TWATS VI
Clive's Crib
Tasted May 15, 2009 by tplskylrk with 1,002 views
Introduction
On a quiet Friday night on a sleepy little street in a place called Happy Valley, tucked away into 2A Clive's Chef's Kitchen dinner & tasting tricked out crib, the 6th TWATS was assembled and was called to order as the 10 foil wrapped 750's lined up like little toy soldiers. Well actually a Rugy Team, with Clive keeping the theme of "Wines from Rugy playing Nations", alive giving each of the wines a "position on the field". More on that later.
Mr. Self Appointed Chairman, Sim, Jon, Kells, Clive your dutiful Scribe, and Scott F (a guest passing through to India), all in attendance. Tim & Greene regrets for sure.
Several hours of well managed cookery came together in superb fashion. De-boned (ouch, ya hate that!) whole roast chicken, cheese stuffed Porto mushroom, roast cherry tomatoes, garlic break, veg couscous. Big Try on from Clive with an apparent assist from the Bosh.
Flight 1 - Little White as a Warm up (1 note)
Tim's fav served back at him, but alas he is AWOL.
White
2006 Hollick Sauvignon Blanc Sémillon
Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra
Clear yellow, pear nose. fresh crisp good summer wine. Big white fruit, all up front, but very nice. No oak.
No position given, but I suspect it would not be on top. OK, enough with the girly wines, let's crack a red.
Flight 2 - Introductions and National Anthems, French are mistaken pull out the typcial white flag & pop corks first. (3 notes)
Bosh pulls a fast one & verticals us, Clive dumps in a ringer with an assist from Jo. France well represented and in play world cup style.
[image]://s489.photobucket.com/albums/rr259/tplskylrk/th_Flight1[/image]
Red
2002 Château Boutisse
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Pink rim. Burnt diesel fuel nose, reticent, young & tannic. Big and old? Front & side palate finish in the mouth, dry leather, oak. No fruit, gone? Chris calls it middle age, old world. We are mostly stumped out of the gate for the what the H this is.
Clive assigns it a 2nd row scrum. Not a big talent, journeyman
Red
2003 Château Boutisse
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Red and pink rim & depth. Younger more alch than 1. Fruit nose, bit of oak there. A young tight pink rim with good legs in the glass and perfect weight on the palate. Lingering mid palate. Tannins, strawberry, current. This is a nice wine, bit of complexity there. Sim close on the age guess at 02.
Clive – Position 10, journeyman.
Last sip Pre Skirt lifting – F’n yummy. French. Way better, bosh. Golf clap. More evolved.
Red
2004 Domaine de Chevalier
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
More red that 1 & 2. Deeper red. Smells of wet cloth says the bosh. Interesting. “More legs in the glass than radio city rockets” claims Scott. Burnt anise Chocó covered blueberries; kells nails it with the roast herbed lamb on the nose. Big tannic, black cherry, it’s evolving in the glass quickly, very hard to nail down. Very complex. Want to see this in a few hours. More bad guesswork all around. Next
Clive - Prop
Last sip Pre Skirt lifting – This one has forever in front of it. Big beautiful. Naughty.
Flight 3 - First Half (3 notes)
Far flung empirette Pinot's bookend an American posing as a French. The American falls short on his try and the others are just posers, kicking from short to score a few cheap points.
Red
2007 Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir
South Africa, Cape South Coast, Walker Bay, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
Translucent pink/red, strawberry. A little bit ass on the nose, fish. Smoky. Up front, light, bit of acid over the vegetable herb thing it’s got going. Good summer wine chilled.
Clive - #6
Last sip Pre Skirt lifting – Acid gone. Full mouth feel.
Red
1999 Dominus Estate
USA, California, Napa Valley
Blood red, plasmic. Brown, purple. Vanilla boysenberry, big, front, mid & deep finish, young and dry, Tannins & big fruit. I like it. Bit too young? Some not so much.
Clive - # 5
Last sip Pre Skirt lifting – Still tannic.
Red
2006 Craggy Range Pinot Noir Single Vineyard Te Muna Road Vineyard
New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough
Light strawberry color. Pinot? Cherry earth, dirt on her knees kinda wine. Green pepper basil nose. Short in the mouth. Lingering mid. Aims to please. Sim likey.
Clive – Not on the field. Cheerleader.
Last sip Pre Skirt lifting – Sweet oak. Alch., fruit. OK fruit.
Flight 4 - Second Half (4 notes)
Bruiser Aussies, Italians and real American come on the field. Not pretty but they all knew how to scrum.
Red
2006 Glaymond Wines Cabernet Sauvignon ASIF
Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Quantum physics in a glass, total light absorption. Black purple. Sweet black current, blackberry nose. Venus Williams on red clay kinda legs in the glass. Big alch., big fruit, massive. Blackberry pie. Big front, no mid, lingering deep. “that wines needs a warning, one glass at a time, well suited for a girl with no teeth.
Clive – position 6.
Last sip Pre Skirt lifting – Same. Glycerin now, sweet.
Red
2004 Ridge Zinfandel York Creek
USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
Dark reddish. Purple. Smells of raspberries bit of alch. Just like yaggermeister, pepper licorice, spicy. Well crafted, meaty big blend, good. Good.
Clive – position 12.
Last sip Pre Skirt lifting – Yaggerness gone, deeper, richer.
Red
2005 Gagliole Rosso
Italy, Tuscany, Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT
Black as the ace of spades. Wan Chai at 400:am, yatziki yogurt sauce with garlic nose. The Thai Hut at midnight. Tight nose, tannic, no fruit. Like a good Italian . . . offered a lot & failed to deliver. Notes a bit messy by this point, but no fans here.
Clive – off the field, sub, fullback. Lots of scars.
Closing
To quote the Chairman, "I believe we can all give ourselves a hearty pat on the back as we clearly out twatted ourselves on Friday"
Bring on the next.
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