Blind Pinot Noir Tasting.

 

Sometimes things just line up for a blind tasting...sometimes we just get backed up on wines that need to be tasted. 

This past week I had a flourish of purchases for the cellar as many distributors closeout wines as warehouse inventory and the "slow" season looms over their heads. Along with a slew of purchases I had some samples dropped off at my work. It may seem like a good problem to have but sometimes the amount of wine I need to taste outweighs my urge to drink them. But sometimes after looking at the stock of bottles to be consumed, I get a spark of inspiration.

This past weekend, that spark called me to blind some Pinot Noir!

I took notice that I had 4 options and by pure luck they were all 2021 vintages, all cost around $20 and all had a different place of origin. Seemed like a good candidate for a blind tasting!

I have always loved pinot noir, going back to my early days of drinking wine. Pinot was one of the first wines that made me take a pause, look at my glass and appreciate the mystery of what was evolving on my palate. I am constantly looking for the best examples I can find in all different price ranges. Typically I would label myself as a Oregon lover but I am not opposed to drinking red burgundy, it just tends to be getting more and more costly as the temps climb and their alcohol and ripeness levels increase. Yes, climates change and with it methods and wines do to. I choose to embrace the opportunity of these changing times and broaden my perception of what pinot noir can be. Where is can be from and the unique attributes those places bring to the grape and the wine world as a whole. Great Pinot Noir has been popping up all over the globe in the last 10yrs and this small coincidence of a blind tasting is a perfect example of that sentiment.

FOUR PINOT NOIRS

1. Pascal Henriot Coteuax de Champlitte 2021

Coming from the only independent producer in the small commune of Champlitte, a once esteemed and robust wine growing region that was decimated by phylloxera and the tolls of World War I.  Pascal Henriot has been farming these slopes organically since 1985 and promotes biodiversity through natural hedges consisting of native plants and the rich limestone chunks that make up the soil structure of his vineyard. Hand harvested and with minimal sulphur additions Pascal has a natural methodology to the wines and ferments primarily in stainless steel and enamel tanks.

2. Roaring Meg Central Otago 2021

Coming from the Cenrtal Otago region of New Zealand, a region quickly making a mark in the Pinot Noir world over the last decade. These grapes come from the Cromwell basin vineyards along with the Bendigo creating a darker edge to the blend. Grapes are destemmed and fermented on the skins for 25 days with daily punchdowns until tannins balance out and then the wine is pressed into french oak barrels where is rests on the lees for 10 months. Racked back not refined prior to bottling. 

3. Montinore Pinot Noir 2021 "Red Cap"

Coming from the Willamette Valley in Oregon this entry level pinot sees 20% new French & Hungarian Oak and 10 months of aging. Though some of their wines are demeter certified , this offering only states LIVE certificaton seemingly because some of the fruit is sourced outside Montinore Estates but still in the AVA of the Willamette.

4. Forge Cellars Pinot Noir Classique 2021

Coming from the edge of Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. Grown in soil consisting of Lansing, Angola and Conesus gravelly loam on shale. This pinot is spontaneously fermented in wood vats and is a blend of 3-5 different vineyard sites in a style of the pinot lieux-dits with the goal to transcribe the vineyard and coalesce harmoniously into the wine Classique.

So you may have figured the drill out if you have read my previous blind posts on rye and bourbon, but yes I selected the bottles so not a complete "blind", but with the help and support of my lovely wife, the wines are then poured and marked before setting them before me. From there I usually go through them all with just my nose, then with just a small taste to set my bandwidth. From there I analyze, smell, sip and absorb everything my senses can from flavors to memories. Taking notes on all these things and coming up with a score based on what is in the glass.

Once they are scored, I will arrange them from left to right based on scores. Usually I will then make my way back from my lowest to highest score and split hairs and allow myself the ability to rescore or adjust the order of preference.  After many sips of water and contemplation I will ask for the reveal.

FINAL RESULTS

WINNER** Pascal Henriot Coteuax de Champlitte** 2021 WINNER

(89pts)

Forge Cellars Pinot Noir Classique 2021

(88pts)

Montinore Pinot Noir 2021 "Red Cap"

(86pts)

Roaring Meg Central Otago 2021

(82pts)

A tale of two Rieslings.

A tale of two Rieslings... 

One of my great fascinations in wine is the world of Riesling. 

Riesling is a grape that can lend to a ripe unctuous honey dripped glass of stonefruit but also can lend to a glassy clean dry wine with notes of morning dew and wet stone. Sometimes you can even get all those things in the same wine. Finding producers that speak to you is always recommended but also investigating the deep heritage of German wines and Riesling in general is a facet of wine appreciation that I am always stoking especially when I see "new" producers arriving in Maine! 

One of these producers is Clemensbusch which just landed in Maine courtesy of Devenish Wines. Its funny how sometimes a wine hits your radar and within a week your radar hones in on finding it. I noticed Clemensbusch on a few end of the year top wines of 2024 and usually when I see a Riesling making an appearance on a couple of list, of which I take all with a grain of sugar, but do acknowledge them and file them away in my "to taste" rolodex. Well stars aligned and maybe a week later Devenish mailed out a "New Wine Email" and there sat this trocken riesling from Clemensbusch. After ordering a handful later that week when my rep stopped in, I inquired if any of the GG Marienburg offering came in as well. Seems like just a case landed along with the Trocken but luckily I was able to snag a bottle. Looking forward to popping that at a later date, but right around the holidays I decided to sip the trocken to get to know the producer.

the wine: Clemensbusch Riesling Trocken 2023

My Thoughts: 

Pours a pale straw color with a bit of unfiltered haze to the pour.

Nose is angular with tight glassy limestone and lemon peel that mingle with dew soaked dandelion and a touch of unripe pineapple spears. Palate follows the nose and is subdued yet tangy with some salted lemon, spring water minerality, chamomile accents linger with fresh grass and a touch of sorrel.

Definitely a touch watery overall but has a charming quality that reminds me of a heavy dew soaked morning, which creates some mystery but requires alot of patience and focus to appreciate. Just talking about it that way makes me like it even more but definitely excited to crack the GG to better acquaint with the voice of this producer.

(FINAL SCORE 84/100pts)

(photo from winery website)

A view of the slopes at Clemensbusch's Marienburg vines nestled in for the winter.

To contrast the clean glasslike quality of the Clemensbusch I reach down to the cellar to grab this bottle that I have sipped a few times since finding it at a tradeshow where the rep from Broadbent selections was pouring it. Its quite the counterbalance to the other, this one is weighty, mouthcoating with unctuous fruit and vibrant punchy flavors.

the wine: Dr. Hermann Urziger Wurzgarten Kabinett 2021

My Thoughts:

Pours a white gold with great clarity and a tiny spritz of bubble clings to the sides of the glass. Nose has some classic petrol diesel fumes from the start but its gently hugged by some juicy stonefruit, soft red berry, wet stone, citrus peel and light candied fennel. Palate follows with unctuous white nectarine oozing with ripeness alongside tart granny smith apple and a classic interplay of tart and sweet. Palate is coated and lingers with a smorgasbord of fruit and a lingering of rockstone.

 

(FINAL SCORE 87/100pts)

(photo from winery website)

Are you into Riesling too? Stay tuned for a tasting of Finger Lakes offerings from Forge Cellars coming soon... 3 different terroirs from one winemaker and all the same vintage!

Blind Buffalo on the Homestead.

 With my weekend arriving and some exciting college football match ups on the calendar I decided it was a good night to dip into the whiskey library and do a blind...

Had lots of options but decided to dig into some classic "allocated" goodies from the buffalo trace facilities. I have sipped a good portion of these through the years and also have been lucky enough to try most of the BTAC (Buffalo Trace Antique Collection) as well but tonight it was just about putting the 5 bottles I had acquired over the holidays together and see where they stood in my current drinking preferences. I don't pay over msrp for anything, its built into the distribution here in the state of Maine. That is the good news, the bad news is that even to score a bottle of regular Weller Special Reserve or Eagle Rare, you gotta "WIN" a lottery or have some friends in the right places. Its a double edged sword but anytime I look online at "secondary" prices, I realign my stance and am grateful when my name is drawn from the hat or the owner of the shop shows a little kindness and pulls me a bottle from the back room. Typically I reserve my "favors" for things other than bottles like these, but also won't ever turn down a finely crafted spirit at msrp. I feel all of these bottles are well worth those prices. 

the LineUp.

Again, I asked my lovely wife to pour the five samples, label them accordingly and serve me the flight without any knowledge of which is which, hence the blind aspect!

I sipped each one and broke them down from aromas, to flavor and overall complexity and drinkability.

Tasting Notes

A. Blantons Single Barrel 82pts

(spicy nose, sawdust, cocoa dust, peanut shells, sneaky palate, cherry skin, soft caramel)

Notes: Quick finish, easy drinker but lack comlexity

B. Eagle Rare 10yr 86pts

(baking spice nose, graham cracker, anise, pecan pie, lumberyard, vanilla icing)

Notes: Evolving palate, some age here with nice long vanilla frosting finish

C.Weller Special Reserve 87pts

(burnt caramel, toffee, vanilla bean, powdered sugar, burnt toast)

Notes: Sweet confectionary and caramel body with herbaceous rustic spice nuances on the finish.

 

D. EH Taylor Small Batch 88pts

(burnt toffee, dried grass, white pepper, cocoa dust, stonefruit)

Notes: Dry complexity with nuanced sweet undertones, viscous body woody undertones and lingers cherry skin tannins.

E. Blantons Gold  88pts

(Cinnabun, werthers candy, toffee, cinnamon, stonefruit)

Notes: Evolving sweetness balances nicely with spicy undertones and boozy complexity. 

Notes were taken as I wittled them down by giving them all number ratings. Cleanse the palate with water and align them according to scores. The two front runners were tied so after picking those two apart sip after sip I made my decision and confirmed the final order of the last three.

Final Results

WINNER * Blantons Gold * WINNER

EH Taylor Small Batch

Weller Special Reserve

Eagle Rare 10yr

Blantons Single Barrel

Castellare Chianti Classico 2022

Domini Castellare di Castellina

Chianti Classico 2022

A blend of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Canaiolo, this wine exudes the story of Tuscany!

Each new vintage is adorned by a new bird that is from the drawings of John Gould and gives a nod to the sustainable practices and philosophies that have become the cornerstone of this winery.

The 2022 vintage was characterized by drought, but thankfully the spring rains created enough reserves for the vines to produce a proper harvest that reflects the complexity and balance this wine is known for and this vintage was no exception.

MY THOUGHTS:

Classic dusty old world Italian nose with finessed red fruits, touches of raisin, red licorice and pomegranate. The palate follows the nose beautifully with all the red fruit notes starting the symphony as the sip opens and intermingles with layers of old world dusty earthen tannin and integrated balanced acidity to quench the palate and leave you yearning for another sip. Cherry skins, rosehips, blood orange, dusty earth, soft leather, cedar and rosemary!

Opend this wine with some homemade lasagna that was oozing with layers of mozzarella, provolone and ricotta, alongside some of our garden tomato sauce and dried herbs. Memorable meal accompanied by this wine!

(FINAL SCORE 88/100)

 

Best Rye Whiskey of 2024.

 Greetings!

Thanks for stopping by, as you can probably see this is a blog dedicated to the appreciation of spirits, wine and beer among other ferments from around the world.

A major part of my 2024 journey was fine tuning my own personal palate for a whiskey that I have grown to love over the years. Rye Whiskey. More on the history and my affinity for this delicious foundational American spirit in future posts but for now, as the clocks tick down to the new year. I enlisted the help of my wonderful wife and inquisitive 8yr old to set up a blind of the rye whiskeys I was most excited about this past year.  

The Top Ten Ryes of 2024 

According to the Bottle Forager... 

I brought together my selections from the cellar and labeled them 1-10 on the bottoms with painters tape.

Then I left the room and sat down to cleanse my palate with water and a few pretzels. 

Apparently my kiddo picked 5 of the bottles randomly and my lovely wife poured a 1.5z pour of each offering and labeled it according to which bottle.

With two flights of 5 ryes, I judged each flight based on its nose, taste, mouthfeel and overall appreciation of these fine crafted whiskeys.

I took notes, went back and forth and slowly assigned points to each glass and organized them from best to "worst", because honestly I would be super grateful to sip any of these offerings, hence why they made it in my favorite ryes of 2024.

the Bottle Forager deep in contemplation.

After scoring both flights it was time for a final showdown of the top 3.

I also blindly guessed which each offering might have been and was quite surprised on how accurate those results were!

THE FINAL RESULTS 

1. WILLET SINGLE BARREL RYE 11YR

(Barrel No. 2396 (bottle 95/147) 

118.6 proof (59.3%)

SCORED 95pts

2. 15 STARS FINEST WEST RYE 

(105 proof (52.5%) 

SCORED 94pts

3. HARD TRUTH SWEET MASH RYE

(Rackhouse 001 Batch 007 30barrels)

(116.1 proof (58.05%) 

SCORED 94pts

4. WILD TURKEY MASTERS KEEP TRIUMPH

(104 proof (52%)

SCORED 93pts

5. MICHTERS BARREL STRENGTH RYE

(Barrel No. 24EO197)

(110.6 proof (55.3%)

SCORED 92pts

6. BULLEIT 12YR RYE

(92 proof (46%)

SCORED 90pts

7. LITTLE BOOK CHAPTER 8 PATH NOT TAKEN

(118.2 proof (59.1%)

SCORED 89pts

8.HEAVEN HILL GRAIN to GLASS RYE

(123.2 proof (61.6%)

SCORED 88pts

9. EH TAYLOR STRAIGHT RYE

(100 proof (50%)

SCORED 88pts

10. KNOB CREEK 10YR RYE

(100 proof (50%)

SCORED 88pts

Thanks for stopping by... check back in for much more bubbles to review as the new year finishes up and many more layers of exploration into Japanese Whiskey, a scotch novices approach to Scotch Whiskey and a smorgasbord of wine regions that I look forward to share and review as the corks pop and our palates evolve!

Cheers and here is to a Happy Healthy 2025!

Bubbles to the New Year... Hush Heath Estate Balfour 1503

Hush Heath Estate Balfour 1503 

Classic Cuvee

This offering is coming in from Kent-England!

from the website:

Established in 1503, Hush Heath Manor has been the Balfour-Lynn family home since the 1980s. 

Set amidst 400 acres of ancient oak woodland in Kent’s Weald, the manor overlooks its vineyards. In 2002, Richard Balfour-Lynn began planting vines with a focus on crafting fine sparkling rosé. Assisted by Stephen Skelton, MW, and guided by Owen Elias, a four-time UKVA Winemaker of the Year, the winemaking journey began.

Today, Fergus Elias oversees day-to-day winemaking. With 40 acres of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay, and select Champagne varieties, Hush Heath remains England’s only dedicated Rosé sparkling wine vineyard, committed to producing world-class wines.

" the 1503 Classic Cuvée is beautifully balanced with lively citrus, apple fruit, and vibrant English acidity. It is the perfect introduction to English sparkling wine.

Approachable in style, the quality of the Kentish fruit is the star. A superb example of a fruit-forward yet complex traditional method English sparkling wine, it is arguably England’s best value traditional method sparkling wine.

Technical Info

• Blend: 56% Chardonnay, 23% Pinot Noir, 13% Pinot Blanc, 7% Pinot Meunier
• Dosage: 9g/l
• Vineyards: Multi-vineyard, all from clay soils

My Thoughts:

 Pours a pale golden color with a big frothy foam that dissipates quickly leaving a spritzy nose of a glass full of rising bubbles. 

Aromas tingle the nose with layers of citrus, white peach, crusty bread and soft underlying hints of gravel and green tea.

Palate is hyper focused and damn this is so lovely!

Nice rolling flavors from stonefruit. green apple and white flowers to a more rustic yeasty complexity that mingles with wet wood and intertwines mid palate with a long creaminess on the finish that lingers with hints of vanilla bean and anise. Complex, delicious and just a pure pleasure to sip from start to finish!

(FINAL SCORE 88/100)

Bubbles to the New Year... Keush Ultra 2018

 Keush Ultra 2018

Brut Nature/Blanc de Noir

From Armenia comes this unique offering of old world bubbles from the Khachik Village, Vayots Dzor.

Crafted with Areni grapes which are know as Armenian Pinot Noir. Armenias wine histroy dates back to 400 BC. I'd say that pretty old world!

MY THOUGHTS:

Light faint nose with a little lift of lemon peel and anise mingled with some peppercorn and a touch of bready yeast.

The palate follows and is bright and crisp with lots of citrus that falls into a baked apple mid palate and proceeds to roll alongside some warming spice and medium acidity on the finish. 

Cideresque but elegant in mouthfeel and bubble.

Fun to try, not as exotic as I expected or hoped for but still and easy bottle to polish off!

(FINAL SCORE 82/100)