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JT JT is offline
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Default TN SFWS October tasting

Solihull Fine Wine Society, October tasting at Roland's in Edgbaston.

"Spot the grape", he said it should be easy............ha bloody ha!

all blind as usual

Domaine Cauhape Jurancon sec 2005, ( gros and petit manseng)
Abright wine with a complex nose of peaches,butter and spice, full and fat
with good balancing acidity. No one had a clue, I offered Marsanne. I may
have had Manseng before in S France blends.

Spy Valley Riesling Marlborough NZ 2008
Green tinged, nose of apples and pears, again palate apples and pears with a
hint petrol. I was stumped about the grape till I tasted it, then Riesling
revealed. Quite good.

Dog Point Section 94 Marlborough NZ, SB,2007
Very pale with green tinge, a raw in your face SB nose , gooseberry and cats
pee, again a raw SB mouthful with mineral overtones, I offered a very young
Pinot Blanc Fume.

Te Mata Viognier, NZ 2007,
A cracker to look at, bright an dviscous, an organic pear like nose, full
and fat mouthful, peaches and spice, very long, yet delicate. No one got the
grape! 2nd WOTN

Montes Alpha Chardonnay, Chile, 2006
Pale gold, buttery chard nose, but a little sweetshopish and rather crude,
repeated on palate, uni-dimensioned, reminded me of the Oz chards of 20
years ago, felt as if it had been made in the lab.

Cloudy Bay NZ Pinot Noir 2006
Dull pale brick, simple **** pot pinot and nowt else on nose, mouthful of
fruit and spice but lingering acidity, thin, very poor at GBP25, Cloudy Bay
seems to be living on its past reput.ation. Worst WOTN

Domaine Ollier Taillefer, Faugeres, France (Syrah,grenache, carignan.
mourvedre),
Deep, extract++, classic syrah nose of tinned tomatoes and spice, fruit
excellent with soft tannins and a spicy length. A very well crafted wine,
drinking well now. Bought at the vineyard, ? availability.

Ch Mouton Rothschild, 1997.
Deep with a hint of age, wonderful sweet steely, leather cassis nose, a very
soft entry with firm tannins, long, but some worrying acidity. I plumped for
West Bank. Not at all bad for a poor year, with food would be most pleasant.

Penfolds Grange 1993 Oz syrah.
Opaque, port like appearance, a wonderful complex nose of layer after layer
of syrah highlights, wow, what a mouthful, you felt your tongues was being
covered with different layers of fruit and spice, complex, 0ne minute
aftertaste. Nine out of 11 went for Penfolds 707, Cabernet, but I and
Rowland, nailed the grape. I said its one of three, a Chave Hermitage,
Penfold RWT, or...............and then I withdrew my choice of Grange,
bugger!!!! WOTN by a country mile and not an exceptional year. I have six
bottles of the legendary 1998. Can I afford to try one????