Monday night Blinds at Nopa - Take 3 (Nopa SF): Summary: Pretty non-descript but perfectly nice with pleasant (if subdued) aromatics. Score: Around 8.5 -------- Wine 1: served cold in a standard glass. Visual White wine. Clear, bright [I don’t know what day/star bright is. I’m calling it bright unless it’s super lusterous]. Pale straw with reflections of green [forgot to list concentration - it was low] No gas or sediment. M tears. [I’ve stopped caring much about this].
(tasted: dry)
Nose Low intensity nose. Clean. Light grapefruit, faint peach, faint reductive/wood/earth? Light warm ripe peach. This wine has low complexity, and is youthful.
Palate Dry, light body, light plus alcohol. Not very aromatic. A little unripe peach. No evidence of oak. Medium acid - balance of malic and tartaric. This wine is balanced, it is low in complexity, and the finish is moderate minus.
Initial Conclusions This is a non-aromatic varietal, from a cool climate, in an Old World style. It’s young - 1-3 years. Possible varietals include: Pinot Grigio (c.f. Gaiser: defined by what it’s not) Pinot Gris / Pinot Blanc (too low in alcohol, no phenolic bitterness) Albarino (Doesn’t fit aromatically) Riesling (too low in acidity) Chardonnay (could be chard - not a very distinguished chard. Maybe a village, unoaked Burgundy). Gruner Veltliner (doesn’t fit aromatically. Probably would have higher alcohol and maybe acid). [Forgot to do possible countries, but I was sort of thinking of those along with the varietals]
Final Conclusions This is Pinot Grigio, from Italy - specifically Alto Adige, 2013 vintage. [Didn’t put quality down].
Actual: 2012 A. Coroa Godello Spain - Galicia: Valdeorras DO $20
Analysis: I was pretty much on the right track.
LM commented that Albarino is close - Godello is often blended with Albarino. The aromatics don’t match though. Chardonnay was also good. Godello has more pear/orchard fruit like Chardonnay. Godello is pretty rare - might be on a Masters-level exam, but it’s pretty obscure.
Godello could be a lateral for unoaked Chard, pinot grigio, other unoaked, moderate-acidity, non-aromatic whites with no other defining characteristics (like higher alcohol or phenolic bitterness).
Notes from GuildSomm on Godello: Valdeorras produces straight Godello for white, and Mencia for red.
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Triple Birthday Dinner (Ponsonby, Auckland, New Zealand): Firstly - a perfect match with a course of smoked couscous salad with flavours of the Mediterranean - both in terms of flavour profile as well as conceptually. Crisp acidity, smooth balance, and a strong lemony herbal character adds up to a delicious wine.
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indigenous 2000 year old Romas variety. Hillside sites are very important. Slate and granite soils. mineral and saline aromas. not oaked. clean and fresh. medium body, very mineral.
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4/6/2015 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 85 Points
Monday night Blinds at Nopa - Take 3 (Nopa SF): Summary:
Pretty non-descript but perfectly nice with pleasant (if subdued) aromatics.
Score: Around 8.5
--------
Wine 1: served cold in a standard glass.
Visual
White wine. Clear, bright [I don’t know what day/star bright is. I’m calling it bright unless it’s super lusterous].
Pale straw with reflections of green [forgot to list concentration - it was low]
No gas or sediment.
M tears. [I’ve stopped caring much about this].
(tasted: dry)
Nose
Low intensity nose. Clean.
Light grapefruit, faint peach, faint reductive/wood/earth?
Light warm ripe peach.
This wine has low complexity, and is youthful.
Palate
Dry, light body, light plus alcohol.
Not very aromatic. A little unripe peach. No evidence of oak.
Medium acid - balance of malic and tartaric.
This wine is balanced, it is low in complexity, and the finish is moderate minus.
Initial Conclusions
This is a non-aromatic varietal, from a cool climate, in an Old World style.
It’s young - 1-3 years.
Possible varietals include:
Pinot Grigio (c.f. Gaiser: defined by what it’s not)
Pinot Gris / Pinot Blanc (too low in alcohol, no phenolic bitterness)
Albarino (Doesn’t fit aromatically)
Riesling (too low in acidity)
Chardonnay (could be chard - not a very distinguished chard. Maybe a village, unoaked Burgundy).
Gruner Veltliner (doesn’t fit aromatically. Probably would have higher alcohol and maybe acid).
[Forgot to do possible countries, but I was sort of thinking of those along with the varietals]
Final Conclusions
This is Pinot Grigio, from Italy - specifically Alto Adige, 2013 vintage. [Didn’t put quality down].
Actual:
2012 A. Coroa Godello
Spain - Galicia: Valdeorras DO
$20
Analysis:
I was pretty much on the right track.
LM commented that Albarino is close - Godello is often blended with Albarino. The aromatics don’t match though. Chardonnay was also good. Godello has more pear/orchard fruit like Chardonnay. Godello is pretty rare - might be on a Masters-level exam, but it’s pretty obscure.
Godello could be a lateral for unoaked Chard, pinot grigio, other unoaked, moderate-acidity, non-aromatic whites with no other defining characteristics (like higher alcohol or phenolic bitterness).
Notes from GuildSomm on Godello:
Valdeorras produces straight Godello for white, and Mencia for red.
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2/5/2015 - Marc wrote: 87 Points
Triple Birthday Dinner (Ponsonby, Auckland, New Zealand): Firstly - a perfect match with a course of smoked couscous salad with flavours of the Mediterranean - both in terms of flavour profile as well as conceptually. Crisp acidity, smooth balance, and a strong lemony herbal character adds up to a delicious wine.
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9/19/2014 - nzinkgraf wrote:
indigenous 2000 year old Romas variety. Hillside sites are very important. Slate and granite soils. mineral and saline aromas. not oaked. clean and fresh. medium body, very mineral.
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8/19/2014 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Full and rich and powerful. Delicious. Creamy minerality on the back. Works it out at $20.
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8/18/2014 - nzinkgraf wrote:
A Coroa - 'The Crown', Valdeorras - 'Valley of Gold.'
Whit pepper, almost a touch of menthol, all stainless, slate soils.
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