Blind Tasting Group - 2nd Session

Our 2nd session and this time at Tung Lok Classic. Awesome food from customized menu, great company with very very interesting wines. The theme this time was: "Old World Whites". Surprisingly no classic typical wines (no rieslings! the horror!); I guess everyone was trying to figure out if they could bring one of the more 'unique' and 'interesting' whites; which we had in spades.

Most interesting was the oxidative Sancerre while the tastiest was the Chardonnay.

• 2009 Château Cos d'Estournel Bordeaux Goulée Blanc

  France, Bordeaux

  Nose: Started off with a rich white fruit , honey suckle and grassy notes. Light on the nose with hardly any hints of oak which threw me off as a Bdx blanc
  
  Taste: Light and dry with an initial slightly spicy finish. A touch thin at the finish and quite grassy on the palate.
  
  According to the back label, it's styled like a Loire but tasted like an NZ SB. An OK wine.

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• 2008 Isole e Olena Chardonnay Collezione de Marchi Toscana IGT

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  Nose: Obvious oaked chardonnay notes on the nose. Butter popcorn, ginger and developed further with more lemon notes. Not over the top and quite restrained.
  
  Taste: Controlled buttery notes on the palate, spicy finish, melon notes, rounded mouthfeel but enough vibrancy and lightness on the palate. A new world style of chardonnay done in a nice way. This grew on me despite not being a Chardonnay person.

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• 2008 Sebastien Riffault Sancerre Akméniné

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre

  Cloudy looking wine.
  
  Nose: Definite oxidative nose, chinese herbal tea (Hor Yan Hor), boiled potates and cider notes.
  
  Taste: It was tart, oxidized and rather cidery.
  
  Very interesting but not my favourite. Some debate whether this had been too oxidized. This is one hell of a weird Sancerre.

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The Pouilly-Fuisse threw everyone off while the Arbois was rather unique. The Viognier does grow on you.

• 2009 Louis Jadot Pouilly-Fuissé

  France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Pouilly-Fuissé

  Nose: TIght on the nose, opened up to simple straightfoward stone fruit notes and seaspray
  
  Taste: Simple on the palate as well, citrus fruits and a saline quality to it. One of those simple everyday quaffers.
  
  This was quite funny as it threw many people off as a Pinot Grigio. No one expected a Pouilly Fuisse.

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• 2005 Pago de Vallegarcía Viognier Vallegarcía

  Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, Vino de la Tierra de Castilla

  Nose: Started off with some barnyard stink. Opened up with more dried flowers and an attractive austerity to it.
  
  Taste: Rather dry on the palate. Guavas on the palate with a saline note to it. A rounded midpalate and relatively oily texture at the finish. The midpalate onwards appeared a lovely elderflower note which was rather appealing for me. A touch of heat at the end. I pegged this as a Rhone blend or varietal.
  
  A spanish viognier? close enough.

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• 2005 Domaine de la Pinte Arbois Vin Jaune

  France, Jura, Arbois

  Nose: Definite oxidative nose. Nutty and cognac-esque nose. Rather complex and unique.
  
  Taste: Sour plums and black tea in an oxidative style. A light mouthfeel but intense flavours. A dry wine reminiscent of a sherry or an aged spanish white. Well made and my first Jura wine.
  
  Guessed it as a spanish white/sherry

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I brought the Savennieres and tasted very vibrant and fresh. Perhaps this bottle was lacking a bit of complexity but still had enough stuffing to stand out as well. The Xarel-lo was quite simple for me while the Huet wasn't showing its best.

• 2011 Castell d'Age Penedès L'Essència del Xarel-lo

  Spain, Catalunya, Penedès

  Nose: Grassy and leafy. Lemons with some stink.
  
  Taste: Rather juicy with pomelo and grapefruit. Quite a simple straightforward and tasty wine for me. Thought it was a Sauvignon Blanc.

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• 1999 Damien Laureau Savennières Les Genêts

  France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières

  Nose: Very interesting nose. Intense nose of nuts, hay, flowers, caramel, lychees and melons.
  
  Taste: Very dry on the palate. Weightier on the mouth. A mineral streak, white fruits and a refined austerity to it. A pithy mid-palate. QUite thought provoking wine. But I don't know if I like or dislike it. My first Savennieres, and a 13 year old one at that!

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• 2007 Domaine Huet Vouvray Moelleux Clos du Bourg

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray

  Nose: Deep but a touch fat of stewed and caramelized fruits. A hint of toffee.
  
  Taste: This could be a poorer bottle as it didn't have that refinement that I am used to from Huet. A little imbalance from the mid palate onwards and a touch of heat at the end. Flavours are tasty including sweet apples and pears. A dry and slightly powdery finish. Hope this was an off bottle.

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This was just for kicks and giggles. One of the participants had blinded us with an Indian cab.

• 2009 Tara Cabernet Sauvignon

  India, Igatpuri

  Figured this would be from a new frontier wine producing countries.
  
  Nose: Wild with lots of animal notes and dried ginseng
  
  Taste: Tasted like a mix of dried chinese herbs throughout including lingzhi, dried mushrooms and ginseng. Also a touch too much toasty oak in the wine as well. A commendable attempt but perhaps more years of experience are needed.

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Very educational and expanded my palate even more. The most interesting ones were the Sancerre, Jura and my Savenniere. I don't think I enjoy any of today's wines with that much gusto as none really hit the 'delicious' mark for my palate. But if I had to pick a fave it would be Isole e Olena Chard or the Jura.