Filling in w/the Friday Brown Bag Group

R&D's
Tasted Friday, October 16, 2015 by AllRed with 585 views

Introduction

We were once again delighted to be able to fill in with the Friday brown bag group. One of the regulars in the group was scheduled to have knee surgery a week following the tasting and was going to be off wine for a short while during recovery, so the hosts thought it would be nice to take the tasting up a notch and suggested everyone bring some better bottles.

Flight 1 - Warm ups (2 Notes)

With the annual Geja's competition a couple of weeks away, the hosts put a couple of typical Geja's whites in as practice bottles.

  • 2014 Cantina Terlan Pinot Grigio 89 Points

    Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Alto Adige - Südtirol

    Tasted double blind. Opens with aromas of cotton and mineral with melon and citrus fruit notes. Nice acidity on the palate, with melon, citrus, and wet stone flavors. Very good. 89+ pts. Guessed Pinot Grigio.

    We've had this wine in previous vintages in blind tastings over the years and I do not recall liking it quite as much. Worth picking up a few of these to enjoy with our non-winegeek friends.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2013 Casa Smith Pinot Grigio VINO 87 Points

    USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley

    Tasted double blind. Aromas of mineral, cotton, florals and melon with a hint of beeswax underneath. Has a rich texture with stone fruit, melon and citrus qualities. I want to say Chenin but it's not, and for my palate that means we have another Pinot Grigio.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

Flight 2 - Reds (6 Notes)

  • 1999 Louis Jadot Corton-Pougets Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot 93 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

    Tasted double blind. Opens with an herbal quality, followed by cherry and red fruit with meaty overtones. Has something of a stemmy quality in the bouquet as well, but it's faint and not distracting. Medium-bodied with good structure and acid. Cherry and mineral flavors carry the finish. Guessed Cote de Nuits.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2009 Geantet-Pansiot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Poissenot 92 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

    Opens with aromas of earthy clay, folllowed by red fruit and fresh herbs. Flavors of spice, cherry, red fruit and a hint of earth, with good underlying acidity. Guessed Willamette Pinot.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2009 Saint Jean du Barroux Ventoux l'Argile 92 Points

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Ventoux

    Darker color with notes of pine forest and dark fruit, with red fruit underneath. Has a slightly grapey quality too, and it works here. Full-bodied with good structure; flavors of garrigue, spice box and red fruit. Nice finish. Guessed 2010 Chateauneuf.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2005 Château Monbousquet 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Dark inky crimson color. Opens with a subtle note of pencil lead, followed by black fruit, green tobacco and spice. Full-bodied with fine tannins and flavors of black fruit and tobacco. Lengthy finish.

    Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2007 Joseph Phelps Insignia 93 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Opaque inky color. Coffee, chocolate, blue and balck fruit and charred toast notes. Firm, chalky tannins support black fruit, coffee and chocolate qualities. Long finish, but here again the tannins have a grainy quality. Fairly easy to pick out, and I guessed 2007 Napa cab blend.

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2005 Château Malescot St. Exupéry 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

    Opaque red color with notes of dark fruit, dried herbs and forest floor. Medium tannins with flavors of dark fruit, herbs and violets. Pretty. Adds a nice incense quality as it opens further. 92-93 pts. No guess as I knew this was our bottle.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

Flight 3 - Reds (5 Notes)

  • 2012 Lewis Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Mason's 93 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Black fruit, herb and vanilla notes, developing a subtle meaty/iron undertone. Fine-grained tannins with dark fruit and vanilla flavors lingering through the finish. Floral and black raspberry qualities emerge with time in the glass. Excellent. Guessed 2010 Napa Cab blend. 93+ pts.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2012 Aberrant Cellars Pinot Noir Carpe Noctem 90 Points

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    Aromas of ripe red plum, cherry and rhubarb. Spice, cherry, rhubarb and cola flavors on the palate. Develops an interesting spiced cherry quality and has a subtle clay/earth component too. Guessed Sonoma Pinot.

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2007 Joseph Phelps Insignia 94 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Perfumed black fruit, vanilla, spice and more florals. Lavender and violet qualities over cassis and blue fruit. Full-bodied with fine, sweet tannins and flavors of black cherry, cassis, blue fruit and chocolate/mocha. Long finish. Wonderful stuff. 94-95 pts. Guessed Napa Cab blend.

    So it turns out that our host split a magnum of Insignia into two bottles (sneaky!). It was amazing how much better the 2nd portion of it was- none of the chalkiness to the tannin structure and much more floral and pretty.

    Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2012 Eighty Four Wines Malbec 93 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Notes of vanilla, blue and black fruit, boysenberry and herbs. Full-bodied with firm tannins but plenty of fruit- blue fruit, black raspberry and pepper. Long finish.

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2007 Domaine de Cristia Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes 88 Points

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

    Aromas of clay and red fruit followed by spice and just a hint of something- this may have a touch of VA. Ripe plummy fruit, spice, orange zest and herb flavors. Adds notes of sour cherry and rose petals. Guessed Grenache.

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

Flight 4 - Bonus bottles (2 Notes)

One last double blind red provided by the hosts, and one they received in trade from me- an impressive showing for the HSS.

  • 2003 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select 96 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District

    One last double blind bottle before moving on to the Sauternes. Deep color. Notes of vanilla, currants and florals- complex and while deep and somewhat brooding/powerful, there's a sense of elegance here too. This is full-bodied and tannins are present but very fine. Flavors of black currants, cherry, plum, vanilla and blue fruit. Lingers on the palate; seamless from start to finish. Guessed 2005 Napa Cab.

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2003 Château Suduiraut 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    Nonblind, from 750ml. Notes of citrus, lemon, pineapple and tropical fruit. Rich and layered with mango, pineapple, botrytis spice and tropical fruit carrying through the finish. 92+ pts.

    Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

×
×