As this year is coming to an end, I'm finding myself reflecting on what has happened over the year, but also the things that didn't happen. I didn't find the time to blog like I had hoped, even though I think about blogging at least once a day. We've had some really great experiences, but I sometimes wonder how much more we could've done with our year. Looking back at the year, here are the standout events for me.
March was a great month for two reasons, the NCAA tournament, and the Boise Co-Op. For the second year in a row, Portland State made it into the NCAA tournament, and this time was playing in Boise. Now, how often will I get to watch the Vikings play in the NCAA tourney within driving distance of home? Probably not in the near future, so we took the opportunity to watch them play in Boise. While there, we visited with some friends of ours, who introduced us to the Boise Co-Op wine shop. The Co-Op is like nirvana for wine geeks. They have one of the best selections of wine we've seen, but that's not what makes the shop so great. They have an entire room that is temperature controlled which houses some pretty amazing stuff. I think we spent 45 minutes in there just geeking out on the wine that was there. We ended up getting a 6-pack of various stuff while we were there (thanks to recommendations), but sometimes I wish they opened up one in Portland.
In May, we hosted our first double blind tasting. Well, it was double blind for everybody but Sirpa and I, as we had picked the wines. For us, it was just a single blind tasting, as I bagged up the wines when nobody else was looking, and by the time we poured them, I had forgotten which was which. It was really enlightening to experience a wine without knowing what the producer was. The weekend with good friends and good wines was definitely a highlight of the year.
Early in November, we went to a party in celebration of some friends visiting town (the same friends that introducted us to the Co-Op). Now, I had heard some things about the parties that were hosted by the person that was hosting this one, and basically, they were usually a big group of wine geeks geeking out over wine all night, with plenty of juice flowing all night long. Turns out, that's exactly what it was. What started as a sampling of vintages from 1993-1999 of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir added a blind tasting between '05 California, Oregon, and Burgandy Pinot Noirs, as well as some bigger reds and some ridiculous desert stuff. '60 Port? '52 Madiera? Check and check. A really amazing night with some awesome people, I couldn't have asked for more.
I think I'm finding that while going out tasting and exploring with Sirpa is fun and enjoyable, being able to share our findings with friends as well as experience other new things with them is the most enjoyable aspect of wine. Sure, the flavors are usually delicious, and a responsible buzz from time to time isn't a horrible thing, but the shared experience of friends and wine is the best.
To the friends we've shared amazing experiences with, and to the friends we haven't seen enough, cheers to you!
Showing posts with label Pinot Noir. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pinot Noir. Show all posts
Monday, December 21, 2009
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Blind Tasting of '05 Cuvees
During the weekend trip to the lakehouse, I decided to put together a double blind tasting for everybody. I wanted to find 4 wines that had similar characteristics that could be compared. The wines that we chose were:
A) '05 Archery Summit Winery Premier Cuvee
B) '05 Cristom Mt. Jeffersom Cuvee
C) '05 Sokol Blosser Estate Cuvee
D) '05 Lachini Estate
Each of the wines were 2005 vintage Pinot Noirs, with three of the four being cuvees. it was really interesting to see how differently the 6 people ranked the wines differently.
Rankings:
1st: AABCDB
2nd: BDCBAC
3rd: CCDACA
4th: DBADBD
No clear winner (or best) of the night. All the wines scored the same (giving 4 points for 1st, 3 for 2nd, 2 for 3rd, 1 for 4th), with the exception of the Cristom. That one had a funk to it that turned many of the tasters off (as shown with the 3 4th-place votes). The interesting thing is that no two people ranked the wines the same way, and that the one that a few people didn't like as much (Cristom), it was still ranked as both 1st and 2nd by two of the tasters.
Being able to taste these wines in this way was really insightful, as it eliminated any bias or preconceived notions the taster's might've had, and let the wines speak for themselves. The success of this tasting has be planning other blinds tastings already.
Some of the tasting notes written down during the tasting:
Lachini: red fruit, bits of blackberry, hints of charcoal, good mouthfeel, decent finish, earthy, smokey
SB: red fruit, hints of pepper, short & flat finish, light on palate, dies
ASW: the most tannic of the wines, almost chewy, fruit was hidden behind the level of tannins, would like to see this wine in another 8 years.
Cristom: A funk that turned a few off, but was interesting to others, good mouthfeel and balance
A) '05 Archery Summit Winery Premier Cuvee
B) '05 Cristom Mt. Jeffersom Cuvee
C) '05 Sokol Blosser Estate Cuvee
D) '05 Lachini Estate
Each of the wines were 2005 vintage Pinot Noirs, with three of the four being cuvees. it was really interesting to see how differently the 6 people ranked the wines differently.
Rankings:
1st: AABCDB
2nd: BDCBAC
3rd: CCDACA
4th: DBADBD
No clear winner (or best) of the night. All the wines scored the same (giving 4 points for 1st, 3 for 2nd, 2 for 3rd, 1 for 4th), with the exception of the Cristom. That one had a funk to it that turned many of the tasters off (as shown with the 3 4th-place votes). The interesting thing is that no two people ranked the wines the same way, and that the one that a few people didn't like as much (Cristom), it was still ranked as both 1st and 2nd by two of the tasters.
Being able to taste these wines in this way was really insightful, as it eliminated any bias or preconceived notions the taster's might've had, and let the wines speak for themselves. The success of this tasting has be planning other blinds tastings already.
Some of the tasting notes written down during the tasting:
Lachini: red fruit, bits of blackberry, hints of charcoal, good mouthfeel, decent finish, earthy, smokey
SB: red fruit, hints of pepper, short & flat finish, light on palate, dies
ASW: the most tannic of the wines, almost chewy, fruit was hidden behind the level of tannins, would like to see this wine in another 8 years.
Cristom: A funk that turned a few off, but was interesting to others, good mouthfeel and balance
Monday, October 1, 2007
Willamette Valley Harvest Update
The harvest in the Willamette Valley is a bit up in the air right now. As of Friday the 28th, we've been getting rain, and the kind of soaking rain that fills the grapes and dilutes the flavors. In some areas, the grapes ripened and matured enough to be harvested before the rain started, but in others, the grapes were not quite ready. At some vineyards we visited this weekend, about half of the grapes had been harvested. In Cristom's case, about 2/3 of their Pinot Gris had been harvested, and the rest is still on the vine.
The issue that is being presented will probably have to be decided upon in the next few days by vineyard managers and winemakers. The rain is expected to continue for about a week, and then there should be some dryer weather, there's just no certainty of how long this will last, if it comes at all. See, that's the thing about weather around here. Weather can reasonably be predicted about 3 days out. Anything more than that is a crap shoot. So the decision will need to be made weather to harvest the grapes now, in their rain-soaked and diluted form, or wait until dryer weather and hope the grapes dry out, and that the flavor and sugar levels can rise again. The problem with this, is that the grapes could be overcome by mold and over-ripeness, which could ruin the remaining crops.
Overall, I'd say that about 50% of the crop has been harvested, and we will just have to wait and see about the rest. We had a very cool summer, which means that the grapes have taken longer to ripen and mature. Normally, this is a very good thing, especially with Pinot Noir. If the rain would have held off for a week more, this harvest would have a ton of potential. With the weather looking like it is, we really wont know until late 2008, when the wines start to get released. Until then, I'll be looking forward to the 2006 vintage, which should be really good.
The issue that is being presented will probably have to be decided upon in the next few days by vineyard managers and winemakers. The rain is expected to continue for about a week, and then there should be some dryer weather, there's just no certainty of how long this will last, if it comes at all. See, that's the thing about weather around here. Weather can reasonably be predicted about 3 days out. Anything more than that is a crap shoot. So the decision will need to be made weather to harvest the grapes now, in their rain-soaked and diluted form, or wait until dryer weather and hope the grapes dry out, and that the flavor and sugar levels can rise again. The problem with this, is that the grapes could be overcome by mold and over-ripeness, which could ruin the remaining crops.
Overall, I'd say that about 50% of the crop has been harvested, and we will just have to wait and see about the rest. We had a very cool summer, which means that the grapes have taken longer to ripen and mature. Normally, this is a very good thing, especially with Pinot Noir. If the rain would have held off for a week more, this harvest would have a ton of potential. With the weather looking like it is, we really wont know until late 2008, when the wines start to get released. Until then, I'll be looking forward to the 2006 vintage, which should be really good.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Bryn Mawr Pinot
Let's chat about this guy:
on the nose.... cigar box, a touch of sweet perfume, and the earth.
on the palate, sweet fruit, a rush of pepper, good strong tannic punch, needs a little food just to temper that out.
Over all, better than I expected. Hopefully a comeback from the "bryn mawr experience."
on the nose.... cigar box, a touch of sweet perfume, and the earth.
on the palate, sweet fruit, a rush of pepper, good strong tannic punch, needs a little food just to temper that out.
Over all, better than I expected. Hopefully a comeback from the "bryn mawr experience."
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Le Cadeau 2004 Pinot Noir, Cote Est
We picked up the 2004 Le Cadeau Cote Est Pinot Noir for $22.74 from Fred Meyer. The normal retail on this bottle is ~$45. You've gotta love half price clearance wine when the wine steward is just trying to move some inventory. We picked up a total of three bottles of this wine, along with some other selections for super cheap.
The nose comes across as smokey, with black cherry and strawberry, and a slight hint of pepper. With about 20 minutes exposed to air, some hints of flowers comes through. Essentially, this wine smells like everything I love in a Pinot Noir. If I could make an air freshener with this scent, I would be a millionaire!
The initial taste of this wine had heavy tannins, pepper & spice, with strawberry and cherry flavors. It is a medium weight wine, not to light, not too heavy. With some time out of the bottle, the tannins smothed a bit, and notes of tobacco started to come through along with more pronounced strawberry and cherry. This is a wine that should age a few years to let the tannins smooth out some. With alcohol of 14.1%, this is a very well balanced wine. I definitely think this is a steal at $22.74. I'd probably guess this wine would be $35-40. I'm not sure about $45, but its a really great wine. I'd give it a 8/10 at the $45 price. Overall, its a really tasty wine, but it needs a few years to smooth out.
LeCadeau Vineyard
The nose comes across as smokey, with black cherry and strawberry, and a slight hint of pepper. With about 20 minutes exposed to air, some hints of flowers comes through. Essentially, this wine smells like everything I love in a Pinot Noir. If I could make an air freshener with this scent, I would be a millionaire!
The initial taste of this wine had heavy tannins, pepper & spice, with strawberry and cherry flavors. It is a medium weight wine, not to light, not too heavy. With some time out of the bottle, the tannins smothed a bit, and notes of tobacco started to come through along with more pronounced strawberry and cherry. This is a wine that should age a few years to let the tannins smooth out some. With alcohol of 14.1%, this is a very well balanced wine. I definitely think this is a steal at $22.74. I'd probably guess this wine would be $35-40. I'm not sure about $45, but its a really great wine. I'd give it a 8/10 at the $45 price. Overall, its a really tasty wine, but it needs a few years to smooth out.
LeCadeau Vineyard
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Tasting v. Drinking
I haven't posted in a bit, but its not because I haven't been drinking any wine. I'm still drinking/tasting up to 10 wines a week, the issue just comes when I look at "how" I'm drinking and/or tasting.
When I'm critically tasting a wine to make some tasting notes, I really have to focus and write it down while I'm doing it. I don't have the skills to remember specifics about the wines I taste for a long time. I remember if I like it, and how good it was, but not enough to make good tasting notes later. My memory just isn't that good, I guess. Sirpa is the opposite, she can remember specifics about something she tasted 6 months ago. Its amazing really.
So that's the conundrum. I've been drinking wines lately, or tasting some wines while at a wine bar, and not able to write things down while doing it. I've had wine with dinners, and I've had some good stuff, just nothing worth writing home about. I did have a Pinot Noir while at Thirst (a wine bar in downtown Portland) that I'm trying to get a bottle or three of. When I do, and I drink it, I'll probably put some notes up about it.
This has all made me really think about the difference between tasting wine and drinking wine. To me, tasting wine is to really evaluate it, to pull it apart and see what is there. Drinking wine, on the other hand, is what you do when wine is not the focus, like when out with friends, eating dinner, or just watching some tv. Its when I want a glass of wine, and I don't evaluate it beyond just how good it is, which means that I don't put up notes about it. I think this is a good thing, because is shows that wine can be enjoyed in the same way a beer would be. Its tasty and satisfies the thirst, but I don't want to write about every time I drink a Drop Top.
Thirst Wine Bar
When I'm critically tasting a wine to make some tasting notes, I really have to focus and write it down while I'm doing it. I don't have the skills to remember specifics about the wines I taste for a long time. I remember if I like it, and how good it was, but not enough to make good tasting notes later. My memory just isn't that good, I guess. Sirpa is the opposite, she can remember specifics about something she tasted 6 months ago. Its amazing really.
So that's the conundrum. I've been drinking wines lately, or tasting some wines while at a wine bar, and not able to write things down while doing it. I've had wine with dinners, and I've had some good stuff, just nothing worth writing home about. I did have a Pinot Noir while at Thirst (a wine bar in downtown Portland) that I'm trying to get a bottle or three of. When I do, and I drink it, I'll probably put some notes up about it.
This has all made me really think about the difference between tasting wine and drinking wine. To me, tasting wine is to really evaluate it, to pull it apart and see what is there. Drinking wine, on the other hand, is what you do when wine is not the focus, like when out with friends, eating dinner, or just watching some tv. Its when I want a glass of wine, and I don't evaluate it beyond just how good it is, which means that I don't put up notes about it. I think this is a good thing, because is shows that wine can be enjoyed in the same way a beer would be. Its tasty and satisfies the thirst, but I don't want to write about every time I drink a Drop Top.
Thirst Wine Bar
Monday, June 25, 2007
Noble Pinot and Steak
So we decided to go for a Pinot with steak tonight. Being that it was a Monday night, I wanted to go with something a little less expensive, so we decided on a 2003 Noble Estate Pinot Noir. Noble Estate is a small vineyard and winery operation in the Eugene area, and their tasting room is literally the guest house at their residence, right next to the pool.
On the nose, heavy aromas of blueberry and blackberry jam. We started drinking it a little cold, so there were not many flavors noticeable when we took our first sip. The wine is very heavy on the tannins, which probably has as much to do with the vintage (2003, a very hot year in the Willamette Valley) as with the winemaking. As the wine warmed up, it really didn't open up much, which was a bit disappointing. The wine was not very complex, and as I think back on it, it was a very forgetable wine. I'd rate it a 4/10, and give it a definite pass.
Noble Estate
On the nose, heavy aromas of blueberry and blackberry jam. We started drinking it a little cold, so there were not many flavors noticeable when we took our first sip. The wine is very heavy on the tannins, which probably has as much to do with the vintage (2003, a very hot year in the Willamette Valley) as with the winemaking. As the wine warmed up, it really didn't open up much, which was a bit disappointing. The wine was not very complex, and as I think back on it, it was a very forgetable wine. I'd rate it a 4/10, and give it a definite pass.
Noble Estate
Friday, June 22, 2007
Tasting Notes and Scores
I want to touch a little on my thoughts about tasting notes and giving wine scores.
First, on the subject of tasting notes. We plan to put up tasting notes for many of the wines we drink. You'll notice that Sirpa and I don't agree on everything most of the time, and that is what's great about wine. Different people have different palates, with different likes and dislikes. I'm not a fan of big, tannic red wines (Such as Cab Sauv or Syrah), but Sirpa loves those kinds of wines. Bottom line, if we recommend a wine, you should try it. Ha, that sounds kind of bossy. Don't take our word, or anybody else's for that matter, on what a wine tastes like. Try it for yourself and see what you think. You are the ultimate judge on what you like.
Now, about wine scores. I really hate how wine scores have taken over the marketing of wine, especially the 100 point system. Most of the time, the 100 point system isn't a full 100 points, but really only 30 points (70-100). Robert Parker's published system is only 50 points (50-100). So now what makes a wine score an 89 instead of a 90? That could come down to taste preferences (see above). For instance, Parker likes big, tannic wines, and scores those highest. This leads to Pinot Noir not getting very high scores, because it is a more elegant and delicate wine.
So my plan is to use a 10 point system, and truly utilize the full 10 points. Points will be awarded based upon all aspects of the wine, including: how complex the wine is, how nice it is to drink, what the nose is like, the color, the mouthfeel, and how good of a wine it is compared to similarly priced wines and wines of the same varietal. For example, LaVelle Vineyard's 2005 Pinot Noir would get a 8 or 9 from me, because it is a very nice wine at a really great price. On the other hand, Erath's Juliard Vineyard Pinot Noir would also get an 8 or 9, even though it is a better wine. The difference is in the price points. By price, the Juliard is more of a special occasion wine ($35-40), where the LaVelle falls into the every day drinker category ($20-$25). If the Juliard was priced at $20-$25, it would be a 10 point wine. Wines under a score of 5 should be avoided, and anything above a 6 is drinkable and good.
Now, also keep in mind that our palates change throughout time. I will try and revist wines when I have the opportunity, and we'll have to go back and compare scores and notes. As I said in regards to the tasting notes above, take my scores with a grain of salt. Hopefully the scores I give will just help weed out the bad wines, and maybe get you to try a wine you might end up likeing. I definitely want to compare tasting notes, so if you have any about the wines I try, please let me know.
Link to LaVelle Vineyards
Link to Erath
First, on the subject of tasting notes. We plan to put up tasting notes for many of the wines we drink. You'll notice that Sirpa and I don't agree on everything most of the time, and that is what's great about wine. Different people have different palates, with different likes and dislikes. I'm not a fan of big, tannic red wines (Such as Cab Sauv or Syrah), but Sirpa loves those kinds of wines. Bottom line, if we recommend a wine, you should try it. Ha, that sounds kind of bossy. Don't take our word, or anybody else's for that matter, on what a wine tastes like. Try it for yourself and see what you think. You are the ultimate judge on what you like.
Now, about wine scores. I really hate how wine scores have taken over the marketing of wine, especially the 100 point system. Most of the time, the 100 point system isn't a full 100 points, but really only 30 points (70-100). Robert Parker's published system is only 50 points (50-100). So now what makes a wine score an 89 instead of a 90? That could come down to taste preferences (see above). For instance, Parker likes big, tannic wines, and scores those highest. This leads to Pinot Noir not getting very high scores, because it is a more elegant and delicate wine.
So my plan is to use a 10 point system, and truly utilize the full 10 points. Points will be awarded based upon all aspects of the wine, including: how complex the wine is, how nice it is to drink, what the nose is like, the color, the mouthfeel, and how good of a wine it is compared to similarly priced wines and wines of the same varietal. For example, LaVelle Vineyard's 2005 Pinot Noir would get a 8 or 9 from me, because it is a very nice wine at a really great price. On the other hand, Erath's Juliard Vineyard Pinot Noir would also get an 8 or 9, even though it is a better wine. The difference is in the price points. By price, the Juliard is more of a special occasion wine ($35-40), where the LaVelle falls into the every day drinker category ($20-$25). If the Juliard was priced at $20-$25, it would be a 10 point wine. Wines under a score of 5 should be avoided, and anything above a 6 is drinkable and good.
Now, also keep in mind that our palates change throughout time. I will try and revist wines when I have the opportunity, and we'll have to go back and compare scores and notes. As I said in regards to the tasting notes above, take my scores with a grain of salt. Hopefully the scores I give will just help weed out the bad wines, and maybe get you to try a wine you might end up likeing. I definitely want to compare tasting notes, so if you have any about the wines I try, please let me know.
Link to LaVelle Vineyards
Link to Erath
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