non-blind (my wine) Medium minus ruby. Medium plus intensity nose - fascinating. Tart red cherry, dried flowers, dried and fresh cherry, slight dried herbs, slight pomegranate, slight pepper. Smells a bit like an Etna Rosso. Faint reduction but overall the impression is tart and dried. On the palate, dry, medium bodied, 13% alcohol (correct), elevated acid, low tannins (papery and a bit bitter).
There's a sense of herbal / amaro notes, elevated alcohol, and a touch of VA on the nose that might hint at Italy, but otherwise I think Burgundy is a better fit.
Neutral oak, 20% whole cluster.
From the producer: "While this wine is 100% Pinot Noir, 70% are from French lineage and 30% are of the rare Wadenzwil strain. The vineyards are at a high altitude (600-750m) and steep incline, allowing for the distinct alpine characteristics to show through. Vinification in wood casks with daily punching down for three days, followed by 10-12 days of settling before aging partly in steel, part in oak. Biodynamic Certified."
(blind) Pale ruby color. Cloudy (unfined / unfiltered). Elevated intensity aromatics with prominent candied red fruit (whole cluster?). Strawberry and cherry jam. Slight watermelon candy. 14% alcohol (actually 13.5%), medium acid, medium plus bitterness, low tannins. It's a bit hot and bitter, with candied ripe fruit. There's a sweet lacing of confected vanilla that suggests 15%-30% new French oak.
Laterals: Slightly oaked, ripe, New-World wine. - Australia - Could fit Yarra / Mornington. - Oregon - lacks the ripeness and dark fruit. - Sonoma - lacks the ripeness and dark fruit - also would have more oak. - New Zealand - lacks the depth of Otago, maybe Marlborough? But would have lower alcohol.
Final conclusion: 2016 Yarra Pinot, $20 Actual: 2015 Mt. Edward Central Otago Pinot (hand-selected by KL Wines).
Medium minus ruby - lustrous. Reductive nose - coinpolish and rubber. Some ripe red and black cherry, and maybe a hint of vanilla (oak?) but a bit hard to tell under the reduction. Dry, medium plus body, 14% alcohol (actually 13.5%), medium plus acid, medium tannins - satiny. 30% new French oak.
Ripe new world style with heat and black fruit, but also good acid.
Laterals: - Central Otago - fits structurally. - Sonoma Coast - usually a bit riper in fruit character, less aggressive in acid, and higher in oak. - Oregon - ??? I don't know much about Oregon.
Based on the higher acid, low usage of oak, and prominent tannins, I think this is: Final call: 2015 Central Otago Pinot, $30 Actual: 2013 Pegasus Bay Pinot - Waipara Valley, 13.5%, NZ 25% whole cluster 40% new french oak
Analysis - this is pretty close, though maybe there should be more acid in Central Otago. Looks like I blinded the 2014 as Central Otago as well.
(blind) Medium minus ruby with slight garnet at the rim. Elevated intensity nose, hints of reduction, wet leaves, mid-ripeness red and black cherry (a bit dry), dried flowers, hints of dried cinnamon/nutmeg (40% new French oak). This is a really well-integrated, satiny-textured nose! On the palate, super well-integrated and refined. Wet leaves, slight mushroom, slight vanilla oak (well-melded at this point). 14% alcohol (actually 13%), elevated acid, medium plus tannins (melted and silky). Long finish - dried leaves and cherry. Given the wet leaves, maybe 30% whole cluster / stem inclusion.
Well-contained alcohol, moderate use of new oak, New World style, with some graceful aging (10 years): - Sonoma Pinot - not as earthy - OR Pinot - not as earthy as this - Central Otago - fits
Final call: 2011 Central Otago Pinot - $40-60. Actually: 2011 Spatburgunder J Hundsruck trocken, Franken - Josef Walter - Germany - a Fass bottle ($47) Analysis: This is a pretty good example of a greener/herbaceous style of Pinot. I wasn't too far off, though the alcohol is significantly lower than I thought.
2015 Grosjean Pinot Noir Valle d'Aosta 86 Points
Italy, Valle d'Aosta
non-blind (my wine)
Medium minus ruby.
Medium plus intensity nose - fascinating. Tart red cherry, dried flowers, dried and fresh cherry, slight dried herbs, slight pomegranate, slight pepper. Smells a bit like an Etna Rosso. Faint reduction but overall the impression is tart and dried.
On the palate, dry, medium bodied, 13% alcohol (correct), elevated acid, low tannins (papery and a bit bitter).
There's a sense of herbal / amaro notes, elevated alcohol, and a touch of VA on the nose that might hint at Italy, but otherwise I think Burgundy is a better fit.
Neutral oak, 20% whole cluster.
From the producer:
"While this wine is 100% Pinot Noir, 70% are from French lineage and 30% are of the rare Wadenzwil strain. The vineyards are at a high altitude (600-750m) and steep incline, allowing for the distinct alpine characteristics to show through. Vinification in wood casks with daily punching down for three days, followed by 10-12 days of settling before aging partly in steel, part in oak. Biodynamic Certified."
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2015 Mount Edward Pinot Noir 88 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
(blind)
Pale ruby color. Cloudy (unfined / unfiltered). Elevated intensity aromatics with prominent candied red fruit (whole cluster?). Strawberry and cherry jam. Slight watermelon candy.
14% alcohol (actually 13.5%), medium acid, medium plus bitterness, low tannins.
It's a bit hot and bitter, with candied ripe fruit. There's a sweet lacing of confected vanilla that suggests 15%-30% new French oak.
Laterals: Slightly oaked, ripe, New-World wine.
- Australia - Could fit Yarra / Mornington.
- Oregon - lacks the ripeness and dark fruit.
- Sonoma - lacks the ripeness and dark fruit - also would have more oak.
- New Zealand - lacks the depth of Otago, maybe Marlborough? But would have lower alcohol.
Final conclusion: 2016 Yarra Pinot, $20
Actual: 2015 Mt. Edward Central Otago Pinot (hand-selected by KL Wines).
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2013 Pegasus Bay Pinot Noir 89 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Canterbury, Waipara
(blind)
Medium minus ruby - lustrous.
Reductive nose - coinpolish and rubber. Some ripe red and black cherry, and maybe a hint of vanilla (oak?) but a bit hard to tell under the reduction.
Dry, medium plus body, 14% alcohol (actually 13.5%), medium plus acid, medium tannins - satiny. 30% new French oak.
Ripe new world style with heat and black fruit, but also good acid.
Laterals:
- Central Otago - fits structurally.
- Sonoma Coast - usually a bit riper in fruit character, less aggressive in acid, and higher in oak.
- Oregon - ??? I don't know much about Oregon.
Based on the higher acid, low usage of oak, and prominent tannins, I think this is:
Final call: 2015 Central Otago Pinot, $30
Actual: 2013 Pegasus Bay Pinot - Waipara Valley, 13.5%, NZ
25% whole cluster
40% new french oak
Analysis - this is pretty close, though maybe there should be more acid in Central Otago. Looks like I blinded the 2014 as Central Otago as well.
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2011 Josef Walter Hundsrück Spätburgunder "J" 89 Points
Germany, Franken
(blind)
Medium minus ruby with slight garnet at the rim.
Elevated intensity nose, hints of reduction, wet leaves, mid-ripeness red and black cherry (a bit dry), dried flowers, hints of dried cinnamon/nutmeg (40% new French oak). This is a really well-integrated, satiny-textured nose!
On the palate, super well-integrated and refined. Wet leaves, slight mushroom, slight vanilla oak (well-melded at this point). 14% alcohol (actually 13%), elevated acid, medium plus tannins (melted and silky). Long finish - dried leaves and cherry. Given the wet leaves, maybe 30% whole cluster / stem inclusion.
Well-contained alcohol, moderate use of new oak, New World style, with some graceful aging (10 years):
- Sonoma Pinot - not as earthy
- OR Pinot - not as earthy as this
- Central Otago - fits
Final call: 2011 Central Otago Pinot - $40-60.
Actually: 2011 Spatburgunder J Hundsruck trocken, Franken - Josef Walter - Germany - a Fass bottle ($47)
Analysis: This is a pretty good example of a greener/herbaceous style of Pinot. I wasn't too far off, though the alcohol is significantly lower than I thought.
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