Friday Night Double Blind Tasting $40+

• 2009 Château Talbot 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Garnet core, density with larger lighter rim; cigar, red currant, lead pencil; fresh, youthful, good stuffing but not super noble, good grip, cedar, leather, tart cherry and currant, juicy red fruit; called St. Julien though I presumed it was older.

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• 2009 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano 88 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Dull maroon core, some sediment, pale slight onion skin rim; menthol, sweet rose, strawberry, licorice, light red cherry; soft on entry, cedar, tannic, not much polish, drying tannin, dried cherry, dried roses, seams a little lean, sharp, slight bitter orange; called '08 Bordini Barbaresco.

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• 2010 Domaine de la Ronciere Châteauneuf-du-Pape 89 Points

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

  Dark core with dull garnet rim; hard CdP fruit, young, purple fruit, plum, dark berry, raspberry, warm leather, musky though not from Brett, roasted cooked fruit; palate is fresher than nose suggests, firm tannin on the back, dark berries galore, sauvage, rich with decent nobility; good.

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• 2007 Domaine Belle Hermitage 90 Points

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Opaque core with dull purple rim; green note, black pepper, violets, resolving vanilla, slight Kalamata olive, cement dust, dark chocolate; classic on the palate, ripe, good fruit, tobacco, firm, good acid, some vanilla and coffee, dark chocolate, palate only hints at olive; others in Right Bank Bordeaux but I went to N. Rhone right away; quite good now.

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• 2007 Hyde De Villaine Syrah Californio Hyde Vineyard 89 Points

  USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

  Opaque core with lighter purple rim; spicy, red and dark fruit, ripe, menthol, tarry, plum, chocolate, very dusty, high toned but dense; some cooked fruit on the palate, tannin, higher alcohol, herbs, good density, darker fruit with some red, graphite; mature and in a good spot now; people all over on this but most agreed on variety.

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• 2010 Château Ferrière 86 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Opaque core with dark garnet rim; so green on the nose, bitter, dark chocolate, mineral, dusty, tobacco, gravel and clay, medicinal, strong green pepper; softer palate, lots of tannin though, cooked fruit, kind of funky, falling apart, disappointing, possibly this bottle saw some heat then again I've never had a Ferriere I've enjoyed.

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• 1998 E. Guigal Châteauneuf-du-Pape

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

  Way past peak.

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• 2009 Fattoria Selvapiana Chianti Rùfina Riserva Bucerchiale 88 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Rùfina

  See through crimson with light rim; melted red fruit, mineral, brown sugar, Brett, warm dried cherry; disjointed on the palate due to the Brett though still many redeeming qualities; thought this was '08 Pertimali.

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• 2007 Talenti Brunello di Montalcino 86 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  See through crimson core with orange in rim; tobacco, brown sugar, lean, aged, red fruit; nice mid palate, soft resolved tannin, dried cherry, some structure, herbs, licorice, a little tinny; almost reminds me of Grenache in a way but I called '05 BdM; not a fan of this one.

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• 2010 Castello di Ama Chianti Classico Gran Selezione San Lorenzo 90 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

  Dark core with garnet rim; dark fruit, fresher, blackberry, tobacco, Italian, nice depth; fuller on the palate, juicy dark fruit for Sangio, good length, full and round though the structure is underneath a bit, like how acid frames the wine; good.

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• 2010 Fattoria dei Barbi Brunello di Montalcino 88 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  Dark crimson core showing good clarity, paler rim; reductive, strong burning plastic odor, watermelon; juicy red fruit on the palate, licorice, strawberry, cherry, herbs, sharp new acid, firm tannin, young, reductive; needs time; lacking some depth for the vintage.

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• 2009 Tenuta San Guido Guidalberto Toscana IGT 90 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  Dark core with garnet rim; vegetal, fish tank, earth, red currant, Coastal Tuscany; good structure, higher alcohol, Cab/Merlot blend, red currant, cherry; called '07 Guidalberto, should have known better.

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• NV Marc Hébrart Champagne Premier Cru Brut Rosé 89 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru

  Dull pink, small bubbles; yeast, sweet bright pink fruit, mineral in background, young and intense, plumper with a medicinal quality on the finish; seemed kind of young in need of some time to come together.

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A pretty disappointing night. Many came to play small ball and contribute wines less than price point.
What we lacked in quality we made up in sheer quantity.

My palate was en fuego this evening really only missing the '98 Guigal because it tasted like early '90s Barolo that would have tasted old 10 years ago.

Favorite would have to be the Guidalberto and Hermitage. Talbot is in 3rd.