Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
attendees: Don & Melissa, Eden & Scott, Jay, Jayson, Jeff, Lisa, Victor
Our wine hobby does not always have to be challenging or driven by curiosity. It often is, of course. There are so many different kinds of wine, from so many different places, each with a story of its people and the particular persons who worked the vines in this particular year.
But, sometimes, you know, you can just sit back and let other people pamper you.
First Flight
The wines labeled red square and orange square must both be chenin. Both have a nose of creamsicle, apricot, and a hint of peach.
Perhaps red square is a sec? It shows the "funky chenin thing" -Jayson but the acidity is better than orange square. The color is about the same but the palate strikes Melissa as "deeper and darker".
I think orange square has less body and feels a little thinner on the tongue. It's also a tad less sweet but Jay finds a distinctive "weightless aspect of the fruit" and "love that brassy note".
People are divided on which they like best.
Finally, we knock on the door: Don thinks both are demi-sec (yes), the red may be a 1985 Foreau (no) while the orange is a Huet (no). I think they are both from the 1990s. Jay asserts that these are the same wine from different years (yes), and both Foreau (yes)
Foreau 2008 Vouvray Demi-Sec - red
Foreau 2005 Vouvray Demi-Sec - orange
Second Flight
Circle 1 starts right in with a barnyard nose and sharp tannins. Whatever this is, I can tell you it isn't happy to be here. Melissa likes the "sweet/tart flavor" but not the finish. It is Jay's pour and he tells us that it was much more open - in fact, kinda OTT rich and fruity -- this morning but has shut down since, "the finish was longer earlier".
Victor guesses cab franc (no). I look at this slightly volatile, slightly stinging, irregular mess and ask, "Musar?" (no). Eventually, the drying tannins and the lurking black cherry flavors suggest Tuscany (yes) and Chianti (no). Well, that really only leaves Brunello (yes) but it's shut down and we're out of guesses.
Cerbaiola Salvioni 2015 Brunello di Montalcino - I kept a small pour for the next day. Alas, this is much the same... still cherries and sand, very tight, works well against fatty food but otherwise let it sleep.
Circle 2 is harmonious, resolved, appetitive, and hard to conceal, and it takes us only a few guesses to place it as a 1980s cal cab. Jayson picks it up and runs with it, "Santa Cruz?" (yes) "but not Ridge" (yes). Terrific nosery but we can't think of anybody who made wine in Santa Cruz in the 1980s other than Ridge!
Never mind, says Don, "that's deelish!"
Klein Vineyards 1987 Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains - After a day, this is even more pure in the nose, more sassafras in the nose, and more iron on the palate, what a great bottle of old-style cab.
Circle 3 is a "brambly" -Melissa cabernet sauvignon (yes). "It does not taste like Bordeaux" -Melissa "...and yet it will be" -Lisa (yes). That should have been enough to give it to us because we all know that Jay bought a bunch of Rauzan-Segla recently but we're too busy guessing to stop for a few minutes yet....
Ch. Rauzan-Segla 1988 Margaux - Bought at auction direct from the chateau. The wine just moves from strength to strength, getting better and better, a cedar - orange - blackberry elixir limned with brown earth and tobacco leaf. A small pour kept for the next day is about the same, perhaps the tannins have faded a little.
Third Flight
Back to Chenin Land, this time sitting in the moelleux section of the Vouvray train.
Green square shows quince and marmalade, vivid acidity, a bit of tea. It's Foreau Moelleux (yes) but we're surprised at the reveal because it seems younger.
Foreau 2008 Vouvray Moelleux - On Day 2, it remains gorgeous, tangy, softly sweet, silky, orange orange orange peach orange, and a long finish. A Sauternes would be more lush but I wouldn't enjoy it more than I'm enjoying this.
Yellow square is a fairly dark mahogany color and a good chunk of the citrus profile has been replaced with molasses and brown sugar. Alas, not as interesting as the 2008 and perhaps showing a little older than its years.
Foreau 1995 Vouvray Moelleux - On Day 2, it has lost more of its charm, which makes it still interesting but not so pleasurable, a bit harsh in the mouth and a whiff of camphor(?) or something like that.
A big thank you to Jay and Eden for pouring such nice wines, and to everyone who attended for being your delightful selves.
Our wine hobby does not always have to be challenging or driven by curiosity. It often is, of course. There are so many different kinds of wine, from so many different places, each with a story of its people and the particular persons who worked the vines in this particular year.
But, sometimes, you know, you can just sit back and let other people pamper you.
First Flight
The wines labeled red square and orange square must both be chenin. Both have a nose of creamsicle, apricot, and a hint of peach.
Perhaps red square is a sec? It shows the "funky chenin thing" -Jayson but the acidity is better than orange square. The color is about the same but the palate strikes Melissa as "deeper and darker".
I think orange square has less body and feels a little thinner on the tongue. It's also a tad less sweet but Jay finds a distinctive "weightless aspect of the fruit" and "love that brassy note".
People are divided on which they like best.
Finally, we knock on the door: Don thinks both are demi-sec (yes), the red may be a 1985 Foreau (no) while the orange is a Huet (no). I think they are both from the 1990s. Jay asserts that these are the same wine from different years (yes), and both Foreau (yes)
Foreau 2008 Vouvray Demi-Sec - red
Foreau 2005 Vouvray Demi-Sec - orange
Second Flight
Circle 1 starts right in with a barnyard nose and sharp tannins. Whatever this is, I can tell you it isn't happy to be here. Melissa likes the "sweet/tart flavor" but not the finish. It is Jay's pour and he tells us that it was much more open - in fact, kinda OTT rich and fruity -- this morning but has shut down since, "the finish was longer earlier".
Victor guesses cab franc (no). I look at this slightly volatile, slightly stinging, irregular mess and ask, "Musar?" (no). Eventually, the drying tannins and the lurking black cherry flavors suggest Tuscany (yes) and Chianti (no). Well, that really only leaves Brunello (yes) but it's shut down and we're out of guesses.
Cerbaiola Salvioni 2015 Brunello di Montalcino - I kept a small pour for the next day. Alas, this is much the same... still cherries and sand, very tight, works well against fatty food but otherwise let it sleep.
Circle 2 is harmonious, resolved, appetitive, and hard to conceal, and it takes us only a few guesses to place it as a 1980s cal cab. Jayson picks it up and runs with it, "Santa Cruz?" (yes) "but not Ridge" (yes). Terrific nosery but we can't think of anybody who made wine in Santa Cruz in the 1980s other than Ridge!
Never mind, says Don, "that's deelish!"
Klein Vineyards 1987 Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains - After a day, this is even more pure in the nose, more sassafras in the nose, and more iron on the palate, what a great bottle of old-style cab.
Circle 3 is a "brambly" -Melissa cabernet sauvignon (yes). "It does not taste like Bordeaux" -Melissa "...and yet it will be" -Lisa (yes). That should have been enough to give it to us because we all know that Jay bought a bunch of Rauzan-Segla recently but we're too busy guessing to stop for a few minutes yet....
Ch. Rauzan-Segla 1988 Margaux - Bought at auction direct from the chateau. The wine just moves from strength to strength, getting better and better, a cedar - orange - blackberry elixir limned with brown earth and tobacco leaf. A small pour kept for the next day is about the same, perhaps the tannins have faded a little.
Third Flight
Back to Chenin Land, this time sitting in the moelleux section of the Vouvray train.
Green square shows quince and marmalade, vivid acidity, a bit of tea. It's Foreau Moelleux (yes) but we're surprised at the reveal because it seems younger.
Foreau 2008 Vouvray Moelleux - On Day 2, it remains gorgeous, tangy, softly sweet, silky, orange orange orange peach orange, and a long finish. A Sauternes would be more lush but I wouldn't enjoy it more than I'm enjoying this.
Yellow square is a fairly dark mahogany color and a good chunk of the citrus profile has been replaced with molasses and brown sugar. Alas, not as interesting as the 2008 and perhaps showing a little older than its years.
Foreau 1995 Vouvray Moelleux - On Day 2, it has lost more of its charm, which makes it still interesting but not so pleasurable, a bit harsh in the mouth and a whiff of camphor(?) or something like that.
A big thank you to Jay and Eden for pouring such nice wines, and to everyone who attended for being your delightful selves.
