USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Tasted double blind. Clearly New World Chardonnay that most of us thought from Sonoma. Ripe pear and peach aromas and flavors with plenty of pronounced new oak and some baking spice hints. Lots of heat on finish that bothered me more than most other tasters tonight.
Tasted double blind. A very odd bottle. First there seemed to be some spritz I would expect from secondary fermentation in bottle. Furthermore the wine was mostly stripped of any interesting (or uninteresting) aromas, then very flat on palate with a bitter note. I thought this was also slightly corked.
Tasted double blind. Seemed very much like old Pinot Noir to me, with lots of earth and mature red cherry aromas and flavors, all nicely textured. This would have been my WOTN but I don't think it was made under pristine conditions, coming across as slightly murky in both color and finish.
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Tasted double blind. Blackberry and some black cherry aromas. Lighter styled fruit flavors with good spice but just moderate depth or nuance. I don't think anybody correctly identified the grape or appellation of origin. Group liked this more than I did tonight.
Tasted double blind. Lighter styled red fruit aromas with faint spice. Red cherry again on palate that was just moderately appealing tonight with too much pronounced acidity for the level of fruit. Didn't come across as particularly "Piedmont" to me, but with hindsight these are wines that require prolonged cellar time.
Tasted double blind. Good black fruit aromas and flavors with moderate complexity, coming across clearly as New World Cabernet to me tonight. One of the few wines where i was somewhat correct tonight.
Tasted double blind. Large black fruit aromas and flavors, coming across as firm and slightly backward on both nose and palate. Firm tannins reduced the pleasure this wine provided tonight, this was one of the few bottles tonight that would clearly benefit from more time in the cellar. I liked this more than most in the group tonight.
Tasted double blind. This was quite a surprise, given the vintage. Very dense, powerful and meaty black fruit aromas and flavors. Clearly lots of new oak, but everything was in harmony tonight, providing a nice sense of elegance. Kept getting better over the course of 3 hours in glass.
Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, Langhorne Creek
Tasted double blind. Extreme ripeness, beyond the point of anything positive. Clearly modern styled, but i thought it Grenache. Way too much heat on finish.
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Blackberry and some plum aromas, then the same flavors profile with very balanced new oak spice in support. Layers of complex, slightly mature flavors. My WOTN, the group's 2nd favorite. This is a wine I have really enjoyed since release, even though older (non-Perse) Pavie was rarely interesting and I have found Pavie from the early 2000s forward to be too fat and extreme.
Tasted double blind. Spice driven start with some baking spice, eucalyptus and licorice. Clearly a New World wine that seemed all/mostly Cabernet to me, but good restraint and nuance. My 2nd favorite wine tonight, the group's favorite.
Tasted double blind. Very dark color. Seemed like German Riesling to me, so I guess I was correct at least once tonight. Some marzipan and dried apricot. Some thought it a little too opulent or acidic, but I thought those characteristics added to this wine's charm.
2007 Paul Hobbs Chardonnay Ulises Valdez Vineyard 88 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Tasted double blind. Clearly New World Chardonnay that most of us thought from Sonoma. Ripe pear and peach aromas and flavors with plenty of pronounced new oak and some baking spice hints. Lots of heat on finish that bothered me more than most other tasters tonight.
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2003 Kistler Chardonnay McCrea Vineyard Flawed
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Mountain
Tasted double blind. A very odd bottle. First there seemed to be some spritz I would expect from secondary fermentation in bottle. Furthermore the wine was mostly stripped of any interesting (or uninteresting) aromas, then very flat on palate with a bitter note. I thought this was also slightly corked.
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1995 Coldstream Hills Pinot Noir Reserve 90 Points
Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley
Tasted double blind. Seemed very much like old Pinot Noir to me, with lots of earth and mature red cherry aromas and flavors, all nicely textured. This would have been my WOTN but I don't think it was made under pristine conditions, coming across as slightly murky in both color and finish.
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1995 Tenuta Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 88 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
Tasted double blind. Blackberry and some black cherry aromas. Lighter styled fruit flavors with good spice but just moderate depth or nuance. I don't think anybody correctly identified the grape or appellation of origin. Group liked this more than I did tonight.
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1995 Azienda Bricco Rocche (Ceretto) Barolo Brunate 86 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Tasted double blind. Lighter styled red fruit aromas with faint spice. Red cherry again on palate that was just moderately appealing tonight with too much pronounced acidity for the level of fruit. Didn't come across as particularly "Piedmont" to me, but with hindsight these are wines that require prolonged cellar time.
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1999 Domaine du Castel Grand Vin Judean Hills Flawed
Israel, Judean Hills
Corked.
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1995 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate 88 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Tasted double blind. Good black fruit aromas and flavors with moderate complexity, coming across clearly as New World Cabernet to me tonight. One of the few wines where i was somewhat correct tonight.
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1995 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Tasted double blind. Large black fruit aromas and flavors, coming across as firm and slightly backward on both nose and palate. Firm tannins reduced the pleasure this wine provided tonight, this was one of the few bottles tonight that would clearly benefit from more time in the cellar. I liked this more than most in the group tonight.
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1996 Antinori Solaia 91 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
Tasted double blind. This was quite a surprise, given the vintage. Very dense, powerful and meaty black fruit aromas and flavors. Clearly lots of new oak, but everything was in harmony tonight, providing a nice sense of elegance. Kept getting better over the course of 3 hours in glass.
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1999 Noon Shiraz Reserve 81 Points
Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, Langhorne Creek
Tasted double blind. Extreme ripeness, beyond the point of anything positive. Clearly modern styled, but i thought it Grenache. Way too much heat on finish.
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1999 Château Pavie 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Tasted double blind. Blackberry and some plum aromas, then the same flavors profile with very balanced new oak spice in support. Layers of complex, slightly mature flavors. My WOTN, the group's 2nd favorite. This is a wine I have really enjoyed since release, even though older (non-Perse) Pavie was rarely interesting and I have found Pavie from the early 2000s forward to be too fat and extreme.
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1995 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red 92 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Tasted double blind. Spice driven start with some baking spice, eucalyptus and licorice. Clearly a New World wine that seemed all/mostly Cabernet to me, but good restraint and nuance. My 2nd favorite wine tonight, the group's favorite.
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1971 Balthasar Ress Hattenheimer Nußbrunnen Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese 90 Points
Germany, Rheingau
Tasted double blind. Very dark color. Seemed like German Riesling to me, so I guess I was correct at least once tonight. Some marzipan and dried apricot. Some thought it a little too opulent or acidic, but I thought those characteristics added to this wine's charm.
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