"A" new beginning - European wines

ABC wines continued!!
We had so much fun finding and tasting Cabernet Sauvignon wines alphabetically that we decided to continue with our “ABC” search. The new “rules” are: The wine has to be a red from Europe, but NOT from Italy. The name of the wine has to start with the “letter of the week”.

Wednesday November 2, 2011
“A” Hosted by Mike and Becky
This was the week of the BIG snowstorm that hit Connecticut. No heat. No electricity. We drank by candlelight and sat by the fireplace to stay warm.

1. Viña Alarba – Spain $11.99
   Bob 8, Karen 8.5, Mike 8, Becky 8, Jess 8.5, Sean 6
   Karen: “Smells good. Not berry, not fruity. Woodsy. No bite. A little bit dry. Just how I like it.”
   Becky: “It smells woodsy because you’re sitting next to the fire.”
   Bob: “It has a dark color.”
   Becky “It’s hard to see in the dark.”
   Bob “It’s a little cold”
   Becky: “It’s room temperature!! (47 degrees)


2. Alejandro Fernandez Dehesa – Spain –$25.99
   Bob 6, Karen 4, Mike 6, Becky 4.5, Jess 6, Sean 3
   Karen: “Smells like dirty socks.”
   Sean: “I was going to say dirty feet.”
   Becky: “It tastes better than it smells.”
   Karen: “It tastes a lot better than it smells but it’s not as good as the first one.”
   Bob: “It wasn’t refreshing.”Jess: “Lots of sediment.”
   Karen: “It has a bite.”
   Mike: “I was going to say sour, but a bite.”Bob: “It’s drinkable - Grapes.”
   Karen: “That’s what it smells like – Immature grapes!”


3. Alto Moncay - Spain $29.99
   Bob 6, Karen 8.5, Mike 7.5, Becky 8.5, Jess 8, Wayne 7.5
   Becky: “This smells a lot better than that stanky one.”
   Bob: “Bitey”
   No!! everyone piped in
   Karen: “Berry. Butterscotch. Finish tastes like a Werther’s Original.”
   Becky: “A lot of nuances.”
   Karen: “First, Second & Third taste.”
   Wayne: “It’s on the spicy side. My guess is this would be a Spanish wine. Bold in our mouth. Big tannin finish.”
   Note: Karen changed her ranking because it’s so interesting
   Note #2: Wayne was a surprise taster…he came by to drop off his generator for Karen and Bob. What a nice friend! Why don’t Becky and Mike have a friend like that?!?

TOP TEN CABS!

TOP TEN NIGHT
Friday October 21, 2011
Hosted by Janet and Matt

We finished the alphabet after tasting almost 100 different Cabernets. I included the final ranking at the bottom of this blog - feel free to skip around! You won't go wrong with any of these wines. They are delicious!

I received some feedback on this blog with a request for prices. I will start adding that information to this and future blogs. Also, I wanted to share a note I received from a local wine store owner after sharing our top ten list with him. He wrote: “I got the Black Stallion 2009 in the store and you won’t believe that everybody likes this 2009. Some of the customers buy by the case. This will be available all the time. That credit goes to you. I am really thankful to you. Looking forward to hearing from you.”

We needed to bring in some expert wine tasters to help us determine which Cabernet Sauvignon of our Top Ten was the BEST. Besides, we really missed our friends and this was a really good excuse to get together for some games, not to mention wine.

For this tasting the bottles were randomly numbered from 1 to 10. At our “normal” tastings I do all of the scribing. For this tasting I created score sheets, and each taster had to write in their comments and scores. Jess and Meg did their tasting on Sunday so the wines had a chance to breathe a lot more.

NOTE: Bob wrote his last name on his score sheet – did he think we wouldn’t know who he was?!?

Bottle #1 Earthquake
Becky: “Smells good. Smooth. Fruity. A little bite on my tongue with the bean dip.”
Bob: “Fresh. Smooth. Lite. Smells good.”
Karen: “Full aroma. Deep color. Dry finish. Berry. Bite at the end. Smoky”
Matt: “Bold. Fruity. Smooth.”
Janet: “Berry. More Merot-y. Smooth.”
Mike: “Smooth. Good color. Velvet finish”
Jess: “Smells darker. A hint of fruit.”
Meg: “Dark color. Good strong flavor.”

Bottle #2 Rodney Strong
Bob: “Bitey. Spice. Not the top.”
Karen: “Light aroma. Peppery. Less dry finish than #1.”
Mike: “Spicy. Lighter color.”
Becky: “More bite than #1. Thinner. Taste on the tongue not in the whole mouth. Good with Buffalo Chicken dip.”
Matt: “Fruity. Young. Musty smell. Light.”
Janet: “Peppery. More cab. Spicy.”
Jess: “Subtle bite. Kick in the mouth. Smells like a vineyard – outside walking in the rain.”
Meg: ”Fresh smell. Kick in after taste.”

Bottle #3 Meridian
Bob: “No smell. Basic. Weird.”
Karen: “Fresh scent. Smooth. Flavorful. Dryness”
Mike: “Smooth.”
Becky: “Vanilla smell. Very light smell. An element of dryness”
Matt: “Bite after taste”
Janaet: “No smell. Smooth”
Jess: “Nice taste. Good with cheese – a 7 with cheese.”
Meg: “Not very aromatic. Good with cheddar.”

Bottle #4 Quickfire
Bob: “Good color. Nice”
Karen: “Deep full aroma. Very long dry finish. Subtle beginning. Not deep in color”
Mike: “Flat. Lighter color.”
Becky: “Nice smell. No bite. Blackberry. A subtle fruit.”
Matt: “Nice smell. Nice, long finish. Muted. Subtle.”
Janet: “Muted. Not good in mouth. Would not buy.”
Jess: “One of the stronger smells. Almost tastes like candy, but not too sweet. Just how I like it.”
Meg: “Just the right amount of sweetness.”

Bottle #5 Estancia
Bob: “Bold. Valumpt?? (couldn’t read Bob’s handwriting). Weak. Tart.”
Karen: “Full aroma. Deep color. No bite. Dry finish. Velvetty. Tart.”
Mike: “Bold. Full body. Red solid color.”
Becky: “Deep color. Velvetty. Full bodied. Initial score was a 9. Second taste was 8.”
Matt: “Bold. Smooth. Dry.”
Janet: “Real cab. Robust.”
Jess: “Fruity smell. Really clear taste. Nice. I like it.”
Meg:” Fruity smell. Good. Not heavy. Pretty good drinking wine.”

Bottle #6 Black Stallion
Bob: “Full. Dry. Dusty.”
Karen: “Deep color. Earthy smell. Very dry. Currant.”
Mike: “Dry. Color good.”
Becky: “Iron. Dry. Makes me thirsty.”
Matt: “Rough. Strong. Alcohol.”
Janet: “Rough. Dry. Pucker. Earthy. Smells like grass. Parched.”
Jess: “Smooth. Fore me after tate is dry.”
Meg: “On the drier side (for me).”

Bottle #7 White Oak
Bob: “Deep. Sharp. Dangerous.”
Karen: “Deep color. Berry aroma. Very blackberry. Dry.”
Becky: ”Deep color. Dry. Fruity but not sweet.”
Matt: “Fruit. Smooth. Nice finish.”
Janet: “Berry, but dry.”
Jess: “I like the smell. Chocolate-y.”
Meg: “Smells really good. Earty. Really good.”

Bottle #8 Ninety Cellars
Bob: “Meaty. Dry.”
Karen: “Deep color. Full aroma. Deep currant. Dry.”
Mike: “Bold color. Good smell.”
Becky: “No bite. Very dry Makes me very thirsty.”
Matt: “Nice smell. Bold color. Metallic finish. Dry finish.”
Janet: “Smells good. Fruity. Drier.”
Jess: “Yummy. Very smooth. Very subtle flavor.”
Meg: “Has some fruitiness to it.”

Bottle #9 337 Lodi
Bob: “Gone.”
Karen: “Deep color. Smells older. Musty. Tart. Crisp apples. Dry first.”
Becky: “Dry finish.”
Matt: “Earthy smell. Smooth.”
Janet: “Musty smell. Tart.”
Jess: “After ataste bolder than initial taste.”
Meg: “A little dry in after taste.”

Bottle #10 Jack Barrett
Bob: “Ewww. Hurts my ears.”
Karen: “Lighter color. Sweet. Metallic. Not dry.”
Becky: “Fruity. metallic.”
Matt: “Sweet. Nice taste.”
Janet: “Fruity. Metallic.”
Jess: “A little dry, but doesn’t make you thirsty. (don’t need to drink Niagara Falls afterwards) Hard to catch the smell on this one.”
Meg:” Very light smell. Lightly dry.”


AND THE WINNERS ARE:
Top 3 wines combining scores for ALL tasters:
First Place: Bottle #7 White Oak
Second Place: Bottle #1 Earthquake
Third Place: Bottle #5 Estancia

Top 3 wines for just the CORE tasters (Bob, Karen, Mike, Becky):
First Place: Bottle #1 Earthquake
Second Place: Bottle #5 Estancia
Third Place: Bottle #8 Ninety Cellars

Top Wine by taster:
Bob: Bottle #1 Earthquake
Karen: Bottle #8 Ninety Cellars
Mike: A 4-way tie between #1 Earthquake, #3 Meridian, #5 Estancia, and #10 Jack Barrett
Becky: Bottle #1 Earthquake
Matt: Bottle #7 White Oak
Janet: Bottle #7 White Oak
Jess: a 3-way tie between Bottle #1 Earthquake, Bottle #4 Quickfire and Bottle #7 White Oak
Meg: A 2-way tie between Bottle #1 Earthquake and Bottle #7 White Oak

After tasting almost ONE HUNDRED wines, the final TOP TEN is as follows (for all tasters):

1. White Oak 2007 Napa Valley $23.99


2. Earthquake 2008 $28.00


3. Estancia 2008 Paso Robles Keyes Canyon Ranches $13.99


4. Ninety Cellars 2007 Lot 22 Columbia Valley, WA $11.99


5. 337 Lodi 2008 $13.99


6. Quickfire Napa Valley 2005 Top Chef Selection $21.99


7. Meridian 2008 Napa, CA (big bottle) $14.99


8. Jack Barrett Paso Robles 2008 $12.99


9. Rodney Strong 2008 Sonoma County $14.99


10. Black Stallion 2008 Napa Valley $19.99

The final TOP TEN is as follows (for CORE tasters):

1. Earthquake 2008 $28.00


2. Estancia 2008 Paso Robles Keyes Canyon Ranches $13.99


3. Ninety Cellars 2007 Lot 22 Columbia Valley, WA $11.99


4. White Oak 2007 Napa Valley $23.99


5. 337 Lodi 2008 $13.99


6. Quickfire Napa Valley 2005 Top Chef Selection $21.99


7. Meridian 2008 Napa, CA (big bottle) $14.99


8. Black Stallion 2008 Napa Valley $19.99


9. Jack Barrett Paso Robles 2008 $12.99


10. Rodney Strong 2008 Sonoma County $14.99

Ranking by most expensive:
#26 Le Serre Nuove dell Ornellaia 2008 Bolgheri $63.00
#54 Turnbull 2006 $59.99
#85 ZD 2006 Napa Valley $49.99
#69 Whitehall Lane 2007 Napa Valley $45.99
#18 Quinta da Bacalhoa 2005 Portugal $34.99

'Y' and 'Z' round out the 'ABC' Cab tastings...with another Top 10!

Thursday October 20, 2011
‘Y and Z’ with Bob & Karen
Bob & Karen were in charge of ‘Y’ and Mike & Becky were in charge of ‘Z’

1. Baron Herzog 2008 Central Coast, CA $20.99
   Okay, I know, it doesn’t start OR end with Z…but it DOES have a Z in the name..and it’s DELICIOUS!
   Bob 8, Karen 8, Mike 8, Becky 8
   Karen: “Doesn’t have a lot of smell. Dry, but not super dry. Nice legs.”
   Becky: “Smooth.”
   Bob: “Very good!”
   Mike: “I like it. Not good with salami.”
   


2. Yellow Label Cab/Shiraz 2008 South Australia $9.34
   Bob 4, Karen 6, Mike 7, Becky 6
   Mike: “Very dark. Matches Bob’s shirt.”
   Karen: “Oooh. Smells good.”
   NOTE: Bob made a ‘sour’ face.
   Karen: “Smells so much better than it tastes. Fruity-like. Citrisy. Almost like sangria.”
   Becky: “It does taste citrusy!”
   Karen: “It’s like someone put an orange in. Unexpected taste. 2nd & 3rd sip much better.”
   


3. ZD 2006 Napa Valley $49.99
   Bob 5, Karen 4, Mike 5, Becky 4.5
   Bob: “This is a ‘medium’. It doesn’t wow me or disappoint me.”
   Karen: “I don’t know what that taste is, but I don’t like it. This is what we tasted in New York. A lot of those had this taste. You don’t taste this in California wines at all. ‘Musty’? No!”
   Mike: “Oooh. First sip was bitter. Pass me some carrots please.”
   Bob: “Sawdust.”
   Karen: “No.”

'X' marks the spot..

Thursday October 13, 2011
‘X’ night with Becky & Mike
We were a little creative with the ‘X’s. Not many wines START with an X..so we said it was okay to END with an X

1. Rex – Goliath
   Becky - Excellent value for the money
   Bob 7, Karen 6.5, Mike 6.5, Becky 7, Jess 6.5, Sean 8
   Sean: “I actually like this one!”
   Becky: “It smells spicy.”
   Karen: “It doesn’t taste spicy.”
   Becky: “It has a bite on the tongue.”
   Karen: “Not dry. More tart.”
   Bob: “Tangy.”
   




2. X Xplorador Central Valley, Chile Carmenere 2008
   Bob 5, Karen 5, Mike 4, Becky 5, Jess 5, Sean 3
   Karen: “I don’t know if I like the smell. Smells flowery.”
   Bob: “Big aroma.”
   Sean: “Smells weird. Like the bottom of a trash can.”
   Bob: “The taste is worse than the smell. The smell isn’t that bad.”
   




3. Chamonix 2008 Wine of South Africa $21.99
   Bob 6, Karen 4.5, Mike 6, Becky 5, Jess 5.5, Sean 5
   Bob: “Weird. It smells even more than the last one. Dishwashing liquid.”
   Becky: “Smells like lotion.”
   Mike: “Not good after strawberries.”
   




4. Frei Brothers Reserve 2008 AleXander Valley (I know…it didn’t start OR end with an X)
   Bob 5, Karen 6, Mike 4, Becky 6, Jess 6, Sean 6
   Karen: “This smells better. Okay!”
   Becky: “A little spicy.”
   Bob: “It’s still bitey.”
   Mike: “It must be a dry wine.”
   Sean: “I don’t like the weird flavored wines.”
   

'W' night..and another Top Ten!

Thursday, October 6, 2011
‘W’ with Karen & Bob

1. White Oak 2007 Napa Valley (a duplicate!) $23.99
   Bob 7.5, Karen 7, Mike 7, Becky 7.5, Dane 6
   Bob: “Ooohh!”
   Mike: “Aaaahhh!”
   Becky: “Very smooth. No bite. I like the smell.”
   Dane: “Nyeh.”
   Bob: “Smooth. Tang-less. Mellow.”
   Karen: “Deep berry. Blackberry?”
   Mike: “Definitely mellow.”
   Dane: “Tastes watered down.”
   This one made the Top Ten as an 'O'!!
   


2. Windsor Alexander Valley Sonoma 2007 $24.99
   Bob 6, Karen 7, Mike 7, Becky 6, Dane 7.5
   Karen: “I like this one better. It’s drier. Mike won’t like it.”
   Mike: “The after taste is different.”
   Dane: “I like it better.”
   (Karen: “He has a taste like mine.”)
   Becky: “I liked the 1st one better. There’s an odd tate.”Bob: “Not bad. Spicy. Tongue numbing.”
   


3. Whitehall Lane 2007 Napa Valley $45.99
   Bob 5, Karen 6, Mike 6, Becky 5, Dane 6
   Bob: “Ewww. That’s a different smell.”
   Karen: “Ewww. What is that smell?”
   Bob: “Garbage?”
   Karen: “Ewww. That isn’t the right word. It gets better.”
   Becky: “A weird after taste.”
   Mike: “A little sour.”
   Karen: “A little sweet.”
   


4. Woodbridge 2009 Robert Mondavi $7.99
   Bob 6, Karen 6, Mike 5, Becky 6, Dane 6.5
   Bob: “Smells like the last one. Is this the same wine?”
   Karen: “Not as pleasing.”
   Becky: “This wine is growing on me.”

'V' for Victory!

Thursday, September 22, 2011
‘V’ with Mike & Becky
A new guest “taster” arrives on the scene. Welcome Miranda!
One of the ‘V’ wines came from Cousin Frank and Pam who were travelling through CT in their RV

1. Veramonte 2008 Reserva Colchagua Valley, Chile
   Bob 6.5, Karen 3, Mike 7, Becky 7, Miranda 7
   Bob: “Spicy”
   Karen: “Fizzy. I’m not liking it.”
   Miranda: “REminds me of a Christmas wine. I like it and I don’t usually like red wine.”
   Karen: “Better with cheese. I don’t like the smell.”
   Mike: “I like it.”
   Los Vascos 2009 Colchagua Valley, Chile Domaines Barons de Rothschild
   Bob 5, Karen 6, Mike 5, Becky 5.5, Jess 5, Miranda 2.5
   Karen: “This one smells better. Not a lot of flavor. Very dry.”
   Miranda: “I don’t like this one. No spice. Too dry.”
   Jess: “Strong smell.”
   Mike: “Bland.”
   Bob: “Soul-less” (word provided by Kevin)
   Becky: “No bite.”
   


2. Vinas Chilenas 2010 Valle Central (Trader Joe’s from Cousin Frank)
   Bob 4, Karen 1, Mike 4, Becky 1, Jess 4, Miranda 1
   Karen: “Pretty color.”
   Bob: “Fruity. Socks.”
   Becky: “Ick. Bad after taste. Old refrigerator.”
   Jess: “Bitter after taste. Initial taste I liked.”
   Becky poured hers into Karen’s glass, who then poured hers into Bob’s glass.
   Miranda poured hers into Mike’s glass.
   


3. Viniterra Reserva 2008 Mendoza Argentina
   Bob 6, Karen 6, Mike 5.5, Becky 6.5, Jess 6.5, Miranda 8
   Becky: “Cocoa/Coffee”
   Karen: “Mocha. A little bit dry.”
   Miranda: “I like this one. Velvetty.”
   Jess: “Smooth. I like Miranda’s word.”
   Bob: “I like the velvety comment, too. Smooth. Not a drinking wine.”
   Miranda: “More luxurious.”
   Jess: “Tasty.”
   


4. Valdisanti Tenuta S. Giovanni 2007 Toscana Tolaini
   Bob 6, Karen 7, Mike 3, Becky 7, Jess 7, Miranda 6.5
   Karen: “Smells good. Tastes really different. Very dry. 2nd sip better than the 1st.”
   Becky: “Very dry.”
   Bob: “Dry. Dusty almost. Dusty & Musty.”
   Jess: “Pretty good.”
   Miranda: “Pretty good. Smells good. A hint of spice.”

'U' won't believe how these wines taste...

Thursday, September 15, 2011
‘U’ with Karen & Bob

1. Umbral de los Tiempos 2006 Mendoza, Argentina
   Bob 7, Karen 7, Mike 7, Becky 7
   Mike: “Smooth. Good so far.”
   Karen: “Very dry.”
   Becky: “I don’t think it’s that dry.”
   Bob: “Good outside in the wine tent. Feels like a picnic wine.”
   Karen: “Not, it’s a bit fuller than that.”
   


2. Terra Unica Reserva 2002 Product of Spain $8.99
   Bob 6.5, Karen 3, Mike 7, Becky 6
   Bob: “Mild. Wow! A mild wow.”
   Mike: “Sweeter. Not as dry.”
   Karen: “I don’t like the smell. It tastes like it smells. What is that taste…clover, or something like that.”
   Bob: “I like this.”
   Karen pours hers into Mike’s glass.
   Bob: “You’re giving this to Mike? Mike only drinks the crap stuff!”
   


3. Heredad Ugarte Crianza 2007 Product of Spain $10.99
   Bob 6.5, Karen 6, Mike 6, Becky 5.5
   Karen: “Bob will like this one.”
   Bob: “Full bodied. A lot of tannins.”
   Mike: “After the herb cheese this is mild. I can’t even taste it.”