8th Annual Blind Challenge

The Square, Mayfair, London
Tasted Friday, June 3, 2011 by Rupert with 870 views

Introduction

One of Keith Prothero's fund-raising events for his Pebbles charity in which he provides 20 odd wines and 12 of us have to guess what they are. In the event we didn't do a bad job, though the event brought home how it isn't really possible to distinguish old and new world with any confidence.

Flight 1 - with canapés (3 Notes)

Flight 2 - with terrine of dover sole with smoked eel, oysters and pickled cucumber (2 Notes)

  • 2005 Peter Lehmann Sémillon Margaret 90 Points

    Australia, South Australia, Barossa

    Pale, high acid, limey - fine and penetrating - Ken's guess of Hunter Valley semillon seemed about right, but was quickly swatted away and so I was thinking Alsace pinot blanc - turns out it was only the Hunter Valley bit that was wrong

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  • 2004 Coche-Dury Meursault 94 Points

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault

    Big spicy oaked chardonnay, yet super fine and very exciting - I couldn't tell whether this was old world or new, but most plumped for Meursault

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Flight 3 - with ravioli of girolles with sweet corn and roasting juices (5 Notes)

  • 1979 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único 87 Points

    Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

    Sweet, ripe, lifted, minty, alcoholic, high acid, grippy tannin, whiffs of oxidation - this was surely new world. Amazed that this was Unico as it had none of that dried cherry character that they all seemed to have at Linden's big vertical

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  • 1988 Ridge Monte Bello 93 Points

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    Huge funky nose, savoury, bags of sweet fruit too though, wonderful wine - I guessed cab sauv, but no idea where from

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  • 1982 Rustenberg Cabernet Sauvignon 88 Points

    South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch

    Murky, browning, stalky, full and tannic - I expected Keith to spring his LMHB 78 on us and was pretty sure this was it - even when its identity was revealed I still couldn't see how this could be anything other than a classic mature old style claret

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  • 1991 Chateau Musar 93 Points

    Lebanon, Bekaa Valley

    Sweet bruised fruit, lovely enveloping lily fragrance (aka V/A), high acid, absolutely gorgeous - in the 30 seconds before Jamie suggested Musar I was thinking it was very grand burgundy

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  • 1990 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Ornellaia Vino da Tavola 91 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Vino da Tavola

    Quiet claret style wine, ripe, cherryish, red fruits, rather fine

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Flight 4 - with roast saddle of lamb with creamed potato, peas and mint (5 Notes)

Flight 5 - with cheese (5 Notes)

Flight 6 - with poached new season's cherries with cherry doughnuts and yoghurt ice cream (2 Notes)

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