This was at my request—I really wanted to do a single-blind tasting, it has been a long time. Nick, Randy, Jay, Mike Evans and I sat down to do this. My huge thanks to everyone for all the brings.
BLIND #1 (Mike’s white). Herbal, almost minty. Nick makes a good catch with grass notes. Lemon tart. Zesty with a kind of gingery feel and a little bitter at the back. Quite tangy, thinks about pink grapefruit. 2 votes for old world, 2 votes for new. I chose a 2014 Italian oddball—like an Alto Adige white. Not so! 2014 Vincent Pinot Blanc Delightful reveal, I had forgotten that Mike and I had talked about me having a chance to try Vincent’s wine. We all remarked on how individual this was.
BLIND #2 (mine) . Pretty much everyone finds their way to Chard. Jay remarks he thinks he’s had something like this from me before. Nick initially got a weird set of aromatics that he associated with concrete elevage and was pretty sure on new world. Others were old world. It is old world. Ranged into Burgundy and everything from Macon through Chassagne. Jay is right–he’s had the 2014 version of this, the 2015 Meo Camuzet Bourgogne Blanc Clos St. Philibert. Even though I’d given this a day’s slow-ox, it really evolved aromatically in the glass and a lot of people liked this a ton later in the evening when we included it in the wines.
BLIND #3: (Randy’s white). I get touch of light banana. We seem to all be in Chenin. My guess was 2005. There’s an oddly bitter/clipped side to the finish and even the overall mouthfeel. The reveal is 2012 Huet Le Mont Sec. We express general concern with the ageability in the post-Noel era.
BLIND #4: (Mike’s first red): Randy gets grapey scents here. Cherries a lot for me, with spiced background. Easy-drinking, bit of Moroccan spice at the back. I did think Spanish and I was right about the grape, anyway. It’s Tempranillo, but 2016 Bookcliff Tempranillo From Colorado, definitely my first wine from that state. Not something to get extra-excited about, but far from undrinkable, found this quite pleasant.
BLIND #5: (Jay’s) Woodsy, truffley, cedar? Chocolate. Stays in your mouth and sits there. Plum and black cherry. I’ll guess 2013 and I think we’re in Grenache, probably Priorat. Nick was with me and I think most of us were in Spanish territory. We were close. 2015 Quinta da Gaivosa Douro I’d have to check the grapes.
BLIND #6: (Mike’s second red). Tomato leaf, currant, tobacco. This is fine and nice–acid pops all over the mouth. Good structure, some rhubarb for me. I say France, 1985, can’t decide between Bordeaux and Beaujolais–I haven’t had an old enough one. Oh wow. 2001 Scherrer Shale Terrace Zin This is a marvelous discovery. We all loved what this was.
BLIND #7: (Randy’s first red): Smoky, meaty, blackberry. Super-primary. A wall of tannins. A lot of wood chips. Needs decades. I say Argentinian Malbec. Hah, nice try. 2006 Roberto Voerzio Langhe Nebbiolo. Wow, is this ever tight.
BLIND #8 (Randy’s 2nd red) Roses and floral. Strawberries. Mint and cedar, Mike says. Black pepper is in evidence too. Fairly mouthcoating, fairly smooth. Jay picks up the mint as well. Chocolate mint it is for me. Do I feel contrary enough (everyone else is in Northern Rhone) to say Washington? It’s a very intricate wine, more so as it gains air in the glass. It is Northern Rhone and it is Cote Rotie. The 2003 David Duclaux Cote Rotie performed extremely well.
We had a ton of fun with this, big thanks to all participants!
Kwa Heri
Mike