Notes from blind lunch tasting

2006 Vertice Pint Noir Frizzante – this bubble was a tough one to peg – I went for the correct answer, Portugal, only after others had eliminated all the other likely possibility. It is made from Pinot Noir and has a very, very pale pink tinge. It is well made and we thought it could be Champagne but could be something else. I see RP gave it a 96 which is high praise indeed. The only odd thing was that it seemed to have a ton of fizz to start but it then dissipated – could have been an artifact of glass washing so I didn’t hold it against the wine. Quite nice.

Vazart Coquart Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut Reserve (nv) – lighter colour, nice mousse, good chard nose, long and smooth in the mouth, slightly low acidity. Good.

2005 Jadot Beaune Clos des Ursules – interesting wine, good colour, ripe nose with significant soy, medium sweet fruit levels, lots of acid in the finish. Bit too ripe and acidic for my taste.

2006 Domaine Chandon de Briailles Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Les Vergelesses – pleasant sweet pinot fruit in the nose, paler colour, medium length slightly astringent finish, just a tad hollow in the middle, but not enough to complain about and overall a better presentation than the previous wine.

1990 Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Pora – I had pulled this due to a birthday in the house and the darned thing turned out to be corked. I had thought it was slightly funky, but showed no TCA when I opened it at home, and gave it to another taster who is quite sensitive to TCA and pronounced it to be fine, yet when I brought it out an hour and a half or so later, it was clearly hugely corked. You’d think it would show that way from the beginning, not develop it with time…..

1990 Parusso Barolo Bussia – obviously (and without prior discussion) another attendee had the same idea as I had and fortunately this wine was sound and enjoyable. Dark with pale edges, slightly ripe nose of tar, soy and meaty notes, god fruit on palate and long finish. Nice.

1998 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape – medium light colour now and a very nice nose of red fruit and garrigue/herbs, with some pepper, some remaining tannin, lovely wine with smooth long finish. At peak.

2007 Tenuta Sette Ponti Crognolo IGT – dark wine with a lot of vanilla oak in the nose, almost to new world levels, very young but enjoyable sweet fruit and tannin – I wondered how this would show in a California tasting….

2005 Biale Petite Sirah Thomann Station – dark wine, obviously new world, and perhaps a zinfandel, deep sweet dark fruit nose, surprisingly far along for the age, ripe but still with significant tannins. Not bad.

1994 Smith Woodhouse LBV – medium dark, sweet red fruit nose with a bit of spice, something in the palate that seemed odd for a vintage Port, which headed us toward some sort of Colheita or LBV. Very presentable.

1994 Smith Woodhouse Vintage Port – lovely mature wine with plumy nose with a hint of anise, some spice and cocoa. Medium to full body, and medium length finish. Not a huge Port but an enjoyable one now at about peak.