The theme for our blind tasting in May was “Bring A Bottle From Your Cellar.” That is, we asked our tasters to pick out a bottle that they’ve been saving in their cellar, and to bring it unidentified for blind evaluation of its merits, and to see if we could figure out what it was.
Every taster brought a red wine, with a couple of Barolos represented, a Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a first-growth Pauillac, a Mount Veeder Cabernet, and an unusual Armenian bottle.
As a whole, we were not very good at identifying what these were, though Ali continued to do well at this, identifying four out of the six countries correctly. This was one of the best lineups of wines we’ve ever assembled from the over 20 years of blind tastings we’ve conducted. All were excellent wines.
First Place: Marcarini Barolo la Serra 2010. Perhaps the oldest looking, with a nose of rubber band, sulfur, fig, cinnamon, pencil eraser, damp earth and hints of smoke. Josephine detected “heliotrope after a rainstorm”, while Ali found “patchouli but not in a really bad way.” Jamie felt that it was “pretty, perfumed but not grandma.” Lots of floral elements. Seamless and beautiful on the palate, this came off as extremely elegant, but with plenty of tannin left. Balanced and effortless. Jamie summed up by proclaiming that “we are the luckiest drinkers tonight y’all.” David, Ali, and Jamie’s favorite of the night, with a total of 29 points. Andy’s bottle. About $50.
Second Place: Zorah Karasì 2016 (Armenia). Made from the unusual Areni Noir grape, this looked like it has a little age, with some brick color toward the edge. Savory nose, like a Bolognese, with an iron/umami quality, plus black tea, coffee, cooked blueberries, vanilla, smoke, cinnamon, tarragon, licorice, and carnation. Complex. Like a peppered steak in the mouth, but also cherry in the mid-palate, then pipe tobacco and leather. Tannic, but integrated and older. A little higher acidity than the other, and doesn’t taste tired. Ali declared, “It’s so awesome in my mouth.” Josephine’s favorite. 19 points. Jamie’s bottle. About $40.
Third Place: Château Lafite Rothschild 1998 (Pauillac). With hints of Band-Aid and diapers on the nose, tasters focused on the fecal, medicinal, and barnyard notes, that slowly gave way to notions of hay, cedar, and smoky bacon. Andy suggested “welcome to the farm.” Delicious in the mouth, however, with cherry and currant flavors, on a rounder, seamless texture. Tastes older. Long finish. Kristin’s favorite. 16 points. David’s bottle. About $1,000.
Robert Craig Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 (Mount Veeder). Exuberant red rose, blueberry, black cherry, cardamum, and nutmeg scents. Energetic, full-bodied, with plenty of blue and black fruit flavors, but also plenty of tannin, feeling higher in alcohol. Would be great with some barbecue. Andy’s favorite. 12 points. Kristin’s bottle. About $75.
Paolo Scavino Barolo Bric dël Fiasc 2009. A little rust color on the edge, with scents of cedar, an old cabin in the woods, dill, whiskey, charcoal briquets, dried pine needles, and chalk. Ripe and masculine at the same time. Andy described “old plank floor”, while Josephine detected “cooked mashed zucchini.” The palate was reminiscent of roasted coffee, toasted hazelnuts, blackberry, cherry, brown sugar, molasses, and black tea on the finish. Intense, with a shocking amount of fruit and high tannins. Assertive. Josephine declared that she wanted to date this bottle. 6 points. Josephine’s bottle. About $75.
Bosquet des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2019. Smelled like prune juice, baked apples with cinnamon, eggplant parmesan, dried orange peel, dried cranberries, worms, dirt, Crayola crayons, canned tomatoes with the smell of the can, and a vague cheese/dairy note. Cinnamon candy on the palate, like a jawbreaker, plus cola, singed herb and something caramelized. Cherry Coke on the finish. Tannic. High in alcohol. 2 points. Ali’s bottle. About $50.