Tag: France

WSET Diploma

Kaolin – “Partons Vite”: NV Bailly Lapierre Crémant de Bourgogne Réserve Brut

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, pale lemon-green, bubbles noted
Nose: clean, youthful, med intensity, green apple, mineral, white flowers, pear, citrus, flint, hint autolysis, white bread
Mouth: dry, med+ acid, med- alcohol, med- body, med+ flavour intensity, flint, apple, pear, mineral, hint autolysis, floral, med length, creamy mousse
All in all: Good quality: the moderately complex sparkling wine is balanced, but could benefit from more concentration and persistence. Drink now; not suitable for ageing. 
Identity Guess: Mid-priced Non-Vintage Crémant de Bourgogne from France.
Is really: Mid-priced Non-Vintage Crémant de Bourgogne from France.

NV Bailly Lapierre Crémant de Bourgogne Réserve Brut

[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 2 – Week 1]

Crémant is practically the poor man’s Champagne – the French sparkling is made in the traditional method, with permitted grapes depending on the region.… read more

Quaffing

Hey Ocean! – “Bicycle”: 2011 Pierre Sparr “Charisma” Pinot Gris

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, pale gold, legs
Nose: clean, med+ intensity, youthful, mineral, stone fruit, peach, apricot, creaminess, red apple, flint, mango, musky/smoky, (malolactic?)
Mouth: dry (to off-dry), med+ body, med acid, med finish, med+ flavour intensity, med+ alcohol, stone fruit, smoke, oiliness, peach, apricot, creamy, ripe apple, flint, peach pith
All in all: Good quality: the wine has decent balance with the typical slight oiliness of Alsatian Pinot Gris and the whisper of residual sugar – but the wine lacks a bit of complexity. Drink now; not suitable for ageing.

2011 Pierre Sparr "Charisma" Pinot GrisSo much for cutting down on alcohol for the new year. I’ve allocated a sort of strict alcohol budget for myself, but I’m already trying to find loopholes. I spent more than I should have on spirits last fall because of the diploma exam in November, and I still have so many leftovers.… read more

Quaffing

Karen Smith from “Mean Girls”: NV Cave de Lugny Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Rosé

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, pale orange, bubbles
Nose: clean, light intensity, youthful, mineral, citrus, light red fruit, hint yeastiness
Mouth: dry, med body, med acid, med- alcohol, med- flavour intensity, med length, mineral, citrus, light red fruit, savoury + stony finish
All in all: (Acceptable to) good quality: the wine is balanced in structure and mouthfeel, but there is a lack in fruit, concentration, and flavour intensity. Drink now; not suitable for ageing.

NV Cave de Lugny Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Rosé

(Disclaimer: after some thought, perhaps I am too hard on sparkling rosés…?)

I had to choose between this and cheap Cava tonight, and this won. I’ve been dying to retry wines that I’ve had further back in my wine education (especially if it was more than a year ago) just to see whether or not my palate is consistent, and whether or not I pick up on the same notes.… read more

Quaffing

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen: 2012 Château d’Aydie “Odé d’Aydie” Blanc Sec

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, pale lemon, legs
Nose: clean, med+ intensity, youthful, mineral, apricots, vanilla, spice, citrus, floral, cardamom, hint of pineapple, honeydew, nuttiness, primarily stone fruit with some tropical
Mouth: dry, med+ body, med acid, med+ flavour intensity, high alcohol, mineral, peach, apricot, apricot pith, lemon zest, honeydew, floral, med+ length, savoury finish, savoury spice, gummy bears
All in all: Good quality: though the strong minerality almost overtakes the fruit on the palate, there is a fresh perkiness despite the expected fuller body. The alcohol is slightly hot but the character is intense. Drink now; not suitable for ageing.

2012 Château d'Aydie "Odé d'Aydie" Blanc SecNever have I ever had the pure expressions of the Manseng twins in a bottle of wine, mostly because you can’t find these guys in this market.… read more

Quaffing

A fantastic half-bottle of partly cloudy bliss.JPG skies: 2010 Albert Mann Pinot Gris

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, med- lemon, legs, (med+ viscosity)
Nose: clean, med intensity, youthful, mineral, spice, ginger, stone fruit, dried stone fruit, citrus, nectarine, citrus rind, musk, green fruit, honey, floral, hint tropical, hint botrytis???
Mouth: off-dry, med+ to full body, pronounced intensity, med acid, med+ alcohol, long finish, stone fruit, spice, pear, citrus, citrus rind, honey, slightly oily texture with balanced acid, slight phenolic bitterness to finish, hint tropical
All in all: Very good quality: the wine has a characterfully ripe palate and balanced components (despite high alcohol) with a long finish. Can drink now, but has potential for short term ageing.

2010 Albert Mann Pinot GrisI love Alsace, or at least the idea of it. And not just for wine – the idea of a cool climate with constant sun sounds about like my dream weather.… read more

Quaffing

NV Antech “Doulce et Fruitée” Blanquette Méthode Ancestrale

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, pale lemon, bubbles, [low viscosity]
Nose: clean, med+ intensity, youthful, ripe red apple, apple cider, ripe citrus, almond, caramel, hint of graceful oxidation, toast, dough, mineral, honey
Mouth: medium-sweet, med body, med acidity, low alcohol, soft and persistent bubbles, med+ flavour intensity, ripe red apple, almond, butterscotch, apple skin, apple strudel, hint of citrus, med finish, [med+ complexity]
All in all: Good quality: a unique and expressive character shows just enough balance with its sweetness, acidity, and effervescence. Drink now; not suitable for ageing.

NV Antech "Doulce et Fruitée" Blanquette Méthode AncestraleI am currently in the middle of my WSET Unit 4 (Spirits of the World) Diploma studies and am quickly going through packs of flash cards like a chain smoker goes through packs of cigarettes.… read more

Quaffing

2011 Delaille “Unique” Sauvignon Blanc

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, pale lemon, (star bright), (med viscosity)
Nose: clean, med+ intensity, youthful, mineral-driven, citrus, lemon, grass, mineral, gooseberry, grapefruit, smoky minerality, green peas, hint of pear
Mouth: dry, med body, high acidity, med alcohol, med length, med+ flavour intensity, citrus, lemon, lime rind, lemon seed (ugh, probably subconsciously stole those last two from SOMM as I suspected), grassy, grapefruit, (med complexity)
All in all: Good quality: this classic Loire-driven Sauvignon Blanc is restrained on the nose but is more expressive on the palate. A bit linear, but elegant and well-balanced – especially in its acid – but I would have loved a longer length. Drink now; not suitable for ageing.

2011 Delaille "Unique" Sauvignon BlancVancouver’s plateau of summer heat is slowly crescendoing and I am not wasting one minute in between work.… read more

WSET Diploma

2009 Pfaffenheim “Steinert” Gewurztraminer

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, med lemon, legs
Nose: clean, med intensity, developing?, tropical, mango, stone fruit, citrus, honey, sweetness, floral
Mouth: off-dry, med+ body, med- acid, med+ alcohol, med+ flavour intensity, med+ length, ripe stone fruit, spice, floral, rosewater
All in all: Good quality: Persistent, complex, and concentrated, but lacks some structure and the alcohol is a bit warming. Drink now; not suitable for ageing. (Perhaps slightly corked? The instructor has had lots of experience with this wine but it wasn’t the same as she expected – perhaps not as aromatic and complex as it should be.)
Identity Guess: High-priced (Riesling/Pinot Gris/Muscat/Gewurztraminer/Chenin Blanc) from Alsace, France; 2 years old.
Is really: High-priced Gewurztraminer from Alsace, France; 4 years old.… read more

WSET Diploma

2011 Domaine Zind Humbrecht Muscat

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, pale lemon, legs
Nose: clean, med+ intensity, youthful, orange blossom, spice, ginger, stone fruit, peach, citrus, cardamom, lychee, fig
Mouth: off-dry, med+ body, med- acid, med alcohol, med+ flavour intensity, savoury, med+ length, ripe peach, apricot, lychee, spice
All in all: Good quality: the wine has aromatic and concentrated fruit and a complex flavour profile, but lacks some structure. Drink now; not suitable for ageing.
Identity Guess: High-priced (Riesling/Pinot Gris/Muscat/Gewurztraminer/Chenin Blanc) from Alsace, France; 2 years old.
Is really: High-priced Muscat from Alsace, France; 2 years old.

2011 Domaine Zind Humbrecht Muscat[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 10]

I often get Gewurztraminer and Muscat mixed up. As soon as I took a sniff, it was perhaps a mistake to write “muscat?… read more

WSET Diploma

2010 Henri Bourgeois “La Côte des Monts Damnés” Sancerre

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, med- lemon, legs
Nose: clean, pronounced intensity, youthful, gooseberry, grapefruit, melon, asparagus, green beans, fresh, floral, grassy, green apple
Mouth: dry, med- body, high acid, med alcohol, med+ flavour intensity, citrus, grapefruit, asparagus, green beans, mineral, med+ finish
All in all: Very good quality: a very characterful grape identity is also well-balanced in its acid; it is also persistent on the palate and has a moderate amount of complexity. Drink now; not suitable for ageing.
Identity Guess: Mid-priced (Chardonnay/Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc/Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Blend) from New Zealand; 2 years old.
Is really: High-priced Sancerre from The Loire Valley, France; 3 years old.

2010 Henri Bourgeois "La Côte des Monts Damnés" Sancerre[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 10]

Bam. Even though this was a semi-blind flight, even someone new to wine could instantly smell the grassiness that was a Sauvignon Blanc.… read more