Tuesday Night Double Blind <$40

• 2007 Vietti Barbera d'Alba Scarrone

  Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d'Alba

  Dark core with dull purple rim; chocolate, sun dried tomato, hot vintage, mint, plum, hints at sandalwood; round, iron, bitter chocolate, higher alcohol, ripe, lower acid, tannins aren't bad; a little hard to decipher but the sun dried tomato note took me to Barbera.

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• 2006 Château Bourgneuf

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  Dark core with larger reddish rim; tar, asphalt, shoe polish, hints at floral, raw meat, chocolate, some oak; smooth texture, dark fruit, slightly brooding but not quite, ash, grainy, flat with little acid lift.

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• 2011 Jacques Puffeney Pinot Noir Arbois

  France, Jura, Arbois

  See through dull ruby; sulfur, fecal, sour cranberry, leather, hard red fruit, almost a bit of orange; harder and leaner on the palate, linear, hard red fruit continues, some perfume, light cherry, tannic on the finish; ok.

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• 2011 Ochota Barrels Grenache The Fugazi

  Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale

  Very light ruby, see through; tons of white pepper, spice, perfumed, strawberry, cherry; slight candy, decent body but lacks a mid palate, sweet and tart fruit; not bad, seems like it is from really young vines.

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• 2010 Chapelle St. Theodoric Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Sablons

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

  Semi-translucent dark core with red ruby rim; nose is totally reticent, light raspberry, ripe, graham cracker; spice, richly textured, sweet tart raspberry, needs to be chilled, sweeter than cough syrup, elegant tannin; not the best showing of this wine due to serving temp and lack of airtime, can see the potential underneath though.

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• 2004 Zacherle Syrah Lawer Vineyard

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley

  Black core with thin dull garnet rim, noticeable sediment; menthol, coffee, chocolate, ripe; smooth texture, dark fruit, thick, sweet, some tannin, meaty, seems like a Bordeaux varietal; only one to call domestic.

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• 2009 Château Bellisle Mondotte 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  Semi-translucent dark core with ruby rim; sweet nose of medicinal red fruit, beautiful, perfumed and floral and slight vegetal at same time; tea like on the palate, red fruit, medicinal, stone, cherry, strawberry; solid, should improve with moderate cellaring.

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• 2001 Tenuta Pianpolvere Barolo Riserva Bussia

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Crimson core with orange rim; orange, hard red fruit, jolly rancher, a little reticent; sweet red fruit on the palate, great texture, larger scaled, orange, decent tannin; needed more air, 1+ hours, to open a bit but this wine was fairly refined (though not necessarily modern) for how large and ripe it was; I think there will be more consistency with this vintage than the '00.

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• 2007 Domaine Font de Michelle Châteauneuf-du-Pape

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

  Darker core, aged, large bricking; aged on the nose too, dried leaves, figs, ripe year, some soy, large wine; sweeter fruit, ripe year, ripe, hot; seems aged- called '01, nothing like aging wines at the top of the warehouse in the big box store it was purchased from.

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• 2005 Château Jourdan

  France, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Supérieur

  Dark core with bricking; cigar, cedar, menthol, red currant; nice texture, medium body, nice balance of fruit and tannin and acidity, darker fruit; good.

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Overall a kind of disappointing night. The Pianpolvere was winner by far but was also that much out of the price point max. I preferred the Bellisle Mondotte while others were torn between the Arbois and the Theodoric CdP. Hands down loser was the Ochota Barrels though I could see some potential from this winery when the vines make something other than fruit juice.