D3 DipWSET STILL WINES - Prep with Lauren and Mike

Tasted Friday, July 15, 2022 by Heynetty with 71 views

Introduction

Another 6 wines. Only 3 tasted blind for me this week.

Flight 1 - Random Flight (3 Notes)

2017 Tyrrell's Sémillon

Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

Tasted Blind

Pale lemon (actually water white to me)
Medium (+) nose of lime, grapefruit, lemon, pear, yeast
Off dry.....WHY? , high acidity, low alcohol (called medium originally as I genuinely cannot tell the diff),medium body, medium (+ intensity of lime, grapefruit, lemon, pear, yeast and medium finish.
I kept getting RS in this and the sugar hung on. Bit perplexing. No more than good quality for me. It was simple and lacked finish.
I thought no suitable for ageing originally

Guesses:
I had this down as a a petroleum free riesling as might happen in a very young one. It was how I accounted for the RS and the fruit character. I was unsatisfied with the guess for certain.

Mistakes:
Totally missed any beeswax and couldn't find it even when I knew what the wine was. I ignored the water white nature of the wine, I missed any salt and what in the world was this off dry thing that I kept finding. Really odd. Not sure if its me or this bottle. Others found it dry....weird. It was the first wine fo the night.

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2018 Terrazas de Los Andes Malbec Reserva

Argentina, Mendoza

Tasted Blind

Deep Ruby with purple highlights
Medium (+)nose of red cherry, black cherry, smoke, liquorice, coffee and chocolate
Dry, medium acid (again this call is after group correction, everything I tasted that night was high acid....just couldn't make good acid calls), high alcohol, medium (+) silky tannin, full. body, medium finish (orig. called long) and proounced intensity of red cherry, black cherry, smoke, liquorice, coffee and chocolate
Guesses:
I thought this was NW and guessed at Zinfandel. Couldn't find any capsicum or cassis so didn't go with cab.

Mistakes:
I messed up on the finish of this one and cheap malbecs never have more than a medium finish. The ripe fruit, alcohol, fruit forwardness and the CHOCOLATE as well as purple rim should have taken me to Malbec

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2020 Spier Pinotage Anno 1692

South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

tasted blind

A: Medium ruby (verging on pale)
N: Pronounced nose of SMOKED MEAT, violets, black pepper, raspberry (cooked), prunes, anise,
P: Dry, medium acid (I called higher but was corrected by the rest of the group), medium dusty tannins, high alcohol (14%), full body, medium length and pronounced intensity of SMOKED MEAT, violets, black pepper, raspberry (cooked), prunes, anise,
C: Good quality here. Intensity and complexity saves it

Guesses:
Fruit forward but masses of smoked meat from the outset, I thought it was New World. it looked like a Pinot Noir but smelled like a Shiraz. Pinotage was second and very tenuous guess.

Mistakes:
That smoked meat and color intensity should have taken me to Pinotage straight away. Malbec has smoked meat in high quality examples but it would be a deep color as would the shiraz which is more woodsmoke.

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Flight 2 - Guess the Country Flight (3 Notes)

2017 Ktima Foundi Xinomavro Naoussea 87 Points

Greece, Macedonia, Naoussa

Like a cheese grater running over the tongue!

A: Pale ruby
N:Medium (+) nose of potting soil, barely ripe raspberry, nutmeg, barnyard, fresh fennel
P: Dry, high acidity, high rustic tannins, high alcohol, full body, medium (+) finish and medium (+) intensity. Glycerol texture that I would NOT expect in a Barolo or barbaresco
C: The tannin is very astringent and something which is causing considerable disequilibrium. The wine lacks complexity but has good fruit intensity bringing this to an adequate finish, Its a good quality wine right now

We committed vinfanticide here. The tannins needed resolving and may well have disguised some of the fruit, It was genuinely difficult to taste never mind drink. It would absolutely become bearable with food, however, It is suitable for ageing, Plenty to keep it fresh as the fruit develops.

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2019 Troupis Agiorgitiko FTERI

Greece, Peloponnisos, Arcadia

Pale ruby with purple hues
Medium nose of olives, blackberries, pomegranate, cinnamon and a light touch of black pepper
Dry, medium acid (I was over hydrated and got Med + but others said I was way off and it was medium, medium alcohol (13.5%), high grippy tannin, medium (+) body, medium finish and medium (+). intensity of olives, blackberries, pomegranate, cinnamon and a light touch of black pepper. Real glycerol texture here
C: Length and complexity get a half mark each but the intensity is good. The tannins are too aggressive to give balance. Its a good quality wine. Not suitable for ageing with acidity this low, I think. Drink up.

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2020 Santo Wines Assyrtiko Santorini

Greece, Aegean, Cyclades, Santorini

A: Pale gold
N: Medium cooked pear, kumquat, ripe lemon, cgrapefruit, coconut,
P: Dry high acidity (tingling in my cheeks like a GG Riesling), medium alcohol (13.5%), medium (+) body, medium (+) finish and medium intensity flacors of pear, kumquat, lemon, grapefruit, salt, coconut
C: Lacks intensity and complexity. Usually this grape is pretty intense and shows high minerality from this volcanic region....its just not present. THis is not a great example of an assyrtiko from Santorini. Good ripeness of fruit balanced by the acid and generous length. Its a good quality wine but better examples would have greater concentration and complexity not to mention typicity.
$24/bottle

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