NC Cindy Tasting, Rieslings, et al.

The theme was supposed to be Rieslings, but somehow this became pretty much a random event with Rieslings as the big finish. Which seemed to work fine.

• NV A. Garriga Mitjans Cava Mas Codina 87 Points

  Spain, Cava

  Poured in a yellow champagne flute in yellowish ambient light, so I have no idea what the color of this bubbly might be. It is aroma-challenged, as well, with only touches of mineral and yeast, so we have very few clues going to the palate. When we get there, it is tart apple - or as Bill put it, a sour apple Jolly Rancher, except not sweet. There is also some yeast and a significant mineral element. I don't know how much this bottle costs, but it performs like something fairly inexpensive. Not bad, but not something I'll seek out.

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WineKnurd was planning to do a hyper-decant experiment, but learned we didn't have the right equipment (apparently, this needs an immersion blender), so he opted for a Dauzac taste-off instead. We had also discussed a Washington State theme, but consensus was not the order of the day for this tasting, so what followed was a more-or-less random selection of reds.

• 2006 Château Dauzac 85 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Ruby with a tinge of purple at the rim, this is not dark considering it is a still relatively young wine from Margaux. The nose is quite appealing, with bright raspberries and full red plum with a notable sense of vanilla from the oak. The palate has a relatively thin raspberry flavor which gives way to a substantial green pepper mid-palate. The wine is not wildly tannic, and shows a trace of earthiness on a medium length finish. Overall, this is at the low end of mediocre, and not worth even the relatively modest (for Margaux) $25 paid by our host.

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• 2007 Château Dauzac 81 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Ruby in the glass with slightly more purpling but similar intensity to the 2006 Dauzac which preceded it, the nose on this wine was quite different. It started off extremely funky, which did mellow some over time to a more traditional earthiness, there was a significant component of green, and while I don't usually talk about a "back end" to a nose, this did have an unusual sugary, candied tone hiding behind it. The wine stayed surprisingly funky even on the palate, and was also somewhat medicinal. It had a bitter and flat, almost hollow, mid-palate, and the finish was tannic and astringent. I kept waiting for the fruit flavors to kick in, but they never did. The two Dauzacs were given a two-hour decant prior to the time it was tasted, and perhaps that was a mistake, although truthfully I think the wine just wasn't very good. Only $24, the $1 savings compared to the 2006 doesn't make me feel any better.

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• 2008 Copain Syrah Halcon Vineyard 91 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Yorkville Highlands

  Very dark purple in the glass with long, thick legs. The nose is very sugary and loaded with blackberry extract and reduced cassis. There's a considerable vanilla element, as well. On the palate it shows itself to be immediately sweet and youthful, with an explosion of berry flavors: rich, red raspberry; deep, ripe strawberry; big, full blueberry; and surprisingly even a concentration of lighter salmonberry. The mid-palate has firm tannins that are not overwhelming, and there is a good, background minerality to it. The finish is medium-long, and very tasty. Overall, this is still quite primary, but really very nice. Although it is drinking very well now, I think this will be even better in several more years when some secondary characteristics begin to come out. This is a very well-made wine, and worth the CT $45 average price.

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• 2007 The Four Graces Pinot Noir Reserve Dundee Hills 85 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

  Light cherry red in the glass, fairly translucent and almost thin looking with an unexpected trace of cloudiness. On the pop-and-pour this is nothing but funky sheep's butt - really stinky stuff. There is some cherry and some vanilla in the background. The big funk unfortunately carries through on the palate, but at least the cherry is more prominent. There is also lots of oaky vanilla and a touch of earth, especially later in the evening. I'd say this is Burgundian, but in this case I don't really mean that as a compliment. It has too much funk, too much green, and too little fruit. I realize it sounds like I thought it was terrible, and that's not really the case, but it sure isn't great. The $40+ average value on CT would be highway robbery for the bottle I had, and even the $21 reported by our purchaser would be a little too much.

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• 2007 Falling Rain Cloudburst 89 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

  A blend of 50% Cabernet sauvignon, 20% Syrah, 10% Merlot, 10% Cabernet franc, and 10% Malbec, this is very dark purple, nearly black, in the glass, with thick, rich, long legs. The nose is very sugary and concentrated, with extract of blackberry. It was described by one of the tasters as melted, burnt Sweet-tarts. On the palate, the full, rich blackberry continues with plenty of oak treatment. There is firm but smooth tannin, and a nice touch of both green and black pepper, with a bit of smoke and spices. This is extremely fruit-driven and primary, but still with some nice depth and substance to it. The 14.9% alcohol is not overwhelming, but definitely does affect the finish somewhat, especially after a few sips. Overall, this may not be profound, but it is very well made and comes ready to drink. Some additional age may make the oak integrate a bit more, but this is quite accessible right now. I do wish it were more widely available, since I do think it is worth the $28 delivered price point. Enjoyable.

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• 2006 K Vintners Syrah Royal City 95 Points

  USA, Washington

  Very, very dark purple in the glass with only the slightest trace of a reddish rim, the nose on this was apparent long before the glass was set down in front of me. Once there, it displayed huge and powerful black fruits and berries, bacon, spices - especially allspice, bay leaf, and even parsley - plus a nice bit of gaminess. The nose was simply spectacular, one of the most enticing I've ever experienced. The palate was only slightly less impressive, again with huge black plums, blackberry, and cassis, with plenty of big, but smooth and integrated, oak, lending sweet vanilla and buttered toast (excuse me, pain grillé) to the mix. The mid-palate held plenty of smooth, sweet tannin, but it was not impenetrable. While the wine was firey with plenty of alcohol, considering the 15.5% listed ABV, this was surprisingly well-contained, lending almost an extra element of spiciness, rather than being a liqueur-like distraction. There was a nice dimension of smokey meat, and plenty of acid to balance things out and keep the flavors focused. Huge flavors from front to back, but very well-balanced and while perhaps not elegant, at least adept and not bruising. Overall, this was plenty spectacular, especially considering that it is still relatively young and should actually have some room to improve, which is partly why I'm not quite ready to accept WE's 100-point score. I will say that if any bottle is worth $100, this would be it. Great wine.

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WineKnurd's famous Italian peasant soup was served, with the Sauvignon blanc as accompaniment and palate cleanser before moving into the Rieslings.

• 2009 Elizabeth Spencer Sauvignon Blanc Mendocino 89 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino

  A light, faded straw color in the glas, the nose was quite interesting with an array of fruit that included scuppernong, passion fruit, star fruit and pineapple, along with that distinctive metallic note of kiwi. The palate begins off-dry with a big dose of canned (not fresh) pineapple, then mellows to include sweet pasture grass and clover. It has an interesting dimension of rosemary, which my table-mates suggested was due to the Italian peasant soup, rather than the wine. I didn't think so, but OK. The wine also has a nice floral tone, and I confirmed that there were no flowers in the soup. The wine is not especially acidic, particularly for a Sauvignon blanc, and the alcohol is mild, but with a curious listing on the bottle of 11-14%. Overall, it is a good wine, but not great. For $16, you get what you pay for.

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This was an excuse to taste the Garagiste offerings from Waiting In Manassas, the aged Rieslings that only took ten months to arrive. Thanks very much to WIM for supplying these interesting and educational wines.

• 2009 Franz Feilen Piesporter Treppchen Riesling feinherb 86 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Not available at all in the U.S., this was imported by my brother to go with my family's New Year's Eve mini-reunion. Unfortunately, we never did get to this bottle, but my brother was willing to leave the wine with me, so I brought it to our tasting group as a Riesling starter. A very light straw color when poured, the nose was somewhat weak and grassy, almost Sauvignon-blanc-like. The palate was pretty much on the off-dry side, as you might expect with the (unregulated) feinherb designation, but it was also somewhat simple. A bit of grass, more of that green grape/scuppernong flavor we got on the preceding Sauvignon blanc, and maybe a little bit of citrus thrown in to remind us that the acid was not completely forgotten. Overall, I think there's a reason this isn't widely imported. The Searcher price is about $10 (from a German vendor only), and for that price it is a decent, if unspectacular, weeknight wine.

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• 1990 Schloss Schönborn Hattenheimer Nussbrunnen Riesling Auslese 91 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  This was slated to be one of the learning moments of the night, as nobody at the table has had much experience with well-aged Riesling. This one was dark gold, almost amber in the glass, with a nose that was sweet, oily, and aged all at the same time. Riesling is often described as having a petrol smell, but this smelled more like 3-in-1 oil, with a notable mineral component. The palate tasted of dried pineapple, and the 3-in-1 oil was still evident in both texture and flavor. But while the oily smoothness was somewhat palate coating, there was also a nice citrus lift, with elements of tangerine and lemon sorbet. The respectable acidity gave this a nice lightness that offset some of the leafy lettuce and succulent plant aspects. On the end was a nice hint of butterscotch. Overall this off-dry wine was delicious with a nice, smooth if only medium-length finish. At $40, it wasn't a spectacular QPR, but was very nice as a good way to experience aged Riesling that you didn't have the foresight to stash away 20 years ago.

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• 1990 Schloss Schönborn Winkeler Hasensprung Riesling Auslese 92 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  The color was very close to the Hattenheimer Nußbrunnen which preceded it, this may have been a touch darker and more butterscotch in tone. Likewise, the nose was almost exactly the same, with a prominent 3-in-1 oil aspect over rich sugary notes. The palate was somewhat different, though, with this wine being quite a bit darker in presentation and more herbal. It was still oily in both texture and flavor, and still had the tangerine lift, but also had a candied lime and dried pineapple flavor to it. The biggest difference, though, was the strongly green and herbal mid-palate, with distinctive notes of dolmathes and Italian parsley. The palate was quite complex, and the finish on this wine was considerably longer than that of its sibling. Overall, my view was that this was the more interesting of the two right now, although this one probably has much less time ahead of it. I wouldn't wait too long if you have one, especially considering that the cork was well-saturated, although it showed no signs of leakage and was relatively easily removed. Very nice wine.

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• 2007 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  No surprise that this is much lighter in color that the two Schloss Schönborns, given that it is a full 17 years younger. The nose on this wine is loaded with J.J. Prüm's signature petrol. No 3-in-1 oil here, this is gasoline all the way, but also with gorgeous white flowers and candied apples. The palate is light, sweet, and very complex for such a young Riesling, with honey, candied ginger, fresh and lively pineapple (no dried aspect here), and light, Golden Delicious apples. This wine doesn't cut your tongue with acid, but still shows a laser-like focus, with a precision that is hard to define. It is like liquid etched glass, delicate and rigid at the same time. I really like this wine and look forward to following the progress of my remaining stock. Make no mistake, though: I'm in no hurry. This wine is still very young. I wish I had a full case of it.

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• 2001 Château Suduiraut Castelnau de Suduiraut 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Medium straw color in the glass, but much more viscous and yellow than the earlier aged Rieslings, the nose is true to the best of Sauternes: Lots of tropical fruits, including a good dose of mango and banana, but also with plenty burnt sugar underneath and yellow flowers over the top. The palate was rich and maintained that tropical goodness, with considerable botrytis in evidence. Perhaps a touch too much alcohol on the mid-palate, this nevertheless came across as well-balanced with nice orange acidity along with plenty of butterscotch and even a trace of liquid dish soap. Overall, this wine proved the mantra that you should buy second-tier wines in great vintages. This was much better than a second wine has a right to be, and at the reported price of ~$25 per split, this was an excellent QPR and a very nice send-off for the night. If you have this, there's no need to be hasty. It drinks fine now, but should still last for a decade or two.

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Thanks to WineKnurd for hosting. This was another fun event, and I look forward to the next one.