Do you have your wine group tonight ?? - my daughter asks -
Its a - yes !! -
I get to savour a few reds - she gets a girl's night out with mom -
What should I bring ........ -
David - our host - starts the night - my notes which attempt to chronicle the expertise assembled for the evening - reveal - white - french - chardonnay nose - light oak - youngish - an excellent starter wine - maybe an un-oaked chardonnay - nothing to go out of the way for - guesses a bit off target - Doudet Naudin Savigny-Les-Beaune blanc - 2000 - 13% - white burgundy -
Kirby - a guest - offers a red - cab ?? - great nose - great anticipation - sip - rich taste but thin finish - the nose blows off - aggressive tannins - acid backbone - fruit - blueberries - more guesses - not a cab - not a pinot - not a nebbiolla - so much for genius - turns out its Spain - Alion - Bibera Del Duero - 94 - 13.5% alc
From JM - fruity - maybe Grenache ?? - France - Spain ?? - a little tannin - needs a bit more acid to be wonderful - a touch of licorice ?? - maybe Spanish - 3 or 6 years old - right grape - wrong geography - Tablas Creek Vineyard Côtes de Tablas - Pasa Robles - 2002 - 14.2% - 45% Grenache - 22% Syrah - 21% Mourvèdre - 12% Counoise
My turn - the group speculates - thick - sweet - must be New World - lots of berry - chocolate - licorice - strong aroma - lots of grenache - a bit of zin - very tanic finish - industrial - mass produced - no one has a clue as to the ultimate grape - but it is well liked - might be too young - no sense of complexity - Coturri - Grenache (100%) - 2004 - total opposite of JM's offering - comparison strictly by chance - but that's what tastings are supposed to be about - surprise -
Phone rings - god bless the cell phone - god damn the cell phone - perhaps a constitutional amendment to ban them from all wine tastings - the sky has not fallen - but have to cut the evening short -
Comments