving players astaggering number of options to play with. Incase you haven’t played the last three CoDgames, multiplayer in this game is class-based,where you level up and unlock a bunch of stuffby playing various adversarial modes.
CreditsThe biggest game changer this time aroundcomes in the form of in-game credits that willallow you to buy anything you want , be itnewer weapons, attachments, face paint, oreven squad signs. This approach works a lotbetter as you aren’t boxed in by what the gameoffers only at a particular level. Another newaddition to the game is the Wager matches,which has players betting on their skills usingtheir in-game credits. To enter a Wager match,you need to put up a bet, and if you performadmirably, i.e. if you end up in the first threepositions, you’ll get a decent return on yourinvestment. Like in the real world, the higheryour bet, the better the returns. Make sure youmaster the game first though, or you could endup losing big. If jumping online seems a littledaunting, you can even sharpen your skills withbots.
Theatre modeTaking a cue from the Halo games, BO shipswith a theatre mode, where you can store yourmost recently played games in the form of avideo or screenshots and share them with yourfriends. It’s not a revolutionary addition, butit’s a good option to have in the game . But asawesome as this game’s multiplayer setting is,it is still far from perfect. For one, it’s nearlyimpossible to play as a team with your friends.
CHIP
You either end up on different teams, not beingable to switch teams for some insane reason,or can’t join each others servers.
Considering online gaming is a social experi-ence, this seems like a pretty dumb move. Also,each server can only accommodate 18 players,unlike Modern Warfare, where up to 32 play-ers could fight it out at the same time. Due tothis, some of the game’s maps (which are ac-tually quite big) feel empty even when they’repacked to capacity. Finally, there’s a noticeableissue with enemy spawning. It’s highly erraticand there’s a strong chance that the guy youjust killed may spawn right behind you andstab you in the back.
A big minusIf there’s one department in which the gamesuffers terribly, it would have to be the tech-nical details . When it works, the game looksreal nice, boasting some decent lighting effectsand gorgeous set pieces. But certain textureslook terribly bland up close and the PC versionhas been plagued by issues since day one. Onboth the SP and MP front, the game stutterslike crazy even if your system exceeds therequirements. Even after the game waspatched, many users faced noticeable lagspikes and stuttering across the board. This ismanageable in the campaign mode, but in mul-tiplayer gaming, it results in immediate death,which then leads to immense frustration. Dy-ing due to lack of skill is one thing, but dyingdue to technical issues that aren’t up to you tofix is a real bummer.
Our VerdictWhile the game’s technical issues can get veryannoying , Black Ops is still a game youshouldn’t miss out on. It boasts of an explosivecampaign, co-operative modes and a multi-player gaming style that’ll have you addictedfor months on end. If you do, however, decideto pick up the PC version, I strongly suggest towait till Treyarch irons out all the glaring tech-nical issues.
Love - Entertaining, fast-paced campaign,addictive and extensive multiplayer, Nazizombies co-op is a total blastHate - PC version is plagued by technicalissues, Dumb AI.Publisher - ActivisionDeveloper - TreyarchPlatform - Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PC
Rs 3,499 (Xbox 360, PS3), Rs 2,999 (Wii)
AUTO focus
S.Muralidhar
Is there a concept called the Made-for-India car?Apart from the ultra low-cost car segment, aren’tbuyers in India becoming homogenous with theirglobal counterparts?
Apparently not! And, most definitely not in all thesegments.
After being amongst the first few companies to enter theIndian automotive space, Toyota has been the last to enterthe mass market segment here. Toyota frustrated many ofits constituents along the way, because it seemed to bedelaying its foray into the small car segment, despitehaving a considerably large share of mass market cars todip into in its portfolio worldwide.
But, that exactly would have been the reason why itwould have been a half measure to just pick out one of itsexisting cars, like the Yaris, for launch in India. Comingfrom Toyota, the much-delayed mass market car justcouldn’t have been one of those because it would haveneither fit the price segment nor would the car have trulysatisfied the needs and expectations of buyers here.
So, Toyota engineers designed and developed the Etiossedan from scratch, meticulously building into it all themajor expectations of the Indian entry sedan buyer, as aprelude to which Yoshinori Noritake, the chief engineer ofToyota’s Etios project, is said to have personally inter-viewed potential buyers to understand their needs. Theresult is the Etios, a sedan that many are going to drub asbeing drab, of being too Indian, but will still end upconsidering because it is a Toyota and because of itsoverall practicality. So, what is the ‘Indianness’ that theEtios comes with apart from the ‘Teekha’ in its logo?
“I want design which is smart, but is not intimidating”Toyota’s designs are inherently simple. There are rarely, if
ever, vehicle designs that can be considered aggressive orover the board. It just gets protracted in the Etios becauseof the perceived conservatism amongst Indian buyers.And so, for example, while its design rather simplisticallyattempts to give the Etios an appealing front, with a smil-ing bonnet grille design, it also focuses substantially onpracticality.
Large headlamps capable of lighting up the road aheadand large tail-lamps to ensure good visibility for vehicles atthe rear, a simple, straight shoul-der line design that ensures largeglass area and better natural illu-mination inside the passenger ca-bin, and to improve the overalllook of strength Toyota engineershave also added a large airdam atthe front and well-defined, muscu-lar wheel arches.
Yes, there has been and is boundto be more feedback about theEtios looking very similar, espe-cially from the rear, to a competingcar in the market. But, evidentlythat has not been a deterrent to thehuge number of initial customersthat have booked the car. One ofthe lessons that Toyota must havelearnt from the Qualis experienceis that there is a general distrust forhigh-brow design amongst entry-level sedan buyers and amongst in-stitutional (read taxi) buyers. Theperception that still seems to existis that a design excess potentiallyleads to expensive maintenance.
The Etios strikes a balance that is unique and will keepthe buyer happy, though it may not help him get an aboveaverage share of stares.
“I want a car with small a foot print, but with lots ofspace”Liberating extra space inside a car, within the confines ofits exterior dimensions is a science that few have mas-tered. The Etios is a pretty good example of this kind of
Toyota redefines
leverage. Though its wheelbase is almost identical to thatof competing cars such as the Volkswagen Vento, and is alittle lesser than the Fiat Linea, there is a feeling of morespace inside the cabin of the Etios.
Toyota engineers have integrated a few features thatfurther liberate space inside the sedan. The first of these isdesigning almost straight door panels that enable them tokeep the door trim intrusion into the cabin to the mini-mum. This then ensures that there is more shoulder room
for passengers. The other feature that liberates more spaceis the elimination of the central drivetrain tunnel that hasenabled them to offer a flat floor at the rear. A verypractical feature in the Indian context where often saree-clad passengers are trying to get off the car from one sideonly since the car is parked too close to a wall or anothercar.
The seats in the Etios sedan also feature a thin construc-tion, providing more legroom for rear passengers. Yes, this
also means that the seat squabs arethinner and together with the clothupholstery don’t offer the kind ofsupport that you get in the premiumsedan segment.
The rear passenger bench in theEtios sedan is also positioned toperfectly merge with the edge of therear door, making entry and exiteasy. Toyota designers also seemedto have worked on ensuring thatthere is ample luggage room insidethe boot of the sedan – a whole 595litres of it.
“I want the interiors to be novel,but more importantly they shouldbe practical”Practical interiors in the Indiancontext means that the air-condi-tioner should perform excellentlyeven during peak summer, thereshould be lots of storage space andthere should be convenience fea-tures for the rear passenger, who isoften the owner.
The Etios’ interior features a simple, centre consoleheavy dashboard layout. The central air-con vents arestacked one on top of the other to possibly ensure bettercold airflow to the rear. The vent fins are a simple slattedball and socket design that is easy to adjust. Controls are allwithin easy reach for the driver and feel sturdy to hold andadjust.
There a huge amount of storage available – a 13-litrecooled glovebox and seven one-litre bottle holders allaround the interior. A novel feature, which Toyota says isalso more safe and practical, is the centrally positionedinstrument console. Behind the steering wheel there arejust acres of plastic to stare at. The analog instrumentcluster looks cooler at night when it is backlit. Also on offerin the top-end V and VX variants is a 2-DIN music systemwith a remote control for use by rear passengers. Athoughtful addition is the clean-air filter for the air-consystem. The top variant also gets steering mounted audiocontrols.
The other novelty is the steering wheel itself whichfeatures a racing car style flat or cut-away bottom. But, Iwonder if the feature was also thought of to help Indianswith an expansive waistline to get in and out of the carwith greater ease.
Despite some of the variants getting fabric door trim andinserts to break the monotony, the interior of the Etiosdoes feature a lot of plastic. The fit and finish quality isvery good, though there is a general feel of it being anentry-sedan in terms of overall build.
“I want a car that can handle the rough and tumble ofIndian roads”One of the biggest concerns for sedan buyers is groundclearance. The Etios has enough of that at 170mm tohandle the most monstrous speed breakers you’ll come
Photos: S.Muralidharthe people’s sedan
across. There are other difficult Indian conditions thatToyota’s engineers have provided for, including the addi-tion of anti-corrosion steel sheets at areas in the car thatare prone to rusting and stone hits. There is also under-body protection to prevent damage to fuel and brake linesand also interestingly, a new type of chip resistant painthas been used on the rocker mould and fender to preventthe need for frequent touch up and repaint visits to theworkshop.
Toyota engineers have also chosen large knobs orswitches for two keys functions that are often overlookedby Indian car users – the use of a large oval hazard orparking light switch and the headlamp levelling knob(instead of the scrolling wheel). Hopefully these two sim-ple safety features will be used more by Etios users.
“I want a peppy engine, but show me the money first”The Indian car buyer is extremely value conscious andToyota wants to show that it is acutely aware of this factwith the Etios. The integration of frugality, without com-promising on its trademark quality standards, starts withthe very conception of the Etios’ EFC platform, which willbe shared with other vehicles and will be used over alonger generation cycle. There are other features like thesingle windscreen wiper blade, which might have helpedToyota save costs, but as long as the buyer benefits too, henot going to be too bothered.
But, the one feature that will satisfy the Etios buyermost will be the choice of the powertrain. The brand new2NR-FE, four-cylinder petrol engine was developed spe-cifically for the Etios and it sure seems capable of deliver-ing on its promise of being a frugal mill. Toyota claims thatthe engine will offer a ARAI rated 17.6 kmpl of mileage.After my test drive of over 400 kms with a mix of city
roads, the highway and hilly terrain, I got about 15 kmpl. The 1,496cc engine has fairly meaty performance num-
bers, with peak power being 90 PS at 5,600 rpm and peaktorque being 132 Nm at 3,000 rpm. The key figure there isof course, the torque, which also rises up to the peak with apretty flat curve. How does it help? There is ample torqueavailable in every gear from very low rpm levels. It trans-lates into fewer gear shifts, lower fuel consumption andlesser engine damage due to knocking.
For example, while on third gear, I could go down all theway to about 18 kmph and also all the way upto about 100kmph. The engine is fairly refined too keeping down noiselevels during idling and initial acceleration. The five-speed manual gearbox mated to the engine is also a goodchoice. Shift quality is very good, though there is a bit ofplay when the stick shift is in gear. The clutch feelsprogressive and will be both a bit accommodating of theaverage Indian driving style and also won’t lead to driverfatigue.
BottomlineAfter driving the Etios in Chennai, I head out on NationalHighway 46 towards Bangalore. The Etios’ straight linestability is quite impressive. But for a mildly bouncy ride athigh speeds, the car keeps its cool even at speeds of about140kmph. Engine noise starts becoming intrusive after Icross speeds of about 125 kmph. Another feature that washelpful on the highway was the large amount of low-endtorque that was available, enabling easy overtaking with-out the need to shift down to a lower gear slot.
To experience the Etios in a more demanding drivingsituation, I turn off from the Chennai-Bengaluru highwayand drive towards Yelagiri. The 23 kms drive uphill has amix of tight hair-pins and swooping hill-side turns toreach the top of this small hill town. Yelagiri looks like ithas dropped out of the heavens to land in the middle ofverdant fields. The Etios tackles the inviting 30-degreeincline of the road with gusto and here again the torqueand range available on each gear is a great help in pushingit into every corner and turn, and then pulling off quicklyafter that, without shifting down.
The steering is light and easy to use and though it couldhave been more precise, doesn’t take away from its driv-ability overall. The suspension set up is more tuned to-wards offering the passengers a pliant ride. That has alsomeant that there is a bit of body roll, which I observedmore on the hills than while driving the Etios sedan in cityroads or the highway.
The Etios is being offered with four variants, whichrange in price from Rs 4.9 lakh to Rs 6.8 lakh. Apart fromthe very affordable pricing coming from Toyota, there is alot going for this sedan. The competition is faced with avery difficult task of taking on the might of the Etios.
From top (clockwise):Top-end variant gets black and red upholsteryand the red gear knob. Safety equipmentincludes ABS with EBD and twin airbags
Engine feels peppy enough to drive and sincethe Etios weighs in at just 930 kgs, deliversalmost 100 PS of power per tonne
Air-con vents feature a simple design and areeasy to adjust
Funky glovebox door opens downward toreveal 13 litres of storage space
595 litres of space in the boot can easilyaccomodate two oversized suitcases andmore
Santa, I’ve beengood! Perfectname for thispriceless porcelaincreation.Available: LladroboutiquesRs 1,50,500
Tip-toe under the mistletoewith the gorgeous siren redFeline Suede pumps fromFendi or SalvatoreFerragamo’s mirrored leatherVarina Mosaic ballerina shoesAvailable: Fendi andSalvatore FerragamoboutiquesRs 43,855 (red pumps)
Chocolate hamper, not for thepalette. Indulgence, but less sinful.
This goody bag’s contents aremeant to please your skin.
Available: The Nature’s Co. storesRs 1,795 (Christmas offer)
More the merrier. Seat your partyguests on some classy furniture, likethis champagne leather pouffe.Available: Address Home, New DelhiRs 7,900
Christmas
This Moet & Chandon chill box in gold addsjust the right sparkle to the eve party.Available: Delhi Duty FreePrice on request
Sparkling stockings, heartand candy stick, crystalornaments to do up the
special tree.Available: Swarovski
boutiquesRs 6,350 (set)
For that toast toremember, JohnnieWalker Gold Labelimpresses with its
Tarun Tahiliani packand refined taste.Available: Select
premium wine storesRs 5,350 (Mumbai)
Feel allcuddled up atthe Christmashearth inFrenchConnection’s‘All hours furcoat’Available:FrenchConnectionstoresRs 13,999
Fruit cakes, cookies, gourmetchocolates and ravishing cutlerymake Christmas tea-timescrumptious.Available: Ravissant stores,New DelhiPrice on request
Special
14 December 22, 2010Smartbuy
TASTER’S choice
Elin McCoy
In 2010, I once again sipped thou-sands of wines looking for the fewworth recommending. I’m happy toreport I found more compelling
high quality wines than ever - especiallyfrom the 2009 vintage in Germany, Beaujo-lais, Bordeaux and Burgundy - among a seaof plonk and expensive disappointments.Here are my 10 picks of the year.
2007 Fia Nobile Cerasuolo di Vittoria($20)My bargain of the year is this lively redfrom Sicily, discovered at New York’s Con-vivio restaurant. Charged with finding onewine for dishes with clashing tastes, thesommelier offered his secret weapon - theFrappato and Nero d’avola grape blendknown as Cerasuolo di Vittoria. The FiaNobile version, my introduction to the cat-egory, brims with crushed cherry aromasand light but rich texture.
1939 Massandra Gurzuf Rose Muscat($525 at auction)In the Ukraine’s Crimea, the Massandrawinery on the Black Sea once producedsweet dessert Muscats for the Czars. Itscollection of bottles, stored in 21 under-ground tunnels, survived the Russian Rev-olution and some were served to Churchill,Stalin and Roosevelt at the Yalta Confer-ence. History was in my mind as I sippedthe amazingly fresh-tasting 1939, with aro-mas and flavours of rose petals and spicybrown sugar, at a Zachys’ auction before 38lots of old vintages went on the block.
1980 Soldera Case Basse Brunello Riserva($350)One of the maestros of Brunello, Gian-franco Soldera produces cult reds reveredby tradition lovers. During a long Italiandinner, my generous host brought out this30-year-old vintage. I was blown away byits cedar-and-chestnut fragrance, toffeeflavours and luminous character that sangin the glass.
2003 Brokenwood ILR Reserve Semillon($40)I don’t understand why Australia’s HunterValley Semillons remain stuck in theworld’s underappreciated-great-winescategory. While judging Semillons at theannual Critics Challenge wine competitionin San Diego, this flagship white from the
2010’s best wines, relishedand listed
Broken-wood es-tate won mytop marks for itsintense lime andhoney aromas and toastycomplexity. The wine’s magic de-pends on aging, not oak or alcohol, and itwill only get better.
2004 Schloss Gobelsburg HeiligensteinRiesling ($40)Austria is the land of Gruner Veltliner, butdozens of Rieslings from top vineyards im-pressed me even more during a tasting touralong the Danube. Who says terroir is amyth? In sampling six vintages (1976 to2009) made by this 900-year-old winery inKamptal, from grapes grown in the steep
grandcru Heili-
gensteinvineyard, I was
struck by their fruit-and-mineral precision.
My pick? The exciting, succulent2004, with its long complex finish.
2002 Clos du Val Cabernet SauvignonStags Leap District Oak Vineyard ($70)When I retrieved this bottle from my cellarfor a birthday dinner, I thought it would begood, but it was much grander. Since the1970s, Clos du Val has been creating splen-did Napa Valley Cabernets that show allthe ripeness you could want without over-the-top, palate-bruising extraction and al-cohol. This elegant wine echoes top-class
Bordeaux while remaining completely Na-pa.
1989 Argyros Estate Vinsanto ($100,500ml)I travelled to the Greek island of Santorinito taste its dramatic dry whites, but fell inlove with its luscious sweet Vinsantosmade from the same grapes, dried in thesun to concentrate their sweetness. Thiscaramel-coloured example, barrel-aged ina 300-year-old winery, was the stunner. Itsintense dried fruit and roasted coffee aro-mas and fig and toffee flavours make it mynew ideal match with chocolate - or, forthis season, plum pudding.
NV Jacques Selosse Initiale BrutChampagne ($140)Wild man visionary Anselme Selossemakes concentrated, highly original, ter-roir champagnes. The bad news is thatthey are extremely hard to find. Which iswhy I eagerly downed several glasses of hisBrut Cuvee Initiale offered before a granddinner in New York. This all-Chardonnayblend of three vintages from three grandcru villages is rich and creamy, with amaz-ing energy and complexity.
2007 Domaine de la Romanee-ContiMontrachet ($2,500)This year I happily braved a snowstorm toget to the annual release tasting of Do-maine de la Romanee-Conti’s great Bur-gundies. The 2007 vintage is not a top one,but the DRC’s ultra-elegant rare white,made in tiny quantities from the most fa-mous Chardonnay site in the world, has apurity and complex layered citrus-and-stone character that makes it extraordin-ary. Worth it? Perfection is always pricy.
1989 Chateau Palmer ($350)After sipping and spitting a barrel sampleof the powerful 2009 Palmer during lastspring’s Bordeaux en primeurs tastings, Iswallowed with pleasure the satiny, seduc-tive 1989 with lunch in the chateau’s ele-gant dining room. A star of the Margauxappellation in that vintage, it’s all blackfruit and silky texture, perfect for drinkingover the holidays - and costs no more thanthe still-in-barrel 2009, which won’t reachmaturity for 20 years.
(The author writes on wine and spirits forBloomberg News. The opinions expressed are
her own.)
Photo: S. Muralidhar
WATCH collection
Swarovski’s Piazza gets a new look with an extralarge face, prune sunray centre and a lovelyprune-coloured leather strap. Head to Swarovskiboutiques for more.Rs 27,000
Prune perfect
Romain Jerome’s latest is this Moon Dust DNA:Moon Invader that overpowers in its
‘technically complex’ case and multi-layereddial. Available at Jot Impex.
Price on request
Invading time
Elton John fans can queue up for this special collection bythe music star that dazzles in colourful diamonds andgems. This pink crocodile leather strap watch is a quirkywinner. Available on request at Chopard store, New Delhiand Mumbai.Price on request
Chopard in the wind
The DolceVitaadditions win
wrists with theirsteel and goldcombination,
silvered flinqueor mother-of-
pearl dials,diamonds and
classicrectangular
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stores.Rs 94,500
onwards
Longineslatest
Piaget’s Dancer does a little tango with a white gold caseand bracelet and jives through its brilliant-cut diamonds.Available at Piaget’s store, New Delhi and Mumbai.Price on request
Dancing with the stars
A new Septagraph complication is the latest tograce this Borgeaud watch which indicates the’Rahu Kalam’ period every single day. Available at Time of Lord, Mumbai.Rs 18 lakh to Rs 22 lakh
It’s complicated!
