MINNEAPOLIS WINE CLUB: BLIND TASTING $25 PRICE POINT - (2/18/2011)

A great time and Shari is a wonderful host. We knew the grape variety (blend) up front but had to match them up. These are great tastings to test your skills and I was able to get 10/13. Kevin won with 11/13. We will do it again soon. Everyone did get the Carbonnieux correct (ha,ha)

2004 Château Carbonnieux Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
A nice White Graves with a medium golden color. On the nose floral, apple, apricots and candied pinneapple. Nice flavors on the palate and good acidity. Medium finish. (89 pts.)

2007 Tierra Alta Carménère Reserva - Chile, Central Valley, Rapel Valley, Colchagua Valley
Strawberry, floral, spice and heavy eucalyptus on the nose. The palate was a bit off and medium finish. This was sampled blind and I have found the 3 times I have drank this wine that it really opens up on day 2 and 3. This wine needs some serious decanting but tasted similar to previous bottles on day one. (86 pts.)

2005 Glaetzer Shiraz The Bishop - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
A nice wine with dark color. Spice, raspberry, dust, and floral notes on the nose and palate. It shows some juicy fruit on the palate but not over the top. Medium to long finish and really no flaws on the wine. It was wine of the night in a 12 bottle blind tasting of worldwide wines. My second favorite of the night. (92 pts.)

2008 Bodega Numanthia Termes Toro Termes - Spain, Castilla y León, Toro
Cloudy in color. On the nose raspberry, pepper, floral and earth. The palate offered smooth subtle tannins and good concentration. A nice wine overall. (90 pts.)

2006 Karl Lawrence Aldin Red Table Wine - USA, California, Napa Valley
A nice effort with cherry, dust, floral, plum and blackberries. Medium to long finish and good expression. One member saved some for later and the nose was even better. A nice wine. (91 pts.)

2006 Domaine les Pallières Gigondas - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Gigondas
Very light in color and aromas of dust, spice, violets and cedar. On the palate I picked up strawberry notes. We did these wine blind and I thought this was the Pinot at first until later in the night it was clear another wine was the Pinot. Nice overall. (90 pts.)

2005 Duca di Croce Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
A nice wine and my wine of the night with floral, roses, raspberry, clay minerals and earth. Good flavor on the palate and not real tannic. Very much a drink now Brunello and a good drink at that. (93 pts.)

2008 Tommasi Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso - Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Valpolicella Classico Superiore
A nice wine and I have always enjoyed their wines. Spice, floral, cherry and leather on the nose. The palate offers much of the same and blueberries appear. Medium finish and just a smooth experience. (90 pts.)

2004 Bodegas Emilio Moro Ribera del Duero - Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
The wine I brought and one of my least favorites of the night. Coffee, spice, floral and raspberry. Should have decanted this wine for a few hours which might have helped. Still a bit tannic. (88 pts.)

2008 Rombauer Vineyards Zinfandel California - USA, California
Why I hate too many Zins. Sweet fruits along with floral, raspberry and some dust. While I have had good Zin in the last year I have had too many that uninspire. (85 pts.)

2007 Siduri Pinot Noir Pisoni Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
Tied for 2nd best wine of the night. First bottle was corked and in our group if you are not sure you bring a backup. Good advice to other offliners. Dust, floral, strawberry, raspberry and cherry. Really a fruit forward style of wine but not jam like. Very nice medium finish and balanced. Well done Gary. (92 pts.)

1998 Tenute Silvio Nardi Brunello di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino
I thought the first Brunello was the 98 but note to be. Minerals, tobacco, raspberry and sweet fruits. Medium finish and drink now. (90 pts.)

2005 Pine Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
Spice, floral and cherry dominate the wine along with hints of oak and vanilla. Medium finish and should pair well with steak. (89 pts.)

Bonus Wine2002 Domdechant Werner Hochheimer Kirchenstück Riesling Auslese - Germany, Rheingau
This was excellent and the 2nd best wine of the tasting but not an official wine as Judith brought as a bonus bottle. Thanks! Apricots, floral, candied fruit and pinneapple. Thick texture and a real crowd pleaser. Drink now or hold for five years. (92 pts.)

Groups Favorite Wines
1. 2005 Glaetzer Shiraz The Bishop
2. 2005 Duca di Croce Brunello di Montalcino
3. 2007 Siduri Pinot Noir Pisoni Vineyard

Cameron Hughes Wines

Cameron Hughes makes really good wines! They are really reasonable and are from premier vineyard sites around the world. They simple partner with great producers and buy grapes from them. I have sampled six of their wines and never thought they were not worth the money.

Here are 2 wines in particular that are outstanding for the money:

2007 Cameron Hughes Cabernet Sauvignon Lot 140 - USA, California, Sonoma County, Chalk Hill (2/3/2011)Dark purple. Beautiful aromas of cherry, dust, violets and spice. On the palate spice, cherry, dust, violets and raspberries. Great acidity and soft/medium tannins. This is a true drink me now wine that has to be one of the best values I have ever tasted. A strong candiate for wine of the year at this price point. This is better than the Lot 200 at this stage of the game. (93 points)

*Interesting to read other notes on Cellar Tracker as too many reviewers are influenced by low scores from critics. Wine Specatator 82 is a joke. I am buying a case of this wine at $12.96 a bottle. It is better than ajust about any Napa/Sonoma Cabernet I have ever tasted under $25. If I served this blind in a $60 Napa Cab tasting it would finish in the middle of the pack.


2008 Cameron Hughes Cabernet Sauvignon Lot 200 - USA, California, Napa Valley (1/1/2011)I let this 1st bottle air out and this is a day 4 review. Mocha, blackberries, spices, oak, vanilla and violets. If you drink this now I recommend a six hour decant. The wine is more concentrated and really showing like a $60 Napa Cabernet. Highly recommended wine at this point and I am glad I saved some for the experiment. (91 points)

This wine is a real bargain but needs some cellar time to open up. I won't sample another one of these for 2 years.

Good advice for 2011 is don't worry about the label, producer, etc. but trust your palate first.

Cheers,

John Glas
Wineglas