Blind Wine Wednesday - Notes

Blind is the way to taste any wine; it's where the men are separated from the boys for real. A selection of 8 wines was presented last night. The winners were surprising and soft on the pocket book which is how we like the story to end.

A note on my notes: the alcohol% I list is what it tasted like rather than the actual alcohol% written on the bottle. I often rate things from low-med-high.

Spy Valley - Sauvignon Blanc - New Zealand - 2008 - $20
Spectacular food wine, classic NZ Sauvignon Blanc, cats pee on a gooseberry bush and all that.
Notes
Nose: Medium intensity mineral, lychee, lime and gooseberry
Palette: Dry, 13% alcohol, high acid, med body. Mineral, fruit forward, lime

Prinz von Preussen - Riesling - Germany/Rheingau - 2006 - $22
My favourite riesling in the whole world! If you love riesling you have to try this one.
Notes
Nose: Medium+ intensity brioche, solid minerality, apricots galore
Palette: Dry, 12% alcohol,high acid, med body, lemons, stones, pineapple, apricot, long finish

Ostatu - Rioja(Tempranillo) - Spain - 2005 - $25
Disappointment for everyone of the night. Boooo....
Notes
Nose: Medium intensity strawberry, floral, light spic
Palette: Dry, high acid, 13% alc, low+ green tannins, med- body, flabby fruit, low intensity spice and a boooo-zy finish

Mapu - Cab S+Carmenere - Chile - 2007 - $10
Great value of the night at $10 bucks you can't go wrong. I love you Chile.
Notes
Nose: Medium intensity light earth, violets, black cherry
Palette: Dry, High acid, 13% alc, green low tannins, lemon, cherry, earth, short finish.

Doudet Naudin - Pinot Noir - France/Pommard - 2005 - $60
Tasting expensive wine blind is always an eye opener. Do you really like it or is it just the cache talking? This wine was good, but the consensus was that it was worth $20 bucks.
Notes
Nose: Medium intensity cloves, berry, plasticine(in a good way, this note always leads me to I.D. French style wines)
Palette: Dry, 13.5% alc, med acid, med tannin, med body, cigar, plum, cedar

Franciscan - Red Blend - Californian Burgundy - Non Vintage - $7
7/8 wine tasters agreed that this was kool-aid with vodka in it, not necessarily a bad thing.
Notes
Nose: Med+ intensity candy, cherry, bubblegum
Palette: med- plum, grape juice, no tannins... I give up

Robertson Winery - Cab S - S.Africa - 2008 - $12
A big, new world-esque, bold, giant of a wine. Best value of the night, beating out the Chilean by a hair.
Notes
Nose: Med+ intensity earthy, light pepper, horse sweat(in a good way ie. leather), smokey, cherry
Palette: Big jammy, pepper, cherry notes, med+ acid, 14% alc, med- tannin, med+ body

NC Arfiano - Super Tuscan red blend - Italy/Tuscany - 2006 - $29
Lovely, finessed wine with the best of what the old world has to offer. Super Tuscan denotes wines that have the traditional Italian grapes involved like sangiovese, plus grapes like Cabernet sauvignon, merlot etc. These grapes aren't traditionally used in Italy, and make for a more new world style wine.
Notes
Nose: Med allspice, blackberry, plasticine
Palate: Med intensity spice, bitter lemon, black current, green med tannins, med body, high acid, 14.5 alc