WSET Level 2 Day 2

WSET
Tasted Sunday, February 23, 2014 by Derek Darth Taster with 607 views

Introduction

Day 2 of the WSET Level 2 course. Intense tastings.

Flight 1 - 6 whites (6 Notes)

  • 2011 Henri Bourgeois Pouilly-Fumé

    France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Pouilly-Fumé

    Appearance is clear, pale, lemon colour.
    Nose is clean, medium intensity, with aromas of smoke, citrus fruits, and slight minerality.
    On the palate, high acidity, medium body, and flavours of mild oak, citrus fruits with lots of lemon, and a persistent smokiness. Medium finish.
    I like this.

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  • 2013 Fat Bird Sauvignon Blanc

    New Zealand

    Appearance is clear, pale, lemon colour.
    Nose is clean light-medium intensity, with aromas of citrus fruits and white flowers.
    On the palate, high acidity, medium body, and strong flavours of citrus fruit, lemon-lime with a bit of a green apple undertone. Long finish. Quite obvious New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc style.

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  • 2012 Villiera Chenin Blanc Barrel Fermented

    South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

    Appearance is clear, medium intensity, gold colour.
    Nose is clean, light intensity with light buttery oak aromas.
    On the palate, medium+ acidity, full body, with flavours of expressive creamy buttery oak. Long finish. My criticism is that there is not enough acidity, and the malolactic fermentation seems to have compromised the crispness of the Chenin Blanc.

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  • 2013 Pewsey Vale Vineyard Eden Valley Riesling

    Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley

    Appearance is clear, pale, lemon colour.
    Nose is clean, light intensity, with flavours of citrus fruit - lemon-lime, and a touch of minerality.
    Dry style Riesling. High acidity, medium body, with lots of lemon flavour, and I detected a saline minerality. But no one else in the class agreed with me about the minerality. Medium finish.
    Quite a nice Aussie Riesling.

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  • 2011 Gunderloch Riesling Kabinett

    Germany, Rheinhessen

    Appearance is clear, pale, darker lemon-almost gold colour.
    Nose is clean, pronounced intensity, with an oily aroma and smoky oak.
    On the palate, this is an off-dry style Riesling, with only medium acidity and medium body. Flavours of lemon-lime and a touch of minerality at the finish. Short-medium finish.

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  • 2006 Domaines Schlumberger Gewurztraminer Kitterlé

    France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru

    Appearance is clear, medium intensity, nice gold colour.
    Nose is clean, medium intensity, with beautiful perfumed aromas of dried flowers and honey.
    On the palate, this is a medium sweetness style of Gewurztraminer. Low acidity as Gewurz is, it is full bodied, and full of complex flavours. Floral notes - ?honeysuckle and elderflower, gingery spice, and some citrus fruit elements. Long finish.
    I like this and my opinion is that it could still go strong for at least another 3 years. However, the course trainer's opinion is that it is almost or a little over the hill. Well, Jancis says drink 2011-2018 and I concur.

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Flight 2 - 3 Pinot Noirs and a Chenin Blanc (4 Notes)

  • 2008 Reine Pédauque Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru

    Appearance is clear, pale intensity, garnet colour.
    Nose is clean, pronounced intensity, with aromas of spice, oak, and earth.
    On the palate, medium-high acidity, low tannins and spice with some forest floor/earthiness. Not much fruit. Medium body. Short finish. Quite a disappointing Premier Cru. May possibly be sleeping.

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  • 2009 Bouchard Père et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin

    France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin

    Appearance is clear, pale intensity, ruby colour.
    Nose is clean, light intensity, with aromas of red fruit and mild oak.
    On the palate, medium acidity and medium tannins. Full bodied Gevrey village. Consistent with the 09 vintage, this is friendly and approachable, with flavours of ripe red fruits, bit of oak, and spice towards the long finish.

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  • 2010 Nautilus Estate Pinot Noir

    New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough

    Appearance is clear, pale intensity, ruby colour.
    Nose is clean, pronounced intensity, with aromas of sweet spice, oak, and red cherries. Maybe a bit of loamy earth.
    On the palate, medium+ acidity, medium tannins, medium body, with flavours of redcurrant, sweet cherries, and mild spice. Long finish.
    I remember the 2009 vintage I tried previously to be even more forward and tasty.

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  • 2011 Domaine Bourillon Dorléans Vouvray Demi-Sec

    France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray

    Appearance is clear, pale intensity, lemon colour.
    Nose is clean, light intensity, with aromas of light white flowers, citrus fruits, and some hint of Chinese herbs ?ling yang.
    On the palate, off-dry sweetness, medium acidity, light body, with flavours of citrus fruit - lemons. Short finish.

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Flight 3 - Full-bodied Reds (4 Notes)

  • 2011 Pierre Henri Merlot Vin de Pays d'Oc

    France, Languedoc Roussillon, Vin de Pays d'Oc

    Appearance is clear, medium intensity, ruby colour.
    Nose is clean, pronounced intensity, with aromas of oak (but somewhat different - possibly of the staves/wood chip type), and some ?stewed fruit (possibly mildly heat damaged). All that once I got past the alcohol fumes.
    On the palate, high acidity, medium tannins, full body, with a generic Merlot taste. Medium finish. Sorry to say this reminds me of cheap supermarket Merlots.

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  • 2004 Château Bernadotte

    France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc

    Appearance is clear, deep intensity, almost garnet colour.
    Nose is clean, pronounced, with classic Left Bank Bordeaux aroma, French oak and some spice.
    On the palate, medium acidity, lots of dry tannins, full body, and flavours of French oak and some vegetal notes. Fruits seemed to have faded. Long finish. No point ageing this any longer.

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  • 2009 Château la Croix de Tourans

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour.
    Nose is clean, medium intensity, with aromas of mild French oak and plummy fruit.
    On the palate, medium-high acidity and high tannins but soft. Full body with flavours of plush plummy fruit and mild vegetal hints. Long finish. Averagely good St Emilion claret from a good vintage.

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  • 2012 Apaltagua Malbec Reserva

    Chile, Maule Valley

    Appearance is clear, deep intensity, purple colour.
    Nose is clean, pronounced intensity, leaping out of the tasting glass with aromas of vanilla oak, sweet spice, and black fruits.
    On the palate, high acidity, big big tannins, full body, and flavours of spicy ripe black fruits. Long finish.

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Flight 4 - Mixed bag of Reds (4 Notes)

  • 2005 Geoff Merrill Cabernet-Shiraz Flawed

    Australia, South Eastern

    51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 49% Shiraz. 14.5% alcohol.
    Appearance is clear, deep intensity, garnet colour.
    Nose of spice, some blackcurrant fruit, and a herbaceousness that with more air became more pesticide/insecticide-like. Pronounced to be "corked" by the course trainer.
    All I got on the palate was spice and some soy flavour.
    From a screw cap bottle, so the TCA could be from somewhere else along the production chain.

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  • 2011 Tempus Two Merlot

    Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

    Appearance is clear, pale intensity, ruby colour.
    Nose is clean, pronounced intensity, with aromas of oak, spices, plums, and mild vegetal notes.
    On the palate, medium acidity, medium tannins, full body, and flavours of plums. Long finish. Average easy drinking fruity Merlot.

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  • 2009 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour.
    Nose is clean, pronounced intensity, with aromas of creamy vanilla oak, ripe blackcurrants, and herbaceousness.
    On the palate, medium acidity, high level of tannins, full body, with flavours of sweet blackcurrant and vanilla oak. Long finish. Quite a nice classic Cabernet Sauvignon I must say.

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  • 2009 Bersano Barbaresco Mantico

    Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

    Appearance is clear, pale intensity, garnet colour.
    Nose is clean, medium intensity, with aromas of oak, spices, and some tar. No floral notes on this Barbaresco.
    On the palate, high acidity, lots of dry tannins, full body, and flavours of spice and oak. Not much fruit here. Long finish.
    Pleasant enough for a relatively young Barbaresco, but really nothing memorable.

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Closing

I really need more experience with wine faults. Will strive to learn more and hopefully taste some more examples of "corked" wine. Makes me wonder if some of my previous tastings have been of off-bottles.

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