(Blind) Medium gold. Oak influence - nutty toast, slight beeswax. mushroom, apple butter. slight peach stone fruit. Medium alcohol 12.5%. Medium acid. Light bitterness.
Laterals: Rioja Musar Rhone White burgundy - maybe 09 Montrachet? - too warm in fruit and low acid.
Called: gran reserva 2003. LDH. Actual: 2013 Ridge Chardonnay estate. 14.7%. Analysis: I must have misread the level of oxidation. In any case I’m disappointed with the acid here.
(Blind) Medium ruby color. Pyrazinic and earthy. Dry, medium body, 13% alcohol, medium acid, medium plus tannins. Scratchy texture to the tannins.
Laterals: Chinon, Chilean cab, Carmenere
Final call: 2003 Chinon (ripe vintage). Actually: 89 couly dutheil clos l'olive. Analysis: I’m in the right region but totally misread the vintage! This is quite a live and in a good place.
(Blind) Medium minus garnet color. Tertiary nose. Sundried tomato and slight dried cranberry. Faint oak spice - nutmeg. Slight herbaceousness. Dry, medium body, 13% alcohol, medium minus dusty melted tannins, high acid. Oak is center stage.
Based on the structure and prominence of oak, I think this is a Rioja - Gran reserva circa 1985 from a traditional producer like LDH Actually: 1969 mirassou Pinot noir Monterey county. Analysis: The lack of earthiness or brett might have been a giveaway. That said, this is certainly missing fruit. Also, wines of this age tend to converge - I’m not unhappy with my call.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
(Blind) Pale ruby color - slight red at rim. Mushroom, forest leaves. Faint sulfur. Possible Brett. Faint pepper. Feels like neutral oak. Slight oak spice. Slightly corked (sad!) but still the aromatics are coming through.
Based on structure, color, and aromatics, I think this is a Red burgundy - Classic style like maybe Vosne Romanee. Riper vintage. 2005 or 2009.
Final call: 2005 Premier Cru Burgundy. It’s got a lovely earthy and floral nose - like how some have described Jouan (I’ve never had it).
Actual: 1985 clos de la Roche. Louis remy. Analysis: Wow I misread the age! Youthful and still lovely. Slightly corked but beautiful aromatics and integration.
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
(Blind) Deep ruby color. Low aromatic intensity - slight new oak. On the palate: Ripe. Full bodied. 14% alcohol (actually 14.5%). Medium acid. High tannins. Dark fruit. Slightly raisinated. Slight Olive (pyridines).
Final call: Young Napa Cab, 2014. A bit of an austere style. Actual: 2005 clos Fourtet st emilion. Analysis: Yeah I was hedging Old/New world here. For Napa it’s austere. For St. Emilion it’s acid-deficient, overly clean (no Brett), and weirdly raisinated.
(Blind) Pale ruby color. Slight peanut (mousy? Low-sulfur?) and confected cherry. Dry, medium body, 13% alcohol, high acid medium tannins.
Based on the natty, whole-cluster nose without oak, I think this is a structured cru Beaujolais in a new-wave style.
Guess: 2012 Morgon from a slightly natty producer like Dutraive. Actual: Dom joliet. Clos de la Perriere fixin 1er cru 2011. Bottled by drouhin.
Analysis: Interesting - this shows lots of carbonic impact with very little oak. From the importer: “Bénigne uses partial whole clusters for fermentation depending on the vintage and the primary fermentation is in stainless steel. The amount of new oak varies depending on the vintage and the amount has been reduced steadily since 2005.”
(Blind) Medium minus garnet color. Tamari (tertiary notes), blackberry. Brett. VA. Beautiful leathery integration. This has depth. Medium tannins - melted. Elevated acid - beautiful. Slightly elevated alcohol 13%. Some puzzling botrytis (saffron).
I don’t have any classic guesses, but my off-the-wall guess is a ’91 Musar. Actual: Sebastiani 1976 zin proprietors reserve Conclusion: Interesting. This has aged wonderfully! It has integrated while retaining fruit and developing interesting tertiary complexity. By far the best older Zin I’ve had.
(Blind) Faded garnet color - an old wine. Slight new oak impression. Elevated acid. Medium tannins - resolved. Probably was medium-plus to high tannins on release. 13.5 alcohol.
Given the oak, acid, and tannins - Old CA cab? Final call: 1970 California Cab. Given the high acid, probably from Santa Cruz Mtns - maybe Kathleen Kennedy or similar?
Actual: 1977 Sebastiani Pinot-St.-George (Negrette) Whoah! Negrette! No idea if this is typical for this grape.
(Non-blind - my wine). Dark ruby. Vibrant fruit. Medium plus acid but ripe. Dark fruit. Relatively clean. Medium tannins. Good texture. Fairly typical.
2013 Ridge Chardonnay Estate 86 Points
USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
(Blind)
Medium gold.
Oak influence - nutty toast, slight beeswax. mushroom, apple butter. slight peach stone fruit.
Medium alcohol 12.5%. Medium acid. Light bitterness.
Laterals:
Rioja
Musar
Rhone
White burgundy - maybe 09 Montrachet? - too warm in fruit and low acid.
Called: gran reserva 2003. LDH.
Actual: 2013 Ridge Chardonnay estate. 14.7%.
Analysis: I must have misread the level of oxidation. In any case I’m disappointed with the acid here.
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1989 Couly-Dutheil Chinon Clos de l'Olive 90 Points
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
(Blind)
Medium ruby color. Pyrazinic and earthy.
Dry, medium body, 13% alcohol, medium acid, medium plus tannins. Scratchy texture to the tannins.
Laterals: Chinon, Chilean cab, Carmenere
Final call: 2003 Chinon (ripe vintage).
Actually: 89 couly dutheil clos l'olive.
Analysis: I’m in the right region but totally misread the vintage! This is quite a live and in a good place.
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1969 Mirassou Vineyards Pinot Noir Harvest Reserve 87 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Monterey County
(Blind)
Medium minus garnet color.
Tertiary nose. Sundried tomato and slight dried cranberry. Faint oak spice - nutmeg. Slight herbaceousness.
Dry, medium body, 13% alcohol, medium minus dusty melted tannins, high acid. Oak is center stage.
Based on the structure and prominence of oak, I think this is a Rioja - Gran reserva circa 1985 from a traditional producer like LDH
Actually: 1969 mirassou Pinot noir Monterey county.
Analysis: The lack of earthiness or brett might have been a giveaway. That said, this is certainly missing fruit. Also, wines of this age tend to converge - I’m not unhappy with my call.
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1985 Domaine Louis Remy Clos de la Roche 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
(Blind)
Pale ruby color - slight red at rim.
Mushroom, forest leaves. Faint sulfur. Possible Brett. Faint pepper. Feels like neutral oak. Slight oak spice. Slightly corked (sad!) but still the aromatics are coming through.
Based on structure, color, and aromatics, I think this is a Red burgundy - Classic style like maybe Vosne Romanee. Riper vintage. 2005 or 2009.
Final call: 2005 Premier Cru Burgundy.
It’s got a lovely earthy and floral nose - like how some have described Jouan (I’ve never had it).
Actual: 1985 clos de la Roche. Louis remy.
Analysis: Wow I misread the age! Youthful and still lovely. Slightly corked but beautiful aromatics and integration.
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2005 Clos Fourtet 87 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
(Blind)
Deep ruby color.
Low aromatic intensity - slight new oak.
On the palate: Ripe. Full bodied. 14% alcohol (actually 14.5%). Medium acid. High tannins.
Dark fruit. Slightly raisinated. Slight Olive (pyridines).
Final call: Young Napa Cab, 2014. A bit of an austere style.
Actual: 2005 clos Fourtet st emilion.
Analysis: Yeah I was hedging Old/New world here. For Napa it’s austere. For St. Emilion it’s acid-deficient, overly clean (no Brett), and weirdly raisinated.
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2011 Domaine Joliet Fixin 1er Cru Clos de la Perrière 87 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Fixin 1er Cru
(Blind)
Pale ruby color.
Slight peanut (mousy? Low-sulfur?) and confected cherry.
Dry, medium body, 13% alcohol, high acid medium tannins.
Based on the natty, whole-cluster nose without oak, I think this is a structured cru Beaujolais in a new-wave style.
Guess: 2012 Morgon from a slightly natty producer like Dutraive.
Actual: Dom joliet. Clos de la Perriere fixin 1er cru 2011. Bottled by drouhin.
Analysis: Interesting - this shows lots of carbonic impact with very little oak.
From the importer:
“Bénigne uses partial whole clusters for fermentation depending on the vintage and the primary fermentation is in stainless steel. The amount of new oak varies depending on the vintage and the amount has been reduced steadily since 2005.”
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1976 Sebastiani Vineyards & Winery Zinfandel Proprietor's Reserve 91 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County
(Blind)
Medium minus garnet color.
Tamari (tertiary notes), blackberry. Brett. VA. Beautiful leathery integration.
This has depth. Medium tannins - melted. Elevated acid - beautiful. Slightly elevated alcohol 13%. Some puzzling botrytis (saffron).
I don’t have any classic guesses, but my off-the-wall guess is a ’91 Musar.
Actual: Sebastiani 1976 zin proprietors reserve
Conclusion: Interesting. This has aged wonderfully! It has integrated while retaining fruit and developing interesting tertiary complexity. By far the best older Zin I’ve had.
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1977 Sebastiani Vineyards & Winery Pinot St. George Knightly and Noble 88 Points
USA, California, North Coast
(Blind)
Faded garnet color - an old wine.
Slight new oak impression. Elevated acid. Medium tannins - resolved. Probably was medium-plus to high tannins on release.
13.5 alcohol.
Given the oak, acid, and tannins - Old CA cab?
Final call: 1970 California Cab. Given the high acid, probably from Santa Cruz Mtns - maybe Kathleen Kennedy or similar?
Actual: 1977 Sebastiani Pinot-St.-George (Negrette)
Whoah! Negrette! No idea if this is typical for this grape.
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2009 Château Gloria 88 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
(Non-blind - my wine).
Dark ruby. Vibrant fruit. Medium plus acid but ripe. Dark fruit. Relatively clean. Medium tannins. Good texture. Fairly typical.
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