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End of the year with the "Usual Suspects"
Sips Restaurant in Southwest Harbor, ME
Tasted December 22, 2010 by Kirk Grant with 1,030 views
Introduction
Our "regular" tasting group tries to get together for something special about 2-3 times a year. Tonights wines were all served blind...and we got to see some people really pulling out some "gems" from their cellar.
Flight 1 - Daniel's Blind White (1 note)
White
2002 Coche-Dury Puligny-Montrachet Les Enseignères
93 points
Color: Light golden yellow
Smell: At first this smelled slightly corked...however, with some vigorous airation hints of crushed stone, lemon, lime, quince, faint hints of butter, and sea breeze
Taste: Medium bodied and powerful as flavors of lemon, apple, and citrus wash over the palate with medium+ acidity that causes me to salivate just thinking back about this wine.
Overall: I have to say that I'm still not impressed with the QPR with White Burgs...but this is a wine I would LOVE to drink again. There was a considerable amount of sulphur that lead half of the tasters to assume that this was corked initially. So my guess is that this still has a considerable amount of life left in it...just give it time.
Smell: At first this smelled slightly corked...however, with some vigorous airation hints of crushed stone, lemon, lime, quince, faint hints of butter, and sea breeze
Taste: Medium bodied and powerful as flavors of lemon, apple, and citrus wash over the palate with medium+ acidity that causes me to salivate just thinking back about this wine.
Overall: I have to say that I'm still not impressed with the QPR with White Burgs...but this is a wine I would LOVE to drink again. There was a considerable amount of sulphur that lead half of the tasters to assume that this was corked initially. So my guess is that this still has a considerable amount of life left in it...just give it time.
Flight 2 - Eamonn's Blind Red (1 note)
Red
1987 La Meridiana Boca Campo delle Piane
88 points
Color: rusted ruby with a rust orange rim
Smell: Earth, funk, and dried red fruits
Taste: Tart red fruits and mushroom notes
Overall: The acidity and tannin on this wine were just too high given the lack of fruit for me to bring this into the next level where my friend was hoping it would be. Still a wonderful mature wine...I just think it needed some cheese to make it a tad more enjoyable...
Smell: Earth, funk, and dried red fruits
Taste: Tart red fruits and mushroom notes
Overall: The acidity and tannin on this wine were just too high given the lack of fruit for me to bring this into the next level where my friend was hoping it would be. Still a wonderful mature wine...I just think it needed some cheese to make it a tad more enjoyable...
Flight 3 - My Blind Red (1 note)
Red
1990 Tenuta Greppo (Biondi-Santi) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
95 points
Color: Ruby
Smell: Earth, underbrush, red fruits, hints of anise, tobacco, cedar, (constantly evolving)
Taste: Wild strawberries, cranberries, orange sour patch kids, dried blueberries, blackberries, cacao, granite, and so much more that I can't quite pin my finder on.
Overall: Wildly interesting nose. Brisk acidity, with a dry mouthfeel, medium tannins, and a finish that lingers on the palate for more than a minute...it's rediculous.
Smell: Earth, underbrush, red fruits, hints of anise, tobacco, cedar, (constantly evolving)
Taste: Wild strawberries, cranberries, orange sour patch kids, dried blueberries, blackberries, cacao, granite, and so much more that I can't quite pin my finder on.
Overall: Wildly interesting nose. Brisk acidity, with a dry mouthfeel, medium tannins, and a finish that lingers on the palate for more than a minute...it's rediculous.
Flight 4 - Hago's Blind Red (1 note)
THANK YOU HAGO!
Red
1970 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands-Echezeaux
90 points
.
FROM MAGNUM:
Color: Rusted Ruby
Smell: Underbrush, earth, hints of mushroom, and dried red fruits.
Taste: A melange of tart red fruits, leather, dusty hints of seasoned or weathered cedar, and a linging hint of mushrooms intermixed with cranberries.
Overall: Still such a pleasure to be able to taste this wine...it's been interesting to see this wine on three seperate occasions and track the changes that have occured over time. Now the tannins and acidity were more present than the previous time, with more dried fruits and a lightly austere edge to the wine...but still such a treat. We were all surprised after the wine was revealed.
FROM MAGNUM:
Color: Rusted Ruby
Smell: Underbrush, earth, hints of mushroom, and dried red fruits.
Taste: A melange of tart red fruits, leather, dusty hints of seasoned or weathered cedar, and a linging hint of mushrooms intermixed with cranberries.
Overall: Still such a pleasure to be able to taste this wine...it's been interesting to see this wine on three seperate occasions and track the changes that have occured over time. Now the tannins and acidity were more present than the previous time, with more dried fruits and a lightly austere edge to the wine...but still such a treat. We were all surprised after the wine was revealed.
Flight 5 - Scott's blind red (1 note)
(but there's always more...)
Red
1971 Château Mouton Rothschild
89 points
Color: Hazy ruby with bricking at the rim
Smell: Earth, graphite, eucaliptis, tobacco, and hints of cedar.
Taste: Tart red fruits with an underpinning of earthy flavors of mushrooms and minerals. Med fruit, med+ acid, med tannin. The fruit was masked by a hint of bitterness that I would guess was the sediment.
Overall: I think this could have shown significantly better if it was decanted instead of being poured strait from the bottle...I also think this still has another 3-5 years life in it with good storage. It's just a shame that I'm as sensative to the bitter components of sediment.
Smell: Earth, graphite, eucaliptis, tobacco, and hints of cedar.
Taste: Tart red fruits with an underpinning of earthy flavors of mushrooms and minerals. Med fruit, med+ acid, med tannin. The fruit was masked by a hint of bitterness that I would guess was the sediment.
Overall: I think this could have shown significantly better if it was decanted instead of being poured strait from the bottle...I also think this still has another 3-5 years life in it with good storage. It's just a shame that I'm as sensative to the bitter components of sediment.
Flight 6 - Derrick's Blind Reds... (2 notes)
Red
1994 Bodegas Muga Rioja Torre Muga
93 points
Color: Garnet with minimal bricking
Smell: Sweet red fruits, earth, licorice, tobacco, and hints of cedar...this was just so difficult to pin down on the nose...it was constantly in flux
Taste: Dark fruits lead into red fruits, rustic notes, and finish on a smooth and fruit driven finish that leaves a faint hint of oak on the finish.
Overall: An outstanding example of a more modern-styled Rioja...that was just delicious to drink...but really confusing when served blind...it just didn't have any sense of place or varietal.Still...this was just a gorgeous wine...
Smell: Sweet red fruits, earth, licorice, tobacco, and hints of cedar...this was just so difficult to pin down on the nose...it was constantly in flux
Taste: Dark fruits lead into red fruits, rustic notes, and finish on a smooth and fruit driven finish that leaves a faint hint of oak on the finish.
Overall: An outstanding example of a more modern-styled Rioja...that was just delicious to drink...but really confusing when served blind...it just didn't have any sense of place or varietal.Still...this was just a gorgeous wine...
Flight 7 - Jay's blind reds (2 notes)
Red
1986 Marqués de Cáceres Rioja Crianza
89 points
Color: Ruby with almost no sign of bricking at the rim
Smell: Wildly exotic scents of candied fruits on the nose with hints of tobacco and cedar
Taste: Vibrant and pure flavors of cherry, and other red fruits linger on the palate while the wine picks up weight and finishes with hints of tobacco, cedar, and mushrooms.
Overall: Hard to believe that this $13 bottle has held up so well...still has beautiful fruit, medium acidity, medium tannins...I think this could last another few years still...but why wait?
Smell: Wildly exotic scents of candied fruits on the nose with hints of tobacco and cedar
Taste: Vibrant and pure flavors of cherry, and other red fruits linger on the palate while the wine picks up weight and finishes with hints of tobacco, cedar, and mushrooms.
Overall: Hard to believe that this $13 bottle has held up so well...still has beautiful fruit, medium acidity, medium tannins...I think this could last another few years still...but why wait?
Red
1983 Château La Louvière
90 points
Color: Ruby with slight bricking at the rim
Smell: Earth, mushrooms, red and dark fruits, leather, tobacco, and a hint of cedar.
Taste: Vibrant red fruits with good acidity and tanin presence. The fruit seems to explode in the midpalate as the wine unfolds into something soft and caressing for the palate.
Overall: A wonderful wine that is a testiment to good storage and patience. Still has enough fruit, tannin, and acidity to last another 4-6 years with good storage...but why wait if you have some?
Smell: Earth, mushrooms, red and dark fruits, leather, tobacco, and a hint of cedar.
Taste: Vibrant red fruits with good acidity and tanin presence. The fruit seems to explode in the midpalate as the wine unfolds into something soft and caressing for the palate.
Overall: A wonderful wine that is a testiment to good storage and patience. Still has enough fruit, tannin, and acidity to last another 4-6 years with good storage...but why wait if you have some?
Flight 8 - Steve's blind red (1 note)
Red
1997 Castelgiocondo (Marchesi de' Frescobaldi) Brunello di Montalcino
88 points
Color: garnet with faint bricking
Smell: Earth, mushrooms, dried red fruits, and other rustic scents
Taste: Tart red cherry, cranberry, and wild strawberries...
Overall: The acidity and tannin seem to outweigh the fruit on this. I just couldn't get myself to enjoy this wine as much as one might home from a good producer in a vintage like this. I'm not saying I'd turn this down...but when the reveal came...it was a let-down.
Smell: Earth, mushrooms, dried red fruits, and other rustic scents
Taste: Tart red cherry, cranberry, and wild strawberries...
Overall: The acidity and tannin seem to outweigh the fruit on this. I just couldn't get myself to enjoy this wine as much as one might home from a good producer in a vintage like this. I'm not saying I'd turn this down...but when the reveal came...it was a let-down.
Flight 10 - Justin's blind red (1 note)
Red
2000 Tenuta le Querce Aglianico del Vulture Vigna della Corona
90 points
Color: Opaque Violet
Smell: Graphite, smoke, dark fruits, and cacao
Taste: Blueberries, cassis, mocha, and cedar.
Overall: My notes started getting a little basic at this point...this was a wonderful wine...I just don't know if my notes could do it justice. I'd love to find this in the $40 range...but at its present price, I'm not so sure.
Smell: Graphite, smoke, dark fruits, and cacao
Taste: Blueberries, cassis, mocha, and cedar.
Overall: My notes started getting a little basic at this point...this was a wonderful wine...I just don't know if my notes could do it justice. I'd love to find this in the $40 range...but at its present price, I'm not so sure.
Flight 11 - Scott's blinds to wind the tasting down... (3 notes)
Red
1997 Moris Farms Maremma Toscana Avvoltore
92 points
Color: Garnet with a hint of bricking
Smell: Dark fruits, red fruits, earth, leather, cigar tobacco, and hints of cedar
Taste: Dark cherries, raspberries, cherries, cedar, and dusty mineral notes.
Overall: In a really great spot to be drinking this right now. There's no reason to wait...but I think it still has another 2-3 years aging potential with proper storage.
Smell: Dark fruits, red fruits, earth, leather, cigar tobacco, and hints of cedar
Taste: Dark cherries, raspberries, cherries, cedar, and dusty mineral notes.
Overall: In a really great spot to be drinking this right now. There's no reason to wait...but I think it still has another 2-3 years aging potential with proper storage.
Red
1982 Château Lynch-Bages
92 points
Color: Ruby with bricking at the rim
Smell: Earth, graphite, red and dark fruits, tobacco, leather, and hints of cedar.
Taste: Dried red fruits, leather, bloody meat, and a bit of dusty mineral notes at the tail end.
Overall: A wonderful wine, just not as complete and in balance as the last bottle I had. Once again, I think this could/should have been decanted better...but despite this...it still was wonderful!
Smell: Earth, graphite, red and dark fruits, tobacco, leather, and hints of cedar.
Taste: Dried red fruits, leather, bloody meat, and a bit of dusty mineral notes at the tail end.
Overall: A wonderful wine, just not as complete and in balance as the last bottle I had. Once again, I think this could/should have been decanted better...but despite this...it still was wonderful!
White - Sparkling
1990 Pommery Champagne Cuvée Louise Brut
flawed
Sadly there was no life left in this bottle...it was oxidized past any sense of enjoyment....
Flight 12 - My blind White...to wind down the night. (1 note)
White - Sweet/Dessert
2005 Didier Dagueneau Les Jardins de Babylone Moelleux
98 points
Color :Canary Yellow
Smell: Stones, tropical fruits, floral tones, honey, and hints of white tea
Taste: A melange of colliding tropical fruits with stand out notes of peach, nectarine, and hints of durian framed by great acidity that lifted the midpalate and drew the sweetness from the purity of fruit into a dry finish...
Overall: A jaw-dropping wine that was the talk of the night amongst some pretty stiff competition as our end of year tasting came to a close...
Smell: Stones, tropical fruits, floral tones, honey, and hints of white tea
Taste: A melange of colliding tropical fruits with stand out notes of peach, nectarine, and hints of durian framed by great acidity that lifted the midpalate and drew the sweetness from the purity of fruit into a dry finish...
Overall: A jaw-dropping wine that was the talk of the night amongst some pretty stiff competition as our end of year tasting came to a close...
Closing
It's always hard to end a tasting like this...there really is no one wine that many of us feel ready to call it a night after. However, everyone agreed that the tasting ended on a high note with our final wine