Monday night Blinds at Nopa—Take 6 with TH

Nopa SF
Tasted Monday, August 17, 2015 by RajivAyyangar with 219 views

Introduction

Some blinds after a long day of blinds (Tim Gaiser's deductive tasting workshop in Napa).

Flight 1 (3 Notes)

  • 2010 Iron Horse Vineyards Winter's Cuvée 88 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Green Valley of Russian River Valley

    Blind 1: White
    Clear, star bright.
    Medium yellow with reflections of gold and straw.
    Medium concentration of color. Bubbles.

    NOSE:
    Brioche (autolysis) and ripe, golden delicious apple. Fresh orchard apple. Slight burnt toast. Mostly Chardonnay/non-aromatic grape character. [surprise! the majority is pinot]

    PALATE:
    Shows some dosage ~10g/L perhaps.
    Medium-sized bubbles on the mousse (not the ultra-fine bubbles you sometimes get in high-end Champagne). Elevated acid (not super high for me, as sparklers go). This is a bit ripe (I didn’t note the alcohol, but it’s around 13.55).

    We guessed either warmer Old World climate (Cremant d’Alsace?) or cooler California climate. Maybe Carneros or Sonoma? We knew the winemaker was here, so this is a bit like shooting fish in a barrel. Still, it was fun to go through the mental exercise of considering the entire globe of wine.

    Actual:
    Iron Horse "Winter’s Cuvee” 2010
    Sonoma > Russian River Valley
    13.5%
    A large percentage Pinot!

    I really like this, and I think it’s really well put-together. Score: Between 8.5 and 9.

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  • 2013 Pago de los Capellanes Ribera del Duero Joven Roble 85 Points

    Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

    Blind 2: Red

    VISUAL:
    Clear, bright.
    Medium plus ruby-purple with a violet rim.
    Moderate tears.

    NOSE:
    Low intensity nose with light brett (animal fur / 4-EP), some ripe red cherry, slight turned earth.

    PALATE:
    Medium plus body, medium plus alcohol ~13.5% (correct)
    Medium plus chewy tannins, elevated acidity.
    Slight oak (partial new oak) presenting as baking spices. [According to the producer’s notes, this spent 5 months in new French oak]

    CONCLUSIONS:
    Old world wine from a moderate climate.
    Possibly:
    -Northern Rhone (no black pepper, no dark fruit)
    -Chianti Classico (oak seems atypical, fruit character doesn’t fit)
    Final call (I knew this was bad given the oak, and aromatics: 2013 St. Joseph)

    Actually:
    Ribera del duero! I just wasn’t expecting something like this from Tempranillo. So extracted, so dark, and with so little oak.

    2013 Pago de los Capellanes Roble—Ribera del Duero
    5 months in new French oak.

    This seems well made, but I’m not the biggest fan of it’s integration - it seemed a bit disjointed.
    Score: around 8.5

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  • 2013 Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon Mâcon-Villages 88 Points

    France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Mâcon-Villages

    Blind 3: White
    Clear, day-bright.
    Pale straw, medium tears.

    NOSE:
    Diminished intensity - non-aromatic variety:
    Underripe pear, vague apple (golden delicious), ripe meyer lemon.
    Oak: used barrels - slight oxidative nutty tones.

    PALATE:
    Medium body, medium alcohol - 13%?
    High acidity, mostly strong tartaric acid.
    Some heft to the midpalate texture. And some bitterness (is it due to phenolics or oak?)

    CONCLUSIONS:
    This is a non-aromatic white from a cool climate in an Old World style. Due to lemon, green apple tones, possible varietals are Chardonnay (Godello?). There’s a slight green tinge to this that says youthful.

    Conclusion:
    Chardonnay from the Macon or other satellite appellations, 2013. Something that reminds me of a wine I blinded here a long time ago - the Les Heretiers du Comte Lafon Macon.

    Actual:
    It’s the same wine, back on the list:
    2013 Les Heretiers du Comte Lafon, Macon-Villages
    Again, this is like shooting fish in a barrel, but in our defense, we thought it improbable it would be back on the list by the glass, given the active rotation at Nopa.

    I still like this: Score: between 8.5 and 9.

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