[0.5] Blinds at Ungrafted w/ Andrea

Ungrafted, SF
Tasted Thursday, January 25, 2024 by RajivAyyangar with 22 views

Introduction

Overall: Reasonably classic wines. 3 misses -> 0.5 avg score

Summary:

### Whites:

called: 2022 Muscadet
actually: 2021 Gruner
missed Gruner in laterals

called: 2019 Alsace Pinot Gris
actually: 2020 Alsace Pinot Gris

called: 2022 Alsace Muscat
actually: 2022 Torrontes
tough call - could have gone either way

### Reds

called: 2020 Zinfandel, in a restrained style.
actually: 2021 Zinfandel (Dashe, which is more restrained)

called: 2022 Malbec
actually: 2020 Crozes-Hermitage
missed alcohol and dismissed Rhone too quickly

called: 2016 Rioja Gran Reserva
actually: 2013 Rioja Reserva

Flight 1 (6 Notes)

  • 2021 Hiedler Grüner Veltliner Löss 84 Points

    Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal

    (blind)
    Pale straw. Reductive - slight plastic / rubber. Neutral nose.
    Dry. Medium-minus body
    12% alcohol
    High acid - feels like malic
    slight bitterness - maybe slight phenolics

    Neutral high-acid:
    - Riesling
    - Chablis
    - Muscadet

    It seems to have some faint mid-palate apple - underripe peach even. Weird.

    Final call: light and aggressive malic -> Muscadet, 2022
    Actually: Gruner

    Analysis: Still don't taste herbaceousness, but it's slightly bitter so Gruner should have been on my laterals. That's a logic miss.
    Score: -1

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  • 2020 Domaine Saint-Rémy Pinot Gris Reserve 86 Points

    France, Alsace

    (blind)
    Pale straw

    Quite sweet - 15-20g/L
    Neutral nose - some pear. Some oxidation.

    Medium plus acid. 13% alcohol (actually 13.5%). Low phenolic bitterness.

    Quite nice.

    What has RS and not high acid?

    Pinot Gris, Alsace, with a little age, 2019.

    Something vaguely peppery on the nose? Would suggest Smaragd gruner which usually doesn't have RS.

    Actually: 2020 Pinot Gris
    Analysis: pretty solid!
    Score: 0 misses

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  • 2022 Dos Minas Torrontés 87 Points

    Argentina, Valles Calchaquíes, Salta, Cafayate

    (blind)
    Pale straw
    dry, highly terpenic. Orange oil. High-toned terpenes.
    Good quality. No bitterness. Elevated acid.

    This feels like textbook Muscat.
    Could be Torrontes - too high quality, high-toned terpenes (almost some white pepper).
    Could be viognier - alcohol is too low (feels 13%).

    Age? Terpenes are still fresh - so recent release.

    Final call:

    2022 Muscat, Alsace.
    Actually: Torrontes - dos minas 2022

    Analysis: Sound overall - no major misses. Maybe some calibration on quality and acid?
    Score: 0 misses

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  • 2021 Dashe Cellars Zinfandel Vineyard Select 88 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley

    (blind)
    medium ruby, slight garnet
    Sweet nose, slightly raisined (prunes), slight va (balsamic prickle). note of underripe fruit as well. Very clear millerandage (zin, grenache, syrah, or a blend)
    Medium body. 14% alcohol (correct - 14.1%). Elevated acid, medium tannins.
    Savory. Slight impression of oak - slight vanilla. Good structure, savory but ripe, slight oak. Slight pepper. Very slight brett.

    Could be:

    - Syrah - would be darker in color
    - Zin - has raisination but would be riper, higher even in alcohol. more fruit.
    - Chianti - would have higher acid and tannins.
    - Cru beaujolais - would have higher acid and no oak.
    - Rioja? could fit w oak, but wouldn't have raisination.

    Final call:
    - 2020 Zinfandel, more restrained style.
    - 2021 Zinfandel! Dashe.

    Analysis: Nailed it
    Score: 0 misses

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  • 2020 Domaine des Lises Crozes-Hermitage 84 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage

    (blind)
    Deep opaque ruby.
    heavy, ripe fruit-forward nose. Slight funky - reduction or mushrooms maybe? Something vegetal but not pyrazines - tomato leaf.
    slight dark note - maybe reduction, maybe pepper. Hard to tell.
    Dry, high alcohol - 14.5% (actually 12.5%!), high acid - very sour, almost aggressively sour, elevated tannings.

    This is a wild wine. Dark color, big body, ripe fruit, elevated acid:

    - Cab - doesn't feel right because no pyrazines, no oak, fruit feels underripe plum
    - Malbec - could fit, but it's so sour.
    - Syrah - too sour for Australia, too ripe for N rhone.

    Final call: 2022 Malbec, Argentina.
    Syrah from crozes-hermitage 2020.

    Analysis
    - alcohol - I called it higher - it's actually 12.5%
    - logic: should have double-clicked on N Rhone.
    Overall this is a really clean, really fruit-forward, and really sour syrah.

    Score: 2 misses

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  • 2013 La Rioja Alta Rioja Viña Ardanza Reserva 91 Points

    Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

    (blind)
    Medium plus ruby.
    Tertiary notes - VA (perfume), leather, savory tamari. Really good. Very slight impression of brett.
    On the palate: SO GOOD. An old wine in good condition.
    13.5% alcohol.
    Medium tannins - melted.
    medium plus acid.

    Few things age this well.
    Burgundy - would have higher acid.
    CA cab - would probably still have gobs of black fruit and higher alcohol unless it's really old.
    Rioja - it could totally be rioja. Actually tasting it, rioja fits almost better. It doesn't have dark fruit from Bordeaux.

    Final call:
    2016 Rioja Gran Reserva
    2013 rioja reserva

    Analysis: nice! my logic was sound. misjudged the degree of oak treatment

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