Day: June 4, 2012

WSET Advanced

2007 Lammershoek Pinotage

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Notes:

Eyes: clear, deep ruby
Nose: clean, med+ intensity, developing, smoky, meaty, black cherry, leather, medicinal
Mouth: dry, med bodied, med acidity, high intensity, med tannins, med+ length, high alcohol
All in all: Good to very good quality; drink now, but has potential for ageing

My goodness, what a wine. I tasted the exact same wine a year ago in my WSET Intermediate classes, and I seemed to be more intrigued by it the second time around. Right off the bat, the nose is both repulsive and interesting – notes of charred meat and pungent spice attack the nose, with a balanced intensity and rather good quality on the palate. Fruit takes the backseat role on this one. At first I was turned off by the unconventional nose, but it intrigued me more and more as I went back to smell it.… read more

WSET Advanced

2010 Joseph Drouhin “Laforet” Chardonnay

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Notes:

Eyes: clear, pale lemon
Nose: clean, med+ intensity, youthful, sweet, peaches, tropical fruit
Mouth: dry, med- body, med to med+ acidity, med length
All in all: Good quality; drink now; not intended for ageing.

Tasted against the 2006 Louis Jadot Chardonnay Meursault Genevrières.

Initially the really ripe fruits had me guessing a New World Chardonnay from a hot area (unfortunately I didn’t pick up on the acidity), but lo and behold, this was an entry-level Burgundian Chardonnay that borders on that New World ripeness.

Although this is a good entry-level Chardonnay on the lower end of the mid-price range, I feel like I wouldn’t go back to it because there are either wines with a bit more complexity for the same price point or cheaper wines with just-as-ripe fruit.… read more

WSET Advanced

NV Henkell Trocken

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Notes:

Eyes: clear, pale lemon-green
Nose: clean, med+ intensity, youthful, fruit (peachy), mineral, sweet, light notes of tropical fruit
Mouth: dry, more aggressive bubbles, med- bodied, med- to med acidity, med length, med intensity, med- alcohol
All in all: Good quality; drink now; not intended for ageing.

Compared alongside 1999 Lanson Gold Label Champagne.

I have used Henkell Trocken as a wine for a wine tasting I held once, because it’s a cheap and fun almost-all-purpose bubbly. Personally, I find it boring, but for the price, it’s a great and cheap bubbly. The intensity and “tropical fruit” you see in my tasting notes were really more of the class consensus – I wrote down that I found it had a light to med- intensity with a predominant mineral and green fruit nose.… read more

WSET Advanced

1999 Lanson Gold Label Champagne

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Notes:

Eyes: clear, med- lemon (to gold), watery rim, bubbles
Nose: clean, med+ intensity, developing to fully developed, sourdough, toasty, biscuity, green fruit, citrus
Mouth: dry, high acidity, med to med+ alcohol, med- body, long length, med+ intensity, delicate bubbles
All in all: Very good quality; drink now, but has potential for ageing.

Compared alongside some NV Henkell Trocken.

Ah, of course – the quintessential Champagne for the beginning of WSET class tasting. Of course, though, I stumble into class just in time for class to begin.

I don’t remember why, but in comparison to the previous Champagnes I’ve had, this one seemed just a touch lacklustre. I felt that, although the overall nose was intense, that the yeasty notes were not as pronounced in comparison to the nose as a whole.… read more