Worldwide Wines Offline

Eight of us gathered for a mixed tasting of different varietals from around the world. Wines were paired throughout the dinner.

• 2005 Château de Maligny Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  Medium light gold color. Popped and poured, drank 1 glass over 1 hour. Nice minerality on the nose, classic seashore aromas, citrus, grapefruit. The palate offers crisp acid, citrus, grapefruit, lemon, minerals, and medium finish. Light and lively, drinking quite well.

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• 2010 Rombauer Vineyards Chardonnay 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

  Medium gold color. Aerated into glasses, drank 1 glass over 1 hour. Nose is rich with nice tropical fruit notes, melon, pleasant oak, butter, toasty. The palate offers full body, a lush round, creamy mouthfeel, with consistent fresh fruit notes, lively acid, butter, light toasty oak, and a lingering finish. This is a stylish wine, that will please most everyone. Certainly there is oak here and a creamy style, but it is restrained and elegant, not over the top. 91+ to 92pts.

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• 2005 Château Michel de Montaigne (C. Mähler-Besse) Bergerac 88 Points

  France, Southwest France, Dordogne, Bergerac

  Dark to vert dark red color. Decanted for 2 hours. Drank 1 glass over 2 hours. Nose shows dusty minerals, earth, oak, spice, cherry-but the fruit is in the background. The palate has medium body, tart cherry fruit, fairly smooth on the attack, but there are firm tannins on the finish, pepper, and hints of some alcohol at times. On the whole, a very drinkable value wine. By day 3 it was pretty rustic and still very tannic. 87-88pts.

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• 2005 St. Innocent Pinot Noir Seven Springs Vineyard 88 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  Dark red color. Popped and aerated into glasses, drank 1 glass over 1+hr. Nose is fairly earthy, black cherry, spice, pepper, some herbs. The palate is fairly tart, cherry, berry, medium finish. Did not hold up well on day 2. This was the subsitute bottle. 88-89pts.

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• 2005 Clarendon Hills Grenache Kangarilla 93 Points

  Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, Clarendon

  Very dark red color. Decanted for 2 hrs. Drank 1 glass over 2hrs. Great nose, black cherry, intense black raspberry, white pepper, blackberry liqueur, licorice, just a tad of funk. The palate has full body, nice and round in the mouth, great balance, multi-layered,, vibrant, pure fruit, consistent with the nose. Long finish. Outstanding, Very classy stuff. My#2 and group #1 WOTN.

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• 2006 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino 92 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  Dark red color. Decanted for 2+hrs. Drank 1 glasss over 3 hrs. Nose is stellar, open and full of florals, damp earth, black cherry, leather, and exotic spices. The palate is medium full bodied, is still a bit tight, black cherry flavors evolve with spice, and round but prominent tannins. Long finish. This needs more time, and should improve further. My #3 WOTN and tied for group #3.

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• 2002 Bodegas Poesia Poesia Flawed

  Argentina, Mendoza, Lujan de Cuyo

  This was to be pasrt of the tasting, but it was corked.

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• 2003 Stags' Leap Winery Petite Sirah 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Gorgeous Purple/black color. Decanted for 2 hours, drank 1 glass over 3 hrs. I was loving this wine from the start. The nose was sweet and floral, lush, cassis, blackberry, boysenberry, briar, earth, cedar. The palate is rich and full bodied, glycerin, coating, cassis, plum, blackberry, minerals, dusty round integrated tannins. Long finish. Loved it, my WOTN, tied for group #3.

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• 2005 Alonso del Yerro Ribera del Duero 91 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  Purple red color. Decanted for 2 hours. Drank 1 glass over 2+hrs. Nose has prominent earth, blackberry, black cherry, blackberry liqueur, licorice, spice. The palate is inky, dense, with rich flavors of taart blackberry and blackberry liqueur, black cherry,minerals, earth, graphite, firm tannins. the alcohol is well hidden, Long finish. At times the tannins are a bit grippy. Group #2 WOTN. My #4 of the reds.

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We had a nice mix of wines tonight, all of which showed pretty well. There was one corked bottle that had to be replaced. We chose to bypass the backup bottle of that wine and go with an Oregon Pinot since we ended up with multiple salmon appetizers that begged for another lighter wine. Thanks to everyone for contributing such great dishes.

WOTN was the 2005 Clarendon Hillls Grenache, Kangarilla with 12pts
#2 WOTN was the 2005 Alonso Del Yerro RdD with 10pts
#3 WOTN was a tie between the 2006 Casanova di Neri Brunello and the 2003 Stag's Leap Petit Sirah with 7pts each.