Solo Grid Practice, SF Wine Center

Conclusions/Notes:

Take a moment to concentrate before tasting. Don’t let tasting be mechanical. Be in the moment and then reconstruct it afterwards.

Nose:
1) Open-mouth, short light sniffs to get the light top notes.
2) Standard mid-level nosing to get the first 2/3 starting to approach the core.
3) Deep nosing, through the core, into the back end.

Revised grid order: Nose
Intensity, Clean/Faulted
Then do in any order: Fruit, Non-fruit, and Oak aromas.
Then summarize:
Youthful/Developing/Mature
Complexity

Palate:
1) Brief light nosing.
2) Take a sip with some air.
3) Chew twice.
4) aerate
5) Chew twice.
6) Spit.

Revised grid order: Palate
Dry/RS
Body, Alcohol
Fruit, Non-fruit, Oak
Acid
Tannins
Then summarize:
Balance
Complexity
Finish

• 2009 Château Larteau

  France, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Supérieur

  (1st accessing)
  
  Summary:
  An earth-driven Merlot with rather limp dark fruit on the nose, along with slight reductive notes. A bit flat on the palate, lacking in both fruit and acidity, with a short, bitter finish.
  Score: around 7.5
  
  From the producer's website:
  100% Merlot
  Aged for 18 months in 30% new Allier casks
  
  Full notes:
  ------------
  Clear, bright.
  Dark ruby, with a slight red character.
  Moderate concentration.
  Slight violet on the rim.
  No gas or sediment.
  Moderate viscosity.
  
  On the nose:
  Notes of black cherry, light tobacco, faint floral tone, hint of reduction, black raspberry. Earth-driven, a bit of barnyard and animal character. Not necessarily clear brett.
  Round, low-toned nose. The nose smells flabby, low-acidity.
  Moderate intensity.
  We’ll call it clean.
  Youthful-to-developing.
  Complexity is moderate minus.
  No evidence of oak.
  
  On the palate:
  Dry wine.
  Medium body. Medium alcohol.
  Finish is quite bitter.
  A little dark, round, almost flabby fruit.
  Moderate to moderate minus acidity.
  Low tannins.
  No evidence or very little evidence of oak.
  Wine is slightly out of balance - not alcohol hot, but slightly low acidity for the body.
  Complexity is low to moderate - mostly bitterness and earth on the palate.
  Finish is short and mostly bitter.

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• 1995 York Creek Vineyards Meritage 91 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District

  (bottle 63666993 - first accessing)
  
  Summary:
  Showing signs of oxidization, but underneath fig and bruised-apple aromas, the nose has a rich and secondary nose of dark black raspberries, cedar, tobacco, dried cherries, and a tinge of cumin. In the mouth, it resembles a printed canvas of dark fruit, leather, cedar, tobacco, and savory tamari notes. There’s a nice texture to the midpalate flavors. It is gorgeously balanced, medium bodied, with lively acidity, still some tannic grip - though refined, and a satisfying length.
  
  This is a wine of substance, at an extremely interesting and delicious point in its life, available for an absolutely ridiculous price. Thanks @AlderYarrow for the recommendation! (The winemaker is Cathy Corison)
  Score: Around 9
  
  --------
  Full Notes:
  
  Visual
  Clear, bright, beautiful dark garnet in the glass.
  Moderate concentration, with some variation to brick to the rim - showing signs of age.
  No gas or sediment (coravined - must not have picked up any sediment).
  
  Nose -
  Definitely some sweet, port-like aromas of oxidized figs, bruised apples.
  Moderate plus in intensity.
  Mature to possible retiring, given the clear acetaldehyde.
  Not unpleasant on the nose - hint of tobacco, hint of warm fruit. Dark fruits - black raspberries, dark reddish-brown fruit in the core of the nose. Hints of the spice aisle in an Indian food store - cumin, etc. Fruit-driven, sweet nose (in a good way). The nose has some texture to it, but distinctly oxidized.
  It is complex. A nice moderate plus complexity.
  
  Palate (single aeration)
  A dry wine.
  Medium body, moderate alcohol.
  Some cedar, some dried dark cherries. Some oak influence - very well integrated. Some tobacco. Some bruised apple skin, figgy acetaldehyde.
  Some tannins - moderate minus. Very tertiary and refined.
  Acidity is strong - a good moderate verging on moderate plus. Clean, linear, tartaric acid. A bit of malic.
  This is a wine of moderate complexity - by virtue of age. Secondaries, and lots of savory deliciousness going on.
  It is beautifully balanced (made by Cathy Corison - 13% alcohol only).
  Finish is moderate plus in length. Very nice!

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The '95 York Creek was a stunner!