This month’s tasting was inspired by a scene from the movie Somm 3, where a group of young sommeliers blind taste a diverse set up Pinot Noirs. Unknown to all expect the organizer is the fact that half the wines are from Burgundy, and the other half are New World examples. Our version of […]
Burgundy v. California Read More »
This month offered more evidence of how weak we are in blind varietal/appellation identification. We were poured three French whites and three French reds, and had to identify them out of four possible choices each. The results were disappointing. Ali deserves kudos for getting all three whites correct, and was our top taster of the
What’s In My Glass? (French Edition) Read More »
It had been many years since we compared these wines (the last was in April 2005), so the time was ripe for another visit to Burgundy, specifically the reds. Why did we wait so long? Price was a big factor, since demand for these has soared in recent years, and production remains small, especially for Premier
Red Burgundy Battle #2 Read More »
This was our third comparison of reds from Châteauneuf du Pape (the last time was in January 2011), and we all left wondering why we waited so long to try these again. These were impressive wines, with dense textures, lots of intensity, and high alcohol. Our winner was a ten-year-old wine that was still very
Châteauneuf Shootout #3 Read More »
This was our third comparison of red Côtes du Rhônes, and our second focused on a single vintage (the last was of the great 2009s). We completed this one very happy with the 2015 vintage, agreeing that all the wines were at a minimum of good, with our best examples showing real complexity, great textures, and
Côtes du Rhône Clash (The 2015s) Read More »
First compared in June 2007, these are an interesting change of pace for most people, having flavors and textures that are very different from your standard Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. Two of our wines were the exact same bottling, and though they shared some similar qualities, none of our tasters were insightful enough to detect
Battle of the Rhône Valley Whites #2 Read More »
This was our second tasting comparing bottles of Cru Beaujolais (the first was in May 2009), but this time we focused soley on the great 2015 vintage. Overall, these were solid wines, displaying good fruit, supportive tannins, and a real sense of place at reasonable prices. Photos this month by Andy. First Place: Château des
Cru Beaujolais Battle #2 Read More »
This was our second comparison of wines from the more southern Burgundy area called the Mâconnais (the first was in June 2009). Made from Chardonnay, these exhibited a great deal of similarity, with the top wines being bright and refreshing, but they weren’t insipid either. They didn’t change very much in the glass, but they were
Having last compared these in July 2011, we decided to go back for another round, but this time limiting our entries to the 2015 vintage. Overall, these were friendly, pleasing wines, ones that Kristin described as being able to “go with the party”. While they all had similar flavor profiles, our top two wines stood
French Rosé Battle #2 Read More »
Last enjoyed in August 2006, this tasting confirmed how much we enjoy this appellation, with the top wines exhibiting excellent balance of bright acidity, great textures, and complex aromas and fruit. While two of the bottles received no points, we found lots of diversity here, with some wines needing food to express themselves fully, and
Sancerre Showdown #2 Read More »