A Comparative Bordeaux blends tasting (France, NZ, US etc) with Peter

Peter Rosback of Sineann Winery, Oregon was in town so we decided to organise a comparative tasting of Bordeaux wines and Bordeaux varieties wines from the New World, particularly New Zealand.

Attendees brought wines from their cellars and Peter contributed three of his excellent wines. Thierry and I organised the lineup and masked all of the wines on arrival so even the providers did not know which were their wines (and most were unable to pick them blind).

The tasting was held at a long lunch at the excellent Hippopotamus Restaurant, and Andrew worked with the maître d' on the food matching.

The flights were of threes (with one late addition), broadly youngest to oldest ...

• 2012 Prisoner Wine Company Blindfold

  USA, California

  I tasted this wine blind. Bright lemon colour. A relatively restrained nose of honey, cut lawn and pear. I was thinking of Semillon (there is, in fact, 5% Semillon and Riesling, 35% Chardonnay and 60% Rhone varieties). Some fruit sweetness on palate with flavours of citrus, grass, yellow peach and honey. Quite rich and creamy. An attractive and interesting wine that gave an impression of early maturity. It fulfilled its role as a good aperitif wine for immediate consumption. It did not seem to be a cellar wine.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2008 Sineann Cabernet Sauvignon Baby Poux Vineyard

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

  A primary purple/red colour. An attractive Cabernet nose of crème de cassis, blackcurrants, cedar and cigar box. On palate, a broad shouldered wine with a lot of structure and dry extract. Very primary with serious tannin and high quality oak, yet to integrate. The flavours were cassis and dark berries, quinine, medicinal, graphite and some soy. A very good wine to cellar for 10+ years.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2010 Sacred Hill Helmsman

  New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

  Again, a relatively primary colour. A bouquet of primary red and black fruit, savoury and spicy. Some aromas of dark chocolate, with a minty, herbal element. A creamy, rich palate, with notes of chocolate. Smaller scaled than the Sineanns, with that minty, herbal component. Peter said he thought the wine was underripe. The majority of tasters had the wine as NZ, but some had it as French. Compared with the Baby Poux, this wine was quite fruit forward, but with a lot of tannin. The Helmsman is from the Gimblett Gravels in Hawkes Bay. 2010 was a cooler vintage. A bit disappointing from this top label. Cabernet Sauvignon 45%, Merlot 44% and Cabernet Franc 11%.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2012 Sineann Cabernet Sauvignon Block One

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

  Again, a primary colour. A nose of spices, blackberries, dark cherries and some stalkiness. On the palate, some austerity, reflecting the wine's youth, but also elegance. Lovely sweet, cultured tannins, with flavours of cedar, blackberry and blackcurrant. Classy, toasty oak, also some vanilla bean notes. Excellent fruit volume, structure and length. Fairly approachable now but, obviously, there is a long way for this wine to go. I'd cellar this wine for 10+ years. My favourite of the first flight. From 42 year old vines.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2006 Sineann Cabernet Sauvignon Lazare Vineyards

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Deep, dark colour. A nose of pure, ripe fruit, quite high toned. Notes of black truffle, blackcurrant, crème de cassis and brushwood. A lovely sweet, cassis dominant, entry to the palate. A large volume of juicy fruit in the mouth, excellent concentration and fruit volume. However, also well balanced with good elegance. Quite pretty. Besides the cassis, the flavours were dark berry fruit, espresso and plums. Excellent structure and length with fine grained tannins. On the reveal, Peter said that this wine was from a tough vintage and was cropped as low as he could (2 HL per HA).

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2006 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  A deep primary colour. A complex 'Old World' nose of blackberries and other dark berries, cigar box, spicy vanilla oak and funk. Very much luxuriant, rich dark fruit on palate, after a fairly sweet entry. After the initial crème de cassis, blackberries and dark chocolate, across the palate, the impression moves more to a more savoury, dense wine with real power. The tannins are suave and fine grained, but yet to resolve. The wine finishes quite long and surprisingly dry. A complex and interesting wine, my wine of the flight. Merlot 55%, Cabernet Franc 35% and Cabernet Sauvignon 10%. Ideally, hold for 10+ years.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2006 Te Mata Estate Coleraine

  New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

  A nose of blackberries, dark cherries, dried herbs, smoke, with a little animale. On palate, there is a real question about the ripeness here. The wine does not have the richness of the other two wines and is a little too lean and overly dominated by its acids. Good quality, cultured tannins. Some are detecting a green element, while others describe this as herbal. Most tasters have the wine as Left Bank Bordeaux (presumably from a leaner vintage). On the reveal, as was noted, 2006 was a fairly average vintage for red wines in the Hawkes Bay. I had kept back a sample of the Sacred Hill to compare and it performed materially better than this Coleraine.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2007 Hyde De Villaine Belle Cousine Hyde Vineyard

  USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

  A relatively shy nose of spicy plums and other red and black fruits, with a little medicinal note. The initial impression on palate is lightness and then, under the sappy, viscous wine surface you see the depth and serious weight of red and black berry fruit, again with that odd medicinal note. The wine is a 'fruit bomb' with a huge volume of fruit. To me, the wine seemed overdone, and the acids too low to provide freshness and balance. However, the wine is a young one, that will hopefully go somewhere more interesting? Merlot 60% and Cabernet Sauvignon 40%.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2004 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon

  Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River

  Even on bouquet alone, most tasters have this wine as an Australian Cabernet Sauvignon. Along with the aromas of spicy plums, blackcurrants and other more high toned notes, there is a clear eucalyptus Aussie signature. Very mellow and savoury across the palate, plums and perhaps prunes, with leather, raspberries and again that eucalyt. Quite elegant and well balanced with suave, well integrated tannins, but I would have liked a little more fruit weight and concentration. To me, a nice wine, some criticised as being a little 'soft', which I could understand. There is no hurry to drink this wine but I don't see it improving much from here.

  Read 1 Comment / Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2004 Blake Family Redd Gravels

  New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay, Gimblett Gravels

  Deep concentrated colour. The nose is clearly Merlot driven: spicy plums with dusty, warm clay. There is also a little vanilla oak on bouquet. On palate too, this a classy Merlot predominant, velvety and fully ripe with savoury and spicy flavours, particularly of plums and earth. With the earthiness, there is also good finesse and acidity. There is perhaps a little too much vanilla oak here, yet to fully integrate. The tasters are 50/50 on the the wine being French or NZ. On the reveal, Peter could not believe that with this quality this was a NZ wine. I preferred it to the Moss Wood. Merlot 53%, Cabernet Franc 47%. Sadly, this label is no more, as Mark Blake returned to the US after three more vintages. A label to seek out.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2004 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia

  Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Bolgheri Superiore

  A nose of blackberries, crème de cassis, smoke and cedar. This wine on palate is everything you look for in a Bordeaux style wine. It was all about balance and elegance. There is some fruit sweetness, and good richness and real drive here, but with finesse and elegance. Serious fruit weight and structure accompany excellent length. The wine is approachable now but still fairly young of course, it has tension and is coiled in the mid palate. The tasters guesses were pretty much random between New World and Old World and across the map, being unable to categorise or place this wine. The wine is class and for me the clear wine of the flight ahead of the very good Blake Family wine. Actually the wine of the tasting, to that time. Cabernet Sauvignon 60%, 25% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Drinking well now but years ahead of it.

  Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2000 Stonyridge Vineyard Larose

  New Zealand, North Island, Auckland, Waiheke Island

  An interesting, evolved nose of dried herbs, pipe tobacco, cedar, cigar box and largely red berry fruit. Peter attributed a lot of the aromatic complexity to the brett he saw in the bouquet, but this did not worry me. I even find a nice floral top note. In the mouth, good concentration and structure. Well balanced, with nice freshness and acidity. Good grip with some of those evolved notes on the palate as well as plums, prunes, raspberries and other red fruits. A decent wine but the least of the flight. I would not expect this wine to improve from here, but there is no hurry to drink it. 2000 was regarded as an excellent vintage for Stonyridge.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2000 Château La Conseillante

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  On bouquet and palate this is a lovely wine that struck me as a classic Claret, as an Englishman would describe it. A gorgeous bouquet of plums, prunes and preserved red fruits, dry underbrush, warm earth and tobacco leaf, expressing some mellowness. On palate, those plums are there, with cherry, red currant and black currant flavours and liquorice. There is clearly sufficient but not huge fruit weight and concentration in this Pomerol. This La Conseillante is elegant and beautifully balanced, at the beginning of its optimal drinking window. Excellent! Merlot 80%, Cabernet Franc 20%.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2000 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  A nose of blackberries and crème de cassis with some funky, barnyard, mushroomy elements even I can recognise as brett. Also, some evolution with aromas of dry autumn leaves and dried herbs. On the palate, there is serious density, fruit weight and volume in this wine. It has a complex flavour profile, a confit of red and black fruits with underlying minerality. The brett takes away some of the fruit on the palate, as Peter says, but, to me, does not detract from this wine. The wine has excellent structure and very good length, albeit being a little drying on the finish. All class. I’ve had the Ducru a couple of times in the last two years and it is one of my favourite ’00 Bordeaux. Ideally hold for 5+ years. My wine of the flight. Cabernet Sauvignon 78%, Merlot 20% and Cabernet Franc 2%.

  Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 1995 Esk Valley The Terraces

  New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

  The Terraces had a beautiful nose of cassis, earth, cedar and plums, showing some development. A lovely well matured wine on palate, showing some evolution but good intensity and acid structure. The flavours were spicy plums, leather, mixed spices and redcurrants. Excellent fruit weight, structure and length, the age was not a surprise to most tasters but the nationality was, with all but one having the wine as a classy Bordeaux. It was in no way out of place with the two quality Bordeaux in the flight. One of the top NZ wines in the tasting. Only made by Esk Valley in the best years, 1995 was a heatwave year. This wine is a tribute to maker Gordon Russell. Merlot 45%, Malbec 35%, Cabernet Franc 20%. Ready now but no hurry to drink this Terraces.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1995 Château Calon-Ségur

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe

  A lovely, mature nose here of fresh and preserved red berries and plums, leather couch, dark soil, old spices and a hint of cigar. Almost all tasters had this as Left Bank Bordeaux. It presented as a lovely, fresh, leaner Bordeaux, that was a beautiful food match with my beef. The flavours were earthy, plums, blackberries and savoury. The tannins were well integrated and resolved and dusty. The Calon-Ségur is right in its drinking window. Very good. Cabernet Sauvignon 50%, Cabernet Franc 25%, Merlot 25%.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 1996 Château Léoville Barton

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  The wine of the flight for me. Aromatically complex with blackcurrant, cigar box, lead pencil, spicy and savoury elements on bouquet. There was also a cheesy, Elastoplast notes Peter identified as Brett, but I did not find these off-putting. On the palate, this was to most, including me, a serious, classy cellar wine. It had the structure, mid palate weight and power and stuffing to support long term cellaring. It had lovely balance and a gorgeous acid profile, one of the best in the tasting. The flavours were largely in the dark fruit spectrum with some minerals and tobacco. Even picking up Brett on the palate, Peter had this quality wine his best of the flight. Definitely drinkable now but would benefit from 5+ years in the cellar.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2002 Château Cos d'Estournel

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe

  A lovely nose of leather, black currants, cassis and soy. The wine divided the group. Some thought that the palate under-delivered on the promise of the bouquet and that the acidity hid some of the fruit. Others, who were not put off by the acid profile, had the 2002 Cos as their wine of the flight, thinking it was a big wine, with serious fruit volume and structure. Many thought the wine a First Growth from a leaner year. I was closer to the second group. Even though the wine is quite approachable, I think it has many years ahead of it. Cabernet Sauvignon 58% and Merlot 38%.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2002 Château Haut-Brion

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  My WotD. A complex, multidimensional bouquet, a melange of fresh and dried red and black fruits, crème de cassis, underbrush, earth and vanilla bean. Also, a complex wine on the palate. Quite young, primary and a bit too tannic. A wine with gravitas. Even though theoretically from a 'lesser' vintage, fully ripe with serious fruit weight, architecture and length. Its cassis flavour profile was spectacular, unmatched at the tasting, and the flavour profile complex and subtle. Hold for another five years. Merlot 51%, Cabernet Sauvignon 40% and Cabernet Franc 9%.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2003 Château Cos d'Estournel

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe

  A bouquet very similar to the 2002 but with a slightly roasted or stewed fruit element (as several of those tasting blind commented, picking this as a 2003 Bordeaux). On the day, for me, this wine was a quite a way behind the 2002, due to the slightly roasted, over-ripe element, also on the flavour profile. Excellent fruit weight, in fact huge, juicy, lush fruit. I worried that the acid was too low. Peter wondered whether the wine had in fact been acid adjusted. Someone asked him whether, given this lack of acidity, the wine had a future. Peter said with this quality of fruit he thought 90/10 it would come through. Hold for at least 5-7 years. Cabernet Sauvignon 70%, Merlot 27%.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 1990 Te Mata Estate Coleraine

  New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

  Colour tending orange. A lovely Autumnal, mellow bouquet, with savoury and spicy elements. Aromas of old dried plums and other red fruits and some dried herbs. On palate, a mellow, mature wine, flavours leathery, dried fruits, tobacco and some dried herbs. In a leaner style, drinking well. Peter was definitive, this was not a NZ wine. Everyone in the room agreed it was a Bordeaux, so they were surprised on the reveal. Drink up soon. 1990 was Te Mata's 11th vintage, and a bit of a mixed year. Cabernet Sauvignon 54%, Merlot 36% and Cabernet Franc 10%.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1987 Stonyridge Vineyard Larose

  New Zealand, North Island, Auckland, Waiheke Island

  Colour not as evolved as the Coleraine. A similar mature, mellow nose of leather, earth and mushrooms. In the mouth, a lovely savoury, earthy Bordeaux blend, with flavours of preserved plums and dried red fruits, Christmas cake, smoke and old leather couch. My NZ WotD, with the Terraces. Drink soon. Stonyridge's third ever vintage, the wine that made Stonyridge's name. Some consider this wine the best Bordeaux blend made in NZ until then.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 1989 Château Mouton Rothschild

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  A profound nose of dark cherries, cassis, blackcurrant, cedar and graphite, a clear marker for this wine's class. Also notes of spice, dry underbrush and tobacco leaf, showing some development. A lovely palate, very complex and detailed. Still seeming quite primary, there is excellent structure and acidity here. The wine has a freshness, intensity, elegance and a leaner style I really like. It has beautifully integrated tannins. Superb. Everyone recognised this as a First Growth Bordeaux. In its optimal drinking window now, I thought. Cabernet Sauvignon 78%, Cabernet Franc 14% and Merlot 8%.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2007 Château Rieussec

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Aromas of Rieussec brown sugar with honey, peach and vanilla. I found this way too primary and quite tough in its big, structured, big boned style. I'm sure that all of the material is there, but this wine needs 5-10 years to integrate and come together.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 1998 Château Coutet Barsac

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

  I much preferred the more elegant Coutet. A herby nose of pears, pears, pineapple and citrus. Quite pure, high toned and lovely. On the palate, real precision, energy and focus, with excellent acids, it matched my crème brûlée beautifully. The flavours were citric, pineapple and mineral, with that interesting herbal element I attributed to the Sauvignon Blanc component. Viscous, with good texture, but with lighter body.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

Overall, the NZ wines showed very well up against the Bordeaux and other wines. With Flight 8 Thierry and I risked looking a little silly. (Pulling the cork on the 1990 Coleraine, it totally disintegrated, leaving me to fear the wine would be vinegar). The Mouton Rothschild was a clear class above the NZ wines but they were far from disgraced.

Peter was surprised by the quality of some of the NZ wines. He made the interesting comment that the NZ wines were good, well made wines, but perhaps not profound. So maybe still some distance to go ...

Thanks to all attendees for their generous contributions and excellent company!