Category Archives: Wine Tasting

November 29, 2013 · 11:37 AM

Perfect Wine?

How can any wine critic score a wine at a perfect 100?  This is one critic’s explanation at Wine Spectator Magazine:  http://www.winespectator.com/blogs/show/id/49223.

Wine Critics Impartial?

There are aspects of this piece that I agree with, especially with regard to defining wine as a snapshot of a moment in time.  The wine experience is definitely more than a scientific examination of flavor components.  This is a major reason why I was taken by wine in the first place.  Yes, of course your situation and surroundings will affect your scoring of the wine, but aren’t the critic’s reviews as an authoritative resource supposed to be impartial… and therefore tasting should occur in a neutral environment?  The more I learn about wine critics and their approach to scoring wine, the more I have come to ignore them.

Wine Critics Consistently Over-Score Wines

This drives me crazy!  I have been moving towards placing more weight on collector’s reviews for several years now.  CellarTracker scores are consistently 3-4 points lower than Parker, Kramer, Robinson, Galloni. Although, Stephen Tanzer seems a bit more conservative, if you look at a cross-section. Take some time to compare and you will see for yourself.  At least their ratings are consistent in this regard, so the scores are not likely to be a bias towards a given producer.  It almost seems as if they all want to believe the wine is better than it actually is?  Is this some subtle coordinated promotional effort to advance the wine industry as a whole?

Perfect Wine, Ah… Really?

Here are a few recent Robert Parker, Jr. perfect 100’s that I have enjoyed:

2010 Shafer Vineyards Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon

2006 Alban Vineyards Syrah Reva Alban Estate Vineyard

2007 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

2007 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon CCS

I am sorry, but the Bryant Family IMHO did not belong on this list, but I digress.  Of course, anytime you discuss RP you have to take into account his penchant for big fruity wines.  Still, are these perfect scores based on his perception when tasted, or based on projecting their profile after bottle-aging?  I wouldn’t choose any of these, keeping the  divergent criteria in mind.  Don’t get me wrong , three of these were great wines and the fourth pretty damn good too, but perfect?  I have tasted perfectly balanced 5 year old cabernet in an approachable style from Ladera, or a huge fruity, tannic monster from O’Shaughnessy that would be superior (IMO) after 10-15 years.  Although, I wouldn’t score these at 100 either.

Can a 100 Point Perfect Wine Exist?

Everyone’s palate is different AND wine truly is enhanced by the environment in which it is being consumed AND obviously the wine critics make little effort to taste in a neutral environment…  Of the wines I have enjoyed most in my life and matched my palate best, I would give none of them a perfect 100.  In each case, there was something about them that could have been a little better.  Now, I WILL say… some have been drunk in perfect settings, and I will remember them clearly my entire life!

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November 27, 2013 · 9:54 PM

2009 Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon

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2009 Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon

California, Napa Valley

Wine Tasting Note:

Blackberry, plum and vanilla on the nose. Simple palate of black fruit and a touch of bitter chocolate and oak on a medium-short finish. Medium tannins and medium-high acidity. The texture is a bit watery. Nice backbone here, but the structure is missing a mid-palate entirely. Enjoyable every day drinker from Napa Valley that represents a reasonable value. Unfortunately, there is no complexity to this wine. Other vintages have been better.

Wine Tasting Note – UPDATE 2/20/2014:

2nd Bottle of half case:

Second bottle after four months in storage has changed enough to be worthy of note. It is rare to see wine in this price range improve with age. The evaluation is essentially the same as above, but the texture is becoming more silky and the tannins more refined. At least for now, this is continuing to improve.  The same comment holds regarding simplicity, although a short aging window seems to have continued to soften the wine, making it more enjoyable. I wish this wine could magically become more interesting, but for the price, this is a very nice daily drinker.

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November 26, 2013 · 10:28 PM

2009 Domaine Drouhin Laurene Oregon Pinot Noir

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Domaine Drouhin Laurene Pinot Noir

Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

Wine Tasting Note:

The nose has red fruit and earth, with a floral influence. The palate begins with fresh red cherry under-pinned with a delicate floral note. The mid-palate transitions to black cherry and spice, then a medium short finish of earth and bitter chocolate. Medium-high acidity with slightly dusty tannins. The texture was initially silky, but became watery quickly on the mid-palate. You notice the alcohol on the finish. This wine needs more time in the cellar to reach its potential. There was a lot more going on here than a simple, fruity new-world pinot. This was very feminine in character, with a solid backbone. Another 5 years of bottle-aging and I would expect this will be very elegant and composed. I can envision this as a 10 year old pinot reaching its drinking window… add a little barnyard on the nose and Burgundy comes to mind!

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November 16, 2013 · 6:06 PM

2007 Geyser Peak Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Walking Tree Vineyard

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Geyser Peak Winery

California, Alexander Valley

Wine Tasting Note:

Powerful aromatic nose of black fruit, spice and vanilla. Fruit forward palate of blackberry, red plum and black currant. High acidity with medium tannins. Tasted this last year. Still the same big fruit, but the tannins are beginning to soften and it is developing some texture. Needed a little time for the alcohol to blow off. The complexity is improving with the addition of more bitter chocolate in the mid-palate and a short finish with some graphite coming through. The tannins are starting to moderate and I like a red wine with some backbone, so I am going to say this wine is in its optimum drinking window. Drink now and the next couple of years, at most. At $18/btl, this wine has my vote for the best value cab sauv in California. I would expect a wine of this caliber to be in the $30-35 range in Sonoma County. I prefer not to put a number to wines if I can, but in this case I will put that aside and give it an 89. It needs more minerality, the mid-palate and finish could be stronger and the texture wasn’t there to be rated higher, but for that kind of price… this is impressive!

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November 14, 2013 · 9:19 PM

Can Wine Education be Fun and Interesting?

I hold consumer wine education programs, typically at wine bars and restaurants. The classes are intended to draw additional traffic to the venues to build a clientele and drive paired food revenue… but ultimately, consumers are drawn by the desire for wine knowledge.

What Consumers Want to Know

Through a few years of experience I have found what works and what doesn’t.  You can put people to sleep with the information that interested me in my formal training… history of wine production and regions, impact of terroir on flavors, impact of wine making techniques on the wine, etc.  What do people enjoy learning about?

Wine – Food Flavor Pairings

Learning how different food flavors impact the perception of the white, red, sweet wines, etc.  Setting up paired tastings to reinforce the concept.  Most are very surprised how food impacts wine.  It is rare to find casual wine drinkers that have explored this.

What are Those Flavors I am Tasting in Cabernet, or Merlot?

People want help learning standard varietal profiles.  Take them through the blind tasting process and how to create wine tasting notes.  They want to know how to talk about wine with others.  Blind taste a few for the wow factor.

How Do I Describe What I Enjoy to Wine Attendants?

Teach them how to describe their wine preferences to assist in wine selection at restaurants and wine bars.

How Do I Select Wines to Purchase Based on My Preferences?

Walk through a wine selection process based on that description, without tasting the wine.

Would I Enjoy Exploring the Diversity in Wine?

Introduce people to the diversity of flavors in wine and provide specific examples.

Would I Enjoy Wine Travel?

Discuss wine travel and destinations – relate stories of individual wineries, their beauty and ambiance.

ULTIMATELY, MOST PEOPLE WANT WINE TO BE FUN!

When I first began presenting these programs, I was disappointed people were not interested in the academic side.  Took a few to understand, they don’t want to talk about bottle aging, cellaring strategies, AOC & DOC labeling laws…  People just want to learn how to facilitate buying wine they enjoy and how to enhance their shared wine experience with friends.

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November 11, 2013 · 7:11 PM

2010 Robert Oatley Vineyards, James Oatley TIC TOK Cabernet Sauvignon

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Robert Oatley Vineyards

Australia, Western Australia

Wine Tasting Note:

Nose of alcohol, red raspberry and spice. High acidity and medium tannins. For a low alcohol cabernet, the alcohol is obvious. The palate is full of fresh red raspberry and strawberry up front with a subtle mid-palate that introduces faint elements of eucalyptus and vanilla. The wine has a short finish of bitter, sour cherry. I found the complexity of flavors interesting, but the texture was watery and the elements didn’t come together well. This seems like a low-priced attempt at an old-world style wine, from a new-world producer. For a $10/btl cab sauv pretty decent, but I would rather spend an extra few bucks and purchase something a bit more enjoyable for a daily drinker.

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November 10, 2013 · 10:36 PM

How Do You Perceive Value in Wine?

I find this topic very interesting, when the discussion includes someone from the supply side of the wine biz… I think there is a heavy dose of cynicism that the industry tends to develop regarding the consumer’s view of value. I work in only a part-time ancillary role to the industry and perhaps because of this, I see the irony… In my experience, the people truly passionate about wine are usually the consumers!

Wine and Brand Loyalty

Perhaps my view has been colored by 20 years of wine travel, meeting small winery owners and hearing their stories. I feel very connected to their life’s mission and can relate to their journey in some small way. Maybe, it is even envy for that kind of passion… to produce something exceptional. I can justify premium wine costs in my mind, based on the additional steps to quality many smaller wineries employ. I am also willing to spend my wine dollars based on a sliding scale associated with my enjoyment of the product.

I know bulk wine and mass distribution can introduce you to the least appealing side of the industry. This post is the direct result of a conversation regarding a vehement inability to find the value in wine over $40/btl. I have had a different experience, with winery visits, wine dinners, wine collectors groups, education programs and interaction with wine enthusiasts that have all been fun, built friendships and perhaps even romanticized the industry a bit for me. Perhaps, THAT is where the real value in wine lies. Early in my wine years, I would derive great pride in finding the lowest priced wine of the best quality to fill my cellar. Today, I think more about the wine I can enjoy best with my friends. Heck, I buy wine for my wife that I would never drink by myself, let alone pay top dollar for. I admit it, sometimes I buy wine just because I am fascinated by the winemaker’s passion for the trade.

Today, so much premium wine is sold without an understanding of who and why the consumer buys the product. Building brand loyalty at the upper end of the market demands an understanding of your customers and why they buy…

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November 9, 2013 · 2:02 PM

2007 Frank Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

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Frank Family Vineyards

California, Napa Valley

Wine Tasting Note:

Right out of the bottle, this wine was horribly disjointed. After a couple of hours, it started to come together. Maybe just a dead phase for the wine?. The nose is full of alcohol, vanilla and red plum. The texture is a bit thin. High acidity and medium high tannins. The palate is strange for a Napa cabernet. My first impression is of strawberry jam, but then in the mid-palate the traditional flavors show up of blackberry and plum and then leaves you with a medium length finish of lingering fruit and sweet vanilla. No minerality, or earthiness whatsoever. There has to be merlot mixed in this. The alcohol is less integrated than I would prefer. This wine had too much fruit and not enough complexity.

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November 8, 2013 · 8:40 PM

Fine Wines are Over-Priced? WATCH THIS!

I have been involved in many discussions regarding the cost of producing a bottle of wine. As bulk wine brokers tell it, no wine should retail for more than $15/btl. You talk to small wineries producing estate bottled wines and they will tell you their cost is $30-40/btl. Watch this video and you begin to understand the difference.

Paloma Vineyards

When I was at Paloma Vineyards a couple of years ago, the owner Barbara Richards was talking about making up to five passes through her vineyards hand pruning each vine and making the decision to drop up to a third of her crop to achieve the proper concentration in the juice. Then, literally harvesting a block at a time, as shaded, or sunny blocks were at optimum ripeness. When you add the labor for the kind of berry selection shown in this video and the loss of the culled fruit, you begin to see how premium wine production can become expensive.

Blankiet Harvest Selection Video

Here is the link: Antonio Galloni – Blankiet Estate.

Take a minute to check it out. This may sway your view of wine production costs.

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November 7, 2013 · 8:59 PM

2010 Bodega Norton Reserva Malbec

Norton 274088

2010 Bodega Norton

Argentina, Lujan de Cuyo

Wine Tasting Note:

Lots of alcohol on the nose with black fruits. The most noticeable aspect is the texture. This a very soft, silky wine. The palate is not fruit forward. A bitter tar-like, smoky dark chocolate hits you first, then hints of vanilla and a brambly mid-palate. Not much finish. If there is fruit, perhaps black currant. Good acidity, with a minimum of tannins. A little disjointed. More tannins would add some balance and the virtual lack of fruit is a bit disconcerting. Drinkable and interesting, but not my preference for a daily drinker.

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