4th Saturday Group: Uptown Brown Bag

We gathered for our regular Saturday group tasting, once again with an uptown theme. Each taster is tasked with bringong a bagged red for the double blind tasting. Wines are arranged randomly but we try to go from light to heavy (by placing our bagged wines to the left, middle or right side of the table, and then the bottles are mixed up a bit). We spend some time tasting each flight, then discussing the wines and making our guesses as we unveil one by one.

• 2016 Left Coast Estate White Pinot Noir 88 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Van Duzer Corridor

  Double blind. Very pale color. Has a grassy citrusy spicy white fruit bouquet- my initial thought is sauv blanc. Good acidity on the palate, along with quince and white fruit. Medium finish. Very pleasant. I, and I think the rest of the group, guessed sauvignon blanc.

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• 2015 Terre Stregate Falanghina del Sannio Svelato 89 Points

  Italy, Campania, Falanghina del Sannio

  Double blind. Notes of creamy melon fruit with floral overtones. Creamy texture, featuring flavors of honeysuckle and melon, with good underlying acidity. I guessed Rhone blend.

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• 2012 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc La Crau Flawed

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

  Double blind. Deeper color, with aromas of caramel and nuts- definitely a good bit of oxidation here. There's also funky sweat sock/locker room qualities and it's getting worse as it sits and I am not sure I even want to taste it, but I did (mistake!). This is putrid. I guessed oxidized/flawed Burgundy. This is obviously a flawed bottle but I don't know what would cause this- it's not TCA, so maybe a bad strain of brettanomyces or some other spoilage yeast? Hopefully our host was able to return this to the store.

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• 2012 Araujo Estate Altagracia 88 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Double blind. Aromas of spice, black raspberry, plum and five spice powder. With air the oak and vanilla tones become dominant and the fruit fades. Dark fruit and spice qualities with a nice finish but here again the wood begins to dominate.

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• 2002 Peju Province Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Rutherford 89 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

  Single blind. A bit of bricking, obviously older and based on the color alone I knew this had to be our Peju as everything else was inky and young. Opens with aromas of eucalyptus and herb with bouillon and worcestshire undertones. The worcestshire note carries over onto the palate, but there's also some red and black fruit too. With time the bouillon and worcestshire notes fade and the eucalyptus turns to menthol. Certainly not worth the tariff I paid.

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• 2012 Saxum James Berry Vineyard 87 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

  Double blind. Aromas of vanilla, oak and spice; hot and alcoholic- overly so. Black raspberry and plummy fruit on the palate with dense, chewy tannin. Ripe and hot. Guessed syrah.

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• 2012 Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder Single Block 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder

  Double blind. Deep opaque color with notes of violets, mocha, currants and blue fruit. I love the bouquet here. On the palate the tannins are firm, but quite fine. Flavors of cassis, black cherry and raspberry with oak accents in the background. Long finish. Guessed Napa cab. 93+ pts.

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• 2009 Dominus Estate 88 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Double blind. Deep color. Fairly tight and nondescript. Dark fruit, peppery spice and oak notes. More of the same on the palate. Shows a bit riper fruit with vigorous swirling. Guessed Napa cab.

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• 2013 Pahlmeyer Cabernet Sauvignon Jayson Napa Valley 94 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Double blind. Initially somewhat reticent with generic dark fruit notes. With time, violet and lovely perfumed floral notes emerge- this is very pretty and I am really enjoying the bouquet. Cassis, currants and plum with fine tannins and a long finish. Balanced and pretty.

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• 2013 La Jota Cabernet Franc 90 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

  Double blind. Initially a bit generic and nondescript. Aromas of currants and chocolate. Fine tannins with flavors of dark fruit and currants with a medium finish. Starts to show some heat in the bouquet. The fruit tends to the red end of the spectrum as it opens in the glass. I guessed Napa cab sauv and was very surprised to see this unveiled as franc- none of the variety's herbal/green qualities present. A franc for sauvignon lovers I suppose.

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• 2013 Peter Michael L'Esprit des Pavots 90 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley

  Double blind. Notes of dark fruit, vanilla, and red fruit turning boue and plummy with air. Medium tannins. Dark fruit and plum flavors with a nice finish. Fairly straightforward. Guessed CA cab blend. Give this one a very healthy decant or plenty of time in the cellar.

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• 2004 Luca Malbec Nico 93 Points

  Argentina, Mendoza

  Single blind. Down to the last two and I still wasn't entirely sure which was the malbec. Deep inky color showing no age (the cork looked like that of a new release). dark fruit dominates, and there's a hint of brett adding a nice funk on the back end. Plummy dark fruit on the palate with medium tannins and a long finish. Really well-balanced, with loads of fruit. I think I heard a couple of tasters say that this was their favorite in the flight.

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• 2011 Peter Michael Les Pavots 90 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley

  Double blind. At first this displays red and dark fruit and some heat too. Tannic; red and dark fruit with cherry accents in the finish. Somewhat nondescript and generic- red and dark fruit on the nose and palate, decent underlying acidity. Guessed CA cab blend.

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Nonblind with dinner.

• 2011 Domaine Carneros Le Rêve 89 Points

  USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

  Medium mousse with a fine bead. Green apple and yeast qualities with a stony citrus tone in the finish. Good.

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• 2004 Turley Zinfandel Ueberroth Vineyard 87 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

  Popped and poured with dinner. Spicy red fruit qualities in the bouquet and on the palate. Hints of worcestshire creep in on the finish- in decline. Drink up.

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• 2011 Ridge Lytton Springs Flawed

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley

  Had some secondary fermentation going on. Not good.

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• 1997 Château Climens 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

  Deep color. Notes of apricot, white peach and pear liqueur. Rich texture with stone fruit dominating the palate. I'd like a touch more acidity here, as it feels just slightly cloying and heavy.

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