The Blind Drunks monthly tasting

For the July tasting, we were hosted by Jon and his lovely wife at Bistro Thai. Jon's wife prepared some terrific dishes for us, and if you are in the area, this restaurant is not to be missed. The warm up whites were served nonblind with light appetizers. Reds are served double blind and divided into flights that range roughly from lightest to heaviest. Tasters are given time to analyze the wines in the flight and guess their identities before being dicussed by the group and then unveiled.

• 2007 Peter Michael Sauvignon Blanc L'Apres-Midi 91 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley

  Notes of citrus, lime and grass, with nice citrus tones on the palate. The finish lingers just a bit, and shows very nice acidity and fruit. Not the bets value around, but very good nonetheless.

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• 2004 Roger Moreux Sancerre Chavignol Les Bouffants 86 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre

  Reticent bouquet. Notes of apple and something a bit 'dirty' perhaps. Flavors of tart apple and citrus, but overall a bit flat and tired.

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• 1999 Albert Mann Gewurztraminer Steingrübler 91 Points

  France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru

  Pale gold color. Aromas of spice, nuts and honey follow through on the palate. Rich texture, with a nice long finish.

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• 2006 Huia Pinot Gris 85 Points

  New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough

  Not much in teh way of aromatics, except a subtle floral note. Apple nuances on the palate. Ho-hum.

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• 2007 Paco y Lola Albariño Rías Baixas 89 Points

  Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas

  Exactly what an Albarino should be. Florally mineral notes on the bouquet lead to a bright, lively wine with flavors of citrus and mineral. Really juicy acidity carrying through the finish.

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• 2000 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Rangen de Thann Clos St. Urbain 91 Points

  France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru

  Tasted blind. Light amber in color. Notes of honey and tropical fruit with an underlying spice. Viscous, rich texture with honeyed tropical fruit, nut and spice flavors on the palate. My initial thought was Gewurz.

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• 1997 Schuetz Oles Zinfandel Korte Ranch Flawed

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Mildly corked.

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• 1999 Fattoria Le Fonti Chianti Classico Riserva 92 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

  Aromas of spice & tobacco leaf, along with red currants. Flavors of red and dark fruit, with savory herbal tones. Acid is notable on the finish...should have tipped me off to the origin.

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• 2002 Ridge Grenache Lytton Estate 92 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley

  Aromas of cherries and herbs. Well-balanced, with flavors of cherry and spicy red fruit. Nice lifting acidity through the finish.

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• 2004 Domaine Trapet Gevrey-Chambertin Ostrea

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin

  This was a backup bottle and was not decanted as long as I would have liked. Notes of tart cherries and red fruit. The palate follows the bouquet, with good acidity. A bit one dimensional and tart, but with a 2-3 hour decant this would have been much better.

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• 2006 Domaine Georges Vernay St. Joseph 87 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph

  Notes of dark fruit, plum and spice. Sweet dark fruit and blueberry tones on the palate. Maybe a slight hint of brett on this one too.

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• 1998 M. Chapoutier Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Bernardine 90 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Notes of coriander, cherries, spice and candy canes. Nice balance, with flavors of peppermint and red fruit. Finishes well.

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• 1999 Domaine de Nerleux Saumur-Champigny Clos des Chatains Vieilles Vignes 90 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny

  Initial aromas of cherries and red berries. Notes of tobacco and dried herbs appeared with a little time in the glass. Flavors of olive, herbs and dark fruit. Well-balanced, with good underlying acidity. 90-91 pts.

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• 2007 Domaine Monte de Luz Tannat

  Uruguay, San Jose

  Notes of vanilla, dark fruit and butter. The palate follows the nose, although the butter quality dominates and obscures what little fruit this has. Really strange.

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• 2004 Hunt Cellars Encore Destiny Vineyards

  USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

  Notes of cola and something I can only describe as gummy root beer candies, followed by a slight green, vegetal quality. Flavors of chocolate and root beer. Sorry to whomever brought this, but I didn't care for this at all.

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• 2002 Syncline Syrah Milbrandt Vineyard

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Wahluke Slope

  Notes of plummy dark fruit and grapefruit. On the palate I found this to be thin and overly acidic.

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• 2001 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Notes of red fruit with a nice herbal undertone. There's some dark fruit tones on the palate, but it is also acidic and thin through the midpalate and finish. This was controversial after it was unveiled. Some thought it mistreated/flawed, others not. It was certainly nothing like the bottle I tasted last year, and I hope it is not representative.

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• 2006 Lapostolle Cabernet Sauvignon Cuvée Alexandre Apalta Vineyard

  Chile, Rapel Valley, Colchagua Valley

  Not giving up very much aromatically. Flavors of mocha and dark fruit, with a slightly thin midpalate.

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Dinner with unveiled wines and a bonus bubbly.

• NV Bollinger Champagne Special Cuvée Brut 92 Points

  France, Champagne

  Apple, almond and brioche notes with flavors of apple and citrus. Great texture and vibrant acidity. Really nice.

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