Important Update From the Founder
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NSMFOW January
The Grapevine, Salem, MA
Tasted January 10, 2008 by cgrimes with 607 views
Introduction
The end of year Blinded BYO and Yankee Swap was rescheduled for January after our previous gathering was cancelled due to a snow storm. The wines were diverse and many were somewhat atypical for their varietal, so the guesses were all over the map. The tasting menu was terrific--the highlights for me being the encrusted potatoes with aioli and parsely olive salad, seared scallops over risotto, and the marinated lamb balls served over crostini and bacon. It was a nice way to end and begin another year.
Flight 1 (12 notes)
White
1997 Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Herrenweg de Turckheim
91 points
Golden color. Nose of honeyed fruits. Palate of apricot, orange peel, honeydew. Relatively low acidity. Dense mouthfeel. Long finish. Delicious.
White
2003 Ojai Sauvignon Blanc Santa Barbara County
86 points
Too cold on initial tasting. Light yellow color. Nose of minerals and slate. Palate of same with white fruits (crisp apple), citrus, grass. There was a question as to whether this was slightly oxidized.
White
2004 Domaine Guiberteau Saumur Blanc
91 points
Golden yellow color with good legs. Nose of white fruits and alcohol. Slight spritziness. Palate of apple, fruit candy, citrus, layered beautifully on minerality and acidity. Weighty mouthfeel with a long finish. This wine is very balanced with great depth.
Red
2000 Antonin Guyon Corton-Clos du Roy
90 points
Garnet color. Nose of black/red cherry, earth, wood, slight leather. Palate of same. Good acidity and tannin to balance. This wine was really opening up by the end of my glass. Alas my pour was too small to fully appreciate. This wine still has some good life left.
Red
2002 Longoria Pinot Noir Fe Ciega Vineyard
75 points
This is so far removed from any Pinot Noir I've ever had that it is a joke. Who could possibly want to drink a PN like this? This takes the big CA PN to new levels, and not a level to which I ever care to travel again.
Red
1996 Bodegas Muga Rioja Torre Muga
88 points
Garnet color. I must admit I was drawn into the nose of this wine with dark fruits, cassis, leather--almost Bordelais in its character. On the palate, though, it was nothing like a Bordeaux--much more fruit forward with black cherry and cassis, lighter body which showed too much acidity. Finish was medium.
Red
2002 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée
78 points
Garnet color. Nose of urine, barnyard (not in the pleasing sense). Palate of black cherries, some earth, leather. Thin. Not great. The bad part about this wine was that I don't think it was off.
Red
2002 Frédéric Magnien Nuits St. Georges Vieilles Vignes
88 points
Light ruby color. Nose of cherries and earth. Palate of black cherry, mushrooms, earth with decent tannins. Good elements but somehow they just don't completely integrate.
Red
2002 Sine Qua Non Pinot Noir Hollerin' M
91 points
Dark ruby, almost opaque. Nose of black cherries, heat. Palate of black cherries, candied cherries, cola with a backbone of velvety tannins. Acidity on the low side and finish was diminished somewhat by heat (15.4% alcohol). Overall this was a well-made CA-style pinot fruit bomb with enough structure to make it interesting and enjoyable. I've tasted a lot of wine from the Shea Vineyard, though, and I would not put this at the top of my list.
Red
2005 Kaesler Shiraz The Bogan
90 points
Dark opaque ruby. Nose of blackberry, plum, blueberry. Fruity palate with some spice and lots of heat. Not my style but seems to be well-made.
Red
1995 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red
94 points
Dark ruby with no bricking. Nose of blackberries and cassis, tobacco, leather. Palate of same with some mocha and stones. Nice mouthfeel with good tannic backbone. Though there were some classic characteristics, it was just a little too fruity to be a Bordeaux. Very enjoyable and drinking well right now. My WOTN.
Red
2000 Clos Mimi Syrah Bunny Slope
83 points
Purple color. Nose of briary fruits. Palate was primary--grapy, sour without much dimension at all. No real tannins. Not very enjoyable. Was it flawed?
Closing
Next month--Parker's favorite Aussies--Grade Inflation?