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4th Saturday Brown Bagger

R&D's

Tasted March 28, 2015 by AllRed with 389 views

Introduction

The wines are tasted served double blind, unless noted otherwise. Each flight is tasted, discussed and unveiled before moving on to the next flight. Wines are listed in the order they appeared in the flight.

Flight 1 - Warm ups (3 notes)

White
2012 Michel Gassier Costières-de-Nîmes Lou Coucardie Blanc France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Costières-de-Nîmes
88 points
Yellow with a slight green tint- young. Opens with an apple/citrus mix with floral overtones and perhaps a hint of pear as well. Rich texture on the palate with an odd clay/mineral/stone thing that I find distracting. There's some nice fruit underneath though, and it just took some time for this to open up. Guesses were all over the place, but I don't recall anyone getting Roussanne.
White
2009 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
flawed
Banana and tropical fruit aromas with a stone/mineral note too. Charred white fruit and sweaty sock qualities on the palate. As time went on the sweaty/dirty quality became more pronounced.
White
1999 Albert Mann Gewurztraminer Furstentum France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru
91 points
Deep color. Notes of white peach, cantaloupe and apricot blossoms give way to lychee and spice. Rich texture with flavors of honeyed melon, lychee and spice. Loads of fruit with a long finish. I had no doubt this was an Alsatian Gewurztraminer. For my palate, this is fully ready and there would be no benefit to holding it longer- drink 'em if you got 'em.

Flight 2 - Reds (5 notes)

Red
2005 Cims de Porrera Priorat Classic Spain, Catalunya, Priorat
84 points
Bright color, opening with notes of mineral, vanilla and grapey dark fruit with a ripe, raisin/pruny note. Tannins are sweet but this is short on the attack and is hollow through the midpalate and finish. Grapey. Guessed Spanish.
Red
1989 Château Pape Clément France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
89 points
An older color with a bit of bricking. Notes of iodine and tar, red berry preserves and green tobacco. Medium-bodied and integrated, with red fruit, herbs and iodine. The fruit dries out through the finish; this is not up there with the better examples of this wine that we have tasted. Easy to identify as Bordeaux, and I suspected this was our Pape Clement.

This had been quickly double decanted off its sediment two hours before the first flight.
Red
1998 Martinelli Zinfandel Jackass Vineyard USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
85 points
Shows a little bricking. Notes of candied apple; tart and citrusy. Red fruit on the palate with quite a bit of acid too. After the flight was poured, on a quick first pass through checking for TCA, I this smelled like a Pinot to me. I kept going back and forth between an old Zin with the candied fruit and an older Pinot on account of the acidity.
Red
2009 Dosio Nebbiolo d'Alba Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Nebbiolo d'Alba
This was muted & reticent and never really opened up. It is my understanding that at very low levels, TCA can strip the fruit out of a wine and leave it lifeless, as this wine seemed. Perhaps flawed, perhaps not. No score, no guess.
Red
1991 Forman Cabernet Sauvignon USA, California, Napa Valley
94 points
Dark color with aromas of black currants, plum, pepper and florals, Adds tobacco, forest floor and roasted bell pepper notes as it sits in the glass. I am reminded of the 2000 Pichon Lalande. There are still some tannins on the palate, though they are softened and not obtrusive. Flavors of back fruit and cedar, saddle leather and tobacco with a long finish. The palate does not have the depth or power of the '00 PLL so I guessed 2000 Reserve de la Comtesse. Another taster guessed 1990 Pauillac. This was WOTN for many of us.

I was surprised to see that this was our Forman. It had been double decanted two and a half hours before the flight was served and changed dramatically in that time. Loads of leather and plummy dark fruit on opening to a complex and beautiful Bordeaux ringer. A terrific example of this wine, with plenty of life left.
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Flight 3 - Reds (5 notes)

Red
1994 Silverado Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Limited Reserve USA, California, Napa Valley
An initial bouquet of dark fruit and mint gives way to fresh cucumber. Black fruit on the palate but the cucumber note remains. Acidity is out of balance. No guess. Flawed, or just not a good wine? That depends on whether you believe Laube or Parker.
Red
2005 Pine Ridge Vineyards Fortis USA, California, Napa Valley
93 points
Dark color. Initially the fruit is slightly sour, but as it opens the sour qualities fade. Slightly meaty with loads of black fruit and florals as well as coffee. Pepper, plum, black currants, cassis and meat on the palate. Has an espresso truffle quality that lingers on the finish. Full-bodied and balanced with a terrific finish. Guessed Napa Cab Sauv.
Red
2002 Pine Ridge Vineyards Andrus Reserve USA, California, Napa Valley
82 points
Opens with a nice bouquet of florals, black fruit and meat. Thin on the palate however, and very plain with generic black fruit and a short finish. Guessed domestic Syrah.
Red
2008 SYZYGY Syrah USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
92 points
Inky color. Coffee, currants, roasted game and florals. Black fruit and spice on the palate. Nicely balanced. Guessed domestic Syrah.
Red
1996 Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Franc St. Jean Estate Vineyard USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley
93 points
Aromas of herbs, black fruit, perfumed florals, tobacco and leather. Fully-integrated and balanced with a mélange of red and dark fruit and herb flavors on the palate. Finishes very well. Almost Forman-esque, to compare it to a wine from earlier in the night. Guessed older Napa Cab blend.

Flight 4 - Reds (4 notes)

Red
2004 Ridge Carignane Buchignani Ranch USA, California, Sonoma County
Herbal and meaty, with a nice funk and tobacco. Dark fruit on the palate. Nicely balanced; finishes very well. I think we all thought Bordeaux on this one.
Red
2008 Buccella Cabernet Sauvignon USA, California, Napa Valley
91 points
Black fruit, black cherry, chocolate and coffee aromas. Black fruit and chocolate on the palate with a pronounced acidity. 91-92 pts.

This had been double decanted about three & a half hours before this flight was poured.
Red
2010 Casaeda Cabernet Sauvignon USA, California, Napa Valley
Vanilla and dark fruit notes; jammy and ripe. Very acidic and hot, with lots of alcohol showing. No guess, nor did I really care what this was- too much alcohol and much too ripe.
Red
2009 Roth Estate Merlot USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley
83 points
Vanilla, spice and red fruit qualities on the nose and palate. Tannins are quite austere and there's not much of a midpalate or finish.

Flight 5 - Dinner/dessert wines (4 notes)

Tasted nonblind with lamb, sausage and white bean stew and an apple tart.

Red
2003 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
92 points
From magnum. Blackberry, licorice, herb and tobacco aromas. Tannins are certainly approachable. Full-bodied and nicely balanced. Dark fruit, herbs and tobacco on the palate.
Red
2011 Davis Family Vineyards Syrah Soul Patch USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
88 points
Licorice, green herbs and black fruit. Has a nice meaty quality on the palate. Decent finish, if a bit on the short side of medium.
White - Sweet/Dessert
1998 Château La Tour Blanche Sauternes France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
88 points
Apricot and tropical fruit galore. Thick and unctuous with a nice finish.
Red - Fortified
1991 Warre Porto Vintage Portugal, Douro, Porto
89 points
Currant and red berry notes. A bit hot and perhaps just slightly austere through the finish.
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