(blind) Sweet aromatic nose - ripe dark cherry with some hints of vanilla oak. Dry, medium body, 13.5% alcohol (actually 13.7), medium plus acid, low tannins. Subtle signs of vanilla oak sweetness - 15% new French oak.
Overall it has a bit of heat, but is a clean, restrained style with slightly elevated acid.
Laterals: - France - too ripe - NZ - too low in acid and structure Guess: Australia - warmer climate - Yarra Valley 2015, $25 Actually: 2014 Central Otago Pinot, Criterion. $20 Analysis: Maybe my read on the acid was off
(blind) Medium minus ruby - red at the rim. Sweet nose - slightly confected cherry (possible semi-carbonic). A little development (bruised cherry). And some bitter amaro cherry - like homemade maraschino cherries. Dry, medium body, 13.5% alcohol, elevated acid, medium minus tannins - polished. Sweet fruit on the finish. Medium plus finish - ripe cherry with a hint of wet leaves. 30% new oak - slight sawdust.
Clean style - just a touch of earth. Elevated acid.
Guess: Central Otago Pinot 2014 - good quality, $30. Actual: 2015 Marsannay - Domain Bart, $20 Analysis: Not far off - 2015 was a warm year. I could have picked up on more of the leaves and earth.
(blind) Medium minus ruby. Reductive - rubber and coin polish. Lean dark cherry nose. Slightly peppery. Dry, medium plus alcohol - 14% (13.5%), high acid, medium tannins - a bit bitter and papery. Little to no new oak. Based on the acid and structure, I believe this is a 2015 Central Otago Pinot. - France: too clean and fruit-driven - Australia: too structured - NZ - fits.
New Zealand Pegasus Bay 2014 Waipara (south island) 13.5% $45
(blind) Medium minus ruby. Ripe and somewhat fleshy (ripe tomato) nose - mid-ripe cherry, ripe peach, hints of oak. Slight burnt toast reduction, but also shows savory bruised cherry notes of age. Light floral tones. Dry, 13% alcohol (correct), high acid, medium plus tannins.
Structured with just medium alcohol. Despite the clean style, I think this is Burgundy based on the cooler ripeness (peach, tomato) and elevated structure. 15% Nuits-st.-George, 2014, $40, 15% new oak. Actually: Bouchard Monthelie 2015 Analysis: Pretty structured for a 2015
(blind) Medium minus ruby. Aromatic nose - mushrooms, tart red cherry, ripe nectarine, dried flowers - popourri, forest floor - dried leaves, faint vegetal tomato. Medium body, 13% alcohol, high acid, medium plus tannins. Neutral oak.
Guess: Burgundy - Volnay Village level 2014. Actual: Spy Valley Marlborough 2013 $24
Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Mornington Peninsula
(non-blind - my wine) Medium minus ruby. Surprising eucalyptus. And some grassiness. Possible pyrazines. Also some gingerbread - some oak. Cooler ripeness - ripe Ranier cherry, ripe nectarine. Not the black cherry of Otago. 14% alcohol, high acid (possibly acidified), medium minus tannins. Fleshy with some oak on the palate. Ranier cherry - ripe. Interesting - a bit hot for me, and the greenness is surprising. But a balanced wine.
France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune
(blind) Pale ruby. Super yeasty - like yeast packets with sawdust. Fertilizer - Home Depot. Lambic brett notes, slight coin polish, VA - ethyl acetate. 14% alcohol (only 13%), high acid - seems possibly acidified, medium plus tannins. Bitter finish.
No idea what this is. Guessing 2016 Martinborough. 2015 PYCM Bourgogne hautes-cotes de beaune - vignes baudet - $40 This is flawed. Something is terribly wrong.
(blind) Medium minus ruby. Unusual nose - earthy resinous. Bright tart cherry - a bit dried. Clove. Slight black pepper. Slight botrytis - honeyed faded fruit. Light, 13.5% alcohol (actually 13%), high acid, medium tannins - finishes dry.
It's light but aromatic and earthy.
Schioppettino, 2015, Friuli - Could be a Gamay - Moulin-a-Vent. - Nerello Mascalese - in between Pinot and Nebbiolo - Etna rosso
Actually: 2014 Musella Valpolicella Superiore $20 - not a bad value!
2014 Criterion Collection Pinot Noir 85 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
(blind)
Sweet aromatic nose - ripe dark cherry with some hints of vanilla oak.
Dry, medium body, 13.5% alcohol (actually 13.7), medium plus acid, low tannins. Subtle signs of vanilla oak sweetness - 15% new French oak.
Overall it has a bit of heat, but is a clean, restrained style with slightly elevated acid.
Laterals:
- France - too ripe
- NZ - too low in acid and structure
Guess: Australia - warmer climate - Yarra Valley 2015, $25
Actually: 2014 Central Otago Pinot, Criterion. $20
Analysis: Maybe my read on the acid was off
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2015 Domaine Bart Marsannay Ouzeloy 89 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Marsannay
(blind)
Medium minus ruby - red at the rim.
Sweet nose - slightly confected cherry (possible semi-carbonic). A little development (bruised cherry). And some bitter amaro cherry - like homemade maraschino cherries.
Dry, medium body, 13.5% alcohol, elevated acid, medium minus tannins - polished. Sweet fruit on the finish. Medium plus finish - ripe cherry with a hint of wet leaves. 30% new oak - slight sawdust.
Clean style - just a touch of earth. Elevated acid.
Guess: Central Otago Pinot 2014 - good quality, $30.
Actual: 2015 Marsannay - Domain Bart, $20
Analysis: Not far off - 2015 was a warm year. I could have picked up on more of the leaves and earth.
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2014 Pegasus Bay Pinot Noir 87 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Canterbury, Waipara
(blind)
Medium minus ruby. Reductive - rubber and coin polish. Lean dark cherry nose. Slightly peppery.
Dry, medium plus alcohol - 14% (13.5%), high acid, medium tannins - a bit bitter and papery. Little to no new oak.
Based on the acid and structure, I believe this is a 2015 Central Otago Pinot.
- France: too clean and fruit-driven
- Australia: too structured
- NZ - fits.
New Zealand Pegasus Bay 2014 Waipara (south island) 13.5% $45
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2015 Bouchard Père et Fils Monthélie Domaine 87 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Monthélie
(blind)
Medium minus ruby.
Ripe and somewhat fleshy (ripe tomato) nose - mid-ripe cherry, ripe peach, hints of oak. Slight burnt toast reduction, but also shows savory bruised cherry notes of age. Light floral tones.
Dry, 13% alcohol (correct), high acid, medium plus tannins.
Structured with just medium alcohol. Despite the clean style, I think this is Burgundy based on the cooler ripeness (peach, tomato) and elevated structure. 15%
Nuits-st.-George, 2014, $40, 15% new oak.
Actually: Bouchard Monthelie 2015
Analysis: Pretty structured for a 2015
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2013 Spy Valley Pinot Noir 87 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough
(blind)
Medium minus ruby.
Aromatic nose - mushrooms, tart red cherry, ripe nectarine, dried flowers - popourri, forest floor - dried leaves, faint vegetal tomato.
Medium body, 13% alcohol, high acid, medium plus tannins. Neutral oak.
Guess: Burgundy - Volnay Village level 2014.
Actual: Spy Valley Marlborough 2013 $24
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2014 Moorooduc Estate Pinot Noir 86 Points
Australia, Victoria, Port Phillip, Mornington Peninsula
(non-blind - my wine)
Medium minus ruby. Surprising eucalyptus. And some grassiness. Possible pyrazines. Also some gingerbread - some oak. Cooler ripeness - ripe Ranier cherry, ripe nectarine. Not the black cherry of Otago.
14% alcohol, high acid (possibly acidified), medium minus tannins. Fleshy with some oak on the palate. Ranier cherry - ripe.
Interesting - a bit hot for me, and the greenness is surprising. But a balanced wine.
25% new oak.
100% destemmed.
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2015 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Vignes Baudet Flawed
France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune
(blind)
Pale ruby.
Super yeasty - like yeast packets with sawdust. Fertilizer - Home Depot.
Lambic brett notes, slight coin polish, VA - ethyl acetate.
14% alcohol (only 13%), high acid - seems possibly acidified, medium plus tannins. Bitter finish.
No idea what this is. Guessing 2016 Martinborough.
2015 PYCM Bourgogne hautes-cotes de beaune - vignes baudet - $40
This is flawed. Something is terribly wrong.
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2014 Musella Valpolicella Superiore 87 Points
Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Valpolicella Superiore
(blind)
Medium minus ruby. Unusual nose - earthy resinous. Bright tart cherry -
a bit dried. Clove. Slight black pepper. Slight botrytis - honeyed faded fruit.
Light, 13.5% alcohol (actually 13%), high acid, medium tannins - finishes dry.
It's light but aromatic and earthy.
Schioppettino, 2015, Friuli
- Could be a Gamay - Moulin-a-Vent.
- Nerello Mascalese - in between Pinot and Nebbiolo - Etna rosso
Actually: 2014 Musella Valpolicella Superiore $20 - not a bad value!
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