WineLovers Discussion Group

Our northern suburbs tasting group (formerly TWITS, now BEAUNE, ask Golodetz what they stand for) had a meeting tonight. Micheal our host did a superlative job (well, to be technical he did a superlative job in a supporting role, with his son acting as chef deserving the real acclaim!). A fine evening of food, wine, and friendship.

The starter wine and the dessert wine were not blind, the rest were.

Starter: 2000 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot d'Alsace
This was one of the least expensive wines in the ZH stable (I think the name was replaced by the Zind!) , though not cheap. But it's always been one of my favorites. None of that ZH fat, a decent acidity offsetting ripe white fruit, with a touch of smoke. B+

Opening course was a cold melon soup with mint and jalapeno. Blind Wine #1 was a bubbly- light yeasty notes, fine mousse, with rather deep apple fruit. I liked, but wasn't actually sure it was Champage. I was going to guess Franciacortia, but John said Dom Perignon, and he was right- the 1990 Dom Perignon. B

Next course was a delicious grilled halibut steak with polenta and green beans. Two wines were served:

Wine #32 (Mike likes to mix things up) was pretty obviously white Burgundy. Noticable oak, though well-integrated. Good minerality, white apple and pearfruit. Good depth, concentration. Fat but not flabby. It's the 1999 Arnaud Ente "Le Goutte d'or" Meursault 1er Cru. A-

Wine #53 was a bit more reticent at first. As it opened up some green apple fruit (though a rather round wine, I usually associate green apple with acidity), oak, and a little gravel. I'm not sure it's white Burgundy, but it is. It's the 2002 Henri Boillot Corton-Charlemagne. Nice enough wine, but with the exception of Bonneau du Martray I don't think I "get" C-C. B

Group consensus was that the C-C was the better match with the fish, though most like the Meursault better overall: I liked the Meursault better with the dish as well as alone.

Next course was veal served over mixed greens with fresh tomatoes. Two wines were served. Someone opined that they were both Nebbiolo, I could find nothing to contradict that:

Wine #3 A little VA at first, black cherry and raspberry fruit, a bit of leather, tar and cigarbox. Delicous. IS it Barolo? Nope, its the 1988 Fuligni Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. B+/A-

Wine #4 Riper, more modern, lower acid. Obviously this is modern Barolo, right? No, actually it's the 1990 Comte Armand "Clos des Epeneaux" Pommard. B

The cheese course included Epoisses, Reblochon, Bleu d'Auverge and two I forget (one was Spanish and started with a G). Two more blind wines:

#9 Red fruit, lots of leather, some floral, but with a strange distracting note in background. No clue, but a nice drinking wine despite the funny note. I did not guess that it was Barolo, the 1985 Bovia Barolo. B

#7 Ripe cassis fruit, earth and tobacco. First instinct is Bordeaux, but then I begin to wonder about a top Cal Cab from mid80s. I like a lot in any case. It's the 1990 Vieux Chateau Certan. A-

A chocolate cake and three ice creams was the dessert, but I only had the wine, the 1990 Ch. d'Yquem. Rich creme brulee and toffee aromas waft over apricot fruit. Very rich, but good acidity. A-/A

Kudos to Michael and his family for a fine fine dinner!


Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.

Dale Williams wrote:
#9 Red fruit, lots of leather, some floral, but with a strange distracting note in background. No clue, but a nice drinking wine despite the funny note. I did not guess that it was Barolo, the 1985 Bovia Barolo. .

Methinks this was either a Brovia or Bovio, Dale.

Was the funny note like iodine? Soy? Rusty metal? Salami? Balsamic Vinegar?

Those are usually some of the odd notes I pick up in old, traditional, Barolo.

Best,
Joe

Oops, that's what I get for typing late at night, it should read Bovio. A kind of chemical offnote, but I can't be more specific. It was way in background, but distracting.

'Nothing quite as humbling as trying to guess wines double blind. Heaven knows how anyone does it consistently (except James Bond, of course).
I don't know who said it, but the answer to the question "have you ever mistaken Burgundy for Bordeaux?', was "not since lunch." Sounds right.
Best, Jim

Useful notes as usual, Dale.
I can't say I've had many ZH wines but I havent liked the ones I have tried. The Pinot d'Alsace/Zind! sounds nice enough.

I like tasting blind. Even if I'm off, it's interesting to examine how I got to my (wrong) guess.I'm not the most talented blind taster, but two of the best I know were there, and I think both also got into the Nebbiolo mindset. Once someone mentioned it, it seemed to fit. I think most of us were trying to find a type of wine that fit both wines in the flight (Mike got us by mixing a Tuscan and a Burg). I was thinking Italy from the VA on the Brunello (didn't think it was Rioja), old and new style Barolo seemed a reasonable guess.

Bill, I'm not a fan in general of ZH stylistically, though I recognize the quality. The Pinot d'Alsace (I believe the authorities stopped him from using this and he started making Zind! - because of Chardonnay?) tends to be less extreme, this had pretty decent acidity. In general I like the Gewurz and PGs better than the Riesling. I do occasionally like his dessert wines, but pricey.