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Monthly Wine Group: Blind Pinots from Around the World

The Kenwood, Mpls, MN

Tasted April 17, 2016 by rocknroller with 442 views

Introduction

Great night of food and camaraderie. The theme was blind pinots from around the world. We had a big group with around 21 people in three tables. I will apologize in advance for very brief notes tonight. One of those nights. Seemed hard to focus on the wines tonight with a quick pacing. And with the food being just killer, it was even tougher.

Flight 1 (17 notes)

White - Sparkling
N.V. Bérêche et Fils Champagne Brut Réserve France, Champagne
90 points
Drank 1 glass. Rock solid again, a nice mix of orchard fruit with brightness on the palate and clean minerality. 90+pts.
White - Sparkling
1995 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Blanc des Millénaires France, Champagne
95 points
Light-medium gold color. Drank 1+ glass over 30 minutes. Wow, what a treat to drink this again - Thanks Dave!! And, this was the best bottle to date. Fantastic on the nose and palate, this delivered a leesy, toasty, depth that few Champagnes seem to achieve, and when you add the supporting fruit and acid structure, you have a serious wine of depth and complexity. Showing the optimal mix of maturity with youth. This is spot now.
3 people found this helpful Comment
White
2011 Bruno Debize Beaujolais Blanc France, Burgundy, Beaujolais
86 points
Small pour. There was absolutely nothing wrong with this wine. Just a very light, watery, simple chard that doesn't deliver much interest. Light citrus, thin.
1 person found this helpful Comment
White
2001 Château de la Maltroye Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Grandes Ruchottes France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru
92 points
Dark gold color. This got a couple hours of slow-O time, Drank 1 glass over an hour. The color certainly made one concerned, but all fears were quickly allayed with the first sips. A very pleasant mix of butter, lemon oil, tangerine, and almond on the nose. The palate is full bodied and deeply flavorful, oily, smooth texture, tangerine, orange, lemon oil, golden fruit, butter, good length. Drinking as a great aged Burg should. 92+pts.
White
2010 Moreau-Naudet & Fils Chablis 1er Cru Les Forêts France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
93 points
Light gold green color. Drank 1 glass over 45 minutes. Great acid, wow, intense minerality, wet stones, oyster shell, meyer lemon, citrus, and hints of orange, very long. Have I mentioned how much i love 2010 Chablis? Incredible value.
White
2001 Beringer Vineyards Chardonnay Sbragia Limited Release USA, California, Napa Valley
Small taste. Deep gold color. Fun to try this. Nice nose, but the palate just has too much heat now. Hard for me to get past. Perhaps the fruit could handle this back in the day. But 15.1% at 15 years old did hold up.
Red
2002 Belle Pente Pinot Noir Belle Pente Vineyard USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
87 points
Medium dark red color with significant bricking on the margin. Drank 1 glass blind over an hour. Seems older, cherry, fairly ripe fruit, earthy, some sour cherry, heat and wood. Feels over the hill. Drinkable but not great. Figured older Oregon.
Red
2007 Domaine du Château de Chorey (Germain) Beaune 1er Cru Les Cras Vieilles Vignes France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru
91 points
Medium dark red color with some bricking on the margin. Drank 1 glass blind over an hour. This had a great nose, earthy, very perfumed, cinnamon, wood. The palate isn't quite up to the nose, but still is nice, much more wood showing, minerals, nice tannins with some grip, medium body, cherry cola. I was thinking a bit older Oregon on this. 91+pts.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2002 Camus Pere & Fils Charmes-Chambertin France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru
92 points
Medium dark red color. Splash double decanted; drank 1 glass "blind" over an hour plus. Very nice nose, floral, dried forest floor, red fruits. the palate has finesse, shows some age, medium body, fine grained tannins and medium plus finish. I was pretty certain this was my wine. Drinking well, but I would not hold these more than a year or so. 91+ to 92pts.
Red
2014 Littorai Pinot Noir Les Larmes USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley
89 points
Drank 1 glass blind over an hour. New wood, a bit vegetal, cherry, sweet cherry fruit, spiced. The palate, shows dark berries, currants, ripe, good acid, an odd character as well, tar, young, fairly long and vibrant. Needs a couple of years. Pretty clearly Cali to me. 89(+)pts.
Red
2011 Theo Minges Spätburgunder Tradition trocken Germany, Pfalz
84 points
Followed 1 glass blind over an hour. Very green, weird in general, not a fan. Thought this was probably Eastern Europe or Southern Hemisphere. 8
Red
2012 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Evenstad Reserve USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
90 points
Dark red color. Drank 1 glass blind over an hour. This had big fruit, ripe, dark berry fruit, spice. The palate was consistent with a fuller body, nice texture, dark red and black fruit. Struck me as more Cali in style, but it makes perfect sense to be '12 Oregon. I've had this wine before, but found less nuance tonight, maybe it was the format.
Red
2008 Belle Pente Pinot Noir Belle Pente Vineyard USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
93 points
Medium dark red color. Drank 1 glass blind over an hour. This seemed like Oregon right from the start. Lovely earthiness, damp, very nuanced, red fruits, sleek tannins, wow nose, very long. This opened fairly gradually, but picked up steam and ended up my red WOTN. In a good place.
Red
1997 Domaine Francois Lamarche Grands-Echezeaux France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Grands-Echezeaux Grand Cru
90 points
Drank 1 glass blind over 30 minutes. Mint, red fruits, earth, meat, sauvage, savory. Very good. Figured Burg with some age. 90+pts.
Red
2005 Bouchard Père et Fils Beaune 1er Cru Teurons France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru
92 points
Drank 1 glass blind over 20 minutes. This was at the tail end and didn't get as much attention, but it had a wonderful nose - really the star here. Great dried herbs, spicebox, a wow floral perfume, red fruits, maybe a bit more one dimensional on the palate.
Red
2007 Marcassin Pinot Noir Marcassin Vineyard USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
Had a small taste of this. About what I expected, huge, packed with ripe powerful rich fruit, syrupy, full bodied, way over the top for my tastes. Not something I can really enjoy, though I'm quite sure others will relish it. 88ish for me.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
1999 Domaine Michel Gaunoux Beaune France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune
91 points
Very small taste, very good - fantastic village wine showing great with age.
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