I take part in the annual WS Top 100 selection!!

First tasting of the year at DeVines downtown here in Edmonton. 60 participants get a chance to taste some of the wines featured in the new top 100. Stand up style with some great food, including braised pork loin, meatballs, pasta shrimp salad and Piave Vecchia cheese.

1) `05 Planeta Chardonnay Sicily.

Was chosen #50 and served as reception. Golden color, honey, butterscotch spot on. Not really my style, $43 Cdn

2) `05 Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay, Sonoma.

#2 in the WS list and one of the wines of the night here. This was termendous even for non-chard drinkers! Spice, toasty oak with flavors of figs and pear. Lots going on here, what a great wine! Cost n/a.

3) `05 Vina Montes Alpha Apalta Vineyard Syrah, Colchaqua, Chile.

#30, this was singing forumites. Ripe, smooth texture, cherry, blackberry. Hints of vanilla mixed in here. Some cab sauv and viognier blended in. Lovely, great with the pork loin on sourdough. $27, buy, buy!!

4) `04 Pontet-Canet, Pauillac.

Not too many sure about this one, new to top-class Bordeaux? #34 on the annual list. Way too young of course but I noted tobacco, currant on the nose. Mint, cedar, raspberry for sure. Has all the potential but keep for how long??

5) `04 Antinori Tignanello, Tuscany.

#4, right up there. What a great wine, can see what all the fuss is abouit. WOTN for many! Great fruit concentration, long memorable finish. Some people had the `97 I believe, lots of chatter about this one around the room. Think around $85?

6) `05 Descendientes de Jose Palacious Petalos, Bierzo Sp.

Many TNs on forum here. #95 on the list, 3rd time I have tasted. Spice, plum nose with licorice, blackberry taste. Love this fun wine at $31, wonder if Otto has seen this? Flew out of the store and can see why. We all have to seek this one out, maybe not that typical of area but try it. One lady said "I only drink white wine, this makes me a believer".

7) `05 Schild Barossa Shiraz, Australia.

Very popular in the room. #16, way up there and $32. Wow wine from the Barossa, have to try the riesling after this. Great balance, cherry, pepper, soft tannins. Lovely complexity, drinks well now. Why keep?!!

Mystery surprise wine!

Think this is a shiraz from Aust? Great balance, round smooth, guess around 15% alc. Deep color here, massive fruit flavors, sweet, oak in background. Few thought Chile, some California? All wrong, it turned out to be.....................> #8, Carnival of Love Shiraz Mollydooker.

Here comes the reaction I thought as wine unfolded! "The wine costs $110? No way". "The Schild is much better value". "Can see what all the fuss is about, how many bottles can I have?". So it went on, what a night eh.

Thanks for sharing your notes.

[Robin Garr]

First tasting of the year

Bob, am I reading your title correctly, you were involved in helping the Speck pick its top 100 wines? While I don't generally agree much with their conclusions, that's still quite an honor! How'd they find you way out there in the Canadian steppes?

No no, my local winestore where I co-host tastings had a selection from the Top 100.

First tasting of the year at DeVines downtown here in Edmonton. 60 participants get a chance to taste some of the wines featured in the new top 100. Stand up style with some great food, including braised pork loin, meatballs, pasta shrimp salad and Piave Vecchia cheese.

Was this the whole selection you tasted Bob. What about #22, #36 or #73 on the WS list? Although you have posted on #73 in Wine Focus, I think.

Choice was limited to 8 wines and only wines available in the store where we held tasting!