Regular bi-weekly tasting - Germany - California - New York - France - and - Bolivia - yes - Bolivia -
Very French construction - jotted down - White Bordeaux - shades of Chardonnay - maybe a blend with Chardonnay and Semillion - group moved up to Rhone - across to Alsace - back up to Burgundy - nice color - low nose - "sort of" an Alsacian aroma - everything was not quite - Pernand Vergelesses - 2004 - about $25 - about right -
First guess - Merlot - maybe Cabernet Sauvignon - perhaps Italian - my vote was 5 years - several other guesstimates of 3 to 4 years - something about the nose and the taste - don't quite match - could it be a blend - about about Beaujolais - what is that whiff of Cabernet that falls off so quickly - tah dah - La Concepcion - Cepass de Altura - Cabernet Sauvignon - Bolivia - 2005 - yes - Bolivia - very nice - amazing how the varietal ships so dramatically as the growth area shifts geographically - and - altitudinally - i.e. - everything in Boliva is thousands of feet above sea level - 1750 and 2100 m.s.n.m.
By way of our best wines born this Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, noted for his body and structure. Intense ruby red color with great harmony of flavors and aromas to Bramble, green pepper and hints of pepper and vanilla. Post elegant taste and persistent typical of a large reserve wine.
Next up - had to be a Pinot - had to be California - had to be a ten year old Pinot - why was it too light in color - too thin - was this something else - the tone shifted - maybe not from CA - just maybe a Spatburgunder - bingo - Furst - Spatburgunder - 2005 - different - not a win for me - why double blind tastings are important for the palette -
Another California Cab ?? - 10 years- 8 or 9 - maybe 2000 - how about Spain - Rioja - the group swung towards France - Bordeaux - 2001?? - and the winner is - Chat. La Gaffeliere - Grand Cru - St. Emillion - 60 % Merlot - 20% Cab Franc - 20% Cab Sauvignon - surprised - not enough earthiness for St. Emillion - about $40 - good buy - thank you Bill
My turn - Zero Manipulation - Peterson Winery - Healdsburg - Sonoma - 2000 - trucked (flew) this back from last trip in CA - (Pinot Paradise) - opened the first bottle - night before the tasting - wow !!! - this is one that demands to be shared - group remarks covered the world - a touch of asphalt - how about a cab - could be France - could be Italy - acid - bright fruit - cherry cough drops - which would take it into the land of Pinot - back to California -
Medium-bodied with spicy fruit aromas, 2000 Zero has subtle flavors of cherries, strawberries and candied apples balanced with earthy tannins and good acidity.
93% Carignane - 7% Mataro - best part of the equation - $14.95 per bottle - low production - 650 cases
On to the late whites -
Dr. Heidemanns Bergweiler - Reisling - Spatlese - 2006 - sweet - mature beyond its listed age - a definite buy -
Final wine of the night - intense pineapple - a touch of peach - although I didn't find it - viscus - rich - an old German - noble rot - Canadian or even Finger Lake ice wine - California Bonny Donne - Australia - has to be 5 years - maybe more - i.e. - no one got it -
Wolffer - Late Harvest Chardonnay - Long Island, New York - 2006 - The wine is a blend of 79% Chardonnay, 13% Vignoles 4% Gewürztraminer and 4% Trebbiano. - what a treat - while listed as an Ice Wine - its production methodology requires a asterisk - The grapes where immediately transported to a commercial freezer in Southampton and stored at 15° Fahrenheit until November 29th. The frozen grapes where pressed, yielding a very concentrated and lush grape juice at 38 Brix - thank you Eldon -
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