[0.3] 6 blinds at Flatiron
Flatiron, SF
Tasted Friday, May 16, 2025 by RajivAyyangar with 60 views
Introduction
Score: 2 misses (logic) for 6 wines = .3 misses on avg
- The Barbaresco had too high acid and probably tannins for a good example of Châteauneuf.
- The Julienas was within alcohol levels for modern Beaujolais (I need to update my Beaujolais range to include 14.5%)
A few atypical wines. The Barbaresco was quite soft for a barbaresco, and the Albariño lacked both terpenes and phenolic bitterness.
Overall I felt like my sensory was pretty solid and my decisionmaking was sound. It was exciting to do the first wine verbally!
2021 Lagar de Costa Albariño Rías Baixas Doelas 84 Points
Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas
(blind)
I did this wine live. Verbal note:
Pale straw. Dry. On the nose. Medium-plus intensity; some stone fruit and hints of tropical fruit, a little bit of ripe and underripe papaya, a little bit of riper papaya. No signs of oak on the nose; very fruit-driven.
On the palate: Dry, medium-minus body, 12% alcohol (actually 12.5), high acid, clean acid seems to have gone through malolactic fermentation fully. No phenolic bitterness, no signs of oak on the palate.
Going back to the nose, there's a little bit of maybe grapefruit.
This is a high acid wine showing hints of tropical fruit. There aren't any non-fruit aromas I'm looking for perzines or anything like that, but there aren't any.
So, we got a high acid wine with medium-minus alcohol. It could be so laterals would be Riesling, Chenin Blanc from New World, Sauvignon Blanc. But in style, it doesn't show any perzines. Between those, Riesling I think would have probably clear TDN. It could be Chenin from South Africa. It could be. I think I would expect more fruit ripeness. So, I'm gonna take this to Sauvignon Blanc from a riper year in Sancerre. I guess 20 what's the character 2023 Good quality.
Called: 2023 Sancerre
Actual: Albarino - Doelas 2021, 12.5%
Score: 0 - no major misses.
Analysis: I don't get any terpenes or phenolic bitterness. It's such a clean finish. I don't think this is a good example of albarino. 2021 is a few years ago - maybe terpenes fell off with age?
MP mentioned: if this were sauv blanc, with that much acid it should have pyrazines.
(but I didn't think the acid was exceptionally high for sauvignon).
Score: 84. it's a decent wine but not a good example of Albarino. Maybe over the hill at this point.
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2022 Château Olivier Blanc 88 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
(blind)
Pale straw. Ripe nose. Medium plus acid.
13.5% alcohol (close! 13.8%) - slightly elevated
tropical fruit. ripe. rich.
Oak + pyrazines (orange creamsicle, lime soda).
Probably white bordeaux. slight oak.
elevated alcohol.
ripe.
orange creamsicle. lime soda.
laterals:
- ca sauv blanc - not enough ripeness, oak.
Called: Bordeaux blanc, 2022 (recent release).
Actual: Bordeaux blanc, 2022 (alcohol was correct too!)
- 75% sauv blanc, 25% semillon.
- 13.8% alcohol
3.25
40% new oak 12 months
Score: 0
Analysis: - perfect - nailed it.
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2022 Le Rocher des Violettes Montlouis-sur-Loire Touche-Mitaine 83 Points
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Montlouis-sur-Loire
(blind)
Pale yellow.
something funky. green bean? mushroom?
slight reduction - a bit rubbery.
dry, super high acid - plus malic.
Medium alcohol - 12% (actually 13%)
Laterals:
- Riesling - nose is too weird, non-fruit driven. Could be Riesling.
- Vouvray / chenin - it's dry and doesn't have enough alcohol to be savennieres. Wouldn't be reduced.
- Chablis? acid too tart / harsh
- federspiel gruner (bc of the vegetal character) - acid is too high. no phenolic bitterness.
- muscadet - I guess there's a slight impression of lees. But it's too harsh, raw. It doesn't feel like a lees-contact wine.
- Hunter semillon - is the alcohol low enough? I don't think so.
Final conclusion:
- Chenin blanc from loire valley, in a dry style. Vouvray sec.
- or could be a bad example of Riesling.
This is a tough one, I'm going off of structure and reduction mostly.
Called: Chenin Blanc, Loire, Vouvray Sec, 2022
Actual: Chenin Blanc, Loise, Montlouis - le rocher des violettes. touche-mitaine, montlouis sur loire. 2022 13%
Score: 0
Analysis: spot on. I didn't have the appellation at hand, but I was thinking of some non-vouvray appellation.
le rocher des violettes. touche-mitaine, montlouis sur loire. 2022 13%
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2020 Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco 87 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
(blind)
Medium minus ruby. slight red at rim.
Ripe darker fruit nose. not super aromatic. heavy. slightly dusty/raisinated.
something familiar. pepper? not sure. pyrazines? - maybe very faint.
ripe, 14.5% alcohol (correct).
Juicy. overripe strawberry and berry fruit. Red fruit driven.
high acid - there's a lot of acid here.
medium plus tannins.
Acid and ripe red fruit driven on the palate.
earthy nose. high alcohol.
no oak - neutral barrels.
oxidative.
there's something funky about the acid here. feels perhaps acidified [almost certainly not].
Laterals
- GSM - southern rhone, CdP
- Aussie grenache - would be more fruit driven. could be - the possible acidification might be a hint.
- italian - barolo, chianti - would have more bitterness, tannins. Barbera? maybe. probably would be darker.
Called: 2021 Chateauneuf-du-pape. Good quality.
Actual: 2020 Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco - interesting - acid is really high. Tannins are a bit softer than I'd expect.
Score: 1 [logic] - too high acid and tannins for Chateauneuf.
Analysis: this is a softer Barbaresco ($42 retail) - riper vintage - more approachable tannins. Also the fruit is jammier and riper than I'd expect from Barbaresco.
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2023 Domaine Chignard Juliénas Beauvernay 87 Points
France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Juliénas
(blind)
Medium plus ruby.
high toned, confected fruit aromas. red and dark cherry fruit driven. whole cluster? sweet and jammy as well. like blackberry jam. black raspberry jam. Millerandage.
high alcohol - 14.5% (correct)
medium minus tannins.
elevated acid. feels like juicy acid - possibly acidified.
Slight oak but not prominent.
laterals
- aussie shiraz - I thought this originally, but on re-tasting...Shiraz would be more dark fruit driven.
- Argentine malbec - would be harder in tannins. drier. probably have a note of underripe black fruit too.
- CA cab - would be more structured, dark fruit.
- amarone - would be higher alcohol, more raisinated.
- Zinfandel would probably be more light in color, but maybe? Probably would have more oak impression. I'm guessing this based on the notable millerandage.
Called: 2022 Zinfandel, RRV, good quality
Actual: 2023 Julienas chignard beauvernay - kermit lynch, $20.
Score: 1 - I did great with sensory, but need to update my logic for modern vintages of Beaujolais.
Notes from the crew: since 2015, gamay is often above 14%
Score: it's got great fruit but pretty alcoholic for my taste. It's a great zin-like wine, more old world than a typical zin.
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2018 Principe Corsini Chianti Classico Cortevecchia Riserva 87 Points
Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG
(blind)
Medium minus ruby-garnet.
Medium aromatic intensity. Light dried red fruit. notable brett. slight VA / balsamic hints.
Dry, high acid. high tannins. 14.5% alcohol.
Impressive structure.
Laterals:
- rioja - would be lower alcohol and tannins, and would have more oak.
- chianti - would be more acid driven.
- brunello - could be
- Barolo - 2020 (near current release) - good quality. There's a hint of dried roses if I fish for them, but I wouldn't hang my hat on it.
Called: 2020 Barolo
Actual: 2018 Chianti Classico Riserva - cortevecchia chianti classico riserva 2018, 14.5% - villa le corti.
Score: 0 - not sure these are easily differentiable for this type of style. Sometimes things are clearly nebbiolo, but there seems to be a large area of overlap.
Analysis: but I think I need to re-evaluate my Barolo vs. Chianti differentiators (maybe lean more on fruit character than just acid-tannin balance?)
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