April Fools' Blindtasting - 4 Decade Pairs ('70, '80, '90, '00)

Introductory comments by tasting organizer Ross Bott:
Today is April 1 and those of you who have been on the list for a long time know that I've sometimes used the occasion for bogus tasting announcements. I had one planned this year, but have decided to leave it for another year and hold a real tasting, however, with a somewhat unusual format.

We will taste eight wines, a pair each from 1970, 1980, 1990 and 2000. I'm not going to say anything more about them, other than there should be some pretty special wines in the group. We'll taste and rank them as usual, but then try to deconstruct the puzzle -- which are the pairs and what the wines are.

All we knew going into this tasting that there were 4 pairs of wines, and that they consisted of a pair from 2000, one from '90, one from '80 and one from 1970. We didn't know the varietals, regions or makers. Tasting through, it was clear that there were two Pinots, so we opened those first. I'd been guessing that both were Cali Pinots, so it was a surprise that one turned out to be an '00 Burgundy. I thought the '00 Dehlinger Octagon was quite good. Our pair of '90s turned out to be the '90 Mondavi Reserve (it was my 2nd place wine, and I guessed '90 Bordeaux), and a '90 Fieuzal, which I'd guessed to be a Bordeaux, but one from '80 or '70. The '80s turned out to both be Ridge, and the '80 York Creek Zin was my WOTN, and very youthful for a 30-year-old Zin. (Our '80 Ridge York Creek Petite was much better than one I had last year, but not a great Petite.) That left the '70s, which turned out to be a very tired Italian Nebbiolo blend, the '70 Dessilani Caramino, and two 375 ml bottles of Lynch Bages, that I guessed as Bordeaux from '70 or '80. An amusing tasting, with a couple of surprises appropriate to April 1.

• 2000 Jean Noel Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot Rouge 89 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru

  Group's #1 (my #4) – 48 pts; 2 1st place votes, 3 2nd place votes, 1 third, 0 last places – medium red color with clear meniscus; bright, cherry Kool-Aid powder, raspberry, cherry pie nose; intense, tart cherry, cherry pie, raspberry palate with some acidity; medium finish (I was guessing '90 Cali Pinot, that this was a Burgundy was a big surprise to all of us)

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• 1990 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Group's #2 (my #2) – 48 pts; 1, 2, 3, 0 - dark red violet color; nice herbaceous, tobacco, green herb nose; tight, herbaceous, herbal, tart cassis palate with some charm; medium finish (I guessed a '90 Bordeaux; 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot)

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• 2000 Dehlinger Pinot Noir Octagon Vineyard 91 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Group's #3 (my #3) – 55 pts; 3, 2, 3, 2 - bricking, medium dark red color with pale meniscus; rich, tart cherry, baking spice nose; solid, tart cherry, orange spice, baking spice palate; medium-plus finish 91+ pts. (I guessed 2000 Cali Pinot, and when we narrowed it to Russian River, I guessed Dehlinger)

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• 1980 Ridge Petite Sirah York Creek 86 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District

  Group's #4 (my #6) – 57 pts; 2, 0, 1, 0 - slightly bricking very dark red violet color; musty, mushroom, dried mushroom nose; mature, tart red fruit, plum, menthol palate; short-medium finish (I guessed '80, but was thinking Cabernet or Tempranillo, not Petite)

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• 1990 Château de Fieuzal 88 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Group's #5 (my #5) – 58 pts; 2, 2, 0, 0 - bricking dark red violet color with pale meniscus; mature, tobacco, herbaceous, black tea, lamb jus nose; tight, tart cassis, tart plum, black fruit palate that dries out mid-palate; short-medium finish (I was guessing '70 Bordeaux--this tasted a lot older than '90)

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• 1980 Ridge Zinfandel York Creek 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District

  Group's #6 (my #1) – 61 pts; 2, 1, 1, 3 - bricking medium dark red violet color; big, dried berry, spice, VA, menthol nose; dried berry, berry, licorice palate; medium-plus finish (I was guessing '00 Zin, or possibly '90, so 1980 was a surprise)

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• 1970 Dessilani Fara Caramino 60 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Northern Piedmont, Fara

  Group's #7 (my #8) – 73 pts; 1, 2, 1, 5 - medium dark red violet color; musty, funky, beef nose; musty, tart red fruit, thin, vegetal, acidic palate; short finish (I was guessing '70, but a Cab or Tempranillo)

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• 1970 Château Lynch-Bages 82 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Group's #8 (my #7) – 77 pts; 0, 1, 1, 1 - from 375 ml - slightly bricking medium dark red violet color; musty, mushroom, cigar box, chocolate nose; tight, tart red fruit, tobacco palate with unyielding tannins; short-medium finish (I guessed '70 Bordeaux)

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