TN: Wednesday Night Blind - June 2010

WINE TALK
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WEDNESDAY NIGHT BLIND - JUNE 2010 - Peter Pratt’s Inn (6/2/2010)

So, the first Wednesday of June rolled around and our group gathered to eat, drink and make merry. We also gathered to bid farewell to one of our members and welcome in a new oenophile. Our long time buddy Mark Rink is moving out west, Arizona specifically. So it was sad to know this was his last dinner with us. Our newest member, Andy fit right in and was eager to join the fun. To mark this special occasion, we requested Jon Pratt to match our wines to different courses. We all emailed our wine choices for the evening and Jon matched them up to the menu he prepared for us. The pairings went very well and the food was sublime.

Introductory Wine

First Course
Lobster Crepe in sweet corn sauce and tarragon over radish salad

  • 2005 Domaine Ramonet Bâtard-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
    tasted blind - definitely a white Burg, thick texture, notes of roasted nuts, toast and pears. Very rich and deeply complex. Really nice. Very young right now and drinking well, but will benefit from further cellaring. I guessed a Meursault. This paired ridiculously well with the lobster crepe, a match made in heaven! (94 pts.)

Second Course
Lamb Kebob over tomato, masala couscous

  • 2005 La Granja Nuestra Señora de Remelluri Rioja Blanco - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja
    tasted blind - Very tight initially, elegant texture, petrol, lychee, spices, asian pears, very well structured. I guessed a white Rhone, perhaps a Clos des Papes Blanc. (90 pts.)

  • 2002 Bodegas Alto Moncayo Campo de Borja Aquilon - Spain, Aragón, Campo de Borja
    tasted blind - This was huge, rich, ripe, sweet fruit, a huge nose of bacon fat, blueberry and licorice. I thought for sure this was a big Washington St Syrah, perhaps Cayuse. It was very well balanced, and not over the top at all, but a monster wine. Really delicious! (94 pts.)

Third Course
Crispy Duck Confit over pear and mango salad

  • 2007 Kistler Pinot Noir Cuvée Elizabeth Bodega Headlands - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
    tasted blind - This was huge! Sweet fruit, high octane! Lot’s of guesses of Aussie Shiraz or 07 CdP. We were really surprised when this was revealed. Loaded with ripe fruit, cassis, it was called “The Roseann Barr of wine”, it was a fat full bodied wine for sure. I liked it a lot, but wouldn’t be able to drink it on a daily basis. (93 pts.)

  • 2003 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
    tasted blind - This was big wine with lots of fruit, but is was more subdued fruit, not flashy, it had really nice earthy undertones and nice minerality running through it as well. A very complete wine and one of my favorite reds of the evening. I thought it could have been a Super Tuscan. (95 pts.)

Fourth Course
Lamb Bolognese over egg noodles

  • 2006 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia - Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Bolgheri Superiore
    tasted blind - I decanted this wine for my friend (who bought it) for over 7hrs. It was still tight and unyielding. I really like what it offered, but think that so much more is in store for those who open this wine in 5+yrs time. This is screaming to be laid down for a good long nap. The color is dark, nearly black. Very meaty, brambly spice. It really woke up when tasted with the Lamb Bolognese. (91 pts.)

Fifth Course
Grilled prime ribcap and Porcini Mushrooms

Sixth Course
Prime Delmonico Steak truffle sauce, arugula salad

  • 1998 Montepeloso Nardo Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
    tasted blind - I brought this, I poured it through a Vinturi just prior to the dinner. It was an ok wine, nothing flashy or eye catching here. Decent amount of ripe cherries, grilled meat iodine, some sage. Short finish and little weak in the mid palate. (87 pts.)

  • 2003 Kobalt Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley
    tasted blind - I brought this. Decanted for 4hrs. This had big fruit, but was not overwhelming in any way, very well crafted, great structure, chewy tannins, really big juice. Some cocoa powder notes, loads of black fruit. Long finish. (94 pts.)

  • 2003 L’Aventure Estate Cuvée - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
    tasted blind - Very interesting wine, lots of fruit, yet very earthy and restrained. The fruit was sweet but not cloyingly so. Notes of truffles, cassis and blackberries. I believe I guessed Super Tuscan. (92 pts.)

Seventh Course
Assortment of local cheeses

  • 2006 Château Ksara - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley
    Dark color, roasted meat, black cherry, very tannic and acidic. Short finish, interesting wine. (86 pts.)

  • 2002 Peter Michael Chardonnay La Carrière - USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley
    Really deep and elegant wine, cloudy. Full of complex flavors. Matched really well with the cheese course. Tart and tangy, mango, peaches, pears, honeysuckle. Really yummy. (92 pts.)

Dessert was homemade blueberry ice cream.

This was a great event and a lot of fun. It’s sad to see Mark leave, but at the same time very nice to welcome Andy aboard.
Posted from CellarTracker

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Sounds like fun. 2003 Kobalt ROCKS.
Thanks

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Quite the humbling evening for my pegging the blind wines! The Ornellaia was from California, The Aquilon was from Washington, the Remelluri was a white Rhone. Ouch.

But the Batard was singin…

Thanks for the notes…another great evening.

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Lance, that is the correct bottling of the Ciacci you brought right? I know it was the red label.

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Yes, that’s the one. I would have sent more pictures to you, but they all came out so dark.

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I used the pictures from Cellar Tracker, so no problem. Did the food pictures come out ok?

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Sadly, no, they are just as dark. Next time I will not rely on my flash-less camera phone for pictures.

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Love love love that Remelluri Blanco! Well done.

Ouch on the Kistler. [pwn.gif]

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My palate has not had very many great experiences with “young” wines from Kistler. The good bottles I have had (at least of the Chardonnays) have always had 5+ years of bottle age on them.

Perhaps this one would have toned down in a few years, although I can’t see myself every really opting to have a glass of this wine on a Tuesday night.

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Lance,

Understood. The “ouch” was directed more at the wine itself than the drinkers. If the entire (or majority of the) table thought this to be CdP or Aussie Shiraz, it’s saying tons about the liquid itself and not the tasters’ palates.

[thumbs-up.gif]

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Jorge,

I can’t see anyone and I mean anyone being able to pick the Kistler as a Pinot blind. It was huge! Not that that’s a bad thing, but it was probably the biggest Pinot Noir I’ve ever tasted. Very extracted. So hard to believe that this and the Volnay are the same grape.

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Great notes Mark. Again, Jon Pratt worked his magic! Great wines, great wine buddies! [dance-clap.gif]

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The food was awesome, Jon really hit it out of the park. I’m picking up a whole ribcap and the delmonicos from him today.

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Hey Mark,
Here is my note from an 85 rubicon we drank when i moved from MD. It was certainly showing better than yours.

1985 Rubicon - Still some oak, with grilled meat, red fruits, and some mocha. Silky smooth on the palate with a long finish. Still kicking and this bottle would have gone another 10 years. Drinking very well and one of the better aged Napa cabs I have had recently.

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Also, great notes on all the wines! Sounds like some really tasty bottles

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Mike, I was really hoping the Ruby was going to show nicely as I’ve been pretty lucky with older Cal Cabs of late. Everyone pretty much agreed that this just didn’t have enough stuffing in it to please.

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Great stuff. Thanks for the write up. I really like Remelluri Blanco but I don’t see it very often and always forget to hunt it down.

Jason