Wine Spectator Blind tasting class with David Glancy
San Francisco
Tasted Saturday, August 22, 2015 by RajivAyyangar with 362 views
Introduction
David Glancy, Haley Moore, and John Slaman (sp?).
Format was a blind tasting - the discussion was interesting.
Full notes: https://www.evernote.com/l/ABZueoWZFghHBasnapIwzZpvoAUQozroM9A
2014 Caves d'Esclans Whispering Angel 83 Points
France, Provence, Côtes de Provence
Wine 1 - Rose
Clear, day- bright. Slight blush - salmon, reflections of gold and pink, Light tears. no gas or sediment.
N: Low-intensity, Plummy red fruit, light thiols, light esters (young wine), white peach, slightly reductive fruit. Faint strawberry jam. Low-intensity nose.
This is a pretty generic rose.
Palate:
Dry,
Medium minus body, medium alcohol (12%), (as it warmed up, got higher in alcohol). Medium plus (13%?)
Medium acidity.
Phenolic bitterness.
Finish: Medium.
No idea on blush wines. Maybe a Provence? Too clean to be old-world?
Whispering Angel, Provence, $20, Patrick Leon. 2014. 13%
Grenache, Rolle (vermentino), Cinsault.
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2014 Ara Sauvignon Blanc Single Estate 85 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough
Wine 2 - White
Clear, star-bright, pale straw with reflections of green. No gas or sediment. Light tears.
N: Clean, high intensity, youthful.
Strong passionfruit (thiols), cat-pee, stinky-bitter asparagus.
No oak, no lees. Clean, fresh and bright.
Smells like salsa - canned pickled jalapenos.
Palate: Slight frizzante. Medium bodied.
Elevated acid, medium alcohol - 13% at least. [Glancy: 13.5%]
Clean, NEW WORLD. Predominantly fruity.
No phenolic bitterness.
This is NZ Sauv Blanc. Young. 2014. Marlborough.
New World, cool climate.
Could be Sancerre in a warm vintage?
2014 NZ Sauv Blanc. with some intensity - $20 level.
Actual:
Ara Marlborough sauv blanc from NZ. 2014. 13%
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2013 Bonterra Vineyards Viognier 87 Points
USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County
Clear, star-bright, medium concentration lemon in the glass, slight reflections of green.
N: Aromatic. White flower. Slight honeyed note. Maybe botrytis? White nectarines - ripe, white blossoms. Lime component.
Dry, medium plus body, elevated alcohol - 14%. Elevated acid. Canned fruit cocktail. Also honeysuckle floral component.
Slight phenolic bitterness.
Acid is elevated. Slight presence of used oak - damp wood, nuttiness.
Finish is long. Rich, balanced.
Semi-aromatic grape varietal,
Warmer climate.
Albarino, Spain (acid might be a bit too low?)
Gruner Veltliner (acid isn’t high enough).
Viognier - acid is too high.
Gewurz - no rose petals,
Torrontes - body is pretty high.
My thoughts: No idea.
Result:
Bonterra Viognier, 30% barrel fermented, a little muscat in this.
Structure and aromatics - so ripe and flashy, the CA call makes sense.
14,.5% Alcohol, 2013 vintage.
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2011 Maison L'Oree Vosne-Romanée Vieilles Vignes 85 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée
Wine 4 - Red
Clear, bright, medium minus ruby, ruby rim (no browning). M tears.
N: Elevated intensity, slightly lambic- bacterial problems?
Bright red fruit, clear barnyard, not clean, Slight black pepper character.
Quite floral, fresh roses.
I don’t really get oak, but Haley says there’s some oak on this.
P: Solidly medium very fine bitter tannins, almost a stemmy / whole cluster character. Banana like extremely fine tannins. (stem tannins?)
Light body, medium minus alcohol (12%)[actually 13%]. High acid.
Pinot Noir, Burgundy, Fruit character is pretty red/ripe. Maybe Macon?
This is a bit lean and thin. A bit un-polished. So maybe not Cote de Nuit. Rustic.
Cote de Beaune, 2012, Pinot Noir.
2011 Vosne Romanee, vieilles vignes.
$60
13%
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2013 Tensley Syrah 88 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
Wine 5 - Red
Opaque, just bright, a little dull.
Dark ruby purple, to a purple rim. Elevated tearing. No gas or sediment.
Intense robitussin dark black cherry blackberry. Intense dark fruit. Red cherry. Slight black pepper. Eucalyptus menthol.
Fruit driven, clean, no earth.
Palate: Full bodied, high 14.5% Alcohol (Correct)
Oak: clear oak, but well-integrated toast and cardamom, vanilla clove nutmeg. French - new oak, 100%, for at least 18 months.
Acid is
Dry, fruit-forward, significant oak.
Tannins: Medium plus, plush, rounded tannins. Satisfyingly grippy and a bit oaky.
Expensive oak - maybe french oak. (WOW I was off).
What is this?
Malbec - high end, argentina.
Shiraz, Australia.
I don’t see David Glancy’s pyrazine call. I’m going:
Barossa Shiraz, 2012, Australia.
Tensley Syrah from Santa Barbara.
Aged in Neutral Oak. !
~$28
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2010 Doña Paula Malbec Selección de Bodega 88 Points
Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco, Gualtallary
Wine 6 - Red.
opaque ruby, ruby rim.
N: Buttery, tart cherry, savory, yeasty.
Ripe blackberries and tart cranberries (zin? Grenache? Syrah? millerandage?) Raisination.
P:
Elevated alcohol - 13.5% (14.8%).
High tannins, chewy. And also grippy from wood-influenced tannins.
Elevated acid.
Some used barrels.
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Could be:
Spain - Toro, Ribera del duero. (no signs of oxidative aging though, and this is pretty high intensity).
Grenache - too much color.
Syrah - high tannins.
Malbec - acidity is high.
Zinfandel - Could be high-quality zin.
Petit verdot, tannat, alicante bouchet.
Zin except tannins are too grippy.
Could be Amarone della valpollicella, but color is too dark, no volatile acidity, there’s raisination but I don’t think the aciud is as high as David thinks it is.
100% Malbec, new French oak for 14-18 months.
Argentina, Mendoza. 2010.
David Glancy - this is Argentinian malbec on steroids - rip your face off.
Re-tasting the malbec:
This is dark, inky stuff. SLight reduction. Baked fruit - slightly raisinated. It’s been warm here!
Acid - elevated, maybe acidified.
Slight vegetal, root vegetable notes.
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