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2011 Philadelphia Wine Festival
Marriott, Philadelphia PA
Tasted May 7, 2011 by ews3 with 2,930 views
Introduction
Usual walk-around tasting disclaimers apply -- although this is a long event, there is some palate fatigue and my notes are not as in depth as I would like. Take it all with a grain of salt.
Flight 1 - Top Wines of the Tasting (94+ Points) (6 notes)
Red
White - Sparkling
2002 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut
94 points
nice yeasty green apple profile with some almond. remains incredibly youthful.
Red
2007 Dominus Estate
94 points
excellent. tight. leather and black fruit. med(+) tannins show this will age.
Red
2004 Pio Cesare Barolo Ornato
94 points
really nice. firm tannins. rose, leather, and orange peel. med(+) finish has bite.
Red
2007 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve
94 points
really nice chocolate and black berry fruit profile. med(+) tannin. medium (+) finish. will last.
Red
2008 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection
94 points
This wasn't that different from the regular Caymus -- a little tighter and shows the potential to age longer.
Flight 2 - Wines that really stood out (92-93 Points) (23 notes)
Red
2006 Viña Almaviva S.A. Almaviva
93 points
really nice dark cherry profile. some plum and berry notes.
Red
2007 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate
93 points
really refined. nice medium tannin profile acid shows aging potential. black fruit.
Red
2007 Gaja Barbaresco
93 points
really tannic. sour raspberry. med(+) acid. quite a bomb. will age well.
Red
2007 Gérard Bertrand Minervois-La Livinière Le Viala
93 points
I found this delicious, with a really nice chocolate and coffee profile
Red
Red
2007 Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
93 points
i was impressed with this -- showed more restraint than the profile and, in my opinion, seemed the better made wine on this day.
Red
Red
2008 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon
93 points
nice black fruit profile. medium tannin. chocolaty mouthfeel. a tasty wine.
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Red
2006 Allegrini Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
93 points
huge wine, very big thick tannins. long finish.
Red
Red
2007 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District
92 points
restrained for an 07 cab. medium tannin. really nice. "like it"
Red
2007 Concha y Toro Cabernet Sauvignon Don Melchor
92 points
nice full mouthfeel. fresh acidity. a little green on the fruit. medium finish.
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Red
2008 M. Chapoutier Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Bernardine
92 points
nice chocolaty profile is a little atypical for CdP
Red
2007 Ca' Marcanda (Gaja) Magari
92 points
a little rounder than the barbaresco with chocolate and pomegranate notes.
Red
2007 Hewitt Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
92 points
a nice effort. black fruit with some spiciness, especially on the med finish.
White
2009 Maison Albert Bichot Corton-Charlemagne Domaine du Pavillon
92 points
nice med(+) oak profile sits on top of ripe pear.
Red
2006 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco
92 points
cherry driven palate with surprising tannins. rep explained riservas were blended in, which elevates this a bit. nice example
Red
2007 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Artemis
92 points
very nice. dusty flavor, builds sharp acidity that might be off-putting to some -- i think it will age.
White
2006 Robert Mondavi Winery Fumé Blanc To-Kalon I Block
92 points
Really nice -- soft pineapple. medium acid. well integrated oak. i wrote down this was the best fume blanc i've ever had, but now i see it is double the price of any other i've had.... there's magic in that to kalon soil.
Red
2007 Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains Estate
92 points
extremely impressive. black fruit, coffee, plum. surprisingly tight and tannic with robust acid profile -- will age well. added to my wishlist.
Red
2008 Ridge Geyserville
92 points
really nice. black fruit and sweet spice profile. tannin builds, showing this wine to perform far above its price. will age well.
Red
2003 Pio Cesare Barolo Ornato
92 points
more tannin and acid than the 04. a touch hot. may become the better wine if stars align.
Red
2007 Merryvale Profile
92 points
really nice attack shows black fruit. finish develops unfortunate heat.
Flight 3 - Wines I enjoyed quite bit (90-91 points) (24 notes)
Red
2007 Poggio al Tesoro Bolgheri Superiore Sondraia
91 points
dark fruit, clove, sweet spice, medium peppery finish.
Red
2006 Antinori Chianti Classico Marchese Antinori Riserva
91 points
surprisingly dark tannins. cherry. nice.
Red
2006 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Poetry
91 points
more tannin than the base SLD, but not enough fruit to back it up.
Red
2009 Domaine Terlato & Chapoutier Shiraz Viognier
91 points
i thought this was rocking. the viognier adds a nice honey note on top of bright red berry fruit. wish list to try again.
Red
2006 Domaine Terlato & Chapoutier Shiraz Lieu dit Malakoff
91 points
less fruit than the young base wine, but rounder around the edges.
White
2009 Gaja Langhe Rossj Bass
91 points
nice pear/lime/slate profile. not worth the price tag, but delicious.
Red
2008 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape
91 points
really nice chocolate/strawberry profile. finish is unfortunately a bit green.
Red
Red
2007 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville
91 points
nice dusty tannins. dark profile with white pepper. medium finish. surprising structure.
White - Sweet/Dessert
2009 Robert Mondavi Winery Moscato d'Oro
91 points
impressive acidity for this kept it fresh with a nice tingle.
White
2008 Paul Hobbs Chardonnay Russian River Valley
91 points
nice lemon notes. this had oak, but i didnt think it overwhelmed.
White
2009 Merryvale Chardonnay
91 points
more oak than the starmont. pleasant flavor profile, more tropical fruit.
Red
2007 Dominus Napanook Red
91 points
nice black fruit profile. med(-) tannins could have more structure.
Red
2005 Pian Delle Vigne (Antinori) Brunello di Montalcino
90 points
really tannic. dark fruit. tar, floral. needs time.
Red
2007 Gérard Bertrand Côtes du Roussillon Villages Tautavel Grand Terroir
90 points
nice black currant and berry profile. pleasant finish.
Red
2007 Provenance Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford
90 points
smoky fire -- like a barbecue. dusty tannins. tastes a little old, troubling for development.
Red
2007 Bodega Numanthia Toro Termes
90 points
nice filling mouthfeel with lots of fruit... "only" 14.5% abv, but feels hot.
Red
2007 Columbia Crest Walter Clore Private Reserve
90 points
enjoyed this. rounder and fuller than the other wines at this table, with black fruit and a med finish.
Flight 4 - Well-made wines missing a little something (88-89 Points) (30 notes)
Red
White
2008 Grgich Hills Sauvignon Blanc Fumé Blanc
89 points
served a little bit cold. this had nice tropical fruit flavors.
Red
White
2009 Maison Albert Bichot Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières
89 points
apple, pear, and pineapple. more tropical fruit than some of the others. served too cold.
Red
2008 Joseph Drouhin Gevrey-Chambertin
89 points
nice acidity. cherry, root beer. finish shows nice smoke but is a bit sour.
White
Red
2008 Elvio Cogno Barbera d'Alba Bricco dei Merli
89 points
nice light sour cherry with some pleasant cigar box / cedar notes that i particularly enjoyed.
Red
Red
2008 Orin Swift Cabernet Sauvignon Mercury Head
89 points
i found this a little unnecessarily harsh. ma round out with time, but i am not optimistic.
Red
2007 Spring Valley Vineyard Frederick
89 points
red currant most prominent. nice acid mouthfeel. med finish.
Red
2009 Lapostolle Carménère Cuvée Alexandre
89 points
tight and tannic -- not quite enough fruit to hold up to the structure
Red
2007 Allegrini Palazzo della Torre Veronese IGT
88 points
nice acidity, dried fruit, sweet spice. i liked this. 88+
Red
2007 Cameron Hughes Cabernet Sauvignon Lot 190
88 points
on the light side for a cab, but a little crescendo on the late midpalate.
Red
2009 Cameron Hughes Pinot Noir Lot 203
88 points
root beer and nice fruit profile. a little bright on the finish.
White
2009 Provenance Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Estate Grown
88 points
grassy and simple with a slightly sour finish.
Red
Red
2007 Spring Valley Vineyard Uriah
88 points
more body than the northstar merlot. plum flavor. sour finish.
Red
2006 Viña Cobos Cabernet Sauvignon Bramare
88 points
a little bit green. med(+) tannin. hot on finish.
Red
2009 Boekenhoutskloof The Chocolate Block
88 points
better, with some pleasant floral notes. fruit still a little green on this.
White
2008 Mer Soleil Chardonnay Silver Unoaked
88 points
simple and a little green -- some oak might have helped this.
Flight 5 - Good Wines (86-87 points) (29 notes)
White
2009 Poggio al Tesoro Vermentino Bolgheri Solosole
87 points
nice salinity
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White
2003 Trimbach Riesling Clos Ste. Hune
87 points
this did not show well. a little bit sour and overly concentrated.
Red
2008 Chateau Montelena Zinfandel The Montelena Estate
87 points
light and fruity. picks up some depth on the finish.
White - Sparkling
2007 Gérard Bertrand Crémant de Limoux
87 points
a little aggressive on the mousse, this showed nice acidic green apple flavors
Red
2008 Robert Mondavi Winery Pinot Noir Reserve
87 points
simple and fruity, this turned a bit sour on the med(-) finish.
Red
2009 Ridge Three Valleys
87 points
i love ridge zins, but found this to be a fairly pedestrian effort. simple and a touch of green notes. that said, it is a great value and a wine that consistently impresses even if i didnt enjoy this one as much.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Marchesi di Barolo Moscato d'Asti
87 points
nice and light -- a bit syrupy on the sweet finish.
Red
White
2009 Gérard Bertrand Vin de Pays d'Oc Cigalus Blanc
86 points
simple, without too much flavor. some oak on finish
Red
2007 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir Laurène
86 points
i found this to be in a funky place, with sour fruit and a bitter finish.
Red
2008 Paul Hobbs Pinot Noir Russian River Valley
86 points
nice cola profile but a little sharp on finish
Red
2008 Viña Cobos Malbec Felino
86 points
the chocolate milk profile I love from the Cobos Malbec lineis there, but this is a little simple
White
Red
2008 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley
86 points
medium tannins, but missing a little stuffing/oomph. won't last long.
Flight 6 - Wines I did not enjoy (85 and below) (16 notes)
Red
Red
White
2009 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Chardonnay Arthur
85 points
a little bit sour, with less acidity than the pouilly fuisse
White
Red
Red
2008 Terrazas de Los Andes Malbec Reserva
83 points
lots of plum on this with some chocolate on the finish. had enjoyed this before, was disappointed this time.
Red
2009 Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet
80 points
a little bit hot and sour -- disappointing, as i have enjoyed bottles of this in the past.