'F' is for Fine wines from France, Portugal and Spain

Thursday December 15, 2011
‘F’ at Bob and Karen’s
We had 3 guest tasters this evening: Kara from St. Francis, Claire from South Africa, and Carissa from New Zealand. Carissa gave up after the first 2 wines. She is still developing her palate.

1. A Fuga – Ribeira Sacra Denominacion de Orixe Spain $15.99
   Karen: “Doesn’t smell bad. Fruity.”
   Claire: “I like it. It’s not dry. Delicious.”
   Bob: “Sparkly.”
   Mike: “A Christmas sparkle.”
   Becky: “Like a fruit punch.”
   Karen: “It’s almost fizzy. Not what I was expecting.”
   Kara: “Fruity. I don’t like the smell. Not dry.”
   Bob 6, Karen 5, Mike 7, Becky 6, Kara 2, Claire 7
   
   



2. Chateau de Flaugergues 2007 France $21.99
   Claire: “This one is darker.”
   Karen: “Not a lot of smell.”
   Bob: “Mild smell.”
   Claire: “It smells like something I’m not going to like.”
   Bob: “Nice!”
   Mike: “Drier.”
   Claire: “Yeah. That’s the problem.”
   Mike: “Karen will rank this one higher.”
   Becky: “This tastes more like wine, not ‘punchy’ like the lst one”
   Bob 7, Karen 6.5, Mike 6.5, Becky 6, Kara 7, Claire 4.5, Carissa 1
   
   ****Christmas Music was playing in the background…Kara held a note for LONG time…much to everyone’s distress******
   



3. Herdade Fonte Paredes – Cabernet Sauvignon Aragoñes 2005 Portugal $17.99 Bob: “Lively”
   Karen: “Smells bad”
   Mike: “Mellow”
   Kara: “What is that smell? Garbage?”
   Claire: “It burns your nose if you inhale a lot. And, it tastes like it smells!”
   Mike: “It tastes BETTER than it smells.”
   Bob: It has a good flavor, though.”
   Kara: “I don’t like the smell, but I like the taste.
   Bob 6.5, Karen 7, Mike 6.5, Becky 6.5, Kara 6, Claire 4
   



4. Chateau La Fleur Haut Carras 20098 Red Bourdeaux France $35.99
   Mike: “A Karen wine”
   Karen: “This is AWESOME!”
   Claire: “I think if I had had this one first I wouldn’t like it. But I Like it!”
   Kara: “It’s like bread in the oven.”
   Karen: “Oh my gosh, this is SO much mine!”
   Claire: “This isn’t dry is it? I like it!” Note: Claire does not typically like dry wines
   Bob to Claire: “Do you have any idea what your taste buds are?!?”
   Bob 7, Karen 8, Mike 7, Becky 7, Kara 8, Claire 6.5

'E' is for some Excellent Spanish wines!

Thursday December 8, 2011
‘E’ with Becky and Mike
Note: While at BigY Becky ran into Cindy, who gave her a delicious Kielbasa recipe to serve. Thanks Cindy!

1. Erudito 2009 Rioja Spain $9.99
   Karen: “Peppery.”
   Becky: “The way I like it.”
   Bob: “I like this one.”
   Jess: “The kick comes at the end.”
   Mike couldn’t taste much because of his prior night work event.
   Bob 8, Karen 7.5, Mike 8, Becky 8, Jess 7.5
   


2. Ergo – Tempranillo. Rioja 2009 Spain $11.99
   Karen: “Smells better than the first one. Oooh. The first taste was a surprise.”
   Bob: “Damn. I forgot to taste the wine after the pepperjack cheese…the cheese mellowed the taste of the wine.”
   Becky: “Good after wheat thins and pretzels.”
   Bob: “Good God man! Mike what were you thinking, drinking the night before. You need to prepare.”
   Karen: “I like it best after the pretzel. The wheat things had a sweet taste.”
   Karen: “This is drier. That’s why I like it.”
   Bob 7, Karen 8, Mike 7, Becky 7, Jess 7
   


3. Evodia 2010 Altovinum Spain $11.99
   Bob: “Not the best smell.”
   Becky: “What is that smell? Like a cleaner.”
   Bob: “Windex.”
   Mike: “Ewww.”
   Jess: “I think it’s not what dad says.”
   Bob: “Not so much.”
   Jess: “I don’t think it’s so bad.”
   Karen: “I’m not drinking it. I don’t want it.” (poured hers into Bob’s glass)
   Jess: “It’s worse after pretzels.”
   Becky: “I don’t like it.” (poured hers into Bob’s glass)
   NOTE: This wine was highly recommended at the Wine Store
   Bob 3, Karen 1, Mike 3, Becky 2, Jess 4.5

'D' Night - Spain and France this week!

Thursday December 1, 2011
‘D’ hosted by Karen and Bob
Note: Beef stew was on the menu. Yum!

1. Dehesa La Granja – Alejandro Fernandez 2004 Spain $19.99
   Bob: “Fresh smell. Fruity.”
   Mike: “It is a fruit.”
   Karen: “It’s like raspberries.”
   Mike: “Something along that line. Not raspberry.”
   Becky: “There’s a little tartness to it.”
   Karen: “It gets better with every sip.”
   Bob 6, Karen 7, Mike 6*, Becky 6 *may change
   
   



2. Chateau D’Avensan Haut-Médoc 2005 France $12.99
   Karen: “This one doesn’t have much smell.”
   Mike: “Mellow. Easy to drink.”
   Becky: “An iron aftertaste.”
   Bob 7, Karen 7, Mike 7, Becky 5.5
   
   



3. Georges Deboeuf. Mogon – Red Burgundy Wine – France 2009 $15.99
   Bob: “Ewww.”
   Mike: “Balsamic Vinagrette.”
   Bob: “I agree with Mike. Make it a double. Dusty. Dry. Tastes awful. This isn’t a good face – Do you see it?”
   Becky almost spit her wine out looking at Bob’s face.
   Becky: “Very dry. A Karen wine.”
   Bob 6, Karen 6, Mike 7, Becky 5.5
   
   



4. Ribera del Duero 2004 Viña Mayor Reserva Product of Spain $23.99
   Bob: “Hmm. Mild.”
   Mike: “Milder than the last one.”
   Bob 6, Karen 6, Mike 6, Becky 6

'C' if you Recognize any of these European Wines!

Thursday November 17, 2011
‘C’ at Mike & Becky’s

1. Carchelo Spain 12.99
   Bob: “Fresh smell. Whoah! People are going to like it and hate it.”
   Mike: “Yeast smell.”
   Jess: “Dry.”
   Bob: “Feels like sake. More alcohol-y, more booze. Karen will say…oooh, then follow up with yum.”
   Karen: “I don’t smell yeast. Faint. Not real strong. Sweet. I don’t like it. Too sweet.”
   Becky: “It doesn’t taste sweet to me.”
   Karen: “Tastes better with cheese. Was sweet with carrots.”
   Bob 5, Karen 5, Mike 5, Becky 6, Jess 6
   
   


2. Domaine di Courteillac 2008 $14.99
   Bob: “A faint smell. It’s there.”
   Jess: “Subtle.”
   Karen: “It’s drier than the first one.”
   Becky: “It has a metal taste.”
   Mike: “Oh, that’s dry!”
   Karen: “I wish it had more aroma. It has a nice color.”
   Bob 5.5, Karen 6.5, Mike 6, Becky 5, Jess 6.5
   



3. Les Chien-Chiens Chinon Domaine de la Noblaie 2006 France $17.49
   Becky: “I can smell this one.”
   Karen: “Yes. It has a good smell.”
   Becky: “I think this is the driest so far.”
   Karen: “I agree. And, it has a really nice aroma.”
   Bob 6, Karen 7.5, Mike 7, Becky 6.5, Jess 6.5
   



4. Cortijo 2009 Rioja Product of Spain $9.49
   Karen: “Smells like fish.”
   Becky: “I don’t like this one.”
   Bob: “Das boot. Das is enough.”
   Bob 4.5, Karen 4, Mike 4.5, Becky 4, Jess 5.5

European Wines - "B" letter night!

Thursday November 10, 2011
‘B’ Hosted by Bob & Karen

1. Bernoia Rioja – Product of Spain Gran Reserva 2001 $29.99
   Bob: “Smells fresh. Smells better than it tastes.”
   Karen: “Smells good”
   Mike: It’s not bitey.”
   Karen: “It is later.”
   Becky: “More flavor after swiss”
   Mike: “Does not go with sausage.”
   Karen: “Fills your mouth full after Swiss.”
   Becky: “A little spicy.”
   Bob 6, Karen 7, Mike 7, Becky 6


2. Chateau Rollan de By – Cru Bourgeois Médoc 2008 $29.99
   Becky: “Tastes like iron. Blood.”
   Karen: “I don’t like the smell. Dry.”
   Mike: “The smell is not that good.”
   Bob: “Not a good smell, but tastes okay.”
   Karen: “Smells like blood.”
   Bob 6, Karen 7, Mike 7, Becky 6


3. Domaine Jean Bousquet Malbec Reserva 2008 Tupungato Valley $17.99
   Mike: “Very dark. Lines aren’t as good. Strong.”
   Karen: “Doesn’t smell as bad as the last one.”
   Bob: “Smells like cleaner. Comet. I have debris in my glass!”
   Becky: “It has an odd taste.”
   Karen: “Licorice. Different than any wine we’ve ever had.”
   Mike: “A fruit taste at the end.”Bob: “Bitter. No. My ears don’t hurt. Oh, that’s sour. It is bitter.”
   Karen: “Has that velvety feel.”
   Becky: “It’s a bit dry.”
   Mike: “It’s not that dry. I like it.”
   Karen: “I’m sorry. I really like it.”
   Bob: “Don’t apologize for your crappy taste.”
   Becky: “It’s growing on me. Velvet. Vanilla.”
   Bob 6, Karen 7, Mike 6, Becky 6.5

"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