(non-blind - my wine) Medium minus ruby. Expressive elevated-intensity nose of ripe cherry, faint reduction, and hints of ripe nectarine (terpenes?). Dry, medium body, 13.5% alcohol (I checked), elevated acid, medium minus satiny tannins. Fresh, deep red and black cherry, freshly-turned earth, moss, leaves, underbrush. Relatively clean style. Hint of confected fruit on the nose suggests significant percentage whole cluster or whole berry. Texture and integration suggests time in mostly neutral barrels.
Very nice wine. New world but with low oak usage, firm tannins, and borderline high acid.
Laterals: - Burgundy - would be less dark in color and slightly higher tannins.
Pale ruby-red, slightly hazy. Elevated intensity nose, showing confected fruits suggesting whole-cluster or whole berry, but also some savory tamari tertiary notes suggesting age.
Dry, medium body, 13.5% alcohol, high acid. There's a juiciness to it - feels like 2g RS? Clean, with high acid. Underripe red cherry and white Ranier cherry. Low oak - maybe 10% new French.
New world, clean, high acid, low ripeness - cool climate.
Guess: Martinborough or Marlborough Pinot from NZ 2015 (slight age).
Actual: 2016 Windy Oak Pinot - Santa Cruz Mtns. 35% new french oak. 2016 13.5% alcohol
Analysis: Not far off. I missed the oak though. The color is lighter than I'd expect from Santa Cruz.
USA, California, San Francisco Bay, San Mateo County
(blind) Medium minus ruby - dark hue. Dark toasty oak, black cherry - ripe. 13.8% alcohol. 40% new French oak. Medium plus acid - weaker acid than the other two. California, Sonoma, down the middle. Low+ tannins - very soft. This is just super pleasant. Ripe but not overripe cherry. Well-integrated aromatics. Darker and less acid-driven than the last two wines.
Analysis: - Burgundy: would expect higher tannins and more earth - this is super fruit and oak driven. - NZ: would expect more acid and less oak. - OR: could be? It's a bit dilute. - CA: would expect higher acid (sonoma coast) or higher oak (RRV). But it could be a more dilute example of CA.
Final guess: Sonoma RRV Pinot 2016, 30% whole cluster (actually 15% whole cluster), 50% new French oak (20% new oak). Lower-end example ($40). Actually: 2016 Rhys Family Farm San Mateo, 12.6% Analysis: This is super light and low acid. Young vines makes sense. I'm surprised by the acid.
Spain, Andalucía, Vino de la Tierra Norte de Granada
(blind) Medium minus ruby, cloudy in the glass. Strong something (reduction? VA?) on the nose - burnt rubber and hint of burnt peanut shell. Firecracker - reminds me of Filipino watusi street firecrackers. On the palate, mousy (peanutty) with a bitter finish - natural wine? 12.5% alcohol.
Dry, medium body, elevated acid, medium tannins (bitter). Indistinct red fruit, mostly hidden beneath low-sulfur winemaking. On the palate, a prickle of vinegar (acetic), and maybe some fizzy refermentation?
I know it's a Gamay. Maybe something low-sulfur. Foillard?
Actually: ~12-13% alcohol. Naranjuez Pinot Negra. 100% stainless steel. Wild yeast, no sulfur, macerated 5-8 days. 1 yr stainless steel. 2016. Analysis: Super hard to place because of the non-sulfured style.
(blind) Medium minus ruby - lustrous and bright. Smells like the fertilizer aisle in the Orchard Supply store. Slightly herbaceous. Slightly manure-y but clean-ish? Dry, medium body, 13.5% alcohol, low oak - maybe 20% new French, medium plus tannins - drying and sturdy. Elevated acid.
Very ripe but also structured.
- Burgundy - I'd expect more acid and lower alcohol. - California - way too lean and tannic. - Oregon - too tannic. - NZ - it would be Otago and it would have more acid.
Final call: Warm-vintage Burgundy, Village level (not much oak). Warm year: 2016 Nuit St. George. Actual: 2015 Bourgogne Rouge Francois confuron-gindre
Analysis: I overestimated the oak - this probably has almost none, but I'm pretty close.
(blind) Medium minus ruby, bright, slight red at the rim. Extremely high-toned floral nectarine. Cool-climate, low-ripeness fruit. Beautiful. Dry, 13.8% alcohol (actually 13.8), rich with a sweet midpalate, medium tannins - slightly drying, elevated acid.
Clean, fruit-driven wine, with low oak - 10% new french (around 11% new!), solid tannins, and elevated acid. 30% whole cluster.
2016 Pinot from Central Otago. Guess: - 3.31 pH (actually 3.65) - 6.56 TA (actually 5.81)
Around 88pts
Actually: 2017 Flaneur Pinot Noir ($28) Willamette Valley. Analysis: I was guessing white wine numbers for pH and TA! Other than that I was pretty close.
(semi-blind - I know it's Gamay). Medium minus ruby - dark and cloudy. N: Unsulfured notes - earthy, slightly peanutty. Barnyardy hay. Manure. Dry, medium body, 12% alcohol, elevated bordering on high acid, medium minus tannins - slightly papery. Long finish - bitter, cherry, manure.
I think it's some natty Cru Beaujolais. Foillard? Actually: 2014 louis Damien Bouchecourt Analysis: Seems appropriate for natty gamay.
2016 Pegasus Bay Pinot Noir 88 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Canterbury, Waipara
(non-blind - my wine)
Medium minus ruby.
Expressive elevated-intensity nose of ripe cherry, faint reduction, and hints of ripe nectarine (terpenes?).
Dry, medium body, 13.5% alcohol (I checked), elevated acid, medium minus satiny tannins.
Fresh, deep red and black cherry, freshly-turned earth, moss, leaves, underbrush. Relatively clean style. Hint of confected fruit on the nose suggests significant percentage whole cluster or whole berry. Texture and integration suggests time in mostly neutral barrels.
Very nice wine. New world but with low oak usage, firm tannins, and borderline high acid.
Laterals:
- Burgundy - would be less dark in color and slightly higher tannins.
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2016 Windy Oaks Estate Pinot Noir Estate Cuvée Schultze Family Vineyard 87 Points
USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains
(blind)
Pale ruby-red, slightly hazy.
Elevated intensity nose, showing confected fruits suggesting whole-cluster or whole berry, but also some savory tamari tertiary notes suggesting age.
Dry, medium body, 13.5% alcohol, high acid. There's a juiciness to it - feels like 2g RS? Clean, with high acid. Underripe red cherry and white Ranier cherry. Low oak - maybe 10% new French.
New world, clean, high acid, low ripeness - cool climate.
Guess: Martinborough or Marlborough Pinot from NZ 2015 (slight age).
Actual: 2016 Windy Oak Pinot - Santa Cruz Mtns.
35% new french oak.
2016
13.5% alcohol
Analysis: Not far off. I missed the oak though. The color is lighter than I'd expect from Santa Cruz.
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2016 Rhys Pinot Noir Family Farm Vineyard 87 Points
USA, California, San Francisco Bay, San Mateo County
(blind)
Medium minus ruby - dark hue.
Dark toasty oak, black cherry - ripe.
13.8% alcohol. 40% new French oak. Medium plus acid - weaker acid than the other two.
California, Sonoma, down the middle. Low+ tannins - very soft.
This is just super pleasant. Ripe but not overripe cherry. Well-integrated aromatics. Darker and less acid-driven than the last two wines.
Analysis:
- Burgundy: would expect higher tannins and more earth - this is super fruit and oak driven.
- NZ: would expect more acid and less oak.
- OR: could be? It's a bit dilute.
- CA: would expect higher acid (sonoma coast) or higher oak (RRV). But it could be a more dilute example of CA.
Final guess: Sonoma RRV Pinot 2016, 30% whole cluster (actually 15% whole cluster), 50% new French oak (20% new oak). Lower-end example ($40).
Actually: 2016 Rhys Family Farm San Mateo, 12.6%
Analysis: This is super light and low acid. Young vines makes sense. I'm surprised by the acid.
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2016 Bodega Naranjuez (Antonio Vilchez Valenzuela) Pinot Negra
Spain, Andalucía, Vino de la Tierra Norte de Granada
(blind)
Medium minus ruby, cloudy in the glass. Strong something (reduction? VA?) on the nose - burnt rubber and hint of burnt peanut shell. Firecracker - reminds me of Filipino watusi street firecrackers. On the palate, mousy (peanutty) with a bitter finish - natural wine? 12.5% alcohol.
Dry, medium body, elevated acid, medium tannins (bitter). Indistinct red fruit, mostly hidden beneath low-sulfur winemaking. On the palate, a prickle of vinegar (acetic), and maybe some fizzy refermentation?
I know it's a Gamay. Maybe something low-sulfur. Foillard?
Actually: ~12-13% alcohol. Naranjuez Pinot Negra. 100% stainless steel. Wild yeast, no sulfur, macerated 5-8 days. 1 yr stainless steel. 2016.
Analysis: Super hard to place because of the non-sulfured style.
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2015 Francois Confuron-Gindre Bourgogne 86 Points
France, Burgundy, Bourgogne
(blind)
Medium minus ruby - lustrous and bright.
Smells like the fertilizer aisle in the Orchard Supply store. Slightly herbaceous. Slightly manure-y but clean-ish?
Dry, medium body, 13.5% alcohol, low oak - maybe 20% new French, medium plus tannins - drying and sturdy. Elevated acid.
Very ripe but also structured.
- Burgundy - I'd expect more acid and lower alcohol.
- California - way too lean and tannic.
- Oregon - too tannic.
- NZ - it would be Otago and it would have more acid.
Final call: Warm-vintage Burgundy, Village level (not much oak). Warm year: 2016 Nuit St. George.
Actual: 2015 Bourgogne Rouge Francois confuron-gindre
Analysis: I overestimated the oak - this probably has almost none, but I'm pretty close.
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2017 Flaneur Pinot Noir 87 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
(blind)
Medium minus ruby, bright, slight red at the rim.
Extremely high-toned floral nectarine. Cool-climate, low-ripeness fruit. Beautiful.
Dry, 13.8% alcohol (actually 13.8), rich with a sweet midpalate, medium tannins - slightly drying, elevated acid.
Clean, fruit-driven wine, with low oak - 10% new french (around 11% new!), solid tannins, and elevated acid. 30% whole cluster.
2016 Pinot from Central Otago.
Guess:
- 3.31 pH (actually 3.65)
- 6.56 TA (actually 5.81)
Around 88pts
Actually: 2017 Flaneur Pinot Noir ($28) Willamette Valley.
Analysis: I was guessing white wine numbers for pH and TA! Other than that I was pretty close.
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2014 Bouchacourt Chénas Une Tranche Made in Chénas
France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Chénas
(semi-blind - I know it's Gamay).
Medium minus ruby - dark and cloudy.
N: Unsulfured notes - earthy, slightly peanutty. Barnyardy hay. Manure.
Dry, medium body, 12% alcohol, elevated bordering on high acid, medium minus tannins - slightly papery. Long finish - bitter, cherry, manure.
I think it's some natty Cru Beaujolais. Foillard?
Actually: 2014 louis Damien Bouchecourt
Analysis: Seems appropriate for natty gamay.
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