Our "Scoring System"

A note about what our scores mean:
5 - Wine your kids buy for you
6 - Would drink. Jug wine. Good for parties and your kids!
7 and above - Good for ANYTHING. Would recommend to friends. The higher the better!

And for PAIRINGS the scores mean:
0 = Wine tastes best alone
1 = Wine tastes best with food #1
2 = Wine tastes best with food #2

About Me

My photo
This blog started because we needed a tenor in the church choir... Bob, Karen and I told Mike that if he joined the choir we would go out after practice every Thursday for drinks and appetizers. After a while we decided that it would be more fun (and less expensive!) to take turns hosting a "wine & cheese" night. Then Bob had the brilliant idea to "Taste the Vine" in alphabetical order. We started with Cabernet Sauvignon. The rules were simple: 1) The wine had to start with your designated letter, and 2) the bottle had to be covered up so we didn't know what we were drinking. I decided to write down our scores so that we would know which wines we liked the best....then was "forced" into writing a blog so that we could share our "finds" with our friends. So, enjoy!!

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

My Birthday Blind Wine Tasting Featuring Sonoma County Wines

Happy Birthday Blind Wine Tasting hosted by Becky and Mike
Featuring 3 wines from Sonoma County
My birthday flowers!



Wine #1: St Francis 2007 Merlot
Tasting comments:
Santiago “Makes you pucker”
Wine #1
Meghan “Tongue stuck to the top of my mouth”
Wayne “Alcohol forward. Strong tobacco.”
Elizabeth “Dark berry and almost a chocolate taste”
Karen “Peppery”
Lauren “Spicy”
Mike “I don’t get the spice”
Bob “Not bitter. Not bad.”
Becky “Dry”
Linda “I taste the chocolate”
Wayne “If you taste chocolate the odds are it’s a Cab Sav. I’m leaning towards a Merlot.”
Becky “The olive tapenade smoothes out the wine”
Meghan “I think the saltiness helps smooth it out”
Wayne “Try the wine with the Havarti”
Various cheeses for pairing
Becky “Really good. Gives me more of my vanilla”
Andy “Deep”
Bob “Sassy”
Wayne “Silky, Sultry, Stimulus”
Meghan “It’s ok”
Elizabeth “Is that Satisfactory?”
Meghan “Yes”
Bob “Scrumptious”
Bryan “Good with the bean hummus but not by itself”
Stephen “A little too peppery”

Winemaker notes:Characteristic cherry and chocolate light up the palate of this classic Sonoma County Merlot. Flavors of coffee and luscious plum in the mid palate solidify its structure and give it depth, while its round, generous tannins deliver a bold, lengthy finish.
Blend: 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Malbec and 2% Petite Verdot

WINE #1 SCORING:
Bob 7, Karen 7, Mike 7, Becky 7.5, Andy 7, Elizabeth 6.5, Wayne 7, Linda 6.5, Meghan 5, Santiago 6, Bryan 5.5, Stephen 6.5, Lauren 6

Wine #2:  90 Cellar + Pinot Noir Lot 62
Tasting comments:
Bryan “Milder”
Wayne “Pinot Noir”
Wine #2
Bob “Becky, it’s one of those smells” said with a ‘stanky’ face
Linda “Fruity”
Andy “Soft and Sly”
Meghan “Very light smelling”
Bob “It came out of a sock drawer”
Stephen “I don’t like it”
Meghan “It’s neutral. Not sweet, not sour. Not anything.”
Santiago “A bland pairing wine. Better with food”
Mike “Not an old wine”
Elizabeth “Somewhat subtle”
Andy “Balanced and fruity”
Mike “What’s the fruit?”
Andy “Grapes”
Karen “I say cherry”
Lauren “Currants”
Wayne “Becky, do you know what the fruit is? Blackberry.”
My birthday napkins :)
Meghan “Best pairing this with the pate”
Wayne “Good with the fatty food”

Winemaker notes:Brilliant ruby red in color with placid aromas of red raspberry, pomegranate, and cranberry with a delightful spark of exotic spices and freshly baked pastries. Once sipped, all the flavors harmoniously unite to create a Pinot Noir that's ideal for slowly sipping alone or generously pouring to friends. 
WINE #2 SCORING
Bob 4, Karen 4, Mike 6, Becky 7, Andy 7, Elizabeth 6, Wayne 5, Linda 6, Meghan 5, Santiago 5, Bryan 6.5, Stephen 5, Lauren 6

Wine #3:  The Forager Pinot Noir
Tasting comments:
Becky “This is darker”
Wine #3

Wayne “Beautiful color”
Bryan “Not as harsh as the other two. Smooth”
Karen “Smells amazing”
Bob “THIS is your Pinot Noir”
Becky “A caramel burnt taste”
Wayne “Black cherries, currants and vanilla”
Meghan “Velvety”Andy “What she said”
Bryan “Silky”
Santiago “Definitely black cherry”
Elizabeth “Black cherry with a hint of vanilla”
Linda “Very good. Smooth”
Bob “I agree with the vanilla. Tastes creamy”
Santiago “Sabroso! I give it a 7”
"Premature scoring!" everyone yelled.
Meghan “That’s a common problem”
Salami and Toasted French bread
Stephen “Smooth”
Mike “Smooth. Goes good with strawberries”
Lauren “Smooth. Also lots of vanilla”
Karen “Too fruity”

Winemaker notes:
There's considerable depth here, as the palate expands to reveal layers of complexity. Mineral and earth spice notes accent the finish. This Pinot Noir is open, bright, and accessible while maintaining a certain sophistication. Spicy cherry & dark raspberry nose. Taste more of the same berry/cherry fruits along with cinnamon, black tea, violets and vanilla. French oak aged, small percentage new.  Big flavor, smooth tannins, moderate acidity. Excellent wine to pair with stronger-flavored fowl. 

WINE #3 SCORING
Bob 7.5, Karen 6.5, Mike 7, Becky 8, Andy 7.5, Elizabeth 7.5, Wayne 8, Linda 8, Meghan 7, Santiago 7, Bryan 8, Stephen 7.5, Lauren 8

Before the ‘big’ reveal Wayne said “I guess Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet”
Close…but no cigar Wayne! J

"Blinders" for our Wine Bottles
Yes, the socks are clean!


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1 comment:

  1. shortymagsJuly 25, 2013 at 7:17 AM

    Too bad we didn't get any good pictures of the dancing after!

    ReplyDelete

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