Online Blind Tasting: BDX vs Napa plus some Sweets

Tasted Friday, March 26, 2021 by NoTrollingerPlease with 186 views

Flight 1 (2 Notes)

  • 2015 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Tasted blind. Note based on ~ 5cl bottle, filled two days before the tasting.
    Glass: Riedel Sommelier Bordeaux
    Clear, deep ruby color. Clean, medium intense, youthful nose. Very round, balanced and soft. Youthful red and dark fruit, fine spices, some vanilla, rather warm.
    Dry, high acidity, high tannin, still a bit unpolished and rough. On the palate lots of dark fruit, fine oak, spices, herbs. Great texture! Wonderful grip and power, also juicy and deep. Still a bit edgy. Needs a lot of time and air. Great potential for sure. 93+++

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  • 2015 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate 95 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena

    Tasted blind. Note based on ~ 5cl bottle, filled two days before the tasting.
    Glass: Riedel Sommelier Bordeaux
    Clear, deep ruby color. Clear, medium intense, youthful nose, still a bit muted/closed. Fine, round and soft. Fine red fruit, a bit lactic (yoghurt), fine spices, green tobacco leaves.
    Dry, medium+ acidity. High, fine, silky tannin. Full bodied and pronounced flavors. Hard to identify specific aromas. It is more about the overall sensation. Round, fine, velvet texture, grip and incredible pressure. Even though it is full bodied and has a lot of extract, it is very elegant and dense. Very long, juicy and complex finish. Obviously young, but makes real fun to drink now. 95+

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Flight 2 (2 Notes)

  • 2005 Ridge Monte Bello 95 Points

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    Tasted blind. Note based on ~ 5cl bottle, filled two days before the tasting.
    Glass: Riedel Sommelier Bordeaux
    Clear, deep garnet color. Clean, medium intense, developing nose. Warm, fine fruit, a bit of fruits preserved in rum and sugar. Very round and warm.
    Dry, high acidity, high, silky tannin. A bit hot. On the palate fine warm red and dark fruit, spices, tobacco. Round, very good balance and elegance. Great texture. Lots of extract, depth and tension. Youthful and vital. Very long finish with fine red fruit, spices and fine tobacco leaves. Potential for at least another decade of improvement. 95+

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  • 2005 Château Pontet-Canet 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Tasted blind. Note based on ~ 5cl bottle, filled two days before the tasting.
    Glass: Riedel Sommelier Bordeaux
    Clear, deep garnet color with some brown edges. Clean, medium- intense, developing nose, rather closed or muted. Warm red fruit, classic Paulliac nose, some green pepper, herbs and spices.
    Dry, medium+ acidity, high, mellow but not yet fully integrated tannin.
    Medium+ body. On the palate lots of red fruit, pepper, fine tobacco and some nice mineral notes. Great pressure and tension! Lots of extract, depth and density. Long, beautiful finish. Needs air and time and far from being at its full peak. 93-94+

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Flight 3 (1 Note)

  • 2009 Château Pontet-Canet 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

    Tasted blind. Note based on ~ 5cl bottle, filled two days before the tasting.
    Glass: Riedel Sommelier Bordeaux
    Clear, deep garnet color. Clean, medium intense, developing nose. Very harmonious and balanced.
    Dry, high acidity, high, fine silky velvet tannin.
    Wonderful red fruit and very spicy.
    Great pressure and tension, lots of extract and power, beautiful texture. This bottle was a bit more advanced, more ripe and not as precise as the one I had a week before. But it might also be due to the fact that it was opened a day earlier. Nevertheless, a wonderful wine with a very long finish. 93-94+

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Flight 4 (1 Note)

  • 2001 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha's Vineyard 94 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

    Tasted blind. Note based on ~ 5cl bottle, filled two days before the tasting.
    Glass: Riedel Sommelier Bordeaux
    Clear, deep ruby color. Clean, medium intense, developing nose. Surprising notes of pineapple and rum, some fine red fruit, oak. Very fine and round, but not as complex as expected.
    Dry, high acidity, high, ripe and mellow tannin. High alcohol, full bodied. On the plate fine red fruit, very herbaceous some ethereal notes. Very deep and dense, beautiful silky texture, wonderful balance. Very, very long and fine finish that last for more than a minute. Potential for at least another decade. 94+

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Flight 5 (1 Note)

  • 1997 Harlan Estate 97 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Tasted blind. Note based on ~ 5cl bottle, filled two days before the tasting.
    Glass: Riedel Sommelier Bordeaux
    Clear, deep ruby color, almost inky, lots of glycerine. Clean, pronounced and developing nose. Red fruit, tobacco, fine oak, some floral notes, hundreds of spices and herbs. Very fine, elegant and extremely complex. What a beauty!
    Dry. Acidity and tannin are perfectly integrated, never seen that in a Bordeaux blend before!
    On the palate a true sensation! It has enormous power, but also an incredible balance and elegance. Pressure, tension, depth and density, this is truly great. The fruit, fine spices and ethereal notes are coating your mouth for minutes. The finish is extremely long, fine, fruity and mineral. What a beauty! This is close to perfection. The only reason I am not scoring it higher is due to the fact that I still see upscale potential 😊 96-97+

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Flight 6 (1 Note)

  • 1986 Château d'Yquem 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    Tasted blind. Note based on ~ 5cl bottle, filled two days before the tasting.
    Glass: Zalto Universal
    Clear, deep amber color. Clean, prounced and developing nose. For sure Sauternes and probably Yquem. Fine and balanced, rather complex.
    Sweet, but not too much, medium+ acidity. Dried and candied fruit and fruit peel, figs, apricot, honey, spices, nuts. Elegant, deep and of course very long and lingering finish. Lacks a bit tension and excitement, but this is a very, very good Sauternes with potential for decades. 94+

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Flight 7 (1 Note)

  • 2016 Peller Estates Vidal Blanc Icewine Andrew Peller Signature Series 88 Points

    Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara Peninsula VQA

    Tasted blind. Note based on ~ 5cl bottle, filled two days before the tasting.
    Glass: Zalto Universal
    Clear, medium golden color. Clean, prounced, youthful and almost biting nose with some nutmeg and exotic fruit. Not very complex though.
    Luscious sweetness, high acidity, quite unbalanced. Exotic fruit basket. Oily, creamy texture, long, but not very complex. Concentrated for sure, but it has otherwise NOTHING to do with great Riesling Icewines. 87-89

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Flight 8 (1 Note)

  • 2001 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Eiswein 94 Points

    Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

    Tasted blind. Note based on ~ 5cl bottle, filled two days before the tasting.
    Glass: Zalto Universal
    Clear, deep golden color. Clean, medium+ intense, developing nose, reminding me of the middle Mosel valley. Deep, balanced and harmonious.
    Sweetness is beautifully balanced by the high, wonderfully integrated acidity. This is an Auslese icewine, not with higher predicate. It is extremely calm, harmonious and balanced. Very dense and deep with clear, precise yellow stone fruit and lots of mineral notes. Creamy, but not oily or fat. One of the most balanced Icewines I had so far. Really beautiful. Drink now or within the next 5+ years. 93-94

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