Blind home wine tasting

FUll MOT Score sheet with the A's and B's - 3 sets of 2 - Shiraz, Tempranillo and Bordeaux blend. All wines decanted for 2 hours.

• 1994 Bodegas Montecillo Rioja Gran Reserva 84 Points

  Spain, La Rioja, Rioja

  Tasting this as the first bottle in the tasting and it pleasantly surprised me. Nice light chalky bouquet but not much fruit. Good tannins and a light brown edge. However, after tasting the balance of the wines, this was thin by comparison and a short finish with a lightly acidic body.

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• 1994 Faustino Rioja Faustino I Gran Reserva 87 Points

  Spain, La Rioja, Rioja

  Light brown and very dusty bouquet. Good strong tannins - but a short finish and acidity (especially after returning to this after tasting the balance of the wines)

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• 1996 Hazendal Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 82 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  Fizzy start - most unusual - cork was leaking. Finish was short and well past its prime.

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• 2001 Yalumba Shiraz South Australia 87 Points

  Australia, South Australia

  Soft and medium bodied. A touch of pepper that hints shiraz but only very slightly.

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• 2002 Villiera Monro 94 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  Dusty (clean) bouquet with a smooth mid palate and moderately long finish. Good tannins and an enjoyable wine. Smoother and softer (yet full bodied) than the Rust & Vrede.

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• 2001 Rust en Vrede Estate Red Wine Stellenbosch 93 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  Deep red with a nice long finish. Light cassis berry aroma and still strong tannins - a great bodied wine worth enjoying slowly. More full bodied than the Villiera - heavier and more acidic - can lie down for more years

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• 2006 Peller Estates Cabernet Franc Icewine Andrew Peller Signature Series 88 Points

  Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara Peninsula VQA

  Not syrupy sweet and no peaches, honey or apricot aromas. More like a wine than Inniskillin or a Sauternes. Not one I would normally buy. Worked with the desert but only just.

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