Our tasting group met to blind taste wines with a theme of Super Tuscans. This event was held on the classy outside pool side patio of one of our esteemed members. Food stations were set up nearby and we were royally treated to a bounty of delicious, healthy appetisers
Ten of us tasted 10 wines in 2 flights. We individually scored each wine in each flight and then voted before revealing the brown bagged wines.
Our starter wine was:
2013 REGIS BOUVIER MARSANNAY ROSE- served with only a bit of a chill, this was a fine rose made from Pinot Noir, one of my favourite sources of fruit for a rose; it was charming with its light expression of red cherry, delivered in a light to medium body; even; it was refreshing and served to cleanse the palate for the heavyweights to come.
First flight:
2008 TENUTA SETTE PONTI ORENO TOSCANA- Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot; as with all of the wines in this flight, the colour was a rich, dark purple denoting a youthful wine; we had an excellent bottle with aromatics suggesting something full bodied and highly energetic; for sure, this is what followed; layers of fruit unfolded with spicy and leather laden black cherry, blackberry and black currant most prominent; there was an underlying note of oak toward the end; both me and the group head got it as #2 in the flight.
2011 CASTELLO DI AMA HAIKU TOSCANA- Sangiovese blend; pure dark colour, black cherry dominates the nose and continues on with a touch of sweetness and blackberry joining in; it was a taste treat with consistent notes from the nose through the tail; my vote and the consensus had it tied for 3rd in the flight closely scored to the above #2 wine.
2010 FONTODI FLACCIANELLO della PIEVE COLLI della TOSCANA- 100% Sangiovese; aromas of spice and dark fruit and then a taste profile of vibrant black currant and blackberry including the spice accent; full bodied, complex, niceLy fruity, finishes with a bit of heat; needs time to evolve and come together.; tied for 3rd.
2010 SAGGI COLUMBIA VALLEY RED- from the Italian Folonani family, this Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah blend was an eye opener as well as a serious New World sleeper; I loved its elegance and found it to be in beautiful balance; the fresh black fruit was delivered in a soft and pleasant texture all the way to the back end; Saggi means wisdom and I felt wiser for having had this experience and what is possible here in the States; we got this as a consensus #1 in the flight.
2011 GAJA CA MARCANDA PROMIS TOSCANA- 55% Merlot, 35% Syrah and 10% Sangiovese; concentrated dark fruit jumps out of the glass and continues on with a bit of wildness that turns into being somewhat tart; Im suspecting a bottle variation here as I`few had this from an earlier vintage and it was great; we scored this as a consensus last in the flight.
Second flight of 5:
1999 TENUTA di TRINORO ROSSO TOSCANA- made from Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, this had a still youthful vibrant colour as well as a huge inviting nose of concentrated spicy mature black fruit; there was plum and black currant especially notable; it held onto its intensity throughout and finished on a high note; excellent wine; we had it as a consensus #2 in the flight.
2010 ISOLE e OLENA CEPPARELLO TOSCANA- Sangiovese; this wine had a much different fruit profile than all those before it; with some talc and sandalwood upfront, some strawberry and bing cherry showed up and then dried out toward the end; it seemed to be in a strange place and not having any previous experience, I`m not sure what the norm would be; I had it tied for 4th and last in the flight and the others voted it tied for 3rd.
2012 TENUTA SETTE PONTI ORENO TOSCANA- Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot; the colour was so youthful with its dark vibrant purple; the nose had some milk chocolate and dark fruit which showed up as black cherry and blackberry; it was delightful, nicely balanced and in a real good place although still in its infancy; I noted it as the wine I brought and lo and behold, it was; prior to knowing what it was, I had it as my @1 in the flight; the consensus had it 4th.
2007 FONTODI FLACCIANELLO della PIEVE COLLI della TOSCANA- 100% Sangiovese; this full bodied beauty had wonderful black cherry fruit in the nose and on through; there was help from a bit of chocolate and vanilla and blackberry coming in late; it had nice mouthfeel and a long satisfying finish; I got it #2 and the group consensus had it #1 in the flight.
2007 TUA RITA PERLATO del BOSCO- indicative blend= 70% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Syrah; the nose had a cherry milkshake likeness, but the taste was more of pure blackberry and black cherry a bit on the tart side; it finished dry; I had it as my #4 and the group consensus was a tie for 3rd.
As always, I enjoy the blind tasting format and learn so much. I often get fooled about identifying the wine I bring and/or wines I`ve had previously. I also get an opportunity to discover new purchasing options as what happened in this tasting with newly gained wisdom.
Cheers,
Blake
Please excuse typos and unintended auto-corrects
