Jeff Grossman
Jeff Grossman
attendees: Don & Melissa, Jay, Jayson, Jeff, Lisa, Scott & Anne-Marie, Victor
Welcome to another glittering episode of "What's My Wine?"
Our panellists tonight include the splendid multi-tasking Miss Allen, the insightful Mr. Lederer, the Ozzie and Harriet of the wine world, the Rices, and our master of ceremonies, the ever-punctual Mr. Miller.
The mystery wines tonight are provided, divided, and confided by our three guests, Mr. Cohen, Ms. Wright, and Mr. Sovinee.
Let's get right to it.
Mystery Wine #1... sign in please:
Several people call Juicy-Fruit and grapefruit.
No, it's not scheurebe. 1 down and 9 to go. Mr. Grossman?:
I nail the aroma as passionfruit.
Thank you. 2 down and 8 to go. Mr. Miller?:
"Muscat!"
Yes, well done, but from where? Mrs. Rice?:
Well, it is pretty weighty, as if it might have a bit of rs (which it clearly does not); I think it's Alsatian (some of us are not convinced- Alsace is pretty cool so acidity should be sharper... but what do we know?)
Indeed, Mrs. Rice is correct. I'm going to flip all the cards and reveal the wine: => Mittnacht-Klack 1996 Muscat D'Alsace, Kronenberg - 12.5%
Commentary: A house we've only barely heard of, one person visited it once by accident!, but the wine is lovely, fruity without being overbearing, hardly more than water clear, it has aged remarkably well.
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Mystery Wine #2... sign in please:
Don calls riesling immediately; "peach pit bitterness in the nose" -Melissa.
That's 2 down and 8 to go:
This is gorgeous, pure, medium-weight, intensely yummy.
"Prum" I say.
"Willi" Jay calls.
Victor says he'd like to inject it.
No, no, and please no. 5 down and 5 to go. Please continue:
It's pretty clearly spatlese sweetness (well, if it's really young then it could be kabinett but we don't think it's young); so pretty, that is everybody's word for it!
"Pretty" is good enough and I'll flip all the cards for the reveal: => Maximin Grunhaus (C. von Schubert) 1997 Abtsberg Riesling Spatlese - 8%, AP 5
Commentary: Yes. Jay kept a wee dram to try subsequently and it held up well. Buy '97 Maximin Grunhaus if you see it.
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Mystery Wine #3... sign in please:
Well, this tastes Italian but before anybody can even get a word out Jay calls, "Sicilian".
Yes, well done. 1 down and 9 to go. Mr. Grossman?:
Very phenolic, so stacked that it nearly has a plasticky smell.
We guess a few local grapes (frappato, nero d'avola).
But no and no. That's 3 down and 7 to go. Please continue:
With more air, the nose remains huge and imposing but the palate is actually rather less weighty, acquiring hints of florals and graphite.
Thank you, Mrs. Rice. It seems the panel likes the wine plenty well but is stumped otherwise, so we'll proceed to the reveal: => Il Censo 2015 IGT "Njuro" Rosso Terre Siciliane - 14.5%, perricone
Commentary: No, no one here has ever heard of perricone, aka pignatello. It's a Sicilian grape in the Barbera family that is usually blended with nero d'avola to give that wine more color, body, and alcohol. Rosenthal brings this in on the back of a recommendation from Bea.
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Mystery Wine #4... sign in please:
Interesting nose! And everyone smells something else: pine, soy, umami, red licorice, carob (twice! though not quite a Tiger's Milk bar).
Panellists, please take turns! That's 6 down and 4 to go. Mr. Sovinee would like to say something:
Scott warns us that the wine isn't really showing typique and, with that, Jay asks, "Sangiovese?"
Yes. 7 down and 3 to go. Mr. Grossman?:
Hm, well, the one thing it certainly can't be is Brunello.
Ah, well, actually, Mr. Grossman has the distinction of being the most wrong on this one because the wine is: => Le Ragnaie 2004 Brunello di Montalcino
Commentary: Not since lunch, you know.
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Mystery Wine #5... sign in please:
This has an unusual nose of incense and Indian spice, maybe a hint of Christmas spice, too; quite luxurious texture and gorgeous nosefuls; I call Rhone right away; the pronounced lavender note makes me choose Cote-Rotie while Jay names Cornas.
Cote-Rotie is correct. I'm going to count all that as half the turn, so 5 down and 5 to go. Mrs. Rice?:
"Like licking stone" -Melissa.
Just so. 6 down and 4 to go. Please continue:
We make a bunch of guesses about the age but all are "too young".
And with that we flip all the cards, and reveal the wine: => Guigal 1995 Cote-Rotie "La Landonne"
Commentary: We are all surprised and impressed. We thought it would be oakier. I kept a bit for another day... On day 2: very similar to yesterday but a bit less complexity in the nose, bouquet is more like sandalwood and less like stick incense. It is obvious that "stick incense" is neither a grape nor a soil flavor but still appealing per se. Makes me consider drinking the one La-La that I own instead of selling it.
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Mystery Wine #6... sign in please:
Clearly, Bordeaux and...
And, clearly, 1 down and 9 to go.
"Spicy!" -Anne-Marie.
"Leafy, too" -Victor.
Nothing quite like spicy leaves. 3 down and 7 to go. Continue Mr. Lederer:
Victor eyeballs the color and guesses 20-30 years old; We also peg it to Right Bank pretty quickly.
A droit and adroit. 5 down and 5 to go.
We narrow down the year largely by making 5 guesses between 1996 and 2000 but we never do guess the right chateau.
We're well past our question limit, so it's time for the reveal: => Vieux Chateau Certan 1999 Pomerol - 13%, merlot 85%/cab franc 10%/cab sauv 5%
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Mystery Wine #7... sign in please:
Back to Italy...
Back to 1 down, 9 to go. Mr. Cohen?:
"Bouillon cube in the nose" -Jayson
Souper guess. 2 down, 8 to go. Please continue:
This is one mysterious wine: there is a bit of browning at the rim so it's not young, tannins are fine and there are lots of them, acidity is fair-to-middling, a bit spirity.
Panellists, slowly. It's not like you've been drinking all afternoon! 6 down, 4 to go. Please continue:
We throw in the towel.
Polite people do not throw things. The reveal: => I Custodi delle vigne dell'Etna 2008 Etna Rosso "Aetneus" - 14.5%, nerello mascalese 80%/nerello cappuccio/alicante
----------
That's all the time we have, ladies and gentlemen. You can also play our new home game:
Just buy wine, forget what it is, and enjoy hours of guessing pleasure.
See you next time on "What's My Wine?". Good night!
Welcome to another glittering episode of "What's My Wine?"
Our panellists tonight include the splendid multi-tasking Miss Allen, the insightful Mr. Lederer, the Ozzie and Harriet of the wine world, the Rices, and our master of ceremonies, the ever-punctual Mr. Miller.
The mystery wines tonight are provided, divided, and confided by our three guests, Mr. Cohen, Ms. Wright, and Mr. Sovinee.
Let's get right to it.
Mystery Wine #1... sign in please:
Several people call Juicy-Fruit and grapefruit.
No, it's not scheurebe. 1 down and 9 to go. Mr. Grossman?:
I nail the aroma as passionfruit.
Thank you. 2 down and 8 to go. Mr. Miller?:
"Muscat!"
Yes, well done, but from where? Mrs. Rice?:
Well, it is pretty weighty, as if it might have a bit of rs (which it clearly does not); I think it's Alsatian (some of us are not convinced- Alsace is pretty cool so acidity should be sharper... but what do we know?)
Indeed, Mrs. Rice is correct. I'm going to flip all the cards and reveal the wine: => Mittnacht-Klack 1996 Muscat D'Alsace, Kronenberg - 12.5%
Commentary: A house we've only barely heard of, one person visited it once by accident!, but the wine is lovely, fruity without being overbearing, hardly more than water clear, it has aged remarkably well.
----------
Mystery Wine #2... sign in please:
Don calls riesling immediately; "peach pit bitterness in the nose" -Melissa.
That's 2 down and 8 to go:
This is gorgeous, pure, medium-weight, intensely yummy.
"Prum" I say.
"Willi" Jay calls.
Victor says he'd like to inject it.
No, no, and please no. 5 down and 5 to go. Please continue:
It's pretty clearly spatlese sweetness (well, if it's really young then it could be kabinett but we don't think it's young); so pretty, that is everybody's word for it!
"Pretty" is good enough and I'll flip all the cards for the reveal: => Maximin Grunhaus (C. von Schubert) 1997 Abtsberg Riesling Spatlese - 8%, AP 5
Commentary: Yes. Jay kept a wee dram to try subsequently and it held up well. Buy '97 Maximin Grunhaus if you see it.
----------
Mystery Wine #3... sign in please:
Well, this tastes Italian but before anybody can even get a word out Jay calls, "Sicilian".
Yes, well done. 1 down and 9 to go. Mr. Grossman?:
Very phenolic, so stacked that it nearly has a plasticky smell.
We guess a few local grapes (frappato, nero d'avola).
But no and no. That's 3 down and 7 to go. Please continue:
With more air, the nose remains huge and imposing but the palate is actually rather less weighty, acquiring hints of florals and graphite.
Thank you, Mrs. Rice. It seems the panel likes the wine plenty well but is stumped otherwise, so we'll proceed to the reveal: => Il Censo 2015 IGT "Njuro" Rosso Terre Siciliane - 14.5%, perricone
Commentary: No, no one here has ever heard of perricone, aka pignatello. It's a Sicilian grape in the Barbera family that is usually blended with nero d'avola to give that wine more color, body, and alcohol. Rosenthal brings this in on the back of a recommendation from Bea.
----------
Mystery Wine #4... sign in please:
Interesting nose! And everyone smells something else: pine, soy, umami, red licorice, carob (twice! though not quite a Tiger's Milk bar).
Panellists, please take turns! That's 6 down and 4 to go. Mr. Sovinee would like to say something:
Scott warns us that the wine isn't really showing typique and, with that, Jay asks, "Sangiovese?"
Yes. 7 down and 3 to go. Mr. Grossman?:
Hm, well, the one thing it certainly can't be is Brunello.
Ah, well, actually, Mr. Grossman has the distinction of being the most wrong on this one because the wine is: => Le Ragnaie 2004 Brunello di Montalcino
Commentary: Not since lunch, you know.
----------
Mystery Wine #5... sign in please:
This has an unusual nose of incense and Indian spice, maybe a hint of Christmas spice, too; quite luxurious texture and gorgeous nosefuls; I call Rhone right away; the pronounced lavender note makes me choose Cote-Rotie while Jay names Cornas.
Cote-Rotie is correct. I'm going to count all that as half the turn, so 5 down and 5 to go. Mrs. Rice?:
"Like licking stone" -Melissa.
Just so. 6 down and 4 to go. Please continue:
We make a bunch of guesses about the age but all are "too young".
And with that we flip all the cards, and reveal the wine: => Guigal 1995 Cote-Rotie "La Landonne"
Commentary: We are all surprised and impressed. We thought it would be oakier. I kept a bit for another day... On day 2: very similar to yesterday but a bit less complexity in the nose, bouquet is more like sandalwood and less like stick incense. It is obvious that "stick incense" is neither a grape nor a soil flavor but still appealing per se. Makes me consider drinking the one La-La that I own instead of selling it.
----------
Mystery Wine #6... sign in please:
Clearly, Bordeaux and...
And, clearly, 1 down and 9 to go.
"Spicy!" -Anne-Marie.
"Leafy, too" -Victor.
Nothing quite like spicy leaves. 3 down and 7 to go. Continue Mr. Lederer:
Victor eyeballs the color and guesses 20-30 years old; We also peg it to Right Bank pretty quickly.
A droit and adroit. 5 down and 5 to go.
We narrow down the year largely by making 5 guesses between 1996 and 2000 but we never do guess the right chateau.
We're well past our question limit, so it's time for the reveal: => Vieux Chateau Certan 1999 Pomerol - 13%, merlot 85%/cab franc 10%/cab sauv 5%
----------
Mystery Wine #7... sign in please:
Back to Italy...
Back to 1 down, 9 to go. Mr. Cohen?:
"Bouillon cube in the nose" -Jayson
Souper guess. 2 down, 8 to go. Please continue:
This is one mysterious wine: there is a bit of browning at the rim so it's not young, tannins are fine and there are lots of them, acidity is fair-to-middling, a bit spirity.
Panellists, slowly. It's not like you've been drinking all afternoon! 6 down, 4 to go. Please continue:
We throw in the towel.
Polite people do not throw things. The reveal: => I Custodi delle vigne dell'Etna 2008 Etna Rosso "Aetneus" - 14.5%, nerello mascalese 80%/nerello cappuccio/alicante
----------
That's all the time we have, ladies and gentlemen. You can also play our new home game:
Just buy wine, forget what it is, and enjoy hours of guessing pleasure.
See you next time on "What's My Wine?". Good night!
