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Spontaneous Blind Tuesday night Rhone Varietals
Portland, Oregon
Tasted May 28, 2013 by arthrovine with 578 views
Introduction
We got together somewhat spontaneously to do a blind tasting of Tuesday night Rhone Varietals, mostly new world.
Several folks were in the industry and even representing some of the blinded wines.
Flight 1 - Rose Opener... (2 notes)
Rosé
2012 Château de Lascaux Coteaux du Languedoc Rosé
flawed
Corked. What fruit was there showed great promise though. Nice color.
Rosé
2012 Teutonic Wine Company Pinot Noir Rosé Laurel Vineyard
90 points
Great acidity and color on this. Is their Riesling in here.....? Love their wines. Fantastic wine, loved by all.
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Flight 2 - The Tuesday Night Rhone Varietals...... (12 notes)
Red
2009 Rasa Vineyards QED
90 points
Nose showed hot full dark fruit flavors with a little spice meat. Flavors were big young sweet dark fruit, some savory spices, pepper. Big wine, almost bruising. Young. Finished a little hot as well. Needs a healthy decant...several hours. Predict much improvement with age and significant aeration
Guessed Washington rhone blend.
Guessed Washington rhone blend.
Red
2011 Tamarack Cellars Counoise Ciel du Cheval Vineyard
87 points
Aromatics were ripe red fruits: red plum, red cherry, oak and some heat. Palate showed simple flavors of round red ripe fruit, heat, soft tannins, unintegrated oak. Mouth feel was limp. Finish was medium length with heat.
Guessed new world... aussie grenache
Guessed new world... aussie grenache
Red
2007 Two Hands Shiraz Bella's Garden
91 points
Wine had very aromatic grapey, blue fruit with hint of savory spice. Palate showed huge delicious dark fresh fruit, mouth coating soft tannin (One taster suggested a Rutherford quality tannin), sandalwood with hint of smoke. Finished long with alcohol in check.
Most guessed Barossa
Most guessed Barossa
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Red
2008 Maryhill Grenache Proprietor's Reserve
88 points
Nose was a little bit of varnish, delicate high-toned red fruit and flowers and sandalwood. Palate was reminiscent of a warm year Oregon pinot that had retained some acidity: warm raspberry pie, high toned red fruit, pine, scant pepper. A bit thin yet firm on the mouth feel. Finish was somewhat short but pretty nonetheless.
Guessed new world GSM, Oregon pinot from warm year
Guessed new world GSM, Oregon pinot from warm year
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Red
2006 Reininger Syrah Ash Hollow Vineyard
92 points
Nose showed canned black olives, Kalamata olive, black fruit. Palate had terrific mouth feel with nice acidity, voluptuous textures and savory flavors of olive, black olive, braised meat, black fruit. Finish was lengthy. Tannins were mild and alcohol in check. Fantastic
Served blind. Some guessed Northern Rhone. All guessed syrah.
Served blind. Some guessed Northern Rhone. All guessed syrah.
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Comments (2)
Red
2007 Bella Vineyards Syrah Big River Ranch
93 points
Wow. The nose on this is of striking minerality, olive, herbs, garrigue, and burnt meat. Palate shows dark savory berries, all sorts of peppers, bllody meats and lots of violets. Finishes long, clean, and without heat. 93-94 points
Closing my eyes, this is just like cooler syrah from Washington's Walla Walla region - In the Rocks vineyard. This wine is shockingly like Christophe's efforts at Cayuse and Reynvaan. Great bottle. Completely shocked by this effort..from Dry Creek??. Fantastic wine. Wow
Closing my eyes, this is just like cooler syrah from Washington's Walla Walla region - In the Rocks vineyard. This wine is shockingly like Christophe's efforts at Cayuse and Reynvaan. Great bottle. Completely shocked by this effort..from Dry Creek??. Fantastic wine. Wow
Red
2008 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée
93 points
aromas were pruney, stems, stewed red currant, soy, eucalyptus, hoisin sauce meaty. Palate showed smooth surprisingly soft tannin with savory saucey flavors and stemmy braised fruit and meats. Finished long and savory. No heat
Guessed correctly 08 Pegau. The first bottle of my case that wasn't flawed. A top wine of the night for many of us.
Guessed correctly 08 Pegau. The first bottle of my case that wasn't flawed. A top wine of the night for many of us.
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Red
2007 Basel Cellars Syrah Estate Pheasant Run Vineyard
87 points
Ripe bright red fruit from warmer vintage. Thin flavors and mouthfeel. Seemed a bit disjointed and hot. Some oak. No meaty garrigue flavors in this bottle.
guessed 2007 washington syrah
guessed 2007 washington syrah
Red
2008 Substance Syrah SuGaSy Reserve
93 points
old world aromatics with peppery nose of a washington syrah. Flavors were savory spicy, white pepper, restrained fruit, and great mouthfeel. Finished lengthy without intrusive alcohol. Seemed a marriage between well made wash syrah and northern rhone. Fantastic
Half guessed northern rhone, the other a well-made washington syrah. This was one of the favorites of the night.
Half guessed northern rhone, the other a well-made washington syrah. This was one of the favorites of the night.
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Red
2005 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau
89 points
Nose showed stewy cranberry, currant, slight varnish. Palate had grippy but consistent tannin with leather, a bit of alcohol, cranberry, current and spicy wood. Finish was medium with some unchecked heat.
Guessed middle 4-8 y/o CDP.
Guessed middle 4-8 y/o CDP.
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Red
2010 Rôtie Cellars Northern Blend
87 points
Reticent nose with some herby green bean notes and concrete. Palate was firm red subdued fruit, herby greens, pepper, minerality, lean mouth feel. Tannic. Unsure of itself. Needed more air than it got tonight. recommend extensive decant.
guessed washington syrah
guessed washington syrah
Red
2007 Efeste Syrah Ceidleigh
92 points
Aromatics were huge: tobacco, eucalyptus, red fruit, dirt. Flavors were round huge fruit with pepper, nutmeg, eucalyptus, loam, oak. Mouth feel was coating but not punishing. Tannins were soft. Finish was long without heat. Delicious. Seemed young.
Guessed Cali or McLaren Vale
Guessed Cali or McLaren Vale
Closing
Great wines with some surprising old world characteristics in some of the more well-made washington wines.
A notable lack of California syrah was a glaring inadvertent error.
As we try to develop a more solid and cohesive group of enthusiasts, our next endeavor is a chenin blanc tasting in the next few weeks.