The theme of this month’s blind tasting wine lunch was wines that were at least 50% cabernet.
2022 Terravista Vineyards Sparkling Brut En Terre Vineyard – a blend of pinot noir and chard, this was fresh and clean. Decent B.C. bubbly.
2017 Caliza Winery Roussanne 30 Month Barrel Aging – More colour, very soft and a mild oxidative note in the nose plus buttery popcorn.
1983 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley – now light red with a whiff of age to it, a bit of cedar, and balanced and clean, if finishing just a tad short.
2005 Tenuta Sette Ponti Maremma Toscana Poggio Al Lupo – dark wine with tapenade notes in the nose, good dark fruit and good length.
1996 Argiano Solengo Toscana IGT – my wine. Dark colour, black currant jam nose, nicely developed, very long and smooth finish.
2020 Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 407 – very dark, with a toasted nut (cashew?) nose with vanilla. Oak was there but seemed more French than American.
2006 Zeitgeist Cabernet Sauvignon – a new one on me. Dark wine with a nose of berries and good fruit in the medium length finish.
2010 Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate – dark wine, sweet nose of red fruit and toasted nuts, good length – quite tasty.
2008 Château Ormes de Pez – another quite dark wine, this one with a nose of freshly made cocoa, and hints of mint Good length but early days yet – it should improve even more with time.
With cheese:
2005 Domaine Huet Vouvray Moelleux Le Haut-Lieu – lovely wine with good acidity and balance, less sweet than I expected. Light amber colour. I usually buy Foreau rather than this wine but it was excellent!