Wine Tasting September 2007 - Rhone Revels

Let me start by saying that I have nothing against the French. I like butter and cream in my food as much as anyone. I like cheese, glorious cheese, stinky cheese, moldy cheese, the lot. However, the French and I have never seen quite eye to eye on wine. I like my wine with less barnyard, less dirt, and um, well less French than the French seem to do. Go figure. On the other hand, for the first time ever, my rankings were right in with the group. I do not understand, not one itsy bitsy tiny bit. One of these wines should only be used for cleaning paint brushes. Three of them were quite drinkable and the last was a bit all over the map.

Here's how it works: rank the wines from 1 to however many (generally 5 to 6 bottles) after tasting both with and without food. Go around the room and talk a little about the wine and share your rankings. Total the score. Tada. Lowest score is the winner. This time we had a tie, so don't get too confused on the numbering...

You're probably wondering what we drank? Well here it is:

THE WINES:

In the order they were ranked by our intrepid tasters (my rank in parentheses):

1. Domaine le Goubert 1995 Gigondas "Cuvee Florence"(1) - Grenache less than 80%, Syrah an/or Mourvedre
2. Domaine Rabasse Charavin 2000 Cairanne "Cuvee D'Estevenas"(2) - Corinne Couturier top reserver wine
2. Domaine de l'Oratoire St. Martin 2000 Cairanne "Haut-Coustias"(3) - Mourvedre 60%, with Syrah and Grenache
4. Bosquet de Papes 1998 Chateauneuf-du-Pape (4) - Dominant Grenache
5. Domaine Rabasse Charavin 1995 Rasteau (5) - blend of 70 year-old vines, Grenache 60%, Mourvedre 40%

The warm-up wines were:
Clos des Papes 1996 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc - This was by far one of the strangest whites I've had. It tasted something like a watered down whiskey, which I'm told is the characteristic "butterscotch" of aged Grenache Blanc. I didn't dislike it, but I'm not sure what to do with it either.

Chateau Pradeaux 2005 Bandol Rose - This was listed, but I think I missed it altogether. Oops. My bad.

Wine Tasting March 2007: Hola Priorat!

So what happens when you put twelve adults, a five-year old boy, three dogs, and an ailing cat in a house on the beach for the weekend with a case of wine a a dozen lamb shanks? Well, I know what happens with the people I know...

Wine Tasting March 2007: Hola Priorat!
THE WINES:
Warm-up wine: Erath Willamette Valley Pinot Blanc $11
Here's how it works: rank the wines from 1 to however many (generally 5 to 6 bottles) after tasting both with and without food. Go around the room and talk a little about the wine and share your rankings. Total the score. Tada. Lowest score is the winner.

In the order they were ranked by our intrepid tasters:

1. 1995 Gran Clos de J.M. Fuentes $45 (24 pts)
   
2. 2001 Clos De L'Obac Costers del Siurana $??? - the wine guy gave us a deal (32 pts)
   
3. 2001 Cartoixa Reserva d'Scala Dei $34.50 (33 pts)
   
4. 2001 Pasanau Le Morera de Montstant $32 (43 pts)
   
5. 1999 Crianca Morlanda $44 (48 pts)
   

For the record, I ranked # 5 as #1, and the rest in the same order listed above. I liked the two oldest wines the best. Rumor has it the production has changed in the last 10 years in the region and that steel is becoming more common than oaking the wines. Coincidence? You be the judge.

#1 was a resounding #1 with the group, which rarely happens. They were all well liked, but in the end we found no real price performer. #1 was certainly a crowd pleaser. #4 had one characteristic I should not fail to mention. The crowd generally described it's smell and taste as composty. The others were more mineral and spice.


THE MENU:
Friday evening:
meat lasagna, salad, wine

Saturday breakfast:
coffee, coffee, coffee! cowboy's breakfast, oatmeal brulee

saturday lunch:
cold cuts (count them, 3 kinds of salami!), bread, beets, coffee cake

saturday wine tasting dinner:
3 varieties of cheese from Spain, potato and arugula soup, merlot and rose water braised lamb shanks, couscous, celeriac and kumquat salad, cherries jubilee

sunday breakfast:
blueberry pancakes, sausage, bacon, orange juice and champagne, pineapple, leftover cakes from the day before

I'm sure I've left something out, but suffice it to say that's a lot of food! Also of note: a delightful champagne of all chardonnay from champagne, etc, and I quote, " very expensive" was brought by the wine nerd. There was nary a naysayer in the bunch. The five-year old stuck to juice.

Oh yes, let us not forget the making of the peeps!