NC Cindy Tasting

Finally I was up for hosting one of these. We kept it simple. Random whites, then reds of a GSM stripe, then dessert. There were only four of us, so with only ten wines, we were still well-supplied.

• 2008 Domaine Vrignaud Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume 88 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  Light and slightly greenish yellow, this is a bit funky at first, but that blows off in about five minutes. In the end it is still aromatically challenged, but does show a little bit of Asian pear, backed by sea salt, minerals, and a hint of floral. The palate remains very saline with just a little bit of golden apple and maybe a bit more of the pear. It's a nice wine - better than average, certainly - but it isn't great in any way. It works a bit better with food, but unfortunately we hadn't yet started on the munchies.

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• 2002 René Michel Viré-Clessé Cuvée Heritage Millesime D'Exception 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Viré-Clessé

  Really deep orange-gold in color, with significant viscosity, this has all the appearance of an middle-age Sauternes. Nevertheless, this is labeled as a Mâcon-Villages AOC so it meets the grape requirements of the appellation. The botrytis is evident right from the first whiff, but there are also notes of honey, honeysuckle flowers, and soap. The flavors on the palate are very bold and this is a full-bodied wine. It begins with an almost overwhelming shot of apricot marmalade, concentrated sweetness married with a bit of balancing bitterness and acidity. There is also caramel apple, botrytis, and quite a bit of creaminess. It is quite sweet on the palate, but it is not sticky. The sweetness seems to be mostly a function of concentration and glycerin. The wine is a whopping 15.5% ABV, but again, seems relatively balanced against the concentrated flavors, and the finish is fairly long. This is a unique wine, very interesting and delicious. It's well worth the $29 price on Cinderella Wines. I wish there were more of it around.

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• 2010 Bodegas Perica Rioja Viña Olagosa 79 Points

  Spain, La Rioja, Rioja

  Light yellow in the glass, with a slightly greenish tinge, the nose on this wine is all about coconut. The aroma is not overwhelmingly powerful, but there's almost nothing else. After some time, a lot of creaminess emerges, so this comes across a lot like coconut milk. The palate tastes like wine that has been thinned with water. There is a little bit of coconut, plenty of oak (this wine is barrel fermented, but not barrel aged), a little bit of tropical fruit, and a tinge of grass, but the main sensation is of a wine that has had ice cubes melted in it. The body is thin and the finish is vanishing, and on subsequent days the problems got worse. I wouldn't re-up on this at any price, and certainly not at the $17 I understand was actually paid. A sub-par wine that was disliked around the table.

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• 2010 Clos Saint Jean Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc 91 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Quite light yellow in color and not terribly viscous, the nose is a bit reticent, but still fairly complex, with pretty daisies and baby's breath, over a little bit of mineral oil, petrol, and finally gooseberry. The palate does have a bit of an oily texture, but it isn't coating or overpowering the way some Rhône whites can be. Instead, this gave way quickly to a complex palate repeating those nice florals, along with watermelon rinds and some herbal stock flavors around a nice mineral core. It is not terribly acidic, but there's enough to make it work. The finish is solid and balanced, although the length leaves a little bit to be desired. Overall, the impression is of a wine that is very well-made and surprisingly easy to drink. I do like it, although I think at the $40 price point I wouldn't consider it to be an over-achiever. Instead, I consider it a solid performer that delivers for the price paid.

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• 1998 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape 93 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Open for an hour before tasting, but not decanted. This came out to the cry of "Give me the big boys!" There's not too much bigger than Beaucastel. Poured in the glass, there is a fair amount of bricking on the edge, and the overall color is translucent ruby. The nose begins with a trace of funk, but then it opens up with bright strawberry, raspberry, some blackberry, plum sauce, and a fair amount of black tea. The nose is really, really nice. The palate is evenly split between cherry and blackberry fruit, but also shows considerable melted black licorice and some mint. It is layered with roasted meat and Italian herbs underneath. There is still a fair amount of tannin, but it is nice and smooth, and there is good acidity which adds freshness. It stayed very strong over the course of the evening, showing no sign of fading a full four hours after the first pour. While I think this is drinking really well right now, I also think it has enough to it to develop still further over the next five years or so, and to hang around for a decade or so after that. Is it a $100 wine? Let's just say it is very, very good, and leave it at that.

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• 1995 Penfolds Grange 96 Points

  Australia, South Australia

  It doesn't get much bigger than Beaucastel, but if it does, this might be the wine that does it. Decanted an hour ahead, this is much darker than the Beaucastel, almost completely opaque with just a hint of fading at the rim. The nose is just loaded with fresh spearmint. The mint is so dominant that it takes about 20 seconds before you realize that there is a whole lot more there. Blackberry, black licorice, fresh fennel, and a ton of herbs - tomato leaf, lemon basil, and fresh oregano. This may be the best, freshest and most complex nose I've ever experienced on a red wine. The palate fairly bursts with blackberries and black cherries, but it also has plenty of herbal notes, tending especially toward rosemary. It also has a nice meaty character, and the meat is sporting a nice paprika- and pepper-based spice rub. The finish goes on and on. This is spectacular, layered, delicious wine, pure and simple. If you're going to pay multiple hundreds of dollars for a single bottle of wine, it better be great. This was.

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• 2007 Saxum Heart Stone Vineyard 93 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

  Much younger than the two previous wines, the Saxum was completely purple...in fact, midnight black except at the rim. Decanted a full four hours ahead, then re-bottled and transported to the tasting, the nose was still vibrant, with powerful blackberries all day long. There was also some dark plum and a touch of raisin, as well, indicating maybe a bit of overripeness. The blackberry continued in spades on the palate, almost to the exclusion of everything else. The wine seemed pretty low in acid, but fairly tannic, and the tannins were smooth and even. It also seemed a touch hot, weighing in at a noticeable 15.3% ABV. At the time of the tasting, this struck me as a good, solid, well-made wine, but fairly simple and not really a wine to get excited about.
  
  On the other hand, this wine seemed to really show an extra dimension on day three, after spending a full two days under vacuum at refrigerator temperature. We pulled the bottle out, still under seal, an hour before our meal to warm it up, then unsealed and poured. The wine had gained several dimensions of complexity, showing good spices, some dark chocolate, plus some nice cedar and forest flavors. It rose to a whole different level, and while I would have only given this a flat 90 on the night of the tasting, the score you see above is based on that later re-tasting. Set this one down for another several years. My one concern is the relative lack of acid and how that might affect aging, but I still think there are some pretty good times ahead for this wine. I'm not sure it is quite worth the current market price of $150+, but at the reported $77 purchase price, I might give it a go.

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• NV Cocchi Barolo Chinato

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo Chinato

  This is an oddball: Nebbiolo vinified sweet, fortified, and infused with herbs and spices, including most notably quinine bark (which is the basis of the name "Chinato"), rhubarb root, ginger, and cardamom. It certainly looks like Nebbiolo, with that nice translucent red color. The nose is quite medicinal, with the quinine very evident, as is the cardamom and what smells like rosemary. The florals of Nebbiolo are there, as well, but any fruit is well in the background. The palate is very sharp and pungent, with the bitterness of the quinine balancing against the sweet and alcohol of the vinification process. The Nebbiolo character is there, but takes a back seat to loads of cardamom and what seems like Asian five spice and anise. There is a lot of herbal character, too, but it still comes across as somewhat medicinal. The experience is interesting, and I'm glad I got to try this, but I'm not sure I'd want to have it often. I suspect for many this would be a love-it-or-hate-it type experience, and it isn't really a "regular" wine, so I am declining to rate this. If pressed, call it an 89. The bottle was $45 for a 500ml, and whether or not it is worth that depends entirely on whether or not you like the infusion.

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• 1994 Gould Campbell Porto Vintage 89 Points

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  Very dark, almost black in color, the nose on this is very primary with prune and raisins, but not a lot else. The palate is also quite primary with the same flavors coming through on the palate. It is hot, of course, but not overwhelmingly so for a fortified wine. The length is good, but I think the real problem here is that this wine is just too young. It seems like the wine is just waiting for secondary flavors to develop, even though it is already 18 years old. The score is based on what the wine shows right now, but it will be interesting to see if this improves 5-10 years down the road. As it is right now, it is not worth the $40 sale price.
  
  Cf. my later note for the 1994 Osborne, which was tasted side-by-side several days later.

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• 1982 Poças Porto Colheita 95 Points

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  This is the 2006 disgorgement, so effectively a 24-year tawny, it looks amazing in the glass with a color that perfectly lives up to the word "tawny". The 2005 disgorgement the group has had previously is cloudy and dull in color. Not this wine. It is crystal clear and vibrant in the glass. The nose shows good complexity with nut, maple, toasted wood, and some citrus. The palate is very nutty and delicious, with hazelnut, walnut, maple syrup, pecan pie, and toffee. It isn't at all heavy, though, with notes of candied orange peel and tangerine lifting it on the palate. The alcohol is strong, but contained, and the wine is as vibrant on the palate as it shows in the glass. The finish is long and lip-smacking. Still my favorite tawny-style Port, although I admit my experience is not especially broad. In any case, for me, it was well worth the $39 all-in price I paid several years ago. Others at the table thought it had lost a half a step from our prior tasting, but I disagree. This is great wine.

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Thanks to NCWino, WineKnurd, and Viking60 for the pleasant evening of tasting and great company in our new space.