Important Update From the Founder
Read message >
Wine Tasting Featuring Constellation Wines
Westwood CC, Vienna, VA
Tasted October 6, 2012 by grayfont with 665 views
Introduction
This is the annual "mid level" Constellation tasting at Westwood. They do a higher-end tasting every December.
Flight 1 - Whites (4 notes)
White
2011 Azienda Agricola Borgo Conventi Collio Pinot Grigio
84 points
clear, almost looks like water. citrus, primarily orange peel on the nose. high in acidity; dries the mouth out. Not much fruit on the palate.
White
2010 Franciscan Estate Chardonnay Cuvée Sauvage
90 points
rich creamy nose. pleasant buttery palate (the butter/oak is nice, not overpowering.)
White
2011 Drylands Sauvignon Blanc
85 points
Nearly clear. Green, grassy nose. juicy palate, high acidity, short on fruit.
White
2010 Robert Mondavi Winery Fumé Blanc
86 points
faint straw color, inexpressive nose. On the palate, this is nice & round & full. well balanced but lacking in flavor.
Flight 2 - Reds (9 notes)
Red
2010 Robert Mondavi Winery Pinot Noir
89 points
pink all the way through, this has a sweet strawberry nose, with an occasional tinge of pencil eraser. this is a very pleasant surprise on the palate - creamy strawberry pinot with a hint of pepper on the finish. A big surprise to me.
Red
2008 Estancia Pinot Noir Reserve Stonewall Vineyard
80 points
faint in color like a burgundy. unfortunately the wine is sour and offputting. Asked the distributor if this was an off bottle, but he insisted it was showing properly. Not a good fit for my palate.
Red
2009 Ruffino Modus Toscana IGT
striking rich bordeaux-like nose. in the mouth this is hard and not giving much up at this point. structure is there, with a little bit of earth & barnyard; huge potential but just not ready yet. I'm buying in - a gamble that could pay off big at a nice low price point.
Red
2011 Diseño Malbec
86 points
soft and atypical. noteworthy for the fact that it's a malbec from Argentina which is NOT herbaceous or green in any way. This wine is inoffensive, easy, and maybe even fun. For a $9 bottle, you could do a lot worse.
Red
2008 Ravenswood Zinfandel Dickerson
87 points
more red than purple in color. This has a brilliant black cherry nose. it would be a great sneak attack if served blind, as the nose gives no indication of the massive zin body/mouthfeel that this gives. very prominent tannins, and the alcohol is a little too obvious, but this was still well enjoyed.
Red
2009 Estancia Meritage Reserve
88 points
oaky cabernet nose - you would pick this for 100% cab rather than a blend. deep purple in color with a sweet front palate. This one is teetering on the edge of "over the top" for its sweetness & oak. Not a bad QPR if you are OK with the style, but some will be turned off. Would be a controversial one at an off-line.
Red
2008 Simi Cabernet Sauvignon Landslide Alexander Valley
88 points
red/purple in color. deep dusty nose. dry & high in acidity, this is an assault on the back of the mouth. not my favorite style but there's nothing wrong with it and, again, some will like it.
Red
2008 Franciscan Estate Magnificat
86 points
rich full purple color. dumb nose, overall a bit green. just not my style at all.
Red
2010 Mount Veeder Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
89 points
I like this producer's house style, though I'd say this vintage is a subdued/restrained version of that house style. soft oak nose with palate to match. not as sweet as usual. the restraint allows some nuance to show through. served blind, you might think this wine had a lot more bottle age on it than it does. I think it's in the window already.
Flight 3 - Dessert (1 note)
White - Sweet/Dessert
2010 Robert Mondavi Winery Moscato d'Oro
served ice cold, I said "Yikes" out loud when I tasted it. Not subtle in any way. Very high ABV for a Moscato, and it is evident in the wine.
Closing
Overall, I'd say this tasting was a little disappointing, but of course we're looking forward to the Holiday Tasting in December for the higher end wines.