Tasting Notes - January 6, 2007

Here are the group notes from the sparkling wine tasting... enjoy!

Flight One
Sofia Blanc de Blancs Brut 2005 - this was the official "clubbing champagne" with attributes appreciated only by the two true clubbers in the group. Described as sweet scented, fruity and smooth, this only-chardonnay grape sparkler costs a mere $19.99, so I say give it a break!

Iron Horse, Russian Cuvee, Brut 2001 - "dry as a popcorn fart" from one esteemed taster but "well balanced" from another. This more polarizing sparkler was deemed tart, dry, chardonnay-ish, and scentless by a variety of contributors. Not kind words for the $33.99 price.

Laurent: Perrier, Brut NV - this one gets the "most popular" vote from a very diverse crowd. Described as "dry, smooth, and what a sparkler should taste like," as well as "a little sweet for a brut," the group actually had a hard time defining why it liked this one. In the end, most concluded that it actually tasted like cheap champagne. Kind of... $32.99.

Schramsberg, Blanc de Noirs, Brut 2003 - only one member chose this one as the favorite, but comments were mild. Described as "smooth with a nice finish" and "typical champagne - yeasty, smokey and imbalanced," this sparkler concluded a flight to which most members said, "underwhelming." Cost for this final underwhelming sparkler is $29.99.

Flight Two - now we're talking
Bollinger, Special Cuvee, Brut, NV - No one picked this as their favorite, which is quite unusual for such a diverse group. Comments included "super-dry," "tasteless," and "lots of bubbles, but sour." This one gets the official thumbs down. Particularly at $49.99 (see, the clubbing Sofia would be better than this and you'd have some cash left over for the popcorn).

Roederer Estate, L'Ermitage, Brut 1999 - Two members chose this as their favorite, and one as their least favorite. Most concluded, however, that this sparkler got better after sitting for a bit (hmm - is that good in a champagne?). Comments included, "lots of flower, perfume, and aroma," as well as "tart." Cost for this late-bloomer is $47.99.

Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin, La Grande Dame, Brut 1996 - Does it get any better than the Grand Dame? Six members chose this one as tops. Not a one complained about it. And for $161, what did you expect? Comments included "creme brulee," "floral with nuts," and "scent very different from taste." This was the winner for the evening.

Tattinger, Prestige Rose, Brut NV - Reality hits. This one was a crowd pleaser for taste AND price. We voted this one in for the club "cellar." Comments included, "light, dough-bread scent," "balanced and not too perfumy," and "not quite as bubbly." At $68.99, the Tattinger is a wallet-wise rival to the Grand Dame.

By this point my handwriting was compromised, but I believe I captured the evening. Cheers!

Jen

2004 Avalon Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley

We actually used this one as a swill before one of our tastings, but afterward I bought a couple of bottles for later use. The wine itself is pretty simple, but it is fairly well balanced. We found the wine a touch hot, but about 20 min in glass took care of that as an issue. The flavors are pretty much straight cassis and eucalyptus, and the finish is of OK length. The kicker is the price - its only about $12 and is truly a napa valley cab. I'd bring this to just about any party where a lot of people might be drinking. It may be a bit of quantity over quality, but it drinks like its about a $20 cab and would please most people.

Miner Wine Dinner

Last night, we went to the Miner Wine Dinner at Abacus. We realized we are big, big fans of the Miner Gary's Vineyard Pinot Noir (about $50 retail at Siegel's) ... the rest, notsomuch. The Viognier, Chardonnay, Cab and Commemorative Hockey red just didn't quite stand up to the price.

We've had much better $50 bottles at wine club. Skip the hype and go with what you know.

2004 Green and Red - Chiles Mill Vineyard Zinfandel

This has always been one of my favorite wines, and this one didn't disappoint. The wine had some intense flavor with good balance. The flavors were somewhat candied, and had essences of strawberry and rhubarb. The wine had a thick mouthfeel with limited acids and tannins. The finish was of moderate length. with a pleasant stemmy quality and notes of blackberry. I'd say it is well worth the about $25 that it cost

If there was a down side it was that it fought with our food quite a bit. We were having a tortellini with prosciutto. It just didn't work at all. I guess that just means that we had more time to admire it after dinner.