Wine recommendations for a blind tasting for cool/warm climate (plus an extra terroir challenge)

But then you have age to factor in!

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I’m not sure how different the Baden climate is from the Cote d’Or. Also, there are big differences in pinot clones, I believe. And there are lots of different soils in Germany. It’s another case where the comparison could be interesting but would take a lot of research to control for other variables.

Red Sancerre would be another cool climate pinot. And they can be terrific.

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To all of you who are responding to this - I appreciate all of it. I have some homework to do. Thank you!

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Thank you for the specific bottle recommendations - looking them up to see if I can find them nearby

Thanks for the reply.

Which chard options? And which Pinot options?

LOVE the idea of the blanc de blanc champagne and pinot only blanc de noir. Fun

Can’t think of a better example than what @Ian_Sutton said for N Rhone Syrah/Barossa Shiraz for the reds. Might want to make sure that the ABVs on both wines confirm the stereotypes you’re looking to highlight, since there are some producers who might make a ripe style in the Rhone, or a lean/early harvest style in Barossa/McLaren. Cuilleron in particular has thrown me for a loop in some blinds with a 14.5% Syrah with a bunch of new oak that tastes very “warm climate.”

For whites, Riesling would be a good option. I’d do Mosel for the cool climate, but you’d have to find a dry wine, which is atypical there. Definitely findable though. It’d have to be dry, because I think the best warm climate comp (especially for your amis francaises) would be something from Alsace. Trimbach is readily available and usually on the rich/ripe side.

Personally, I’d be hesitant to use Chardonnay as the white example, because winemaking style can have such a pronounced effect on how the wine tastes, it’d make it harder to discern which flavors are coming from weather, and which are from oak, lees, etc., especially for folks who are newer to wine. A white grape that is fermented and aged in stainless steel in both cases would be easier to work with.

Have fun!

Why not really mix it up and submit a “hot climate” region that shows cool climate characteristics and a “cool climate” region that shows hot climate characteristics.

Some recent Pinots that maybe fit the idea… like some of the Anderson Valley and Sonoma pinot and Chardonnay in a cooler year from conscientious producers versus red and white burgs from warmer years and producers known for higher ripeness.

Could prob manage under budget better by doing the whole exercise within the Santa Barbara AVA or the Sonoma Coast AVA.

I would step back a lot given it sounds like most participants know very little about wine (?).

Blind a PN v. a CS and an oaky Chard v. a SB. Comparisons between oak flavors, body, tannin, acid, etc. should be pretty basic to understand but enlightening for neophytes looking to learn.

If I understood OP correctly, that takes the nerd-meter too high for that crowd.

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