Isaac's Rooftop Tasting

Washington, D.C.
Tasted Friday, July 17, 2009 by isaacjamesbaker with 370 views

Introduction

This tasting originally was planned to be an Italian tasting. But we all just ended up bringing whatever we felt like. Chilled out on the rooftop in Woodley Park, D.C. and sipped some really great wines.

Flight 1 (9 Notes)

  • 2006 Linden Chardonnay Hardscrabble

    USA, Virginia, Northern Virginia

    light yellow color. citrus on the nose. its got zippy acidity and some apricot and green apple flavors. there's some oak, but it doesn't seem to blend well into an overall package. it seemed unbalanced.

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  • 2003 Magnifico Barbera d'Asti Superiore

    Italy, Piedmont, Asti, Barbera d'Asti Superiore

    medium purple color. dark fruits on the nose with some chocolate. this has smoothed out over time. still got some great tannins. less acidity than most barberas and it focuses more on dark fruits and cocolate. there's a nice roasted coffee aspect on the finish. second day, the chocolate flavors really came out more. tasted smooth and rich. tannins have eased up and its just a dark yummy wine.

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  • 2004 Vigna Vecchia Chianti Classico Riserva

    Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

    medium purple color. this wine had a great nose. i got rose petals, earth, forest floor and cherries on the nose. good, mouth coating tannins on this wine. it's well-balanced and silky. dark cherries and some tobacco and a bit of mineral came through on the palate. good bargain that is really complex for its price point.

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  • 2002 Tommasi Valpolicella Classico Superiore Rafael

    Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Valpolicella Classico Superiore

    medium ruby colored. the nose smells like dry erase markers mixed with cherries. sweet cherries on the palate. this has no tannin and it really drops off the palate. it's just weak, hollow. it's really got nothing going for it. over the hill but i'm wondering if it was ever that good to start with.

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  • 2001 Celler Cecilio Priorat L'Espill

    Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

    dark purple color in the glass. the nose has some paint, rasberry jam and a bit of minerals. its really big on the palate, but time has mellowed it out a bit. very well balanced. just deliciously dense and fruity.

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  • 2003 Bonny Doon Vineyard Rosso di Montepulciano

    Italy, Tuscany, Montepulciano, Rosso di Montepulciano

    ugg. this was just hollow, disjointed, all over the place. lacks fruit and structure. a total pass.

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  • 2002 Bodega Catena Zapata Malbec Catena Alta

    Argentina, Mendoza

    this is why i love malbec. best malbec i've had in a long, long time. dark purple. the nose showed pumpkin, blueberries, spice, sage and oak. really silky on the palate, but this still has years to go. boysenberry, minerals, loam, licorice and graphite on the palate. dense and yummy fruit highlighted with the perfect amount of oak, and there's a lot of other non-fruit flavors that make this malbec not on delicious, but quite complex. wine of the night for me.

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  • 2006 Bodegas El Nido Jumilla Clio

    Spain, Murcia, Jumilla

    pitch color in the glass with huge viscosity. the nose had jammy fruit, burned toast, blueberries and paint. it felt like paint on the palate. tons of fruit, obviously. however, it wasn't obnoxious. there was so much blueberry fruit, toast, roasted coffee, chocolate, cassis jam. just really delicious. it completely coats the palate but i really liked how this didn't burn on the way down. you could just sip it, take in the tremendous amount of fruit, but it didn't feel hot or cloying. it actually had enough acidity to keep it all together. great stuff.

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  • 1988 Château Guiraud

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    dark golden color in the glass. looks like scotch. decanted for about two hours. the corked was soaked but the wine was still great. on the nose this had tons of hone, marmelade, honeycomb and some sage. really full on the palate, but the acid was realy balanced. lots of almond paste, nougat, apricot reduction on the palate. i also got this wonderful flavor that reminded me of fresh orange marmelade, the kind where there are bits of orange zest in it. long finish. complex and flat out delicious.

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