STC in Cincy
Rob & Bev's place
Tasted Thursday, August 29, 2013 by drrobvino with 454 views
Introduction
Our inaugural meeting. All attendees were WSET grads of Level 2 though one member who was Level 4 (diploma).
Flight 1 (8 Notes)
Closing
Good friends and some new acquaintances, all with a common goal of refining our tasting skills. Great conversation and lots of learning.
NV Pere Mata Cava Cupada #10 88 Points
Spain, Cava
No formal note. Drank as an appertif to a blind tasting.
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NV Ruinart Champagne Brut Rosé 93 Points
France, Champagne
Amy brought this wine to a blind tasting.
Med salmon in color, with fine, plentiful bubbles.
The nose is clean, developing, and shows off med intensity strawberry and blood orange fruits, with noticeable yet elegant biscuit notes, and a streak of gravel and minerals.
The palate is a dry wine, med in body, and med in alcohol, with med(+) intensity fruit notes echoed from the nose, and a bit of yeasty bread and minerals coming through in the med(+) length finish. The acidity is med(+), the tannins are barely noticeable due to this being a rosé.
This is a high quality wine, drinking beautifully now, but will likely further integrate and improve over 3 or more years, and drink well through 2023. I adored this wine, it was fresh, lively, delicious, just fabulous.
Thanks, Amy!
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2010 Breggo Cellars Chardonnay 91 Points
USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley
I brought this wine to a blind tasting.
See previous note. A fabulous and more restrained Calif Chardonnay.
Nice acids, some light tropical flavors but more so lemon and apple, which is to my preference.
Gorgeous finish with citrus, apple, and very deft touch of oak.
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2007 Paitin di Pasquero-Elia Barbaresco Serra 92 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
What a great WFTM. This is terroir in spades, it screams for food but is marvelous to contemplate on its own as well. The tannins really came out to play after 2 hours in a decanter, showing a long life ahead. Med(+) acidity, gorgeous finish, will drink well another 10 years.
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2010 Betz Family Bésoleil 87 Points
USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
This wine was brought by Chris S to a blind tasting event. Decanted 1 hour prior to drinking.
Clear, med purple color, barely fading to the rim.
The nose is clean, developing (yet fairly primary), showing off med(+) aromas of vanilla, spice box, baked blackberry pie, very ripe cherry, with some obvious heat on the nose.
The palate reveals a dry wine, med(+) in body and high in alcohol. The flavors are med(+) intensity mint, eucalyptus, with jammy blueberry and juicy cherry fruit, overripe for my palate, then a bit of spice and some mild minerality noticeable. The tannins are med(+) and quite firm and persistent at this young age, but there is more than enough fruit to hold up for years to allow the tannins to integrate. The acidity is med(-), and the finish is med(+), with notes of blueberry pie and some spiciness.
Overall, a good quality wine, will improve for another 3 years or so in bottle, and drink well through 2020 or so. I have several of these in my personal collection, I just hope the tannin level dissipates and allows the wine's complexity to be more evident. Time will tell.
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2007 J.L. Chave Sélection Hermitage Farconnet 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Kathy brought this wine to a blind tasting.
This wine was a lovely, deep ruby at the core, barely fading to the rim.
The nose was clean, developing, with med(-) and restrained aromas of black cherry, blackberry, tart plum, leather, and tobacco.
The palate showed a dry wine, full bodied, with med(+) alcohol. There are med intensity flavors of black cherry and blackberry, along with soil driven and savory qualities reminiscent of wet stones, shoe leather, and a light black pepper spiciness or possibly even notes of garrigue. The tannins are med intensity, but quite refined in their mouthfeel, with med acidity that keeps the wine nicely balanced and quite elegant. The finish is med(+), full of blackberry and dirt.
This high quality wine is balanced and quite complex, drinking well now, but will improve another 5-6 years in bottle, and drink well through 2025 or so. Lovely, this was the WOTN.
Thanks, Kathy!
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2010 Lang & Reed Cabernet Franc 86 Points
USA, California, North Coast
Skip brought to blind tasting.
Impenetrable deep purple at core, holds to the rim.
Nose is youthful, just starting to develop, jammy and ripe with med(+) blue and black fruits and some soil notes.
Palate is dry, full bodied, high in alcohol, coming across a bit hot on the palate. The flavors include med(+) intensity plums, blueberries, black cherries, and evident smoke and black pepper spice. The acidity is med or med(-), and the finish is relatively long, but muted by the high level of firm and harsh tannins that will take years to ease their death grip.
This is a good quality wine, which needs 2-3 years of further bottle age before entering a prime drinking window, then should drink well through 2022. Too ripe and hot for my liking.
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2009 Walter Hansel Winery Pinot Noir Cahill Lane 86 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Kevin brought this wine to a blind tasting. We tried it against a few old-world reds, and the wine really stuck out as a bit over-ripe in comparison. We tasted this wine that evening, and 1/2 the bottle was left corked in my cellar. This TN is from approx 36 hours later.
This wine is clear, showing a med+ core of purple, gently fading to a med- rim.
On the nose, this wine is clean, still quite youthful (i.e. uninteresting and primary), with med+ intensity aromas of blueberry pie, vanilla extract, plums, and light floral notes of perhaps violets.
On the palate, this is a dry wine, full in body and med+ in alcohol. The flavors are med+ intensity, and include blueberries, Welch's grape jelly, a slight bit of savory soil notes, and a nice spiciness that keeps this wine from being completely non-complex . There is a bit of heat noticeable on the palate, and the acidity comes in as med, with a med length finish of jelly and jammy fruit that covers up any hint of complexity that may otherwise try to peak out at times. The tannins are med intensity, with a rounded and juicy quality.
This wine is of good quality, and will probably (hopefully) improve over the next few years of bottle age, then drink well through 2020 as long as the acidity holds up while the jammy fruit blows off. This wine is overdone and is a typical new world Cali style that needs to pull back the throttle and focus on less ripe and more interesting and balanced wines. I know Hansel is capable, he just missed the mark on this wine and this vintage.
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