This was my contribution to the tasting, and it turned out quite nicely. Very dark gold color. The nose shows peanut shell, honey, salted nuts and dried pineapple. The palate is laced with acid and minerals, as well as wax, lanolin and nuts. The palate tastes like salted caramel and lemon zest. Interesting. There isn't much reason to age this for very long, it's more of a drink now Chablis Grand Cru, which sounds odd, but it's true. It's only five years old, but it drinks like its 10. On the second day the wine held up very nicely, still showing those rich aromas and flavors.
Toasty nose of brioche, strawberry and cherry blossom. The palate starts off with a burst of white cherry and strawberry fruit, almost overwhelming in its attack and fruit-forward approach. White cherry, coconut, mango flavors abound, combining to form a kind of mai thai flavor. So much red fruit and rum flavors, it's like a Caribbean cocktail. For the price, I'd spend my money on three bottles of Roederer Estate instead. In my opinion, this wine falls far short the "Califirnia Grand Cru" moniker it bestows upon itself. Is this a gimmick or a serious sparkling wine? Probably the former.
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
Golden colored. Aromas of bubble gum, apricot and musty, earthy pinot noir. On the palate, this wine shows liquid apricots, lots of richness, peach and pineapple sauce. There's a strange boiled peanut and metallic flavor on the finish. Not nearly as balanced as I would've liked.
This is a rather simple rose sparkler, but quite fun. The color is like melted cherry Jolly Rancher candies. The nose shows white cherry, strawberry and chalk. The palate is tangy, with light and bright red fruit flavors. No minerals, but this wine's simple, light, fruity personality is a lot of fun.
Toasty, nutty aromas, along with white peach and musk, like Italian men's cologne. Full and toasty on the palate, with gorgeous white peach and honey flavors. Very pure with minerals, nutshells and musk. Finish shows notes of nuts and earth. Acid lingers on the finish. Delightful.
Aromas of sea shells, strawberries and minerals. The palate shows bitter cherry, minerals, and a distinct flavor of lemon and grapefruit bitters, the stuff you'd mix into 1930s cocktails. This went very well with the pate and cheese selection. Lovely melon rind on the finish.
Aromas of lemon-lime, spritzy grapefruit. The palate shows toast, cantaloupe rind, white peach and minerals. The palate is full of bold melon and pineapple fruit, while maintaining lively acid and fresh minerals. Quite a nice sparkler.
Light cherry colored, lots of sparkles. The aromas are very floral and focused on grapefruit. The palate is bright, showing grapefruit, lemon and white cherry. Zesty on the palate, showing lots of lemons and minerals.
Light salmon color. This wine smells like watermelon, stinky gym socks and rose water. The palate tastes bitter and offensive. Screw this wine, it tastes like crap, and the producer must be a loser.
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Aromas of almond, lemons and white cherry. Very complex aromas, shifting with time. The palate tastes likes lemons, minerals, and white peaches. It's very focused and intense, much more profound than the other wines in the tasting. Zesty finish with white cherries and tang. With more time in the glass, it changed a lot and showed a lot of different characteristics.
What a lovely white blend of tocai, ribolla and chardonnay. It smells like white flowers, green melon and IPA beer, really interesting, almost hop-like. The palate is juicy with melon fruit, white flowers and a distinct flavor of cucumber water. The plump, yellow fruit blended in with the earth and mineral flavors and medium acid make this wine a really intriguing whole. Absolutely weird and delicious.
2007 Domaine Servin Chablis Grand Cru Bougros 89 Points
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
This was my contribution to the tasting, and it turned out quite nicely. Very dark gold color. The nose shows peanut shell, honey, salted nuts and dried pineapple. The palate is laced with acid and minerals, as well as wax, lanolin and nuts. The palate tastes like salted caramel and lemon zest. Interesting. There isn't much reason to age this for very long, it's more of a drink now Chablis Grand Cru, which sounds odd, but it's true. It's only five years old, but it drinks like its 10. On the second day the wine held up very nicely, still showing those rich aromas and flavors.
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2008 Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Sea Spray Blanc de Noirs 81 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills
Toasty nose of brioche, strawberry and cherry blossom. The palate starts off with a burst of white cherry and strawberry fruit, almost overwhelming in its attack and fruit-forward approach. White cherry, coconut, mango flavors abound, combining to form a kind of mai thai flavor. So much red fruit and rum flavors, it's like a Caribbean cocktail. For the price, I'd spend my money on three bottles of Roederer Estate instead. In my opinion, this wine falls far short the "Califirnia Grand Cru" moniker it bestows upon itself. Is this a gimmick or a serious sparkling wine? Probably the former.
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2009 Loring Wine Company Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs Brut 85 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
Golden colored. Aromas of bubble gum, apricot and musty, earthy pinot noir. On the palate, this wine shows liquid apricots, lots of richness, peach and pineapple sauce. There's a strange boiled peanut and metallic flavor on the finish. Not nearly as balanced as I would've liked.
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NV Summerhill Pyramid Winery Pinot Noir Cipes Rose 86 Points
Canada, British Columbia, Okanagan Valley
This is a rather simple rose sparkler, but quite fun. The color is like melted cherry Jolly Rancher candies. The nose shows white cherry, strawberry and chalk. The palate is tangy, with light and bright red fruit flavors. No minerals, but this wine's simple, light, fruity personality is a lot of fun.
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NV Willm Crémant d'Alsace Cuvée Prestige 90 Points
France, Alsace, Crémant d'Alsace
Toasty, nutty aromas, along with white peach and musk, like Italian men's cologne. Full and toasty on the palate, with gorgeous white peach and honey flavors. Very pure with minerals, nutshells and musk. Finish shows notes of nuts and earth. Acid lingers on the finish. Delightful.
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NV Gustave Lorentz Crémant d'Alsace Pinot Noir Rosé 89 Points
France, Alsace, Crémant d'Alsace
Aromas of sea shells, strawberries and minerals. The palate shows bitter cherry, minerals, and a distinct flavor of lemon and grapefruit bitters, the stuff you'd mix into 1930s cocktails. This went very well with the pate and cheese selection. Lovely melon rind on the finish.
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NV Pierre Sparr Crémant d'Alsace Brut Réserve 88 Points
France, Alsace, Crémant d'Alsace
Aromas of lemon-lime, spritzy grapefruit. The palate shows toast, cantaloupe rind, white peach and minerals. The palate is full of bold melon and pineapple fruit, while maintaining lively acid and fresh minerals. Quite a nice sparkler.
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NV Lucien Albrecht Crémant d'Alsace Brut Rosé 87 Points
France, Alsace, Crémant d'Alsace
Light cherry colored, lots of sparkles. The aromas are very floral and focused on grapefruit. The palate is bright, showing grapefruit, lemon and white cherry. Zesty on the palate, showing lots of lemons and minerals.
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NV Valdo Nerello Mascalese. Brut Rose 60 Points
Italy
Light salmon color. This wine smells like watermelon, stinky gym socks and rose water. The palate tastes bitter and offensive. Screw this wine, it tastes like crap, and the producer must be a loser.
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2008 Woodenhead Naturale Methode Champenoise 90 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Aromas of almond, lemons and white cherry. Very complex aromas, shifting with time. The palate tastes likes lemons, minerals, and white peaches. It's very focused and intense, much more profound than the other wines in the tasting. Zesty finish with white cherries and tang. With more time in the glass, it changed a lot and showed a lot of different characteristics.
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2010 Massican Annia 91 Points
USA, California
What a lovely white blend of tocai, ribolla and chardonnay. It smells like white flowers, green melon and IPA beer, really interesting, almost hop-like. The palate is juicy with melon fruit, white flowers and a distinct flavor of cucumber water. The plump, yellow fruit blended in with the earth and mineral flavors and medium acid make this wine a really intriguing whole. Absolutely weird and delicious.
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