Quaffing

Cream of Mushroom Wasabi: 2007 Domaine des Baumard Savennières Trie Speciale

2007 Domaine des Baumard Savennières Trie SpecialeWasabi, out of all things, is the flavour benchmark that Master Sommelier Emily Wines gets out of Savennières. As if “earthy” and “mineral” weren’t strange enough to describe to people, we arrive at a wine that’s so weird – yet so classic – that it’s bound to split people in the middle like the burning tire and ash-scented South African Pinotage. Savennières is an appellation from the Loire Valley in France that produces dry, concentrated, and fundamentally non-fruity wines from Chenin Blanc, and Baumard makes exceptional and superlative examples described by Jancis Robinson as “a wine for intellectuals, not neophytes.” That’s the most shade I’ve ever seen anyone throw from within an encyclopedia.

It’s one of those wines that’s hard to put into words: so much, that it almost sounds disgusting on paper, but experiencing the wine – without sounding too ridiculous about it – really is sort of otherworldly.… read more

WSET Diploma

“This bitch is definitely going to order a Pumpkin Spice Latte”: 2013 Bellingham “The Bernard Series” Vieilles Vignes Chenin Blanc

2013 Bellingham "The Bernard Series" Vieilles Vignes Chenin Blanc[Tasted during WSET Diploma – Unit 3  – Week 1]

I’ve had this wine in class before. And then I had it in a restaurant forgetting that I had it in class before. And then I had it in class again – and I thought the wine was fantastic all three times. Besides the change from “Old Vines” to “Vieilles Vignes”, I’m stoked that my tasting notes were generally in the same camp. The first time around we were given 5 white wines to match with 5 different grape varieties so Chenin Blanc was basically a given, but this time around it was a little tougher.

I mean, you smell heavy oak and baked apple on the nose with that identical echo on the palate, and you immediately think new world oaked Chardonnay.… read more

WSET Diploma

NV Domaine Breton “La Dilettante” Vouvray Brut (corked bottle)

[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 2 – Week 4]

[Retried a proper bottle during the next class (Week 5)]

Unfortunately the bottle was corked! A big shame since it’s always nice to retry wines that were previously had in the past, especially with more tools under the tasting belt. Among other things, I’m pretty bad at detecting TCA unless it’s it’s a purple elephant in the glass – I was pretty sure with this one but at the same time I was doubting it. Huzzah – corked. I knew something was up.

NV Domaine Breton "La Dilettante" Vouvray Brut

Producer: Domaine Breton
Designation: 
“La Dilettante”, Brut
Region: 
France
Sub-Region: 
Vouvray, Touraine, Loire
Variety:
 Chenin Blanc
ABV:
 12%
Vintage:
 NV
Tasted:
 January 24, 2014
Price:
 $39

read more
WSET Diploma

2010 Bellingham “The Bernard Series” Old Vine Chenin Blanc

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, med lemon, legs
Nose: clean, developing, med+ intensity, mineral, yellow apple, spice, butter, oak, vanilla, wet wool
Mouth: dry, med+ body, med+ acid, med alcohol, med flavour intensity, med+ length, citrus, lemon, baked apple, butter
All in all: Very good quality: persistent finish, good structure, and a balance found in both the fruit and the secondary characteristics. Drink now, but has potential for short term ageing.
Identity Guess: Mid-priced (Riesling/Pinot Gris/Muscat/Gewurztraminer/Chenin Blanc) from South Africa; 2 years old.
Is really:
 Mid-priced Chenin Blanc from South Africa; 3 years old.

2010 Bellingham "The Bernard Series" Old Vine Chenin Blanc[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 10]

I love Chenin Blanc. I’m not entirely sure why – perhaps because it’s versatile, but in such a different way than Riesling or Chardonnay.… read more

WSET Advanced

NV Breton Vouvray “La Dilettante” Crémant de Loire

Tasting Notes:

Eyes: clear, pale lemon
Nose: clean, med+ intensity, developing, lots of mineral, reserved fruit, touch of yeast, bitter edge, green apple
Mouth: dry, med bodied, med+ acid, med length
All in all: Good to very good quality; drink now, but has potential for ageing.

[Retried in February 2014]

So basically everything that was tasted during the latter half of this day was rushed, which resulting in the shittiest, most rushed (and incomplete) tasting notes ever (so messy that I can’t even read them). All due to the fact that our exam was right after our sparklings, anyways. 

I’m slightly disappointed I didn’t write more about this wine! In theory it’s interesting:
1) Having the “Vouvray” sub-region designation, we know that it’s 100% Chenin Blanc, which is my favourite white grape (for now, anyways).… read more

Quaffing

nine bottles for six bodies

Yeah – part of my job is that I get to taste a lot of wines. It’s really helping with stressful midterm season, and my co-workers and I decided to taste some stuff at one of our houses (Thanks! I’m sure we annoyed your neighbours oops). Unfortunately one of us was sick and couldn’t make it, which really sucks because we tasted some pretty cool things, but I guess more wine for us OH WELL.

Also, we all had these blind with the exception for the last one, which is always fun. I’m glad everyone waited for a co-worker and I to close and travel to the place – I’m sure everyone was itching to open the first bottle, which was delish.… read more

Quaffing

2005 Champalou Vouvray Le Clos du Portail

Tasting Notes:

Eyes: clear, deep lemon
Nose: clean, med intensity, honey, overripe apples, pear, slightly oxidized, touch of herbal (fennel)
Mouth: dry, med to med+ bodied, med- acid, med length, slightly sweet impression
All in all: Interesting, teasing, worth a try, very good quality; can drink now, but has potential for ageing.

I’m starting this new game at work where I ask whoever I’m closing with to pick a random bottle from the store given a reasonable price range, have them charge it to my card (I trust them THAT much, I know) so that we can both taste it while I can try it blind and perhaps attempt to guess the varietal given I’m not too embarrassed to do so.… read more