TN: Blind tasting roulette

This was a fun and interesting idea of a friend of mine.

Last December he decided to have a blind tasting, but not just any sort of blind tasting where anyone of the attendees could just throw endless random guesses on the wine until somebody managed to accidentally guess right. Instead he gave every attendee 20 “chips” with which they could place their well-educated (or not) guesses. You could bet with one or more chips and correct guesses yielded (per chip) 2 points for the country, 3 points for the grape variety, 4 points for the region or style, 5 points for the vintage and 10 points for the correct producer.

The “roulette” part came from the logic that the role of the first guesser rotated around the table, so that it would be different every time.

Additionally you could also place bets against other players - for example if somebody guessed that the wine was Merlot and you thought it was obviously a Riesling and the person who guessed Merlot was wrong, you could place a bet that the player wasn’t correct - it definitely wasn’t a Merlot. If the wine wasn’t Merlot, you’d get a point, and if it was, the person who guessed correctly would gain an extra point.

As we were interested more in wines than in gambling, the evening was all about having fun with a very un-serious guessing game, not having a life-or-death gamble. Yet even when it was still just a silly game to have fun while guessing wines, all the attendees took the game seriously enough, which really made the whole thing even more fun - it would’ve been quite boring if most attendees just fooled around and didn’t the game too seriously.

We had the wines in two different series: first came wines made with white varieties, then the red wines.

And I must say, it wasn’t particularly easy to guess the wines! Even the wines I would’ve thought I’d know easily had me scratching my head!

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The first series

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• 2017 Castell d’Encús Costers del Segre Ekam - Spain, Catalunya, Costers del Segre (8.12.2021)
  A blend of Riesling (90%) and Albariño (10%), a part of the grapes (10%) was harvested botrytized. Fermented spontaneously. Aged in stainless steel. Annual production approximately 25000 bottles. 12% alcohol. Tasted blind.

Quite youthful yellow-green color. Fragrant and quite floral nose with aromas of ripe citrus fruits, some lemon marmalade, a little bit of apple blossom, light zesty orange notes, a little bit of or petrol character, a mineral hint of wet stones and a faint touch of reductive funk. The wine is lively, dry-to-dry-ish and relatively light-bodied on the palate with flavors of stony minerality, some lemony citrus fruits, a little bit of pear, light crunchy apple tones, a hint of chalky bitterness and a touch of petrol. The rather high acidity lends great sense of freshness and structure to the wine. The finish is dry, crisp and quite linear with medium-long flavors of tangy green apple, some lemony citrus fruit, a little bit of steely minerality, light saline nuances and a hint of apple peel bitterness.

A pleasant and rather light white wine that was quite recognizable for a Riesling, but that was about that. My guess was a young German Riesling, possibly from Rheingau, so I don’t know if I was pretty close or far off with my guess. At least I guessed correctly this was a Riesling, because - due to its relatively petrol-driven aromatics - it was quite recognizable for one. Enjoyable stuff, but ultimately not particularly interesting or memorable an effort. (87 pts.)

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• 2017 Cline Cellars Viognier Estate Grown Sonoma Coast - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (8.12.2021)
  Aged in stainless steel (2/3) and neutral oak barriques (1/3). 15% alcohol.

Quite deep, slightly evolved lemon-yellow color. Very sweetly-fruited, tropical nose with lush aromas of peach, some honeyed tones, a light candied notes of gummi bears and a little bit of pear jam. The wine feels ripe, full-bodied and slightly oily on the palate with a somewhat noticeable streak of alcohol heat. There are rich flavors of apricots, somewhat pronounced white pepper tones and phenolic spice, a little bit of beeswax, light pear notes, a hint of spicy red apple and a touch of stony minerality. Balanced medium-plus acidity. The finish is quite long and rather spicy with intense flavors of peach and ripe apricots, some stony minerality, light honeyed tones, a little bit of pear compote, a hint of savory wood spice and a candied touch of gummi bears. The high alcohol makes the wine end on a rather warm note.

A relatively nice and balanced Viognier. Still quite youthful with a slightly candied streak of primary fruit, but showing pretty good sense of balance and intensity of fruit. The alcohol here feels a bit too high and the fruit department slightly too ripe, but this was still more enjoyable than the 2014 vintage that we tasted earlier this year and which tasted more dull and stuffy compared to this wine. All in all a nice effort and quite true to the variety. I was pretty divided whether this was a Californian Chardonnay or a Viognier from Rhône - I thought the wine felt more Californian than French, but the wine had some obvious Viognier qualities. Ultimately I guessed Californian Chardonnay. I just should’ve combined my two original guesses into one! Duh. (87 pts.)

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• 2016 Hatzidakis Winery Assyrtiko Cuvée No.15 - Greece, Aegean, Cyclades, Santorini (8.12.2021)
  Made with organically grown Assyrtiko grapes. Macerated with the skins for 12 hours, fermented spontaneously and aged on its lees for 8 months in stainless steel. Bottled unfiltered with minimum effective sulfites. 14% alcohol. Tasted blind.

Quite intense and still relatively youthful neon yellow-green color. At first the nose feels somewhat toasty with rather pronounced smoky notes of struck match. The smoky notes subside a little as the wine opens up in the glass, but not entirely, revealing aromas of ripe white peach, some leesy notes, a little bit of salty ocean air and a hint of something vaguely waxy. The wine feels taut yet somewhat waxy and quite concentrated yet surprisingly light-bodied at the same time on the palate with intense, pretty high-strung and moderately bitter flavors of ripe golden apples, some honeyed tones, a little bit of apple peel bitterness, light chalky mineral tones, a hint of leesy character and a touch of ripe white peach. The pronounced racy acidity lends great intensity and sense of structure to the wine. The finish is lively, long and fresh with rather mineral flavors of intense lemony citrus fruits and apple peel bitterness, some smoky volcanic notes, a little bit of fresh white peach, light chalky mineral tones, a hint of honeyed richness and a touch of tangy salinity that seems to grow in intensity towards the end of the aftertaste.

A wonderful, crisp and focused Assyrtiko that feels rather closed and very smoky upon opening - to the extent that at first I thought this was a Burgundy with somewhat noticeable toasted oak character lending the wine its toasty, smoky character. Only on the palate it became obvious that Burgundy it was not - next I thought it was an oaked Rías Baixas, due to its rather pronounced phenolic bitterness and lemony flavors of tart citrus fruits. Once the smoky tones subsided some more, the wine didn’t feel oaky at all anymore and at that point I was at a loss - I really didn’t have any idea what this wine was and where it could have come from. Boy did I feel stupid once it was released that the wine was a Hatzidakis Assyrtiko, as it was so textbook high-quality Assyrtiko. Oh well, better luck next time! All in all, this was a terrific example of Assyrtiko, but based on its lean and rather tightly-knit nature, I’d say it is in dire need of further aging. If opened now, I heartily recommend letting the wine breathe for an hour or two. (93 pts.)

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• 2017 E. Guigal Hermitage Blanc - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage (8.12.2021)
  A blend of Marsanne (95%) and Roussanne (5%). Aged in 2nd use oak barrels. 14% alcohol. Tasted blind.

Moderately youthful, vibrant yellow-green color. Very sweet, tropical nose with aromas of peach purée baby food and fruity gummi candies, some vanilla custard, a little bit of sweet oak spice, light floral notes of apple blossom and other white flowers and a hint of creamy richness. The wine is broad, full-bodied and slightly oily on the palate with lush flavors of ripe golden apples and white peach, some creamy tones, a little bit of vanilla custard, light sweet notes of borderline overripe pear, oaky hints of sweet woody spice and toasty nuttiness and a perfumed touch of floral character. The rather soft medium-to-moderately high acidity keeps the wine balanced, albeit doesn’t lend much sense of freshness to it. The finish is rich, rather sweet-toned and quite lengthy with lush flavors of sweet Golden Delicious apple, some honeyed tones, a little bit of vanilla custard, light peachy tones, a hint of creamy oak and a touch of ripe apricot.

A noticeably ripe, concentrated and a bit clumsy white Hermitage. The wine is still quite balanced, but in my books it feels a bit too big, sweetish and clumsy in character; even though the wine is supposed to see only used oak barrels, the emphasis is still quite heavily on rich and creamy oak tones with a rather dominant streak of vanilla. I’ve heard many say that Marsanne quite readily soaks up oak aromatics from oak barrels, and this wine seems to be a prime example of the phenomenon: I really didn’t guess this was a Marsanne (-driven blend) nor that the wine came from Rhône. It was just a big, ripe and not particularly oaky but still very oak-dominant white with lots of everything yet still lacking some thrill and sense of harmony. The best I could do with my guesses was “I’d say this wine is French”. At least I got that right - it was better than how many other attendee managed to guess! All in all, even though I enjoy Northern Rhône whites, this wine didn’t do much for me. (86 pts.)

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• 2018 Filipa Pato Bical Nossa Calcario - Portugal, Beiras, Bairrada (8.12.2021)
  100% biodynamically farmed Bical from vineyards averaging 40 years. Fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, aged for 8 months in old oak pipas of 500-600 liters with no bâtonnage. Bottled unfined. 12% alcohol, less than 1,5 g/l residual sugar, 5 g/l acidity. Total production 7000 bottles. Tasted blind.

Pale, rather neutral whitish-green color. Fragrant and slightly candied nose with aromas of sour apple candies and ripe pear, some yellow gooseberries, a little bit of mushy peach baby food, light sappy herbal notes of thyme and a touch of savory wood spice. The wine is lively, crisp and quite light-bodied on the palate with crunchy flavors of fresh pear and some sour apple candies, a little bit of stony minerality, light sappy notes of herbal character, a smoky hint of reduction and a crunchy touch of fresh whitecurrant. The high acidity lends great sense of freshness to the wine. The finish is lively, clean and crunchy with quite long, palate-cleansing flavors of whitecurrants and fresh red apple, some sappy herbal spice, a little bit of stony minerality, a hint of pear and a reductive touch of gunpowder smoke.

An enjoyably fresh, crisp and poised Portuguese white with good sense of precision and purity of fruit. The overall feel was wonderfully mineral and palate-cleansing, but perhaps a bit linear and straightforward in style with relatively little depth of flavor. However, the overall feel was pretty youthful, so I can imagine this wine will pick up some additional weight and complexity as it ages. All in all, a terrific wine. I was pondering between a Muscadet, a Picpoul and a Txakoli; can’t remember which one I ultimately chose, but didn’t manage to get even the country correct here! (89 pts.)

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• 2013 Jean-François Ganevat Côtes du Jura Cuvée Florine - France, Jura, Côtes du Jura (8.12.2021)
  100% Chardonnay from a biodynamically farmed vineyard that is Ganevat’s youngest estate vineyard (planted either in 1986 or 1996, according to the source). Aged for 3 years sur lie in 300-to-400-liter demi-muids, bottled unfined and unfiltered with a tiny addition of SO2. 12% alcohol. Tasted blind.

Quite intense and very slightly hazy yellow-green color. Very sweet and expressive nose to which age seems to have granted some weight and richness, yet the overall impression is still very youthful with intense aromas of almost candied peach tones, some sappy herbal spice, a little bit of waxy funk, light beeswax tones, a hint of ripe red apple and a touch of leesy character. The wine is light-to-medium-bodied and ridiculously intense on the palate with very focused and precise flavors of sharp green apple and tart lemony citrus fruit, some tangy saline tones, a little bit of leesy character, light steely mineral notes, a hint of spicy wildhoney and a touch of waxy funk. The bracing acidity lends great sense of structure and intensity to the wine. The finish is crisp, precise and quite incisive with sharp flavors of lemony citrus fruit and tart green apple, some tangy salinity, a little bit of sappy herbal spice, light apple peel bitterness, a hint of leesy creaminess and a sweeter touch of developed ripe stone fruit.

A wonderful, remarkably crisp and precise Chardonnay with exceptional sense of intensity, thanks to the incisive acidity and piercing, noticeably saline streak of minerality. Although the wine exhibits some subtly developed nuances, the overall feel is still very youthful and especially the nose is remarkably primary for a white clocking in at 8 years of age. A superb wine that is very impressive already now, but is showing but a small glimpse of its full potential. This will continue to improve for years and years more. I didn’t manage to guess anything correctly because Ganevat didn’t spring to my mind when tasting the wine and for that reason Chardonnay never crossed my mind - never thought Chardonnay could be so racy and intense! Highly recommended. (93 pts.)

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• 2012 Pierre Gonon St. Joseph Blanc Les Oliviers - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Joseph (8.12.2021)
  A blend of Marsanne planted in 1958 (80%) and Roussanne planted in 1974 (20%), both sourced from the famous Coteau des Oliviers vineyard. Fermented spontaneously, aged for 11 months in typically used oak barriques and demi-muids (although in some years a barrel might be replaced by a new one). 14% alcohol. Tasted blind.

Medium-deep and very slightly hazy yellow-green color. The nose shows remarkable richness and depth with quite noticeably sweetish aromas of mushy peaches, leesy creaminess, some vanilla custard, a little bit of ripe golden delicious apple, light fragrant notes of Provencal herbs, a developed hint of buttery richness and a touch of floral spice. The wine feels quite broad, substantial and slightly oily on the palate with a full body and rich flavors of sweet Golden Delicious apple, some savory spice, a little bit of creamy richness, light nectarine tones, a hint of stony minerality and an evolved touch of vanilla creme. The overall feel is noticeably ripe and quite weighty, but the somewhat balanced medium-plus acidity keeps the wine from coming across as fat. The finish is ripe, long and juicy with quite bold flavors of apricots, some creamy oak tones, a little bit of juicy golden apple, light nectarine nuances, a hint of savory spice and a touch of Provencal herbs and garrigue.

A rich, complex and quite substantial wine that is quite big and oily, yet comes across as remarkably balanced and enjoyable for such. I really can’t think of any wine that would be this rich and concentrated and exhibit these aromatics. Based on its weight and concentration, I was thinking of Condrieu, but since the wine didn’t feel like a Viognier, I scrapped Northern Rhône altogether, never really even considering Marsanne. Even though this wine baffled me a lot, I still enjoyed it quite a bit. It isn’t young anymore, but the wine doesn’t really show that much age either, apart from the accentuated creamy and buttery nuances that have appeared alongside the fruit. I can imagine this wine will continue to improve easily for another 7-10 years if not longer. Expect the score to go up as the wine ages. (92 pts.)

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• 2014 Radikon Slatnik - Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Venezia Giulia IGT (8.12.2021)
  A blend of Chardonnay (80%) and Friulano (20%), macerated for 1-2 weeks, aged for 18 months in large 2500-3500 liter oak casks. Light addition of sulfites before bottling. 13% alcohol. Tasted blind.

Pale and slightly hazy amber color. Heavily volatile nose with heady aromas of nail polish, some savory spice, a little bit of earth, light bruised apple tones, an acetic hint of VA and a touch of medicinal ether. Overall the heavily volatile nature of the nose makes the wine feel rather anonymous, generic orange wine. The wine is lively, volatile and medium-bodied on the palate with lifted flavors of bruised apple, some nail polish, a little bit of crunchy quince, light ethery notes of VA, a hint of savory spice and a touch of balsamic VA. The overall feel is quite structured, thanks to the rather high acidity and gently grippy tannins. The finish is lifted and volatile with medium-long flavors of bruised apple, some nail polish, a little bit of earth and light notes of earthy spice.

A still somewhat drinkable orange wine that suffers from excessive VA. Structurally the wine is balanced, but flavor-wise the emphasis is on the noticeable volatile character, overwhelming most of the wine’s nuance and finesse. This is a far cry from the wonderfully complex and harmonious 2015 vintage, where the faint lifted notes of VA were merely an afterthought, not the centerpiece. Can’t say I was particularly impressed by this wine. It was pretty impossible to guess where the wine came from, but most guesses were from Slovenia and Croatia with one or two guesses going correctly to Friuli. (82 pts.)

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The second series (the Borgo del Tiglio red came to replace the corked Te Mata and that Bairrada was my after-game blind bottle, not part of the evening’s game)

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• 1998 Domaine Joblot Givry 1er Cru Clos de la Servoisine - France, Burgundy, Côte Chalonnaise, Givry 1er Cru (8.12.2021)
  13% alcohol. Tasted blind.

Somewhat translucent and very slightly hazy garnet color with an evolved pomegranate hue. The nose feels somewhat evolved with aromas of leathery funk, some savory meaty tones, a little bit of cooked tomato, light ferrous notes of iron, a tertiary hint of wizened red fruits and a touch of smoke-cured ham. The wine is firm and somewhat concentrated, even slightly extracted, yet light-to-medium-bodied on the palate with a silky texture and slightly evolved flavors of ripe cranberries, some pomegranate, a little bit of tart lingonberry, light umami notes of savory meaty character, a tangy hint of salt-cured beef and a touch of tomato purée. The overall feel is quite muscular and relatively structured for a Givry Pinot Noir with the rather high acidity and quite ample and grippy tannins. The finish is long, tangy and evolved with flavors of ripe cranberries and tart lingonberries, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of beef jerky, light evolved meaty tones, a hint of gravelly minerality and a touch of earthy Pinosity.

A classic aged Pinot Noir from the surprisingly assertive and extracted end of the spectrum. Although the wine feels surprisingly concentrated and tannic for a Givry, it never comes across as particularly clumsy or lacking finesse, thanks to its relatively lithe body and high acidity. All in all, the wine is in a terrific spot right now, showing a great combination of evolved complexity, still vibrant fruit and firm structure. I’d let the wine breathe for some while, just letting it open up a little, then pair it with food that would tone down the firm structure of the wine a bit. Priced according to its quality at 39€. (92 pts.)

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• 2010 Philipp Kuhn Luitmar - Germany, Pfalz (8.12.2021)
  A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Blaufränkisch, Sangiovese and Sankt Laurent. 14% alcohol. Tasted blind.

Very deep and dark-toned black cherry color that permits very little light through at the core, but has a luminous, pale rim. The nose feels odd, somewhat earthy, slightly green-toned and subtly oxidative with aromas of damp humus, some licorice, light malty notes of barley wine, a little bit of smoke, an oxidative hint of meat stew and a touch of leafy greenness. The wine is dry and robust on the palate yet quite silky in texture with a full body and quite evolved flavors of meaty umami, some crunchy cranberry, a little bit of tangy salinity, light malty notes of barley wine, oxidative hints of smoke-cured meat and raisiny dark fruit and a touch of balsamic richness. The overall feel is pretty structured with the high acidity and quite ample, moderately grippy tannins. The finish is dry, evolved and somewhat rough around the edges with robust flavors of meaty umami, tangy salinity, some crunchy notes of tart cranberries and fresh redcurrants, light malty notes of barley wine, a little bit of pruney dark fruit, a hint of bouillon and a herbaceous touch of leafy greenness.

An odd bird. The wine is impressively firm and structured, but unfortunately the fruit department hasn’t held up that well and the overall feel is rather tired with some emergent oxidative notes. Although not in its prime anymore, the wine is still relatively enjoyable for what it is, but unless this was a bottle with poor provenance or a compromised cork (both entirely plausible scenarios), I’d say it’s high time to drink up. Perhaps a bit pricey for the quality at 23€. (83 pts.)

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• 2016 Christophe Barbier Les Terres Salees - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Vin de Pays des Côteaux de Narbonne (8.12.2021)
  100% ungrafted Merlot from a 50-yo vineyard in Fleury d’Aude. The vineyard needs to be flooded every winter to keep the soil salinity below the level which is fatal to the wines. Aged in French oak barriques. 14% alcohol. Tasted blind.

Somewhat translucent and very slightly hazy blackish-red color. Very intense and sweetish nose with voluptuous aromas of vanilla oak, ripe black cherries, some boysenberry tones, a little bit of mint chocolate, light jammy notes of blackcurrant marmalade and a sweet hint of toasty mocha oak. The overall impression is rather polished and and heavily oak-driven. The wine is rich, ripe and sweet-toned on the palate with a full body and bold flavors of dark plums, some bittersweet dark chocolate and extracted woody bitterness, a little bit of blackcurrant jam, light vanilla tones, a hint of toasty cocoa character and a touch of mint jelly. The modest acidity doesn’t bring much freshness to the wine, so most of the structure relies on the firm and rather grippy tannins. The finish is rich, long and quite grippy with opulent flavors of ripe blackcurrants, some extracted woody bitterness, a little bit of toasty mocha oak, light crunchy notes of chokeberries and a hint of vanilla.

A voluptuous, super-rich and heavily oaked Merlot with tons and tons of fruit and woody tones but very little in the way of freshness, structure or complexity. Just like the Terres Salées Blanc, its red counterpart is just way too heavy and clumsy for my taste, showing way too liberal use of new oak. Although the wine is still quite young, I doubt any amount of aging will make the oak integrate with the fruit or grant the wine much sense of finesse. Of course it wouldn’t be the first time I was wrong, but I wouldn’t hold my breath either. Not recommended. (74 pts.)

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• 2016 Cline Cellars Mourvèdre Ancient Vines - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Contra Costa County (8.12.2021)
  Made with Mourvèdre sourced from two of the oldest Cline vineyards, Bridgehead and Big Break in Oakley. Fermented spontaneously in stainless steel, aged in heavily toasted American oak barrels. 14,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.

Somewhat translucent cherry red color with a youthful crimson hue. The nose is fragrant, sweet and quite expressive with almost crowdpleaser aromas of very ripe cherry-drive red fruits, some licorice, a little bit of sweet toasty oak spice, light boysenberry tones, jammy hints of raspberry and strawberry marmalade and a touch of vanilla. The wine is ripe, full-bodied and slightly hot on the palate with quite lush flavors of licorice, sweet oak spice, some boysenberry jam, a little bit of vanilla, light cherry marmalade tones, mulled wine hints of cloves and raisins and a touch of overripe strawberry. The overall feel is very juicy with a silky texture and quite soft structure, thanks to the medium acidity and quite gentle, ripe and polished tannins. The finish is long, rich and quite warm with lush flavors of strawberry jam, some vanilla, a little bit of ripe red cherry and dark plummy fruit, light boysenberry tones, a hint of cloves and a touch of raspberry jam.

A rather soft, mellow and modernized Mourvèdre where this often robust and feral variety has been trimmed down into a soft, sweet and quite heavily oaked crowdpleaser. Rich, ripe and mellow with quite little in the way of structure or varietal color. Although the wine is still youthful and probably will continue to develop for years more, I really don’t see much upside to cellaring this wine any further - it feels it really isn’t going to become any more interesting than what it is now and most likely it is showing its best while it is in its exuberant youth. Not that it is much. I’m not particularly impressed. (84 pts.)

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• 2013 Savage Wines Syrah - South Africa, Western Cape (8.12.2021)
  The label here is identical to the Savage Wines Red Blend (a tan label that just says “SAVAGE”) but the back label says the wine is Syrah, unlike the 2013 Red Blend. I really don’t think there’s any sense in producing different wines that have (at least seemingly) identical front labels, but then again, I’m not making wine. Anyways, this is a négociant wine, made with fruit purchased all over Western Cape, fermented and aged in old large-format oak vessels. 13% alcohol. Tasted blind.

Moderately translucent black raspberry color. Restrained and somewhat understated but also wonderfully nuanced and pure nose with delicate aromas of ripe cherries and dark forest fruits, some licorice root, a little bit of fresh boysenberry and blueberry, light earthy notes, a hint of peppery spice, a touch of savory wood spice and a whiff of burnt hair. The wine is restrained, quite fresh and medium-bodied on the palate with flavors of dark brambly berries and bilberries, some crunchy chokeberry tones, a little bit of earth, light ferrous notes of blood, a hint of savory wood spice and a touch of gamey meat. Nice, fresh and structured overall character with the high acidity and ample yet ripe and quite gentle tannins that slowly pile up on the gums. The finish is dry, long and savory with somewhat meaty flavors of earth and game, some ripe blackberry tones, a little bit of peppery spice, light developed umami character and a hint of savory old wood. The tannins make the wine end on a gently grippy note.

A very harmonious and serious Syrah that is very classically styled and old-school in style. I split whether this was a Northern Rhône Syrah or some other smoky/peppery variety that could be confused for one - like Mondeuse or Schioppettino - but was quite sure this was a European wine. Ultimately decided to go with 2016 Schioppettino. Boy was I wrong. Definitely some very Northern Rhône qualities here. A lovely style, but surprisingly light and understated in its expression, especially in the nose. Perhaps the wine could benefit from a longer decant? We didn’t wait long enough to see any results. Nevertheless, this is terrific and wonderfully styled stuff, highly recommended. (92 pts.)

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• 2000 Te Mata Estate Coleraine - New Zealand, North Island, Hawke’s Bay (8.12.2021)
  Originally a single-vineyard wine from the Coleraine vineyard, this has been a blend of the best-quality fruit from all the estate vineyards since 1989. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (52%), Merlot (29%) and Cabernet Franc (19%). Macerated with the skins for an extended time, aged in predominantly new French oak barriques. 13,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.

Moderately translucent and somewhat evolved blackish-red color with a mature brick-orange color. Dull, dry and dusty nose with some earth, a little bit of savory wood spice, light herbaceous notes of bell pepper, a hint of evolved meaty character and a touch of mildew. The wine is dull, dry and earthy on the palate with a moderately full body and silky texture. The flavors are understated, dusty and earthy with vague notes of mildew, ripe dark berries and some toasty wood spice. The overall feel is quite extracted with moderate tannic grip and rather high acidity. The finish is dry, dull and earthy with flavors of dusty attic, some ripe dark berries, a little bit of mouldy cellar, a hint of earth and a touch of blackcurrant.

Mildly but perceptibly corked. Shows impressive sense of structure with some nice evolution, but the dusty and mouldy notes of TCA make the wine undrinkable - and also quite impossible to guess the wine correctly. 38€ down the drain. NR (flawed)

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• 2013 Borgo del Tiglio (Nicola Manferrari) Collio Rosso - Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Collio (8.12.2021)
  A blend of mainly Merlot with a little bit of Cabernet Sauvignon. 14% alcohol. Tasted blind.

Luminous, moderately translucent garnet color. Ripe, fragrant nose with quite attractive aromas of strawberries and ripe chokeberries, some cherry tones, a little bit of sweet red plum, light floral notes of elderflower, a hint of licorice root and a touch of savory wood spice. The wine is ripe, rich and moderately dense but also very harmonious on the palate with a quite full body and vibrant flavors of sweet black cherries and dark plums, some meaty umami, a little bit of savory wood spice, light juicy notes of ripe forest fruits, a hint of licorice and a touch of alcohol warmth. Balanced, moderately high acidity and ripe, somewhat grippy medium tannins. The long finish is rich and juicy with some tannic grip and intense, vibrant flavors of dark berries, some cherry tones, a little bit of plummy fruit, light licorice tones, a hint of savory wood spice and a touch of meaty umami.

A rich but also very harmonious and balanced Merlot / Bdx blend with wonderful purity of fruit and sense of intensity. The wine had a somewhat vague Pomerol or Saint-Émilion feel to it, so I guessed we must be in France. Well, didn’t manage to land a score with my first guess, but at least my next guess (“then we must be in Italy!”) was correct. That was about as close as I could get. Despite me not getting particularly close with my guesses, this was a pretty terrific example of Italian Merlot and solid proof for Borgo del Tiglio’s skills in making red wines too, not just excellent whites. Recommended. (91 pts.)

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• 1985 Adega Cooperativa de Souselas Porta Ferrea Garrafeira - Portugal, Beiras, Bairrada (8.12.2021)
  A Bairrada red made by the local co-operative. Probably 100% Baga or a Baga-driven blend. 12% alcohol. Bottle #11718.

As I decanted the bottle I was baffled there was no deposit in the bottle whatsoever - and the moderately deep and still somewhat youthful black cherry color was beautifully crystal-clear with no haze at all. The sweetish nose feels moderately evolved yet relatively youthful for its age with very Alto Piemonte-like aromas of wizened dark fruits and ripe cherries, some rusty iron notes, a little bit of balsamic richness, light tertiary notes of meat stew, a hint of balsamic richness, a touch of old leather and an oxidative whiff of beef jerky. The wine is crunchy and lithe yet textural on the palate with a medium body and dry flavors of tart cranberries and lingonberries, some tertiary meaty notes, a little bit of sanguine iron, light oxidative notes of beef jerky and bouillon, a hint of ripe blueberry and a touch of sun-baked earth. Wonderfully structural feel with the high acidity and still somewhat grainy and rather grippy tannins. The finish is dry, acid-driven and moderately grippy with a lengthy aftertaste of tart lingonberries and sour cherry bitterness, some meaty notes, a little bit of ferrous blood, light evolved notes of wizened blueberries, a hint of bouillon and a touch of gravelly minerality.

A delightful, fresh and focused old Bairrada that is still very much alive and kicking at the tender age of 36 years. I poured the wine blind and the first 5 guesses ranged from Gattinara to Carema and from Nebbiolo to Nebbiolo. When I told people to look for somewhere else, many were baffled, because this wine felt like a textbook example of an aged Gattinara - something I could not disagree with. However, with some further guesswork a few people managed to home in to Portugal and it didn’t take that long before Bairrada came up. However, people were very much surprised by the wine’s age: people thought the wine was at least 10 years younger than it actually was - truly a testament to the aging capabilities of classic Bairrada reds. This would’ve been a great deal at its original price of 19,50€, but at 50% discount (9,75€), this was a steal. Truly a wine for people who like their reds with lithe body, dry fruit and firm structure. (92 pts.)

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And in the case you were left wondering, yours truly came in at 1st place! I managed to score a total of 20 points, two people at 2nd place scored 15 points.

Interesting idea for a tasting system! Would love to try this (humbling) approach.
Great lineup of wines, too. Can never get over how well the common Finn drinks!

It was both really fun and really humbling! When you have only one shot (well, as many shots as you’re willing to expend your bets), you really can’t just fire at random. Difficult, but rewarding!

Anyways, I must warn you that in reality the true common Finn drinks horrible swill. You should keep in mind that we have a (very lousy) alcohol monopoly here which does a miserable job at bringing good wine available for us. Thus, most of the people here drink the cheap stuff (which is quite expensive here), and on average, the more expensive stuff still basically blows. When it comes to the wine selection, the monopoly have just the most important wine regions covered, usually with 1-2 wines from each, and these are almost invariably the most boring labels of the largest producers in their respective regions. And they are usually sold at prices which would make the retail prices in the US seem very affordable indeed!

I’ve been very fortunate to surround myself with like-minded people who know what kinds of wines are great and where you can source them at reasonable prices. If we were like those real common Finns and just stuck with what was available here, we’d drink nothing but overpriced Torres, Jaboulet, Lurton, Antinori and Jacob’s Creek wines with no idea how great wines actually could be - and at how affordably one can actually buy them outside Finland!

Can’t believe I missed this! These old Bairrada and Dão reds are a mystery: wines made without oenology, without proper temperature control, without oak, without destemming (Luís Pato introduced this in the 1980s), at a time when vintages were thought to be great when they produced the highest yields. Portugal signed the paperwork to join the EU in 1986, Quinta do Carmo’s Júlio Bastos came out with his Garrafeira in cooperation with oenologist João Portugal Ramos and that was when the revolution slowly started.