(blind) Pale yellow. Dry. Aromatic thiol-driven nose. Mango, papaya, grassy pyrazines. Dry, medium body, 13% (correct) alcohol, high acid.
This is textbook Sauvignon Blanc. Laterals: Australia - would have lower acid ZA - usually less intense thiols - X5 and VL3 aren't as prevalent? NZ - fits
Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River
(blind) Pale straw color. Dry. Struck match - just-extinguished birthday candle reduction. On the palate, dry, medium bodied, 13% alcohol (close - 12.5%), medium plus acid, yellow apples and slight tangerine. Slight clove from oak - modest impact, maybe 20% new French oak.
Laterals: - NZ Chardonnay - would have higher acid, leaner fruit ripeness. - Margaret River Chardonnay - fits! - ZA Chardonnay (don't know what this is like)
Final conclusion: 2015 Margaret River Chardonnay $25. robert Oatley Margaret Chardonnay 2015 $24
(blind) Pale straw. Slight RS - 2-3g. Pyrazinic nose - grassy, with some papaya and lean passionfruit underneath. Slight effervescence, medium body, 13.5% alcohol (actually 13%), high acid - leaner than the Kim Crawford, though shows a bit more heat.
Based on similar logic, I believe this is a 2016 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc - higher quality (longer finish and stronger acid, and less ripeness) than the Kim Crawford. $22
(blind) Medium minus ruby color. Fruit-driven nose, ripe black cherry, confected black cherry (slight carbonic), slight burnt ham, slight black pepper. Dusty earthiness - possible long maceration. Dry, full-bodied, 14% alcohol (actually 13.5%), medium plus acid, medium plus tannins - dry and papery. Medium finish - red and black fruits, dusty. No overt new oak.
Based on the structure and mix of red and black fruits: Australia 2015 GSM Blend, Barossa. It's pretty earthy for Australia though. $18. Low alcohol for Australia.
2014 Trinity Hill Hawkes Bay The Trinity $15 Merlot, Tempranillo, Syrah, Malbec, Cab, Cab franc.
Pale ruby color. Wild overripe faded bing cherry nose, with some overripe peach, overripe cherry, and slight reductive fruit (faint hint of very sweet ham). Also a bit of rubbery top reduction. Dry, medium body, 13.5% alcohol (actually 12.5%), medium plus acid (has a sour aftertaste - possibly acidified), medium minus tannins - tissue papery, soft. Lighter fruit on the palate than on the nose - white cherry, ripe peach, ripe nectarine, ripe plum. No overt oak
Softer and less acidic than Otago - fleshier. Pretty good!
South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch
(blind) Medium ruby, slightly cloudy. Blackcurrant fruit, slight vanilla toast oak. Clean. Faint brown olive pyrazines - very ripe. Ripe, full-bodied, 14.5% alcohol (14%), elevated acid, high tannins - chewy. Slight oak - 20% new.
This is a medium quality ripe New World Cab, with no notable pyrazines. Fruit is a bit disjointed, and tannic structure is a bit rustic. Margaret River Cab - not pyrazinic enough Coonawarra - not pyrazinic enough South Africa and New Zealand - too ripe. Final Conclusion: Warm climate Australia Cab - Mclaren 2015, $25 Actual: Rustenberg Stellenbosch Cabernet 2013, $20
Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River
(blind) Deep ruby color. Nose of blackcurrant and menthol-eucalyptus. Dry, full-bodied, 14% alcohol (correct), medium plus acid, medium plus tannins. Ripe plush blackcurrant and menthol on the palate. Gingerbread - possible American oak. 20% new oak - modest influence (actually 40% new French).
Based on the strong eucalyptus and moderately-warm climate ripeness, this is a Coonawarra Cab, 2016, $20. Actually 2013 Xanado Cabernet Margaret River.
Medium minus ruby, slightly cloudy. Very reductive - burnt toast, rubber, hammy nose - meaty pastrami. Slight oak toast - maybe 15% Ripe attack - 2-3g RS, medium body, 14% alcohol (actually 13.5%), medium plus acid, medium tannins - papery. More lean blackberry and ham on the finish.
New world reductive wine with little new oak and elevated acid: Hawkes Bay Syrah, 2016, $18 - on the plush/riper side. Lateral South african Shiraz. A bit reductive and plush for my taste. Missing that tensility and pepper.
Actually 2012 Pinotage Barista Pinotage South Africa $20
(blind) Medium ruby. Dried blackberry and strong white pepper (rotundone). Dry, medium body, 13.5% alcohol (correct), high acid, medium tannins (papery). Medium plus finish - lean and tart blackberry, slight ham, pepper, slight herbal rosemary.
New world cool-climate Syrah - 2016 Hawkes Bay. $18. Good quality example.
Correct! Actual: Al Legado 13.5% Anthony Joseph Vidal El Legado Hawkes Bay Syrah 2013 $50 20 months in French oak - unspecified new percentage.
(blind) Opaque purple. Aromatic nose of dates, prunes, deep blackberry, chocolate. Porty. VA and alcohol are showing. Distinct toasty wood - oak. 80g RS, Full bodied, 20% alcohol, elevated acid, high tannins.
Port. Fresh fruit and aggressive tannins, but not sufficient for Vintage. Too extracted for Ruby. Final guess: LBV 2009. Good quality.
2016 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc 84 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough
(blind)
Pale yellow. Dry. Aromatic thiol-driven nose. Mango, papaya, grassy pyrazines. Dry, medium body, 13% (correct) alcohol, high acid.
This is textbook Sauvignon Blanc. Laterals:
Australia - would have lower acid
ZA - usually less intense thiols - X5 and VL3 aren't as prevalent?
NZ - fits
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, Mid-level quality $17, 2016.
2016 Kim Crawford Marlborough Sauv Blanc - $18.
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2015 Robert Oatley Chardonnay 87 Points
Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River
(blind)
Pale straw color. Dry. Struck match - just-extinguished birthday candle reduction.
On the palate, dry, medium bodied, 13% alcohol (close - 12.5%), medium plus acid, yellow apples and slight tangerine. Slight clove from oak - modest impact, maybe 20% new French oak.
Laterals:
- NZ Chardonnay - would have higher acid, leaner fruit ripeness.
- Margaret River Chardonnay - fits!
- ZA Chardonnay (don't know what this is like)
Final conclusion: 2015 Margaret River Chardonnay $25.
robert Oatley Margaret Chardonnay 2015 $24
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2016 Catalina Sounds Sauvignon Blanc 85 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough
(blind)
Pale straw. Slight RS - 2-3g. Pyrazinic nose - grassy, with some papaya and lean passionfruit underneath. Slight effervescence, medium body, 13.5% alcohol (actually 13%), high acid - leaner than the Kim Crawford, though shows a bit more heat.
Based on similar logic, I believe this is a 2016 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc - higher quality (longer finish and stronger acid, and less ripeness) than the Kim Crawford. $22
2016 Marlborough - Catalina Sounds
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2014 Trinity Hill The Trinity 84 Points
New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay
(blind)
Medium minus ruby color. Fruit-driven nose, ripe black cherry, confected black cherry (slight carbonic), slight burnt ham, slight black pepper. Dusty earthiness - possible long maceration.
Dry, full-bodied, 14% alcohol (actually 13.5%), medium plus acid, medium plus tannins - dry and papery. Medium finish - red and black fruits, dusty. No overt new oak.
Based on the structure and mix of red and black fruits:
Australia 2015 GSM Blend, Barossa. It's pretty earthy for Australia though. $18. Low alcohol for Australia.
2014 Trinity Hill Hawkes Bay The Trinity $15
Merlot, Tempranillo, Syrah, Malbec, Cab, Cab franc.
Pretty good!
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2015 Mac Forbes Pinot Noir 87 Points
Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Yarra Valley
(non-blind, my wine)
Pale ruby color. Wild overripe faded bing cherry nose, with some overripe peach, overripe cherry, and slight reductive fruit (faint hint of very sweet ham). Also a bit of rubbery top reduction.
Dry, medium body, 13.5% alcohol (actually 12.5%), medium plus acid (has a sour aftertaste - possibly acidified), medium minus tannins - tissue papery, soft. Lighter fruit on the palate than on the nose - white cherry, ripe peach, ripe nectarine, ripe plum. No overt oak
Softer and less acidic than Otago - fleshier. Pretty good!
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2013 Rustenberg Cabernet Sauvignon 83 Points
South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch
(blind)
Medium ruby, slightly cloudy.
Blackcurrant fruit, slight vanilla toast oak. Clean. Faint brown olive pyrazines - very ripe.
Ripe, full-bodied, 14.5% alcohol (14%), elevated acid, high tannins - chewy. Slight oak - 20% new.
This is a medium quality ripe New World Cab, with no notable pyrazines. Fruit is a bit disjointed, and tannic structure is a bit rustic.
Margaret River Cab - not pyrazinic enough
Coonawarra - not pyrazinic enough
South Africa and New Zealand - too ripe.
Final Conclusion: Warm climate Australia Cab - Mclaren 2015, $25
Actual: Rustenberg Stellenbosch Cabernet 2013, $20
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2013 Xanadu Cabernet Sauvignon 85 Points
Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River
(blind)
Deep ruby color. Nose of blackcurrant and menthol-eucalyptus. Dry, full-bodied, 14% alcohol (correct), medium plus acid, medium plus tannins. Ripe plush blackcurrant and menthol on the palate. Gingerbread - possible American oak. 20% new oak - modest influence (actually 40% new French).
Based on the strong eucalyptus and moderately-warm climate ripeness, this is a Coonawarra Cab, 2016, $20.
Actually 2013 Xanado Cabernet Margaret River.
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2012 Barista Pinotage 83 Points
South Africa, Western Cape
(blind)
Medium minus ruby, slightly cloudy.
Very reductive - burnt toast, rubber, hammy nose - meaty pastrami. Slight oak toast - maybe 15%
Ripe attack - 2-3g RS, medium body, 14% alcohol (actually 13.5%), medium plus acid, medium tannins - papery. More lean blackberry and ham on the finish.
New world reductive wine with little new oak and elevated acid:
Hawkes Bay Syrah, 2016, $18 - on the plush/riper side.
Lateral South african Shiraz. A bit reductive and plush for my taste. Missing that tensility and pepper.
Actually 2012 Pinotage Barista Pinotage South Africa $20
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2013 Vidal Estate Syrah Anthony Joseph Legacy El Legado 87 Points
New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay
(blind)
Medium ruby. Dried blackberry and strong white pepper (rotundone).
Dry, medium body, 13.5% alcohol (correct), high acid, medium tannins (papery). Medium plus finish - lean and tart blackberry, slight ham, pepper, slight herbal rosemary.
New world cool-climate Syrah - 2016 Hawkes Bay. $18. Good quality example.
Correct! Actual: Al Legado 13.5% Anthony Joseph Vidal El Legado Hawkes Bay Syrah 2013 $50
20 months in French oak - unspecified new percentage.
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2015 Trivento Malbec Reserve 87 Points
Argentina, Mendoza
(blind)
Medium ruby.
Strong green tea notes (possibly stem inclusion). Sweet faded fruit. Toasted rice. Peach, underripe nectarine, underripe red cherry. Slight vanilla toast - 15% new French oak.
Ripe attack - slight RS (2-3g), medium body, 14% alcohol (actually 13.5%), elevated acid, slight vanilla on the palate, medium tannins - papery.
Light but high in alcohol, with elevated acid and slight oak.
Australian Grenache
Australian Pinot
CA Pinot
Final call: Sonoma Pinot 2015 $30
Actually Trivento Malbec Reserve 2015 Mendoza
30% French oak for 6 months.
Atypically light Malbec! Interesting.
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2008 York Creek Vineyards Port
USA, California, North Coast, Napa / Sonoma
(blind)
Opaque purple. Aromatic nose of dates, prunes, deep blackberry, chocolate. Porty. VA and alcohol are showing. Distinct toasty wood - oak.
80g RS, Full bodied, 20% alcohol, elevated acid, high tannins.
Port. Fresh fruit and aggressive tannins, but not sufficient for Vintage. Too extracted for Ruby. Final guess: LBV 2009. Good quality.
Actual: 2008 York Creek Port
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