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Atlanta no-name Wine Tasting Group
BB House
Tasted August 10, 2019 - August 11, 2019 by CWilliam with 184 views
Introduction
Group of 9 guys got together to drink Non-Nap Cabernet/Bordeaux Blends. All bottles were mixed up prior to tasting by a non-participant and we tasted them in pairs of two and then did a reveal.
Ironically, there were 4 Col Solare bottles (2 '07s, 2 '15s) in the tasting and they all showed very well. The biggest surprise (to me) was how well the 2004 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Showed.
Based on the following scoring system (1st =3 points, 2nd = 2 points, 3rd =1 point) the WOTN was the Silver Oak (18 points), followed by the '07 Col Solare (15 points -more #1 scores) and then 2016 Austin Hope Cabernet (8 points).
Interestingly, all the points for the '07 Col Solare were for the 1st of 2 bottles from that vintage.
Flight 1 (10 notes)
Wines below were in order (staring with 2007 Col Solare), but #4 was a Col Solare (after Quilceda Creek) and #7 was a '15 Col Solare (after the Silver Oak) for my colleagues at the tasting.
White
2014 Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis 1er Cru Vau de Vey
86 points
Very flat - used as warm up wine in a tasting. little complexity and very thin. Structurally a well made wine though. Not a re-buy for me. 86+/-
Red
2007 Col Solare
93 points
Wine #1 in Blind Tasting - Domestic non-Napa Cab/Bordeaux blends. Tasted in pairs and then revealed.
Great nose - cassis, black cherry, tobacco and touch of bell pepper. On palate, savory, with cassis, tobacco and black cherry. Medium+ acidity, medium tannins and very long finish. Guessed this was my wine and I was correct - Wine #4 in the tasting was also an '07 Col Solare that tasted younger (more sweet cherry / cassis). 93+/- My WOTN. Got the most #1 votes by the group but an '04 Silver Oak Alexander Valley technically was the Group's WOTN.
Great nose - cassis, black cherry, tobacco and touch of bell pepper. On palate, savory, with cassis, tobacco and black cherry. Medium+ acidity, medium tannins and very long finish. Guessed this was my wine and I was correct - Wine #4 in the tasting was also an '07 Col Solare that tasted younger (more sweet cherry / cassis). 93+/- My WOTN. Got the most #1 votes by the group but an '04 Silver Oak Alexander Valley technically was the Group's WOTN.
Red
2009 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon
92 points
Wine #2 in Blind Tasting - Domestic non-Napa Cab/Bordeaux blends. Tasted in pairs and then revealed.
Sweet cherry, raspberry, cedar on nose -still fruit primary. Tasted much, much younger than an '07 Col Solare that it was paired with. Full body, medium acidity, medium+ tannins and long finish. Guessed this was Quilceda Creek, but thought this was the '15 CVR (2nd wine) given how prominent the fruit was. This wine will age for an extremely long time based on this showing as it's still a baby. Very enjoyable but needs a very long decant (or more time) to shine. 92+/-
Sweet cherry, raspberry, cedar on nose -still fruit primary. Tasted much, much younger than an '07 Col Solare that it was paired with. Full body, medium acidity, medium+ tannins and long finish. Guessed this was Quilceda Creek, but thought this was the '15 CVR (2nd wine) given how prominent the fruit was. This wine will age for an extremely long time based on this showing as it's still a baby. Very enjoyable but needs a very long decant (or more time) to shine. 92+/-
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Red
2015 Château Belles-Graves
Wine #3 in Blind Tasting - Domestic non-Napa Cab/Bordeaux blends. Tasted in pairs and then revealed.
Didn't note color. Oak/dill, cherry, cranberry on nose - similar palate flavor profile. On palate, medium body, medium acidity/tannins and very long finish. Noticeably lighter than 2 wines ('07 Col Solare and '09 Quilceda Creek Cab) that preceded it. Guessed Hedges Bordeaux blend from Washington State or old school Sonoma producer. This was a ringer so that will be my excuse. Did not give a numerical rating but this was a very nice wine to drink. 90-91 range.
Didn't note color. Oak/dill, cherry, cranberry on nose - similar palate flavor profile. On palate, medium body, medium acidity/tannins and very long finish. Noticeably lighter than 2 wines ('07 Col Solare and '09 Quilceda Creek Cab) that preceded it. Guessed Hedges Bordeaux blend from Washington State or old school Sonoma producer. This was a ringer so that will be my excuse. Did not give a numerical rating but this was a very nice wine to drink. 90-91 range.
Red
2015 Col Solare
93 points
Wine #5 and #7 in Blind Tasting - Domestic non-Napa Cab/Bordeaux blends. Tasted in pairs and then revealed.
black in the glass. Very tight nose (2nd bottle (#7) was open for business though) - black currants, cassis, sweet tobacco (oak noticeable on 2nd bottle). Similar flavor profile with full body, medium+ acidity, medium tannins and long finish (very long for #7). Guessed Sonoma Cab, warm vintage - guesses starting to South...
Very young, and very enjoyable - similar numerical ratings for each bottle. 93+/-
black in the glass. Very tight nose (2nd bottle (#7) was open for business though) - black currants, cassis, sweet tobacco (oak noticeable on 2nd bottle). Similar flavor profile with full body, medium+ acidity, medium tannins and long finish (very long for #7). Guessed Sonoma Cab, warm vintage - guesses starting to South...
Very young, and very enjoyable - similar numerical ratings for each bottle. 93+/-
Red
2004 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley
93 points
Wine #6 in Blind Tasting - Domestic non-Napa Cab/Bordeaux blends. Tasted in pairs and then revealed.
I knew this was in the tasting but not which order (there were 11 bottles). Didn't note color. Sweet cherry, dill, cedar and savory on nose. On palate, similar flavor profile with medium body, medium acidity/tannins with exquisite balanced. I guess it was a Sonoma Cab dominant blend with 10+ years of age.
Based on weighting (1st =3 points, 2nd = 2 points, 3rd =1 point), this was the WOTN (group skews towards liking Old World, / Earthy Wines). This wine was a gift from my sister and I have never had anything from Silver Oak before. While clearly at peak or on way down hill, this wine has aged extremely well and is very well made. 93+/-
I knew this was in the tasting but not which order (there were 11 bottles). Didn't note color. Sweet cherry, dill, cedar and savory on nose. On palate, similar flavor profile with medium body, medium acidity/tannins with exquisite balanced. I guess it was a Sonoma Cab dominant blend with 10+ years of age.
Based on weighting (1st =3 points, 2nd = 2 points, 3rd =1 point), this was the WOTN (group skews towards liking Old World, / Earthy Wines). This wine was a gift from my sister and I have never had anything from Silver Oak before. While clearly at peak or on way down hill, this wine has aged extremely well and is very well made. 93+/-
Red
2010 Force Majeure Cabernet Sauvignon Collaboration Series Force Majeure Vineyard
90 points
Wine #8 in Blind Tasting - Domestic non-Napa Cab/Bordeaux blends. Tasted in pairs and then revealed
Dark purple color. Plum, burnt sugar, blackberry jam and alcohol on nose. Palate was more mellow but fruit primary. Full body, okay structure and long finish. Given flavor profile, I doubt this would age much longer. Would not purchase, but a well made, huge, wine. 90+/- One of my least favorite wines in the tasting. Guessed a Paso Robles Cab given heat on nose.
Dark purple color. Plum, burnt sugar, blackberry jam and alcohol on nose. Palate was more mellow but fruit primary. Full body, okay structure and long finish. Given flavor profile, I doubt this would age much longer. Would not purchase, but a well made, huge, wine. 90+/- One of my least favorite wines in the tasting. Guessed a Paso Robles Cab given heat on nose.
Red
2016 Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon
92 points
Wine #9 in Blind Tasting - Domestic non-Napa Cab/Bordeaux blends. Tasted in pairs and then revealed.
Notes getting poor by this stage. Black in the glass. On nose, very rich with licorice, blackberry jam and sweet cherry. Similar on palate. Full body, medium acidity, low tannins (probably won't age, but this is just a delicious wine that doesn't need to age to drink well) and long finish. Wrote down "delicious." Noticeably fruitier than all prior wines - guessed something from Paso and was finally correct.
While I wouldn't buy this to cellar (not enough tannins), this is drinking excellent now if you are in the mood for something big and it good acidity to keep it from being flabby. 92-93
Notes getting poor by this stage. Black in the glass. On nose, very rich with licorice, blackberry jam and sweet cherry. Similar on palate. Full body, medium acidity, low tannins (probably won't age, but this is just a delicious wine that doesn't need to age to drink well) and long finish. Wrote down "delicious." Noticeably fruitier than all prior wines - guessed something from Paso and was finally correct.
While I wouldn't buy this to cellar (not enough tannins), this is drinking excellent now if you are in the mood for something big and it good acidity to keep it from being flabby. 92-93
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Red
2013 Mullan Road Cellars Red Wine Blend
90 points
Wine #10 in Blind Tasting - Domestic non-Napa Cab/Bordeaux blends. Tasted in pairs and then revealed.
Much more reserved than the '16 Austin Hope Cabernet it was paired with - I prefer this style of wine usually, but probably given the end of the tasting, the bigger wine (Austin Hope) showed better. Pretty fruit primary but good structure. My notes were gone by this point. Didn't numerically rate in blind tasting (score at end is from dinner). I had some with lamb chops a few hours later and this paired well. Would not seek this out but it's a well made bottle of wine. 90+/-
This wine was the Group's #4 out of 11 wines.
Much more reserved than the '16 Austin Hope Cabernet it was paired with - I prefer this style of wine usually, but probably given the end of the tasting, the bigger wine (Austin Hope) showed better. Pretty fruit primary but good structure. My notes were gone by this point. Didn't numerically rate in blind tasting (score at end is from dinner). I had some with lamb chops a few hours later and this paired well. Would not seek this out but it's a well made bottle of wine. 90+/-
This wine was the Group's #4 out of 11 wines.
Red
2012 Figgins Estate Red Wine
Wine #11 in Blind Tasting - Domestic non-Napa Cab/Bordeaux blends. Tasted in pairs and then revealed
This wine did not show well - personally I think it was not decanted long enough and/or it's simply too young to show it's full potential. Clearly it's a well made bottle of wine with good structure, but it didn't show the complexity I would have expected at this price point. All of the Col Solare wines ('07 and '15) showed more complexity with better fruit. This was the last bottle tasted so palate fatigue could have been an issue. Did not formerly rate. Based on this showing, would not seek out.
This wine did not show well - personally I think it was not decanted long enough and/or it's simply too young to show it's full potential. Clearly it's a well made bottle of wine with good structure, but it didn't show the complexity I would have expected at this price point. All of the Col Solare wines ('07 and '15) showed more complexity with better fruit. This was the last bottle tasted so palate fatigue could have been an issue. Did not formerly rate. Based on this showing, would not seek out.
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Closing
Nice tasting. Was surprised at the result but that is why you taste wines blind to remove pre-conceptions!