Last night with my monthly blind group.
I'm emulating the note-taking by PH. I jotted down impressions and thoughts prior to each wine being revealed.
We drink the wines one at a time, discuss, then guess vintage, followed by varietal, and if someone cares to venture a guess - producer.
The theme was "Anything from California, ideally with a predominant varietal if it's a blend"
Here goes nothing...
1983 Simi Chardonnay Mendocino / Sonoma (not blind, welcome wine): Incredibly youthful, straw color, just a hint of gold, but not "golden". Showed age, but nowhere near the 30 years it actually had. Very enjoyable.
1979 Monteviña Zin Maderized, chemical nose, a cherry streak not very good. Everyone guessed old Pinot, or oxidized Sonoma cab. Off to a bad start.
1990 Fetzer Petit Sirah Reserve Mendocino Some people got spice, very little tannin. Group was split between Zin and Cab, mostly guessing cab. One person mentioned Petit Sirah. Spectacularly youthful, great nose, a little spice on the back of the palate. Vintage guesses were late 90's to 2001.
1983 Groth Reserve A lot of people were suggesting that if it weren't a restricted tasting, they'd guess French or Italian. I got some dill and eucalyptus that led me to feel it was a 90s Cali cab off the bat. All guesses were Cab, people started guessing 85-87 when we realized it was just opened. Completely defied the vintage. Very good wine by consensus, not my favorite, but good nonetheless.
2006 Tor Rock Grenache Vanilla w a spicy finish, hedonistic, opulent. Not one you being home to mom. Everyone guessed Cali Syrah 2005-2007.
2006 Fleury Napa Pinot Big, complex, opulent, a lot of people guessing Syrah. Guesses were mostly 05-07, my guess was 2001. Once vintage was revealed as 06, i guessed pinot.
1982 Mondavi Reserve Caramel nose, some banana, some curry spices, plum fruit, juicy palate, incense, a little short on the palate, dry, pretty high alcohol, guesses 01, 05, some chocolate on the nose, 03. Extremely youthful. This one blew everybody away once the vintage was revealed. Nobody guesses older than 01. The color was rich and opaque, and there was a lot of fruit showing on the nose and palate. The provenance on this bottle was impeccable, which showed.
1990 Dominus Coffee nose, a lot of alcohol, very sharp on the tongue, spicy big wine, but extremely complex and somehow beautiful. A lot of cassis, a lot of oak. Minor bricking on the edges, but not everyone agreed. Black in the core. Beautiful wine.
1997 Turley Old Vines Zin Sauternes, sweetness on the nose, raisin on back end of palate, some acetone, showing some maderization. Based on the Zin we had earlier in the night, I guessed Zin. GMB guesses Turley Zin.
2003 Waypoint Cab Sonoma Massive, unbelievably young. Extremely dry and chewy tannins, dark dark, loads of vanilla, big wine.
1977 Dow's Silver Jubilee - I stopped taking notes.
