Blends Practice Session - Red and white

A calibration tasting of white and red blends that would appear in the exams.

• 2003 Bodegas Sierra Cantabria Rioja Blanco Organza 85 Points

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  Deep yellow in colour this blend of 65% Viura, 18% Malvasia and 17% Garnacha Blanca shows notable resinous oak with spices and gunflint. A medium+ acidity, there is some butter and that slightly nutty oak element that constitutes white Rioja. The mid-palate is rather hollow; whilst the acid keeps going and going, so does the oak.

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• 2005 M. Chapoutier Côtes du Rhône Blanc Belleruche 84 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône

  Pale straw in colour, the nose is neutral with some boiled sweet, fennel frond and chilled melon.
  A soft entry, the wine feels quite spiky with alcohol. Low to medium acidity makes the wine plump and saggy in the mid-palate. Some floral hints emerge, a hint towards tropical fruit, but the wine has nothing that distinguishable to make it stand out.

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• 2006 Niepoort Douro Redoma Branco 88 Points

  Portugal, Douro

  Light straw in colour the nose is floral with peach pit, apricot halves, hay and woodsmoke. The woodsmoke seems to morph into new oak spices. The entry is rich and deep with a super creamy textural underlay of creme fraiche and fatness in the mid-palate. A light, delicate perfume permeates throughout, all suggesting Viognier as part of the blend and a flabby to low acidity. Not the most intense blend and the second grape eludes me. Seems a warmer area with that richness. Finishes with a phenolic twist - again, hallmarks of Viognier.

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• 2006 Château Marjosse Blanc 84 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Entre-Deux-Mers

  Light lemon colour, the wine displays wet wool, tinned pea, lemon blossom and green apple. The edgy acidity all point to a Sauvignon Blanc led style, and whilst there isn't much oak, there are some savoury notes and a touch of creamy lees, and lanolin that suggest a Graves style over a Pessac styling where more oak would be forthcoming. A note of asparagus shows some development, but it is drinking nicely now. Relatively simple fare with a slightly phenolic finish.

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• 2005 Dornier Donatus 85 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  The nose is entirely oak dominated and continues onto the palate with oak spices, toast, apples and some apricot. Full-bodied and rich, the wine is generous and appears to have a nutty, almost oxidative hint to it. Broad mid-palate, a vibrant acidity cuts through the nutty and butter elements and the creamy lees. Not much fruit for a CB (65%) / Sémillon (35%) blend.

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• 2003 Domaine Le Clos des Cazaux Gigondas Cuvée de la Tour Sarrazine 87 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Gigondas

  Pale garnet in colour, the nose initially shows a chlorinated swimming pool but as this blows off reveals tilled earth, dark fruits, smoke and some garrigue notes.
  Full-bodied, richly textured and ripe fruits the mid-palate has savoury flavours of pepper, liquorice and more earthy tones. Fairly generous with just about enough acidity, the wine is top-heavy and lacks some depth.
  Modern style Rhône perhaps, medium finish.

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• 2005 M. Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage Les Meysonniers 87 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage

  Medium ruby-purple, the aromas show boiled sweet, violets, spice and pepper. A smoky element intertwined with medicinal notes and blue fruits reminded me of Gamay or possibly Mencia. However, this medium-bodied wine is richer and bigger-bodied, with a hint of muscovado sugar. Firm, solid tannins suggest Syrah as the main variety, whilst a rustic tail makes the wine slightly shorter than expected. The backup to syrah is a lively acidity and a touch of leafy greens suggesting Crozes and the back part of the block?

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• 2004 Niepoort Douro Redoma 92 Points

  Portugal, Douro

  A blend of Tinta Amarela, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca from ±60-year-old vines. Deeply coloured the bouquet is gently scented with roasted herbs, black plum, rolled tobacco leaves, minerals, tilled earth, and touch coconut and black fruits. The entry shows a vibrant fresh acidity offset with a richly textural mid-palate. Soft and open-knit, the wine is full-bodied but doesn't show much varietal focus. The tobacco, chocolate and black fruits look towards Spain, but the acidity to Portugal.
  The coconut suggest some American oak but on reflection, feels more french? A generous finish that is fairly long and penetrating. Smart wine!

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• 2004 Château Haut-Bages Libéral 88 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  More straightforward nose with herbs, blackcurrant, and cedar all pointing to Bordeaux. Restrained with a lemon-edged acidity, the texture is soft and quite creamy and accessible. CS dominated, there is more black fruit: currant and plum, as well as some blood/iodine notes that detract along with oak spices. Medium-bodied, the tannins are grainy, dense and quite drying and build somewhat. Alcohol is integrated, and the finish is reasonably long despite the tannins. A good but not top year.

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• 2004 La Motte Millennium 84 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Franschhoek Valley

  Deeply coloured wine that is open and bold with bright ripe black fruits and slightly lifted acetone elements signifying perhaps a Cape Blend?
  The entry is rich, has medium acidity, full bodied with generous alcohol and sinewy tannins. The wine feels slightly blurred or smudged and lacks some focus despite being powerful and having a long finish.

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• 2005 Fontodi Chianti Classico 87 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

  Warm baked fruit with an initial nose of rind cheese, sour cherries and herb. A rich entry, sourer, suggesting Sangiovese with plenty of morello cherries, some redcurrant and lots of tinned tomatoes! Medium-bodied with lively acidity but lacking some weight leads to dry and firm chalky tannins (a touch phenolic) that can only be Chianti.

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