WineNight

November 2008

And to think I almost deleted this blog. I still may, but hey, here's an entry.

Friday night, Kathleen and I hosted wine night. 10 other people (5 couples) were able to make it which was great. The theme was Cabernet Sauvignon's for under $20, with one Cab Franc ringer (which cost $26.99). All wines were purchased locally at "Central" Central Market on 40th and Lamar.

To cut to the chase, the top wine was #5 - the 2005 Sabastiani. In rank order:

1. 2005 Sabastiani, Sonoma County $16.98
2. 2006 Saddlerock, Central Coast $14.95
3. 2006 Pavilion, Napa $14.95
4. 2006 Bonterra, Mendocino County $12.98
5. 2006 Pasqual Toso, Argentina $10.99
6. 2005 Marc Bredif, Chinon $26.99 (this was a Cab Franc)

Tasting went in price order, which put the cab franc at the end. That was probably unfair. It was a good wine but was overpowered by the cab sauvs.

Scores (Group average out of 5):

Appearance	3.4
Aroma	3
Body	2
Taste	2.6
Finish	2.2
Totals	13.2

Scores:

Appearance	3.4
Aroma	2.6
Body	2.6
Taste	3.4
Finish	2.8
Totals	14.8

Scores:

Appearance	3.8
Aroma	4
Body	3
Taste	2.7
Finish	2.6
Totals	16.1

Scores:

Appearance	3.8
Aroma	3.2
Body	2.4
Taste	3
Finish	2.6
Totals	15

Scores:

Appearance	3.6
Aroma	3.4
Body	3.2
Taste	3.2
Finish	2.8
Totals	16.2

Scores:

Appearance	3.5
Aroma	3
Body	2.5
Taste	2
Finish	2
Totals	13

 

Decanting

This night, our hosts (hi Teri!, hi Andy!) did something pretty nifty. They bought 10 bottles of wine (2 bottles each of a particular wine) and decanted one 6 hours before wine night commenced. The basic routine was to open a bottle, taste it, and then taste the decanted version. I'd never done that before and it was educational.

Yummy pizza was served for dinner (I had the proscuitto and baby spinach. The spinach had some flavorful citrus taste).

1. Mais Donis barrica, 2003. Straight out of the bottle, this wine was peppery with a sweet finish. The decanted version flattened out significantly. The sweetness was gone, leaving the pepper to linger. I felt that decanting definitely improved the wine.
2. Dolcetto d'Alba, Sandrone 2004. Out of the bottle, it is a very smooth wine with a hint of pepper. Decanted, this wine really opened up its nose and seemed much drier, but other than that it did not change significantly. Overall, I liked this the best.
   
3. 2001 Washington State Syrrah from Gordon Bros. This is very fruity wine in both taste and bouquet. One quote: "It burns your eyes". I didn't think it was that significant, but it was powerful. After decanting, the fruity nose was gone. The sweetness and fruitiness in the taste was gone. The wine was "hotter" (attributed to the alcohol). I felt that decanting really improved this wine.
   
4. 2005 Echelon Pinot Noir. We wondered if the month of the vintage was going to be important. I got nothing from the nose and there really was no distinctive characteristic to this wine. Jennifer, however, said that she'd drink it. We probably served it a bit warm. Laurence observed that it was like a Pinot, just smaller. After decanting, the nose turned funky (if not downright skunky). It became even lighter and "waterier". I did not like either version of this wine.
5. 2004 Argiolas Granache ("it's Italian!"). Very woody smell, which caused Mike and Brian to make a face. Very sharp with a bad aftertaste. Decanting improved this wine the most. The nose came together and it got a lot better, but that is not saying much.
   

Spec's In Austin
According to the Austin American Statesman, Spec's (warning: soul-sucking registration process is required for access) is coming to Austin.

Spec's is a "big box" liquor retailer out of the Houston area which is exanding to the Austin market somtime over the next year. One of the new stores will be located in the old Academy building located in South Austin at 290 and Brodie.

Chardonnays

Last night, we drank Chardonnay, which is a bit unusual for us. In order, they were a 2004 Macon-Lugny "Les Charmes" (Cave de Lugny), a 2004 J Lohr Riverstone (Arroyo Seco), a 2004 Edna Valley Paragon (San Luis Obisbo County), a 2002 Grgich Hills (Nappa Valley) and a 2003 Chablis Vieilles Vignes Domain Sequinot-Bordet.
We managed to avoid the buttery style Chardonnay, which suited us quite nicely. The "Les Charmes" was paired with a yummy proscuitto-aparagus-mozzarella pasta dish. Nice Mix - something for everyone, and a great range of style and price. Personal preference was the 2004 Macon-Lugny - crisp/light, easy drinking. Grgich was also quite good - but much more pricey. LL

Welcome to Wine Night!
If you are here, its probably because you are an oenophile. Right now, there's not too much on the site (this is the first entry), but keep coming back, we'll be updating soon.