DP Barcode #s, Pinot Noir, and Sweeties
DeeCee
Tasted September 11, 2023 by CPSchoeff with 37 views
Introduction
Got together a rather balanced group of 3 Berserkers, 1 spouse of a Berserker, and 3 other random guys found outside my front door at tasting time. Luckily everyone came with a bottle in hand. For me, this is my favorite grape and I was bullish on the wines I included in the tasting. Overall I was less excited at the results, but the Marsannay showed its stuff as expected.
Bright spots for me were two wines I wouldn't have ever sought out, the Resonance and the Paul Hobbs. Tasting blind here was helpful, as I would probably have been biased against the Paul Hobbs. The Michelot was a crazy disappointment, since it was either an off bottle or just horribly full of sulfurous nose. Lessons learned. We finished with three sweet wines, the best of which was a wine from Crete that can't be located anywhere on the internet. The marsanne showed quite well, and the Monbazillac was extremely plush and rich but perhaps lacked enough acid to balance.
The highlight of the discussion involved talking about government software acquisitions, GSA purchasing options, and government employee reactions to workflow modernization. Quite hot topics here that would ordinarily be deemed too hot for a wine tasting, but this group was able to handle this level of excitement.
Flight 1 - Pinot Noir from Earth (8 notes)
Red
2018 Louis Latour Aloxe-Corton
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Aloxe-Corton
Purple red, a bit opaque. Closed aromatically to start, but over time yielded some earth and mushroom. Dark red fruit, somewhat hollow in the middle, and some heat on the finish. As air was added, the fruit gained definition although it retained the sense of heat.
Tasted blind and then followed up one and two days later. Definitely at its best at cellar temp and with days of air. My 6th, group tied for 5th.
Red
2015 Domaine Michel Noëllat Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Les Peuillets
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru
Garnet and transparent. Starts off with some funk and yields to floral and red fruit. Sweet red fruits complemented by bright acidity. Decent length and concentration, nice wine.
Tasted blind, improved with additional time in glass. My 5th place, group's tied for 3rd.
Red
2012 Domaine Alain Michelot Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru La Richemone
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
Slight orange edge to the otherwise garnet color. Abysmal rotten egg sulfur aromas that just wouldn't blow off. Rating here based on my final tastes nearly 4 full days after opening. The palate finally emerged with a mix of red fruit and mineral notes and a stern collection of chewy tannin. Sulfur nose did not subside for days! Off bottle??
Tasted blind. My 7th place, group's 7th.
Red
2015 Paul Hobbs Pinot Noir Hyde Vineyard
USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros
Purplish red. Explosive nose with violets, potpourri and blackberries. Palate follows with floral and rich black fruits. While it was balanced, it needs just a bit more spine or acid for me. Very nice wine!
Tasted Blind. My 2nd, Group's 1st place.
Red
2018 Résonance Pinot Noir Resonance Vineyard
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
Garnet. Floral and baking spice on the nose, spice and rich red fruit on the palate. Great length and persistence, beautifully balanced pinot. Excellent!
Tasted Blind. My 3rd, group's tied for 3rd.
Red
2019 Domaine Collotte Marsannay les Grasses Têtes
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Marsannay
Ruby and transparent. Violets and dark red/black fruit on the nose. Deep, rich, long, bright on the palate. Complementary floral and fruit notes weave in and out, really impressive.
Tasted blind. My 1st, group 2nd place.
Red
2015 Soliste Cellars Pinot Noir Foret
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Ruby. Some tart cherry on the nose with a little bit of barrel spice note. The palate is relatively one dimensional, with ripe red cherry that could trend slightly toward candied. Lowering the serving temperature improved the perceived balance, as it was first tasted too warm.
Tasted blind. My 4th, group tied for 5th.
Closing
Always good to taste wines blind, especially those that carry some positive or negative biases. The tasters here aren't especially versed in Burgundy but have certainly tasted enough to appreciate the stuff. Educational all around.
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