04.21.10 Cab Sauv vs. Cab Franc – Brown Bag Blind Tasting

For this tasting the Young Winos of San Francisco explored Cabs, of both the Franc and Sauvignon varieties. To make things interesting we did the tasting blind and each person guessed both the grape and region, with a prize given to the winner at the end of the night!

The wines: post-reveal

1. 2004 Cabernet Franc Mt. Aukum, California

Nose: Ellen thought this wine was jammy, Colin smelled sharpie, Russell smelled raisin and Dave smelled rum raisin. Alea got smoked leather,  Josh smelled oak and tannins and Jessalyn thought it smelled cold. Colin found some barrel notes.

Palate: Dave found a latex-y and astrigent-y taste on this wine. Alea thought it was like dark hotness which prompted Jessalyn to say it tasted like men. Kelly just said alco-mothafuckin-hot. Ellen said the tannins lingered on her tongue. Mary tasted pepper, Zack got some wood (on the palate), and Jessalyn noted some mushroom in a bad way. Alea thought this wine maybe needed to be decanted.

Rating: 5.5/10

2. 2006 Firestone Cabernet Sauvignon, Central Coast

Nose: Dave smelled buttered  popcorn, Alea smelled under-ripened blue and blackberries, and Jessalyn got blueberry filling. Jason picked up on some oak, Russ came up with stretched out blueberry scented rubber band. Kelly smelled fernet, Katie got prune juice and Jessalyn smelled jet fuel.

Palate: Dave thought the taste was more mellow than the nose. Alea said it tasted like a slightly experienced 22 year old (??). She also got mild fruit with a hint of tannins. Kevin added that the fruit was the age and the tannins were the experience. Jessalyn got a lingering finish, like bad lemonade.

Rating: 6/10

3. 2007 Lieu-dit les Vignoles Caves de Saumur, AOC Saumur Champigny Cabernet Franc

Nose: Jessalyn smelled some green bell pepper and mushroom pizza (yum, makes me hungry!). She also got some skunk specifically Pepe le Pizza. Alea smelled some earthy mushrooms and Ellen thought it was musty. Josh thought the nose was light and Kevin said it smelled like potting soil. Katie liked all the different smells and Mary thought it was like a cigarette when you put it out.

Palate: Russ just said ugh, and Kelly tasted some mellow tannins. Colin thought it was leafy, Alea tasted limestone, and Ellen tasted barn. Kelly also got blackberries picked off the first and Alea tasted overripe fruit.

Rating: 3.5/10

4. 2009 Charles Shaw (yes you read that right) Cabernet Sauvignon, California

Nose: Kelly and Dave both smelled tobacco and Kevin thought it was sweet. Rachele smelled perfume, Colin smelled toffee, and Ellen and Katie got salted caramel. Katie and Tim both got scents of a sugar plum fairy and Alea got yeast.

Palate: Mary tasted raspberry, Ellen thought it was like cherry cough syrup and Katie thought it was like the part of a warhead right before the sour part. Kevin thought it was easy drinking.

Rating: 4.5/10 –> Thanks to our score cards in which we were keeping track of our blind tasting guesses, we discovered that our fearless leader, Kelly, managed to rate this 2 buck chuck a 7.5. Nicely done, K-Naughty.

Kelly gives a thumbs up to 2 Buck Chuck

5. 2007 Bourgueil-Domaine Breton Nuit d’uresse Cabernet Franc

Nose: Colin smelled foot, Josh smelled earthy cow manure, and Zack smelled tobacco fertilizer. Kelly summed this all up by saying it was “ultra pooey”.

Palate: Colin thought this wine was super smooth, Zack got some acid, and Jason tasted a bit of pepper. Rachele got pine, Kelly said it was slightly tannic with blueberries and trace of minerality. Ellen had to plug her nose to drink it.

Rating: Peeps were split with ratings from 4 -8. Avg: 6/10

6. 1996 Big Horn Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa

Nose: Mary smelled Windex, Katie smelled burning tire rubber and sulfur, Dave smelled blueberry, and Ellen said it was musty alcoholic berry. Jess thought it was dry and peppery, Kelly got blackberry flavored black garbage bag.

Palate: Ellen tasted mild leather and tobacco and Alea tasted dark, balanced fruit,. Jason thought it was pleasant, Colin thought it was smooth.

Rating: Didn’t manage to rate this one and the tasting notes specifically say “Threshold wine, this is where it all goes downhill”

7. 2007 Duende-Clements Hills Cabernet Franc, Lodi

Nose: Colin smelled cinnamon, Katie got cherry, cranapple juice, and lavender  and Russ got a capecod with vanilla vodka. Jess thought it had a calm and relaxing smell while Rachele said butterscotch, and Ellen smelled airy raspberry.

Palate: Jess said yum! & blueberry. Kelly tasted vanilla soft serve, Dave got cassis, Josh said it was smooth and Ellen said easy drinking –> perfect for Gloria. Alea tasted hot pepper.

Rating: 7.5/10

Sorting out the wines

8. 2007 Baronnie Madeleine AOC Chinon, Cabernet Franc

Nose: Dave smelled garlic, Russ and Jason got sugar and Jess got sweet vanilla garlic ice cream. Colin smelled some dunkin donuts vanilla coolata, while Ellen smelled old library books. Kelly smelled fennel colored plastic.

Palate: Russ tasted cheese and lemon, Alea tasted pepper plums, and Kelly got leather. Ellen got alcholic jame and Dave tasted smuckers. Katie tasted eucalyptus, Kelly said it was piney and like Diet Coke.

Rating: 7/10

9. 2006 Frederic Mabileau, Cabernet Franc Burgueil

Nose: Colin smelled band-aid, Kevin got chloroseptic, and Alea smelled menthol and black licorice. Ellen smelled limoncello gone bad, Kelly smelled pinsol, Russ got ammonia, Jason chimed in with vapor rub, and Zack said cleaning chemicals (definitely a trend here). Jess smelled vasoline and Katie got a more pleasant smell of gardenia.

Palate: Dave tasted mint, Alea got some menthol in the mouth and wanted to throw up. On the other hand Ellen said it was musty in a good way and Mary tasted some oak.

Rating: FAIL, did not write down.

After tallying up all the points (1 point for guessing CF or CS, and 1 point for guessing the region), Dave took the prize with an incredible 17/18 points. Unbelievable!! Here she is with her prize: wine of course!

Dave crushes the competition

04.14.2010 Vins du Sud de la France, Allons-y!

As adventurous and curious young winos, we love to globe trot (with our taste buds). This week we decide to head to the South of France, choosing three distinct wine regions from which to sample wine. Courtesy of Wikipedia here are the quick descriptions of the three wine regions we chose:

Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon is the largest region in terms of vineyard surface, and the region in which much of France’s cheap bulk wines have been produced. While still the source of much of France’s and Europe’s overproduction, the so-called “wine lake”, Languedoc-Roussillon is also the home of some innovative producers who combine traditional French wine and international styles while using lessons from the New World.

Provence
Provence, in the southeast and close to the Mediterranean. It is perhaps the warmest wine region of France and produces mainly rosé and red wine. It covers eight major appellations led by the Provence flagship, Bandol. Some Provence wine can be compared with the Southern Rhône wines as they share both grapes and, to some degree, style and climate.Provence also has a classification of its most prestigious estates, much like Bordeaux.

Rhône
Rhone Valley, primarily a red-wine region in southeastern France, along the Rhône River. The styles and varietal composition of northern and southern Rhône differ, but both parts compete with Bordeaux as traditional producers of red wines.

The line-up

1. 2009 Domaine Begude Pinot Rosé ($13)

Nose: Right off the bat Ellen noted that this wine was fresh and vibrant and smelled of blossoms. Josh agreed it was very fresh and Russ smelled some sugar, but not syrupy sugar. Colin got floral at first and then it gave way to hints of apple. Jason smelled some citrus.

Palate: Colin thought this was an easy drinking wine. Dave didn’t get much on the taste but thought it was dry. Russ missed the sugar that he had found on the nose.

Rating: 5/10 Location: K&L

2. 2008 Les Vignes de Bila-Haut, Cotes due Roussillon Villages, M. Chaptoutier ($14)

Nose: Ellen smelled fennel and Dave agreed saying it was fenneltastic. Dave also got notes of cinnamon and Russ got sweet, cooked mushrooms. Josh thought it smelled peppery while Jason said it was sort of like a beaujolais.

Palate: Ellen and Colin both got some peppery action on this wine. Colin also mentioned it was thin, but with no unpleasant tastes. Russ noted that it was easy to drink, but he didn’t like the taste in his throat. Then he said it does not taste like the burger he had last night which is what he expected. (HUH?)

Rating: 5.5/10  Location: K&L

3. 2008 Domaine Rouge-Bleu Dentelle (55% Caringan, 45% Grenache) $15

Nose: Dave smelled catfood right away, meeeeoow! This smell, he said, was not good. Jason thought it was more rounded than the first two tasted. Colin said he couldn’t describe it in words, but then like a miracle he could and said it was musty/moldy like an Old World wine. Russ thought it was slightly metallic and Ellen got wet stone.

Palate: Jason thought it was light on the sugar and Josh got some earthy action, he could even taste the dirt! Ellen thought the wine was easy drinking and Dave thought it would be better paired with some food. Katherine also said she would not be satisfied with the wine by itself.

Rating: 6.5/10 Location: K&L

4. 2008 Valrea Cuvee Prestige Cotes du Rhone Villages $7

Nose: Colin smelled cough syrup and pine needles, while Russ got grapefruit and Jason smelled vanilla. Dave thought it a bit minerally and Josh thought it smelled peppery.

Palate: Colin TOTALLY tasted grapefruit and the group agreed. Katherine picked up on more citrus and Ellen thought it had the nuance of a pomello. Dave tasted some pepper which he said hit him like whoa at the end of the glass. Josh thought this wine was the most acidic of the wines tasted thus far.

Rating: 5.5/10 Location: Trader Joes

5. 07 Le Clos de Caillon Vielles Vignes Cotes du Rhone $21.50

Nose: Colin smelled funkberry and Jason smelled cherries in the front. Dave thought it was like a little cab and smelled some rubberyness but in a good way. Jason also got peppers and cassis.

Palate: Ellen discovered a tasted that lingered in her mouth for awhile.  Dave thought the wine was astringent and acidic. Russ noted that the wine was fruity on the front and sharp on the finish.  Colin thought the finish was bitter.

Rating 7/10  Location: Plump Jack

6. 2004 Domaine de la Citadelle Cote do Luteron $18.99

Nose: Russ smelled berries and currant, and grape jam from knott’s berry farm.  Jason also got cocoa and blackberry currant, yo! Colin smelled cherry candy and Dave smelled Luden’s cherry cough drops. Ellen thought it was more like an alcoholic berry.

Palate: Dave thought it tasted really good, it was his favorite of the night so far. Colin said the wine was well-balanced and tasted some dried fruit. Katie (who finally showed up to the party) tasted some watermelon rind.

Rating: 7.5/10  Location: The Wine in Laurel Village

7. 2007 Cotes du Rhone Vidal-Fleury $7.50

Nose: Jason smelled cassis, Dave thought it was subtly smokey. Colin got pepper and Katie smelled some cherry.

Palate: Jason and Josh both thought this wine was well-balanced. Dave thought this wine was both shy and underwhelming and he liked it to the end. Jason said it had a good mouth feel and Katie tasted some raspberries.

Rating: 7/10  Location: Trader Joes.

8. 2007 Chateau Paradis Terre de Provence $15

Nose: Marni thought the wine smelled syrupy, thick and velvety. Colin got grape bubble yum in a bad way. Dave smelled a really round grape and Ellen smelled dirty or dirt-ish. Russ got some dark fruit and Josh just thought this wine was plain bland and boring.

Palate: Dave thought the wine tasted disappointing based on the nose. Russ got some merlot flavors and Colin thought it was a bit too much to drink. Jason just thought it was tannic.

Rating: 5.5/10  Location: K&L

Katherine's delish noms

04.07.10 Tomamos a Nuestros Amigos

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure exactly what the title meant at first.  Alea hosted this fantastic event, and gave it the name, so I used Google translate and got “We take our friends”.  I’m going to guess that it is really, “We help our friends” since that was the idea behind the tasting.

Soon after the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile we were inspired to support these countries by drinking their wine. But Haiti didn’t have much to offer in this area so we gave them cold hard cash and then drank some excellent Chilean wine… along with a few of its neighboring wine…

Thank YOU, Alea, for typing up this blog post:

This week we tasted wines from Latin America at my house in Twin Peaks. We wanted to especially show support to counties that had been challenged by natural disasters, while also highlighting what great wines one can find for a great deal. We paired the wines with homemade empanadas veggie and carne, which we highly recommend.

Alea's DELISH empanadas

1: 2008 Carinae Vinedos y Bodega, Malbec Argentina

Rachele smelled strawberry. Kelly was getting a combination of girl products (above the waist) and watermelon on the nose, while I got a titch of citrus. Katie found the palate tart with a little bitterness. Kelly got a mouth full of juicy cherries. I felt it was more like under ripe bing cherries. Ellen simply tasted watered down grapes.

Rating: 6  available at the winery in Argentina

2: 2007 Kuyen, Syrah/Cabernet/Carmenere Valle de Maipo, Chile $27.50

Katie got diesel and leather on the nose.  Ellen thought it had a creamy nose. I was smelling prune juice. Rachele felt it was more like pomegranate juice. Kelly’s nose was full of smokey dokey artichokey without the artichokes at the same time he felt like he had smoked wild ass roaming around Chile (ie: rabbit, dear) and his nose. Katie as got deep fried batter as a nasal note. Ellen tasted a light peppery finish and arugula. Rachele was getting a tinny taste like aluminum foil. Shilpa thought the palate was spicy. I noticed it was hot on the finish. Katie got juicy raspberry with woodchips on the finish (interesting).

Rating: 7

winos ladies

3: 2007 Chono, Reserva Carmenere Maipo Valley, Chile $11

On the nose Katie got sweet and spicy red pepper. Ellen felt the nose was smooth and sweet. My nose was assaulted by dark fruit soaked in gasoline. Kelly said it a little smoke funk.  I found the palate less offensive with smoky cured meat. Rachele tasted camping (ie: campfire, gasoline, everything). If there is such a thing as grilled cherries that was what Katie tasted. Ellen got flat plum and Colin added it was like someone stepped on the plum.

Rating: 6.75 ( we were split 5/7.5) available at Vino

4: 2009 Viu Manent, Malbec Valle de Colchagua, Chile $6.50

Colin’s nose was tempted with the smell of spicy sausage. Shilpa smelled orange juice and Ellen got rose water. I was sure I was smelling fresh blueberry cobbler. Kelly said schnot, ohwait… (not sure what that means. I guess this marks the point of drunkenness). There was some debate as to exactly what kind of blueberries everyone tasted on the palate. Rachele was sure on the blueberry but felt there was some cinnamon also yummy. Colin was convinced it was actually blueberry pancakes we tasted. I felt it was more like blueberry plum on bacon.

Rating: 6

5: 2008 La Posta del Vinatero, Pizzella Family Vineyard Malbec Mendoza, Chile $16

I felt like this wine had a bold nose. Rachele thought it smelled like straight alcohol. Ellen thought it smelled cab-ish. Colin got fennel on the nose. Katie thought it was vegetal and spice. Kelly tasted tart blueberry. Colin thought it was actually sour blueberries and tannins. I tasted  the offspring of the passionate night of one Ms Blueberry and one Mr Plum. Ellen found it to have a malolactic finish, while Katie noticed vanilla extract notes on the palate.

Rating:6

Who doesn't want to pinch that cute little face?

6: 2008 Puerto Viejo, Malbec Mendoza, Argentina $11

Chocolate was what Katie got on the nose. Kelly felt it had a woodsy oaky and dark fruit especially prunes and plums palate. Shilpa smelled raisins, but all I could smell was more blueberries. Ellen thought she had put a cherry tootsie roll pop in her mouth rather than take a sip of wine. Rachele agreed. Red vines and flour was what Katie tasted. I was disappointed with black licorice.

Rating: 6.5

7: 2007 Marraso El Caballo Antiguo, Cab Sauv Mendoza, Argentina $10

Katie thought the nose smelled like rubber cement. Kelly got smoke berry on the nose. Ellen felt it was more of a blackberry.

Somehow, we got on the topic of child birth order. We discovered of all nine of us at the tasting are the oldest children….random or not????

Rachele tasted grape jelly on the palate. Ellen thought it has a tart finish. Kelly felt it tasted like juicy bland fruit. I added that I tasted a hint of pepper.

happy winos

3.31.2010 Gettin’ Loco with Vino Blanco y Rojo

If you couldn’t guess from the title the theme of the evening was Spanish Wines (red or white). And yes we know that red should be tinto but rojo rhymed better. Kelly started the evening with a concoction espanol especial: Cava + crème de cassis = Cava Royale. Delicioso!

Kelly coming at us with some real edutoxication.

Here’s the wine:

1. Paco & Lola Albarino Rias Baixas ($18.50)

Nose: Ellen smelled Martinelli’s apple juice and Colin smelled green apples and the fall. Kelly  thought that is Rodrigo and Gabrielle ahs a wine it would be this (names from music on his iPod), oh and also apple. Katie smelled some wet stone and Alea got lime. Eric got some dried apricot too.

Palate: Carly thought this wine was a bit sour, and Kelly thought the wine was not as acidic as he expected, he said it was surprisingly round. Colin tasted white grapefruit juice without sugar. Alea got some apple peel and lime, while Katie tasted Dove Beauty Bar (side note: I think I was predicting the future, Ellen).

Edutoxication note: Kelly explained that Rias Baixas is in the Northwest part of Spain.

Rating: 5.5/10  Location: Swirl

2.  2008 Santiago Ruiz Albarino Blend, Rias Baixas (o Rosale region) ($19)

Nose: Alea smelled lime and stone, Kelly smelled grapefruit and Colin got creamy vanilla. Dave thought this one smelled cold and Russell smelled salty sea. Kelly picked up on lemon meringue pie.

Palate: Alea thought it was like liking a lime and Katie tasted salty, lemon water. Kelly thought it was acidic and  tart. Colin tasted a margarita. He would.

Rating: 6.5/10  Location: Vino!

3. 2008 Tres Picos Borsao, Grenacha  ($15)

Nose: Colin said it’s……baaaaacon! (and cheddar cheese). Russ smelled some meat and pasta, Kelly also got smoked meat and Alea countered with strongly cured meat. Katie the vegetarian said “EEEWWWWW!”

Palate: Alea thought this wine tasted like a freaking piece of ham in her mouth. Carly got croque monsieur and Katie thought it was nice tannins. Kelly tasted a classy dish: plums wrapped in prosciutto, but said the alcohol on the finish was not his best friend. Dave tasted tobacco.

Rating: 7/10  Location: Wine Mine

Ellen takes a taste

4. 2008 Carchelo Jumilla (Monastrell 40%, Tempranillo 40%, Cabernet Sauvignon 20%) ($11)

Nose: Colin smelled tobacco and leather and Alea got strawberry and plum. Russell said it smelled like a Cape Cod.  Ellen said it was super jammy on the nose and Kelly smelled baking spice.

Palate: Russ got fruit and the cape cod on the palate too. Alea thought it tasted like a red headed slut (the shot, she would know). Katie tasted prunes and Kelly thought it was smoky.

Rating: 6/10  Location: Wine Mine

5. SVMMA Varietals (Syrah, Cab Sauv, Petit Verdot) Denominacion Toledo de Valdepusa ($28)

Nose: Kelly thought the nose was stinky , Ellen got brown sugar, Russ smelled rum raisin, and Alea added raisins, plums, and stinky cheese.  Kelly also picked up on some dark fruit, plum/blackberry. Colin smelled some licorice and cassis. Dave got tree bark.

Palate: Alea thought it tasted like dark fruit blew up in her mouth. Russ got some cheese on the end and Kelly said it was juicy. Dave got fruit candy on the front and more bark on the back end. Carly thought it tasted like a cherry jolly rancher and Katie thought it was well balanced.  Dave liked the bottle.

Rating : 7/10 Location: Swirl.

6.  2006 Pagos Quintana-Ribera de Dueno ($12)

Nose: Kelly got stank and skank. Colin smelled vanilla and Alea said the vanilla was overpowering. Ellen thought it more like vanilla candle and Kelly contributed clove or cinnamon on dark fruit. Katie picked up on some eucalyptus.

Palate: Kelly tasted tobacco notes and Colin thought it was easy drinking. Alea tasted blueberries and raspberries in a mild way. Katie tasted fruit leather.

Rating: 6.5/10  Location: Vino!

We ended the night out of theme, with a little Mexican surprise. Katie acquired this from a wine tasting trip to Ensenda, courtesy of Carnival Cruise lines:

7. 2009 Marque del Valle Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec Baja California, Valle de Guadalupe ($?? from Ensenada wine tasting).

Nose:  Dave said ooooh I really like the smell and Alea got berry and tannins. Russell picked up on some guava and Kelly thought it smelled like cherry candy.

Palate: Dave said the taste didn’t have as much depth as the nose, but it would be good bathtub wine. Alea said it had a bad romance and she could drink 8 bottles. Colin thought it tasted kinda cough syrupy and Katie thought it was juicy and bright.

Rating: 6.5/10  Location: Ensenada

Glooorrrriiiaa (the spanish wine bong)

Gloria blows her load

3.24.2010 Wave Your Hands in Sancerre

Wave your hands in the air… Wave em cause we’re drinking Sancerre.

Yes that phrase has a better ring to it but it was too long for a title so we did what we had to do. Don’t worry our hands our clean.

Sancerre line up

1. 2008 Domaine Rifault Sancerre ($20)

Nose: On the nose Colin got cherry blossoms and tropical fruit. He said “I hope it tastes as good as it smells”. Ellen smelled white funkberry and Katie got peaches and white pepper.  Alea thought it smelled like citrus mixed with apple.

Palate: Dave tasted green apple, Kelly tasted elderflower and Katie got honeysuckle, Katherine noted some citrus and Kelly said it was wonderfully round.

Rating: 8/10 Location: Vino!

2. 2008 Hippolite Reverdy Sancerre ($25)

Nose: Alea got pear right away while Dave thought it was grassy. Ellen smelled some faint citrus and Katie smelled both cantaloupe and vanilla ice cream.

Palate: Alea got citrus on the palate, and Katie also tasted lemon. Colin noted that this wine was pretty acidic compared the first one we tried and Ellen said it was more like watered-down citrus.

Rating: 6.5/10  Location: Swirl

Pun's pad

3. 2008 Grande Reserve Sancerre Henri Bourgeouis ($22)

Nose: Colin smelled lemon icing, Katie got walnut and macadamia nuts. Dave went somewhere totally different picking up on a “hint of man”. Colin bluntly followed up with simply “BO” and Dave countered by saying “in a good way”. Alea got us back on track smelling some pistachio and Katherine added passion fruit.

Palate: Colin tasted sweet vanilla on the front followed by lime fun dip. Kelly tasted stone and juice. Alea picked up on minerals and acid.

Rating:  6.5/10  Location: Vino!

4. 2008 Gerard Boulay a Chauvignol ($22)

Nose:  Katherine thought this wine was sweet like honeysuckle. Colin smelled BBQ sauce and chalk. Alea and her biological ticking clock smelled a baby and soft perfume. Dave asked if it was a baby hooker.  Kelly also thought it was perfumy with some notes of elderflower.

Palate: Ellen got some limey action on the back of the palate and Kelly found elderflower on the taste as well. Colin picked up on minerals and lemon and Alea just found it unremarkable. Dave thought it was like drinking rocks.

Rating: 5.5/10  Location: K&L Wines

Look at that fist.

5. 2008 Domaine Franck Millet ($17)

Nose: Alea smelled pineapple and Colin pointed out it was “mad pineapple”. Dave got some grass and barnyard nasal notes while Ellen smelled cheese rind. Kelly smelled lime

Palate: Tim tasted bell pepper, Dave got grapefruit, and Colin got sweet lemon. Kelly thought it tasted like Meyer lemon and Alea got sour, ridiculous pucker.

Rating: 5.75 (Meh!)/10  Location; K&L Wines

6. 2008 Domaine Andre Vatan Sancerre ($20)

Nose: Ellen got pear on the nose while Colin thought this wine smelled like bad weed.  Dave simply described the experience by saying “oh god”.  Kelly got some chemical funk, Katherine got stink, and Alea explained that it was like a rock that a cat peed on.  Katie thought it smelled like hot ass….phault.

Palate:  Dave just said “I drank it, it was gross”. Josh thought it was softer and less acidic.  Colin thought the taste was a bit bitter.

Rating:  5/10  Location: BevMo

7. 2007 Joel Delaunay Touraine ($12)

Nose: Kelly smelled a fruity sharpie, stolen from Katherine, who said it smelled like a sharpie. Alea got dirty socks.

Palate: Colin tasted sharp, white grape juice. Tim said “ no me gusta”. Katie thought it was peppery.

Rating: 6/10 Location: BevMo  (We marked this as a good value but reading the comments I’m having second thoughts).

8.  Domaine Franck Millet Pinot Noir, (Rose Sancerre) ($16)

Nose: Colin smelled yeast and Dave got dirt and cows. Alea picked up on some B.O.

Palate: Dave thought this wine was more buttery, but Alea just tasted a sock. Ellen said it was sweet at the beginning, but pithy at the end. I think she meant pithy as in citrus pith not as in

Rating: 5/10 Location: K&L Wines

post-tasting

03.10.10 She was a Bordeaux, fa sho.

Blog post co-written by Kelly and Katie.

Bordeaux. Bore-dough. Just saying makes you sound fancy. Thankfully, we already are fancy. And we drank a lot of Bordeaux at Le Maison Goulding in North Beach.

The line-up

1. 2005 Chateau de Candale, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Blanc ($33.50)

Nose: Colin smelled boysenberry, Alea smelled blackberry and plum, and Kelly got some earthy dirty black cherries. Palate: Colin tasted bing cherries and Tim O. got black licorice. Russ tasted cotton and unripe fruit. Kelly got some dark fruit and moderate tannins, thinking that in another 15 years this might be a great wine. Sadly, his liver may not last that long.

Rating: 5.5/10

2. 2004 Chateau La Rose-Trinta udon, Haut-Médoc ($20)

Nose: Colin smelled leather and gas, while Andrew got burning plastic and #2 pencil eraser.  Alea smelled porkchops, while Kelly thought that it smelled like pepper that someone set on fire. Next time you’re cooking, try this winos inspired spice delicacy. Palate: Colin tasted raw gasoline on the palate and Kelly tasted an awkward mushroom.

Rating: 3.5/10

3. 2005 Chateau Verdignan, Haut-Médoc (50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc)

Nose: Colin smelled a man cave (like cigars and leather). Alea got the smell of gym socks and Katherine got raspberry. Palate: Kevin tasted grape juice and Colin got cranberry like in a cape cod, and Russ just tasted raw cranberries. We liked.

Rating: 7/10

wink

4. 2003 Chateau de la Meuliere, Cotes de Bordeaux ($17 discounted from $40)

Nose: Alea got bacon fat and dark fruit while Russ went the direction of reliquified animal fat?! Katie smelled some leather, Colin got raspberry, and Kelly got plum with freshly ground pepper. Palate: Alea simply said “yum” and Russ tasted the end of a blood orange. Colin got well-balanced with peppery tannins.

Rating: 7/10

5. 2005 Chateau-Beau Chene Bordeaux Superior, 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc ($15)

Nose: Russ smelled apple pie and Andrea agreed but the one kind from McDonalds. Kelly thought it smelled like blueberry steeped in juicy juice and Colin got blueberry cobbler. Palate: Colin thought it tasted bitter. Ellen was disappointed by the taste after a nice nose, thought it was grassy.  Russ said it tasted like a Castro Queen. Alea got teriyaki, or like hay with teriyaki suace on it.

Rating: 6/10

6. 2006 Chateau Lagarosse, 80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon ($16)

Nose: Russ smelled rubbing alcohol and Alea got some sweet pineapple and cuties. Andrew picked up on some orange, Katie got licorice, and Kelly smelled “gentle raspberry”. Palate: Alea said it tasted buttery and dry. Russ tasted a buttermilk biscuit with a little jelly. Katie tasted licorice like whoa and Andrea got pepper.

Rating: 6.5/10

7. 2007 Chateau Haut-Sorillon, Bordeaux Superior Alsac

Nose: Alea smelled something meaty on this wine, and Andrea specified that it was a smoked baguette with ham. Kevin smelled raspberry and Colin got ski wax. Palate: Alea thought the taste was kind of disappointing and Colin got a bitter after taste that was slightly meaty.

Rating: 6/10

8. 2008 Chateau de Brandey, Bordeaux ($10)

Nose: Alea smelled cranberry apricot and brown sugar, noting that the wine gets depper. Andrea picked up on Christmas spice, namely orange and cloves.  Colin smelled orange peel. Palate: Kelly just said “bleh” and Ellen tasted an alcoholic raspberry.

Rating: meh 4.5/10

we're on a boat