Wine Cellar Club, Irvine, CA
Tasted Saturday, February 21, 2009 by jhannah27 with 524 views
This was the first chance for the Southern California based CT Forum users to meet and share some wine. We decided to play no limit Texas hold 'em with a $25-$30 bottle buy in from each player. Winner take all except the bottle they brought, which the runner up took home. This was done in conjunction with the 3rd edition of the CT User forum's world-wide virtual tasting event.
I konked out first in poker, but had a fabulous time playing, sipping great wines, and meeting new friends. Can't wait to do it again!
2006 E. Guigal Condrieu 87 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu
One of the most interesting white wines that I have come across in my short time chasing this hobby of ours. This was opened overnight before drinking, but not decanted. Pale straw yellow in color. It shows a pretty classic Viognier nose of sweet pineapple, with an underlying floral note. This wine showed three distinct profiles as it cross the tongue. First there is a big hit of stony minerality, like licking wet rocks, with the taste of alcohol (no heat yet) coming through into the mid-palate. On the mid the fruit peaked through showing very nice and light citrus infused oil flavor. Into the finish the fruits softened and faded out with the heat from the 13.9% alcohol poked it's head back out, but never really became overwhelming. Having some experience with Rhone whites, the fruit profile, while brief in this wine, was what I would expect from the region, but everything else was a completely new experience for me. Considering the way it sectionally crossed my palate, I wonder if this wine needs age to really come together. I doubt I'll find out however, as this didn't really "wow" me enough to want to shell out $45 for it.
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2007 Fritz Haag Riesling 85 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Pale yellow color. The nose showed subdued aromas of citrus with underlying grass and flowers. First thing on the taste I got was acid right on the front of my tongue. It has an oily texture with flavors of sharp citrus and sweet melons. While I don't have much experience with Riesling, this to me seems pretty basic and straightforward. It has a nice acid structure, but otherwise it's a tad on the sweet side for me and there's not much complexity going on. Easy drinker, but I would hope for a little bit more complexity in something at this price point. For $7-$8 cheaper, I would get the Josef Leitz Dragonstone we tried next to this before coming back here.
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2007 Weingut Josef Leitz Rüdesheimer Drachenstein Riesling Dragonstone 86 Points
Germany, Rheingau
Very tight on the aromatics, only could coax out some citrus oil and what I would describe as sweet petrol. Shows on the sweet side of the Riesling spectrum with tropical fruit flavors, but these are cut into the finish with a nice minerality, crisp acidity, and an underlying petrol that I wish would come forward more. Not much more going on here than the Fritz Haag we drank next to this, but I felt that it had better balance and a little more depth of flavor. I think both would show better with food, and I could see enjoying this under the warm summer sun.
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2005 d'Arenberg Shiraz The Dead Arm 88 Points
Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
Black, purple, and opaque in color. Nose shows BIG chocloate, blackberry, black pepper and some green pepper. Insanely aromatic wine. Tastes of lush black and red berry fruits with underlying vanilla spice and pepper flavors and very chewy tannins. Well balanced as it never went insanely over the top with the oak and the jammy fruits as the Aussies are known to do, but I still felt that this wine was lacking in any elegance or direction. A bit all over the place with so much going on. I rather enjoyed it at this juncture, but I could see being turned off to this if I wasn't in the mood for it.
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NV Smith Woodhouse Porto 20 Year Old Tawny 89 Points
Portugal, Douro, Porto
Ahhh...this is more like it. Rich nose full of caramel, roasted nuts, and sweet prunes. Well balanced flavors that followed the nose with an underlying smokiness and only a touch of heat. There was a lightness to the texture, but a denseness to the fruit flavors that really fascinated me. Not the best 20 yr tawny that I have had, but right near the top.
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