Blind Wines at Bar Lola

I'm still getting my palate re-calibrated, and it showed on the first couple wines. I thought the first wine had RS until I retasted it and found it totally dry. I learned a bit more about how to pay attention to rim variation and whether the legs are staining. I also found that smelling the wine right after tasting it greatly enhanced my perception of the nose.

• 2009 Domaine de l'Ecu Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Cuvée Classique 87 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine

  Clear, day bright, light straw in the glass. Small but distinct legs (="M viscosity").
  N: A brief and surprisingly powerful taste-memory of california tasting rooms when I was very young. Chardonnay? An expressive nose with slight tropical character, L honey, L apple, slight bitterness on back-end.
  P: dry (though it initially tasted sweet - maybe because it is the first wine of the night?), M body. Apples, very nice balance, lingering malic acidity with L fresh pear flavor. M+ acidity. Clean tart balance throughout (including midpalate tartness). M Alcohol - 12%?
  
  Guess:
  12% Alcohol
  Old world because of structure, but tropical fruit makes me think new world. Not enough acidity to be riesling.
  
  Analysis:
  12% Alcohol was correct.
  I haven't tried many Muscadets, but one big thing I missed was minerality on the palate.
  
  Evaluation:
  I liked this wine, and thought it was well put-together. 85-90pts.

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• 2010 Bodegas La Cana Albariño 87 Points

  Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas

  Clear and bright in the glass, with light straw color and medium tears.
  
  Nose: Immediate musty oyster shells. Chalky funk. Dead-on dried apricots (! took me a while to come up with that). Bitterness on the back-end. Med+ intensity nose with a significant non-fruit component. Wax and spices.
  
  Palate: Slightly off-dry with more sweet dried apricots. Med+ body, weighty feeling, Med alcohol (12%?), Med acidity, finish is Med length. Lingering dried apricots for a long time, with a weighty, slightly oily feel. Floral elements. Balance is on the richer side, but it is balanced.
  
  Guess: Old world. Chenin Blanc? Vouvray? older - 10 years +/- 3 based on flavor. Though light color and no rim variation would suggest a younger wine.
  
  Analysis:
  13%!
  Albarinos are typically not this weighty or ripe.
  
  Evaluation: I liked this and thought it was well-put-together. 85-90.

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• 2009 Stephane Aviron Moulin-à-Vent Vieilles Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Moulin-à-Vent

  Medium-clear, bright, ruby, violet-rim, clear toward the edge. Med- tears. Staining (tears have color) - therefore med+ viscosity.
  
  Nose: Dark, meaty, L animal barnyard, rich plum, olive, black cherry concentrate, earthy, mushroom-huitlacoche, faint wet dog/leaning towards brett.
  
  Palate: very dry, wood treatment bordering on sawdust. Finish is unpleasantly bitter, dry, flavorless, sawdusty. Nothing but sawdust at the end. Med-body, med acidity, med+ tannins (quite tannic!). Out of balance with a short finish. (alcohol seems a bit hot - I missed this at first).
  
  Guess:
  Old world based on balance.
  Heavily leaning towards italy based on the nose profile.
  Aglianico/Dolcetto? (because it's darker than Sangio/Nebb, but with high tannins). Other than that, I'm not sure- it's over-wooded.
  Young: 2009-10, based on color.
  
  Analysis:
  Nose and Med- acidity was Scott's indicator for Beaujolais-Moulin-A-Vent!
  12.5% alcohol - though seemed hotter.
  On revisiting it, the nose had a tone of warm baked strawberry that gave away Beaujolais, and I can see the med acidity, med tannin.
  
  I wasn't a fan of this wine, mostly due to the oak treatment seeming too sawdusty. 75-80. But I'm open to the possibility that I didn't have good palate conditions, given some of the other tasting notes on this wine - esp. from Kirk.

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• 2010 Elio Perrone Barbera d'Asti Tasmorcan 82 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Asti, Barbera d'Asti

  Appearance: Clear, bright, med ruby, violet - clear to rim. med- tears. not staining.
  
  Nose: Med+ intensity, developing, strong bitterness bordering on skunk, earthy, non-fruit dominated. Black pepper, blackberry, med dusty wood (Scott thinks barrique, French oak).
  
  P: Sweet and fleshy, like my memory of Klein Zinfandel. Full-bodied. Definitely some oak treatment. Tart acidity. Med+ finish. L+ tannins, med+ alcohol. Oak treatment - some dusty wood. Medium acidity (salivation after spitting), malic in character. Medium complexity.
  
  Guess:
  Old world. Seemed fleshy and sweet on the palate, but there's balancing acidity, and the nose isn't very fruit-driven.
  Climate: warm
  Grape varietals: syrah? Grenache(fleshiness)?
  Countries: France, spain.
  Age: Young? 3-5 years.
  
  Analysis:
  Scott: Acid and tannins said Barbera - he gave the acid Med+
  -Scott: med+ body, med+alcohol, med+ acid.
  14% alcohol.
  
  Evaluation:
  I was not a fan of the mouthfeel, balance, or nose, but it seems well-put-together. 80-85?

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• 2008 Domaine de la Noblaie Chinon Les Chiens-Chiens 80 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon

  Clear, bright, medium (can see fingers through glass) ruby, violet-to-clear at the rim. Med tears, staining.
  
  N: High intensity nose. Vegetal, stewed bell peppers, tomato, savory. Olive, roasted coffee oak - American oak?
  
  P: Medium body, med alcohol, med acidity, med+ tannins. Fine-grained, drying tannins. Med finish, med+ complexity. Upon retasting I can see the med+ alcohol that others felt.
  
  Guess:
  Old world (structure, balance, acidity)
  Moderate climate
  Grape varietals: Bdx, strong stewed bellpepper - Cab and Cab Franc.
  Countries: France, spain?! Warm baked quality. Cab franc - St. Nick de Bourgueil? Bourgueil?
  Age: developing secondary characteristics, but color and tannins don't indicate age - 3-5 years.
  So Bourgueil, Cab Franc, from 2007-2009.
  
  Erica/Stella guessed: Priorat (Cab/Grenache blend - makes sense! med+ alcohol, american oak).
  
  Analysis:
  Chinon! I was close!
  100% Cab Franc.
  Scott thinks Chinons tend to be bigger than Bourgueils. I thought it was the other way around... but then I've only had a handfull of Bourgueil, SNdB's, and Chinon's... and mostly my conclusions were that the '96 Taluau SNdB was amazing, and the others all pale in comparison.
  
  Evaluation: Not that ripe, but I have to like this wine because I came so close to guessing it! Missing the fruit or acidity to make this pop. 78-82.

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• 2009 Mongeard-Mugneret Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Les Dames Huguettes 83 Points

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits

  In the glass: light ruby, violet-to-clear at the rim, clear, bright, light tears, not staining.
  
  On the nose: slightly reduced at first sniff... on second though, no. Brett. Barnyard on the back end. Floral notes.
  
  On the palate: Savory with high clean acidity (not malic), med- body, high acid. Primary fruit: Cherry.
  
  Guess:
  Old World: Secondary non-fruit character. Acidity
  Moderate climate
  Grape varieties: Pinot.
  Guess: Pinot - Burgundy, warm climate/vintage
  Age: Young. 2-3 years.
  
  Markers that others picked up that I missed: Med+ alcohol! Oak treatment?
  
  Erica: Cali pinot
  Scott: Santa Barbara Pinot
  
  Analysis:
  12.5% alcohol.
  Burgundy! Not bad!
  
  Evaluation: Seems well put -together. 80-85.

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All in all I was quite happy to guess the burgundy and come close to the Chinon. I need to remember to rationalize my guesses, and come up with alternates in order to stretch my knowledge.