The Dorks of York gathered last night to taste wines from red burgundy grapes. I was feeling generous and took four bottles. Wines were served blind and unbagged at the end of the night.
1) There's brett on the nose which does lessen with time but it never entirely goes away. Also, ripe raspberry and cherry, tomato, and spice with firm acidity. Doesn't read specifically Oregon or California but it's sure not Burgundy. 08 Bergstrom Cumberland Reserve.
2) Obviously older. Developed nose of sour cherry, coconut and cherry pipe tobacco. Simpler on the palate with a bit of vanilla-oak on the finish. Good though, and a ringer of sorts (it was one of my bottles) to see if anyone would dream that it's from a local winery and grapes grown right here in Bellingham. It definitely outperformed expectations. 02 Mt. Baker.
3) Brett, cidery, dilute. Flavor disappears on the palate. Would never guess this is pinot. It got better later, but it's still a weak showing. 08 Jean Paul Thevenet Morgon Veilles Vignes.
4) Bojo! Strawberry, flowers, very pretty nose. Very pleasant but for a lingering apple cider vinegar note in the aftertaste. 07 Chateau Thivin Cote de Brouilly.
5) Medium bright red color. Big brett, spice, cherries. Bright, polished and round on the palate. On retaste later, seemed simpler than the first time, and the brett-funk shows on the palate. 08 Duck Pond St. Jory. Eh. We quickly move on.
6) The nose grabbed everyone's attention immediately--here, finally, was the game changer. The real deal. Burgundy! Darker, more garnet colored with a hugely complex nose of tar, smoke, and black cherry. On the palate, all of those with black plum, dried fruit leather, figs, and cognac. Long involved dry finish. Everyone was convinced it was Burgundy, and everyone agreed it was outstanding. Though I brought this wine, I was unaware what this was one of my bottles until it was unveiled: 1995 Joseph Swan Estate (poured through a coffee filter at home to remove fine sediment and aerate the wine). Probably at the end of it's life but a very impressive showing.
7) A lot like #5 but without the brett. Bright ruby color. Nose is cherry cherry cherry, no evident oak. It gets spicier the longer it sits and shows a bit of tomato and thyme, but it's a very subtle complexity. Overall it's bright, clean and elegant. Another one of my bottles and though the wine's quite good it does not have the presence typical of this producer: 06 Arcadian Fiddlestix Vineyard.
8 ) Initial brett nose fades revealing sweet raspberry fruit and a tarriness. There's something else odd and unfamiliar on the nose that Gabe calls "steamed asparagus". Thin, high acid, some age but not a lot, I'm thinking it might be a Bourgogne, and my second guess would be New Zealand. Unfortunately, it's more disappointing than that, it's a premier cru: 04 Domaine De Larlot NSG 1er Cru Clos des Forets St. George.
9) Okay, now #6 has some competition! Room-filling, beguiling nose of red and black fruit, old books, smoke, cognac, and licorice. On the palate, deep flavors of black fruit, spice, and bourbon barrel. It's actually quite similar to #6 but heftier, and there's a resonance here because it has a future that #6 doesn't. Brian correctly nails it as late 90's. I knew what it was since I had set it up from the getgo to be the last wine served (I didn't want to know where the others went), the 'grand' (cru) finale if you will, but even then I was impressed. It's a 98 Groffier Bonnes Mares.