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South American Tasting (Long) - Printable Version

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- brappy - 03-08-2006

OK.....I'll put the wines in flight order. I took sparse notes at best as this turned into a party. I'm lucky I wrote the wines down to start with. I'll comment on any I thought were great or at least were supposed to be great. Anyway, here we go:

Sauv. Blanc:
Anakena '05 Chile
Chateau Los Boldos '03 Chile

Chardonnay:
Cantena '03 Argentina
Cousino-Macul "Antiguas Reservas" '04 Chile
Luca '04 Argentina
San Nicolas Sabrina Reservas '04 Chile

**The only flaw with the Luca Chardonnay was the slight imbalance of the oak. And I do mean slight. The fruit flavors were outstanding and in the fore followed by the malo and then the oak. Almost seamless; Truly a great effort.

Malbec:
Cantena '02 Argentina
Montes '04 Chile
Luca '03 Argentina

**This was tough. Where I thought the next flight of cabs would be my winners, I found myself with two of the winners right here. The Montes was drinking so well it was tough to put down. Not a lot of complexity but a great palate and finish. The Luca had a sturdy backbone and obviousely needed more time. How much? I don't have a clue but guessing at around 3 - 5 yrs. Also beautiful palate but the finish was disturbing because of the strength of the tannins. The Cantena was a great wine in which I tasted once before on this board for our virtual offline. Great wine but overshadowed by the other two.

Cabernet Sauvignon:
Cantena '02 Argentina
Casa Lapostole '03 Chile
Susana Balbo '02 Argentina
Chateau Los Boldos '03 Chile
Explorador '?? Chile (Late Entry)
Don Melchor '01 Chile
Lazuli '02 Chile

**I'll sum this flight up by placing in order:
1. Lazuli
2. Susana Balbo
3. Cantena
4. Don Mechor
5. The rest
This really surprised me. That Lazuli was great juice. Just full of fruit but at the same time remaining elegant and seductive.

We had two surprises which had nothing to do with South America. I decided to bring a champagne to cleanse the palate in the middle of the reds. I brought a bottle of Billecarte Salmon Brut Reserve NV. I hadn't had this before. This bottle is sturdy. The wine is nice but not great. This did the job cleansing the palate. It wasn't a disappointment but wasn't exciting either. The next bottle was exciting as the host pulled out a bottle of Dom Perignon '78. Upon first opening, the only thing I got was a 2 x 4 on the nose. We let this blow off. Underneath was a nose of beautiful candied caramel with a hint of apple. On to the palate: Imagine this, candied caramel wrapped around candied fruit with the crispiness of the tiniest bubbles I've ever experienced in a champagne and a finish that just stayed with you. The palate and nose continued to evolve as this sat in the glass. This wine won't last but a few more years if that long. Although that could have been the storage before the host got this some 8 or 9 years ago. Anyway, it was a real treat.

We had a small turnout as only 12 made it. I guess Sunday tastings are tough to put together. All in all a great tasting.

Thanks for reading, mark


- winoweenie - 03-08-2006

Sounds like a fun party. Loads of good stuff. Too bad the turnout was so small. Tell the ones who dint' come what they missed. WW


- TheEngineer - 03-08-2006

Mark,

That sounded like a lot of fun! (and a bit of work!). The surprises are the ones that I love as no one expects them to perform, but like the Olympics, the winner may not be the best one, but the one that peaks and rises to the occasion!

When's the next one?


- wondersofwine - 03-08-2006

I like your notes on the Dom Perignon. I'll enjoy it vicariously since I won't have the opportunity to taste it for real.


- brappy - 03-08-2006

Next one is towards the end of April. The theme is Cali Chards and _______. We haven't filled in the blank yet. Some regulars of the restaurant are hosting this one. Plenty of time to get ready.