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Wine Blogger's Conference 2010 - Opening Tasting
Wine Blogger's Conference, Walla Walla, Washington
Tasted June 25, 2010 by subtlet with 734 views
Introduction
All of these wines were set up for tasting during registration, giving us a few hours to mingle, taste, have lunch, and get ready for the start of official programming. It was great to see so many producers come out to share their wine this early in the event.
Flight 1 (21 notes)
White - Sparkling
N.V. Sektkellerei Szigeti Grüner Veltliner Brut
88 points
The nose is full of toast and limes. The limes play very well on the palate. The wine is clean and light, with a gentle sweetness that works well with the citrus flavors. It's pleasant and easy to drink.
White
2008 Hogue Cellars Riesling
86 points
The nose is on the richer side, containing scents of sweet pears and some oranges in contrast to the brighter citrus seen in a lot of Riesling. The acid in the wine is interesting and on the lighter side with a bit of zip early on. The texture gets a little heavier as some green apple flavors show on the mid palate along with a sugary note. The sweetness isn't overwhelming though, and the apple flavors are good, if simple.
White
2008 Hogue Cellars Fumé Blanc
83 points
The nose here is full of white grapefruit scents, with the peel intact. Light citrus shows on the palate along with some pear skins. The acidity is lighter, and comes into play later on the palate. Easy drinking but not a lot of flavor here.
White
2009 Mollydooker Verdelho The Violinist
85 points
Limes, apples, and a hint of evergreen needles show on the nose. The wines texture shows a bit of richness. It delivers flavors of limes, with the peel, and some enjoyable pear flavors. The texture reminds me of thick grapes skins with a crisp contribution from the acidity. Easy drinking and straightforward.
White
2008 Canoe Ridge Riesling
87 points
Light pears and apples show on the nose. The flavors are light on the palate, with a hint of sea spray working its way around the fruit. The acidity is solid when it appears on the mid palate. Everything is very clean, and faint green apples show along with some line flavors that linger. The flavors are all light, but the acid holds on well making for a nice, well made, dry wine. I came back to this for a second taste later in the event.
White
2008 Loimer Grüner Veltliner Lois
84 points
The nose is very light with faint notes of apples and something floral peeking out. The acidity is crisp, and light flavors of apples and limes appear but never become very full.
White
2007 Vin du Lac Riesling LEHM
83 points
Pears on the nose have a feeling of being over-ripe, and they deliver a sense of richness that is accompanied by some citrus scents. Light pear flavors show on the palate along with some light pineapple flavors that show later. The acidity drys well on the finish, and everything is even but somewhat faint.
White
2009 Rio Vista Riesling
85 points
The nose is super light with a faint hint of limes. Apple flavors show on the palate, and they show some decent flavor. A simple floral note appears as well and some cool, light acid dries things out on the finish. This is more enjoyable to me in full drinks rather than small sips.
White
2008 Three Rivers Winery Riesling
87 points
This has an interesting nose for an American Riesling, showing red apples and a hint of sweet spices. A rough comparison could be made to wines from red slate vineyards in Germany. The red apple flavors deliver well on the palate and they are accompanied by a full, but not overwhelming, sweetness. The acidity is lighter, but it still does dry things out a bit on the finish leaving a bright sensation in the center of the tongue. 87-
Red
2006 Fidelitas Optu Columbia Valley
88 points
Dark blackberries and juniper work very well together on the nose. Some heat shows as well. Concentrated blackberry flavors deliver nicely on the palate. The tannins are super smooth, which gives the fruit a thick texture. The acidity is even, which helps to balance some of the richness. The heat shows a bit on the palate as well.
Red
2009 Mollydooker Two Left Feet
85 points
Dark cherries, blackberries, and some interesting evergreen shows on the nose along with some heat. The blackberries are a bit on the simple side, but they are very heavy and accompanied by full oak and some heat.
Red
2009 Mollydooker Cabernet Sauvignon The Maitre D’
88 points
The nose reminds me of oak trees in the forest, with deep green notes built around the blackberries and bright raspberries. The raspberries deliver nicely on the palate and are accompanied by a wonderful burst of plum flavors on the mid palate. There's a good amount of acidity here that works to clean up the heavier texture a bit. The tannins are on the heavier side, and there is some heat. This is certainly meant to be a big wine, and it delivers well for that style. 88+
Red
2009 Mollydooker Shiraz The Boxer
87 points
Dark, dark blackberries fill the nose here along with some chocolate scents and some even oak. The texture on the palate is very smooth, and full chocolate flavors show on the finish. The blackberries are very heavy, but actually display a hint of elegance as well. The tannins are big, but ot works with the heavy fruit. The heat appears later, and actually delivers some drying sensations as well as thinning the heavy texture. The flavors are good, but it's a bit too big structurally for my tastes.
Red
2009 Mollydooker Cabernet Sauvignon Gigglepot
91 points
Rich, deep blackberry scents explode out of the glass. Underneath them resides some light eucalyptus notes and some milk chocolate. This is really enjoyable to smell. On the palate, it delivers good blackberry flavors that go through an incredible evolution of tart flavors. Blue fruits and big vanilla flavors work well together on the mid palate, and the fruit remains lovely as it lingers on the finish. The wine is quite rich, and a bit of heat thins things out, but it doesn't really cause any trouble, which is an impressive balancing act.
Red
2009 Mollydooker Shiraz Blue Eyed Boy
88 points
The nose reminds me of a big ripe pile of blackberries sitting on some asphalt in the sun. The asphalt is fairly young, so a little bit of heat makes it into the nose as well. Blackberry and plums start things out nicely. The fruit then goes through an exciting transition towards raspberry flavors on the mid palate while the dark flavors remain in the background along with a hint of evergreen. The texture is very heavy, with alcohol working to thin it a bit. The heavy blackberry flavors stick around for a long time.
Red
2009 Mollydooker Enchanted Path
90 points
The nose shows dark, heavy blackberries along with green stems and a bit of heat. Those last two elements made me nervous, as they seem to indicate off balance wine in my experience. However, this is well put together, which makes the green note on the nose more interesting. The texture is soft and the tannins are already well integrated into the wine. The blackberry flavors start full, and become even more powerful as a blueberry note evolves on the mid palate. Both fruit flavors linger for a long time as the tannins rise up. The heat makes an appearance and works to thin the heavy texture. While the wine is thick, structural elements work together to build a dry sensation on the finish which is surprising, and enjoyable. 90
Red
2009 Mollydooker Shiraz Carnival of Love
89 points
Blackberries dominate the nose fully. They are deep, dark, rich, and complex. A bit of evergreen scent is able to peak out from underneath the pile of blackberries, but you are immediately aware of the kind of fruit this is going to bring to your palate. The blackberries work very well with a rhubarb flavor on the palate. The vanilla oak flavors show strongly and work well with the fruit. There's plenty of heat here giving it a bit of a "spirits" feel to someone who's used to drinking Pinot Noir, but it still works with the thick texture. The fruit is so delicious that I wrote "lovely fruit" twice in my notebook. 89+
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Red
2006 Canoe Ridge Merlot
89 points
Dark blackberries work with pot roast scents, and some well integrated oak on the nose. The wine is lighter on the palate, and has a real sense of balance as all of the elements work well together. The blueberry and blackberry fruit delivers with a soft touch and good acidity. Everything is nicely integrated, and the fruit lingers gently on the finish.
Red
2006 Canoe Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon
88 points
Full on blackberries and brambles show on the nose. It's like sniffing an overgrown blackberry patch after picking hand-fulls of ripe berries. The tannins fill the mouth immediately, but they remain refined. The fruit is gentle and even, and the oak is well integrated. There's a hint of heat and some plums that appear on the mid palate. The oak is well used, and the texture is full from beginning to end.
White
2009 Bodega Renacer Sauvignon Blanc Punto Final
87 points
The grapefruit on the nose here is huge and quite enjoyable. Clean grapefruit flavors deliver well on the palate along with a distinct green note. The acidity plays well, but it's a little lower than I expected. Nothing to complex is going on here, but it's straightforward and enjoyable.
Red
2008 Tunnel Hill Winery Pinot Noir
87 points
Strawberry scents show in the glass as well as some red earth and enjoyable oak. Light strawberry flavors show on the palate immediately. The oak is simple, but on the lighter side, and some earthy notes show with a soft touch as well. The earth is interesting, and the strawberries give the wine a "pretty" feel as the components deliver their flavors somewhat independently.
Closing
Canoe Ridge and Mollydooker were the stars of this event for me. Canoe Ridge showed excellent balance in all of the wines, and delivered some solid QPR. Mollydooker was kind enough to share their their 09 lineup with the conference, giving us a chance for some interesting pre-release notes. Their wines take "big and fruity" to a level I've never experienced. It sort of springs an identity crisis on a guy who's been drinking Pinot Noir primarily for the past few years. I've never tasted that many different wines with that kind of intensity, and, while it's not entirely up my alley because the alcohol is higher than I'm used to, some of them are excellent wines. Most interestingly, I found that I have a preference for their Cabernet Sauvignon over the Shiraz, which makes me excited to seek out some more Australian Cab!