White – Page 13 – @sommeligay

I suck at wine: 2014 VIWF Blind Tasting Challenge

March 1, 2014June 24, 2016 by Josh

My 2014 Vancouver International Wine Festival activities begun on Wednesday! Insert majestic trumpet sounds here.

I was really scared for the Blind Tasting Challenge (at the Pacific Culinary Institute of Arts) on said morning . This mostly meant barely being able to keep my breakfast in my stomach, listening to Glee’s rendition of “Don’t Rain on My Parade” on repeat for high energy (do you hate me yet?), and then thinking that coffee was a bad idea. A classmate saw me looking at the water as I was listening to music and taking refreshing winter breaths of Granville Island air – she was just as nervous as I, but another classmate told us we were more jittery and nervous than we needed to be.… read more

Quaffing

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

January 5, 2014November 16, 2015 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.

So 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

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

December 17, 2013November 16, 2015 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.

Never 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 ray of sunshine on a cold autumn morning: 2011 d’Arenberg “The Stump Jump” White

October 23, 2013November 16, 2015 by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, pale lemon, legs
Nose: clean, youthful, med intensity, ripe citrus, minerality, peach pith, honey, melon, hint stony bitterness
Mouth: dry, med body, med+ acid, med+ intensity, med alcohol, med length, citrus, lemon, peach pith, just-ripe peach, savoury, touch of creaminess, honey, ripe citrus, minerality, floral
All in all: Good quality: a balance of structure frames direct fruit flavours and a present minerality, but there could be more complexity. Drink now; not suitable for ageing.

It is three weeks until my WSET Unit 1 coursework assignment is due and two weeks until my WSET Unit 4 spirits exam. And here I am reviewing wine, because number 1: I am crazy, and number 2: I miss wine. I miss wine.… read more

Quaffing

That extra in that one movie: NV Barón Cortes White

October 23, 2013November 16, 2015 by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, pale lemon, legs
Nose: clean, youthful, light intensity, floral, mineral, nuances of stone fruit and melon, slight greenness
Mouth: dry, med- body, med+ acid, med- alcohol, med- length, savoury stony vanilla finish, med- intensity, citrus, lemon rind, melon
All in all: Acceptable quality: the wine has some form of balance and is quite drinkable, but lacks some character, intensity, and concentration. Drink now; not suitable for ageing.

I will always give cheap bottles a chance, just like I give shitty people a chance. Also, I don’t trust the backs of bottles.

But really. This wine isn’t as bad as I thought it would be – although in the same price range of the (also non-vintage) Finca del Rey Malvasia Moscato, this wine exchanges its character for a more balanced mouthfeel.… read more

Quaffing

A 1950s pin-up girl, or Mr. Fireman September: 2012 Tahbilk Viognier

September 15, 2013November 16, 2015 by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, med- lemon, legs, (med viscosity)
Nose: clean, med+ intensity, youthful, mineral, ripe citrus, nectarine, stone fruit, just ripe peach, apricot, yogurt, floral, spice, cardamom, tea, hint honey
Mouth: dry, med+ body, med intensity, med+ acidity, med alcohol, med+ length, savoury, ripe citrus, lemon, peach, apricot, mineral, (med complexity)
All in all: Very good quality: the leaner New World style of Viognier shows finesse, elegance, and persistence along with a slight lack in complexity. Drink now; not suitable for ageing.

Best served slightly chilled if not at room temperature. An example of a wine that shies away while having spent time in the fridge, but reveals itself when in its vulnerable nakedness with no lack of temperature to hide behind.… read more

Quaffing

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

September 11, 2013November 16, 2015 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.

I 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

2011 Delaille “Unique” Sauvignon Blanc

July 2, 2013November 16, 2015 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.

Vancouver’s plateau of summer heat is slowly crescendoing and I am not wasting one minute in between work.… read more

Quaffing

2012 Sula Dindori Reserve Viognier

June 30, 2013November 16, 2015 by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, med lemon, (med+ viscosity)
Nose: clean, pronounced intensity, youthful, tropical fruits, floral, honeysuckle, stone fruit, Froot Loops, lemon curd, white pepper, spice, apricot, hint yoghurt, peach
Mouth: dry, med+ body, med acid, med length, med flavour intensity, med+ alcohol, floral, stone fruit, tropical fruit, ripe candied citrus peel, apricot pith, canned peaches, hint of bitterness, touch of mineral, (med complexity)
All in all: Good quality: very expressive on the nose and varietally correct – arguably better than some Viogniers for the same price. Although the finish has typical Viognier phenolic bitterness, there is just enough acid to clean the palate. Drink now; not suitable for ageing.

There are always those awkward products at the BC Liquor Stores that are so uniquely fucked up in some way – perhaps a weirdly shaped bottle, an unpronounceable name, things so obliquely passé (Blue Nun?… read more

WSET Diploma

2010 Bellingham “The Bernard Series” Old Vine Chenin Blanc

June 15, 2013November 16, 2015 by Josh

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.

[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