TNs: '95 Gaja Sperss, '98 Scavino Carobric, '01 Solaia, '99 Las Cases, '02 Etude, '03 Pride VR Merlot, '02 Trimbach PG reserve, '97 Casa de Piedra & '01 Guiraud
Monterrey, Mexico
Tasted October 16, 2006 by hcampana with 1,326 views
Introduction
This was the 1st Anniversary dinner of my Monterrey wine tasting group. We wanted the ocasion to be special, so we upped the minimum bottle cost to US$100.
There were 6 of us in the tasting, which took place in Monterrey's best restaurant (Pangea). Wines were tasted double blind in random order and were served in Riedel Vinum glasses. One of our members owns a hunting ranch and brought a few delicacies to dinner: Wild Mexican Pigeon breasts, line-caught Alaskan halibut and Filet of Nilgai (this is an antelope species originally from India). Our chef (and group member) really outdid himself with the cooking. All disehes were spectacularly prepared and none of them dissapointed.
Flight 1 - Flight 1 (1 note)
Chilorio Quiche in a chipotle sauce.
This was fantastic. Chilorio is a spiced up shredded pork dish from my western home state of Sinaloa.
White
2002 Trimbach Pinot Gris Reserve
France, Alsace
Pale yellow. The nose is very subdued with unripe apricots, grass, flowers and cold stone notes dominating. I am puzzled but have ruled out chardonnay. In the mouth this wine has very sharp acidity with which chardonnay is further eliminated from consideration. I don't want to make excuses, but his wine was served too cold. After an hour, the wine is in full bloom with a now very obvious nose of Pinot Gris. Hindsight is 20/20, right? I don't like dry Pïnot Gris. I think I'll stick with Vendage Tardive and SGNs.
My guess: An old world Sauvignon Blanc.
Flight 2 - Flight 2 (1 note)
Angel hair pasta with sauteed shrimp in a tomato based sauce with parmiggiano and guero chile peppers.
Outstanding pasta dish.
Red
2001 Antinori Solaia
Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
Beautiful very dense ruby with purple hues. Nose is Old World for sure. Why can't more New World wines smell this complex? Very effusive aromas of new saddle leather, tobacco and blueberries. After some time, spices and menthol notes emerge. There is a slight "hotness" in the nose, but it is not confirmed in the palate. What a knock out nose. Full bodied with a great texture and a finish full of fruit and cedar. This is much better than the three bottles I've drunk of my 1997 Solaia case. This will only get better with time but it is incredibly open for business now. This will be hard to beat tonight.
My guess: a 2001 Super Tuscan. After the embarasement with the white wine, I regain a little confidence.
Flight 3 - Flight 3 (1 note)
Line-caught Halibut with 5 pepper sauce and Spanish morcilla.
Just fabulous!
Red
2003 Pride Mountain Vineyards Merlot Vintner Select Mountain Top Vineyard
USA, California, Sonoma County
Beautiful opaque ruby and purple. Very strong nose of melted butter, vanilla and licorice dominate in the beginning. With swirling, a gush of blackberries emerges. With more time and notes of mocha, caramel appear. Medium to full bodied, very flavorful mid palate, this is extracted but remains incredibly balanced. The very fine tannin and oozes of fruit scream of Pride. What a great wine this is. Too bad my companions are completly euro centric and thus, do not appreciate this flamboyant beauty for what it is. I love it.
My guess: 2003 Pride Vintner's Select Merlot (I brought this wine and recognized it instantly).
Flight 4 - Flight 4 (1 note)
Wild Mexican pigeon breast with carrot and pear puree and caramelized cambray onions.
The least distinctive of all dishes.
Red
1995 Gaja Barolo Sperss
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Medium ruby with some garnet hues. Reticent nose of tobacco and roasted coffee with fruit timidly in the background. This is obviously an Old World nose. Medium bodied, with a nice finish and a very marked acidity. This wine took 3 hours to open up. When it did, the dried cherries and floral notes emerged beautifully making the hindsight recognition impossible to miss. The nose of this Barolo was stunning towards the end of the night, but the palate dissapointed with its rather harsh acidity and lack of mid palate fruit. This is better than a bottle I had a week ago, but still fell way short of the stunning 1998 Scavino Carobric.
My guess: a 1995 Bordeaux (Graves?). I am feeling kind of bad because I couldn't recognize this other bottle I brought.
Flight 5 - Flight 5 (1 note)
File of Nilgai Antelope in a cream sauce base.
Incredibly tender, not nearly as gamy as I suspected. This was very, very good.
Red
1999 Château Léoville Las Cases
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Very bright ruby color. Roasted coffee and tobacco dominate the initial nose. This is obviously Old World. Minerals and a core of blackberries emerge with swirling...this is very, very nice! The slightest hint of barn shows its face from afar. Medium to full bodied this is obviously cabernet based,and the sharp acidity confirms this is a European wine.
My guess: a cab based Super Tuscan from 1998?
Flight 6 - Flight 6 (1 note)
12 month aged cow Ramonet cheese from Ensenada, Mexico
This is by far the best tasting Mexican cheese I have ever tasted. Similar in texture and taste to an aged Manchego.
Red
2002 Etude Cabernet Sauvignon
USA, California, Napa Valley
Darkest color of all wines tasted tonight. Impenetrable black purple. Very restrained nose of creme de cassis , roasted coffee, caramel and Bailey's Irish cream. Full bodied with very fine but young tannin. This has a New World nose but the acidity is puzzling. This wine is in obvious need of more time as its core fruit is substantial. I am confused, but I liked this wine a lot.
My guess: a Super Tuscan. Now I am embaressed. I freakin' mistook a Napa cab for a Super Tuscan!
Flight 7 - Flight 7 (1 note)
Red
1998 Paolo Scavino Barolo Carobric
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Medium ruby color with some signs of age. The nose is open, flamboyant and complex. What a treat it is to smell this beauty! Dried cherries, cinammon, steel and rose petals fill the room. This is exotic, expressive and very, very complex. In the palate it is fresh, juciy and medium bodied. What a fantastic wine. My WOTN by far.
My guess: As soon as I smell it I cry Barolo (there is little to lose after ll the missed guesses any way). I am right this time.
Flight 8 - Flight 8 (1 note)
Red
1997 Casa de Piedra Vino de Piedra Tinto
Mexico, Baja California, Ensenada
This was another curve ball they threw at us. Very bretty and horsey upon serving. I am thinking this is a Tempranillo from the Ribera del Duero. After tasting, there is a wall of unresolved tannin despite the color hints of a mature wine. I am now thinking Toro given the rusticity. This was winemaker Hugo d'Acosta's first vintage. People that know him suspect that he overdid the powdered tannins he typically uses.
My guess: a 2001 Toro.
Flight 9 - Flight 9 (1 note)
Deconstructed ginger sorbet with cinammon fritters.
This was a killer dessert.
White - Sweet/Dessert
2001 Château Guiraud
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
I also brought this wine. Golden with a very expressive nose of apricots and quince, this Sauternes is concentrated and in balance. Rich and suave at the same time. I really liked it and would have scored it higher if it weren't for a slight bitter note in the finish.
Closing
GROUP RESULTS
We only voted for top 3 of the night and the results were as follows:
Group WOTN: 1998 Scavino Carobric (4 first place votes, 2 third place votes).
2nd place: 2001 Solaia (2 first place votes, 3 second place votes, 1 third place vote)
3rd place: 1999 Leoville Las Cases (2 second place votes, 3 third place votes)
This was a great anniversary tasting dinner. The 2 members that missed it will regret it for sure. The quality of wines was high and very even. This tasting proved once again that tasting double blind is incredibly difficult. I felt bad that I mistook a Napa cab for a Bordeaux but what the heck.
We have pledged to make our monthly sessions as special from now on, demanding higher quality wines from all.
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