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Second Sunday Group: Douro reds
Frank's
Tasted January 11, 2015 by AllRed with 560 views
Introduction
The 2nd Sunday group gathered for the normal double blind tasting. For this group, we are presented some whites, double blind, as warm ups before the main flight. The whites are discussed & unveiled before moving on to the themed main flight. We spent forty five minutes or so tasting and evaluation the eight wines for the main flight before ranking the wines and then making guesses as to what we were tasting. Wines are ranked 1-8, one point for each place, and then unveiled from last place to first place. After the tasting, dinner is served with the additional wines brought by the group, nonblind. For this tasting we had 12 tasters and the cost was $25.
All are shown in the order tasted. For this tasting, we had 12 tasters and the cost was $25.
Flight 1 - I. Warm ups (2 notes)
The Berrien was served double blind, while the Champagne served as a nonblind palate cleanser before the reds.
White
2011 Domaine Berrien Cellars Marsanne
75 points
Tasted double blind. Pale color. Initial note of citrus blossom and apple with a waxy undertone. Quickly fades and shows alcohol and bitter almond. The palate is thin and acidic and ends with a bitter note as well. No guess.
White - Sparkling
1996 Henriot Champagne Brut Millésimé
93 points
L04154, tasted nonblind before the reds. Golden color with a bouquet featuring roasted nuts, apple, marshmallow, pear and hazelnuts. Has just a faint hint of oxidation. Light mousse and not much of a bead. Much more youthful on the palate than I expected based on the bouquet and mousse. Apple, vanilla cream, almond and lemon blossom flavors with and nice hint of mineral on the finish. Delightful.
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Comments (1)
Flight 2 - II. Red flight (8 notes)
Shown in the order they appeared in the flight. Some guessed "modern" Bordeaux, others cool climate Cabernet from CA, others a mix. I was truly stumped and had no guess as to what these were. You could have told me Cab, Tempranillo or Malbec and I'd have believed you.
Red
2010 Prats and Symington Douro Post Scriptum de Chryseia
85 points
Dark color. Aromas of pine resin, cassis and raspberry. The palate is a bit more forward and jammy (in a good way) with ripe raspberry and boysenberry flavors. Develops a note of burnt rubber and the tannins become more evident.
My #8, Domino's #8
Group #8, 75 pts
My #8, Domino's #8
Group #8, 75 pts
Red
2011 Delaforce Touriga Nacional Douro
89 points
Dark color. Notes of boysenberry, plum and dark fruit with a hint of incense underneath. Raspberry and black cherry fruit on the palate. As the wine breathes in the glass the fruit turns more toward the dark end of the spectrum- plum and cassis, and the incense note becomes more prominent. Tannins are present, but fine-grained and approachable. Finishes with an abundance of fruit. 89+ pts.
My #1, Domino's #3
Group #1, 40 pts
My #1, Domino's #3
Group #1, 40 pts
Red
2011 Quinta do Passadouro Douro Passadouro
88 points
Opens with notes of dark fruit, spice and vanilla, developing aromas of incense and pepper as it sits. Flavors of purple and blue fruit mingled with vanilla and plum on the palate. The tannins begin to stand out after this sits and it also develops a very Napa-like chocolate quality.
My #5, Domino's #2
Group #7, 60 pts
My #5, Domino's #2
Group #7, 60 pts
Red
2010 Quinta do Vallado Douro Reserva Field Blend
86 points
Aromas of incense, pine resin and black fruits. Juicy and bright on the palate, with a mix of red and black fruit. The fruit turns jammy and it develops some intriguing herbal undertones. I had initially rated this higher, but it became quite astringent- too much so for my liking.
My #7, Domino's #7
Group #5, #58 pts
My #7, Domino's #7
Group #5, #58 pts
Red
2011 António Lopes Douro
86 points
Aromas of cherries, violets and black currants, yet slightly candied. Candied black fruit and vanilla notes on the palate turn to plum and vanilla. Simple.
My #6, Domino's #6
Group #4, 55 pts
My #6, Domino's #6
Group #4, 55 pts
Red
2010 Quinta do Crasto Douro Reserva Old Vines
88 points
Pine, black cherry, boysenberry and raspberry aromas make this immediately appealing. Flavors of dark fruit, cherry, white currants and spice on the palate; supple and round. Develops a chocolate note with air, and the fruit becomes dark and jammy. Tannins are more evident as well. 88+ pts.
My #4, Domino's #4
Group #3, 44 pts
My #4, Domino's #4
Group #3, 44 pts
Red
2010 Quinta do Vallado Touriga Nacional Douro
88 points
Perfumed aromas of violets, black raspberry, lilac and bramble berries. Flavors of black cherry, raspberry and spice framed by medium tannins. Notes of herbs, roasted black fruit and oak develop with air. Adds a chocolate note in the finish. 88-89 pts.
My #2, Domino's #1
Group #2, 41 pts
My #2, Domino's #1
Group #2, 41 pts
Red
2012 Quinta do Crasto Douro Crasto
88 points
Opens with a nice herbal quality, followed by oak and purple fruit, with a slight roasted overtone. Floral qualities on the palate, along with raspberry and candied red fruit; has a "sweetness." Chocolate and ripe dark fruit notes emerge, complemented by boysenberry, peach and cherry flavors on the palate. Violet and more florals in the bouquet too. 88+ pts.
My #3, Domino's #5
Group #6, 59 pts
My #3, Domino's #5
Group #6, 59 pts
Flight 3 - III. Dinner/dessert wines (10 notes)
Tasted nonblind with chicken chili and birthday cake...happy birthday, Peter!
White - Fortified
N.V. Casa Pedro Domecq Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Amontillado Very Rare Sibarita
96 points
Bottle No. 2,052, bottled on 2/11/1982. This was a treat. Deep tawny color and slightly cloudy. Haunting bouquet of caramel, sauteed apples, pear nectar and peach turning to baked apricots. The palate revealed flavors of peach syrup, pear nectar, nuts, caramel, maple syrup and toffee. There's plenty of acidity remaining and keeps this quite fresh and lively. The finish lingers for minutes. 96-97 pts. Thank you, Neil!
Red
1995 Château Prieuré-Lichine
92 points
Double decanted off its sediment and served nonblind with dinner about three hours later. Opens with a nice earthy funk, followed by red currants, tobacco, sous bois and the expected Margaux florals. Currants and florals on the palate. Tannins have integrated nicely, and while this should hold for a good while, I see no reason to wait. Enjoy now-2020. I preferred this to the '96, as did just about everyone else.
Red
1996 Château Prieuré-Lichine
87 points
Double decanted off its sediment and served nonblind with dinner about three hours later. Aromas of dark fruit dominate, with tobacco and sous bois notes as well. Has a subtle prune/raisin undertone that I do not care for. Tannins are present but mostly integrated, leaving dark fruit and herb qualities. Has a bitterness on the finish.
Red
1990 Château Léoville Barton
89 points
The color belies its age. Opens with a strong note of brett, with black currant jam, cherry, sous bois and leather underneath. Medium-bodied with some tannin to shed, and flavors of currants and tobacco with a bretty streak here as well, which is a shame because there's such a nice core of fruit & other complexities underneath. Others fawned over this, but I think the brettanomyces dominates and was not as impressed.
Red
1996 Clos de l'Oratoire
88 points
Aromas of red and black fruits, earth and cherry. Slightly firm on the palate, bordering on austere, with flavors of currants, forest floor and mineral. 88-89 pts.
Red
1997 Il Colombaio de Cencio Chianti Classico
92 points
Faded crimson color with notes of dried currants, violets, cherry and sandalwood. Integrated and balanced, feauting flavors of cherry, white currant, violets and cedar. Very pretty and drinking well. 92+ pts.
Red
2012 Casali Sangiovese di Romagna Superiore Baruccia
90 points
Has a nice core of red fruit backed by spice and wood notes. Red fruit dominates on the palate, with vanilla, floral and oak flavors in the background. Full-bodied with slightly firm, but approachable tannins.
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Red
2009 Xavier Vignon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Anonyme
87 points
Quite ripe, with prune and raisin qualities in the bouquet and on the palate. A bit too ripe for my liking.
Red
2009 Alain Jaume Lirac Clos de Sixte
89 points
Dark color. Opens with notes of ripe dark fruit and herbs, then tapenade, licorice and roasted game. Flavors of prune, plum, meat and blackberry.
Red - Fortified
1992 Fonseca Porto Vintage
96 points
Notes of cherries, cassis and blackberry with floral overtones. Licorice, cherry, currant and kirsch flavors on the palate. Drinking very well.
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Closing
No surprise that I was stumped during the main flight as I have tasted so very few Douro reds- they simply aren't on my radar. As this tasting proved, there is value in Douro reds, but I doubt my buying habits will change much. That said, if I am in need of something in this range, I will certainly consider these as viable options. Thank you, Frank, for an interesting tasting and expanding my horizon a bit.