Although I'm normally the buyer for these tastings, that was not the case this month so I was tasting all the wines blind (and they were served blind). There were two Californians, two Washingtons, and two Loire Valleys and it was quite apparent (to me, anyway) which was which. As usual, my tastes ran totally counter to the group's.
In order of my preference:
Funk, mineral, tea spices, peppery herbs, good acidity and tannins, nice body but not sweet compared to the other wines, no apparent oak, classy, great balance. Must be the Joguet. It is, 2009 Charles Joguet Cuvee Terroir, $29. Only got two first place votes, and obviously mine was one of them. My first place, group sixth.
Beautiful herb bouquet on the nose with solid sweet black cherry/California-like underpinnings with at best mild, unobtrusive oak. Becomes more delineated and attractive as it sits in the glass. I slowly fall in love with it. It's better than any L & R I've had in the past but no way is this the crowd-pleaser, oaky Steele style so I conclude it's the Lang & Reed. Right again: 2009 Lang & Reed, California (North Coast), $25. My second, group fifth.
Medium red. Sweet nose that reminds me of the knotty-pine panelled cabin in Yosemite my family rented when I was a child. It's sweet and foresty at the same time. The pine dissipates in the glass, however, and the sweetness does not carry over to the medium red fruit on the palate. I guess it's the Bourgeil and that's correct. 2011 Domaine de la Chanteleuserie, Bourgeil, France, $17.
Very dark, dense blue-black wine. Tart at first, coconut oil suntan lotion on the nose with concord grape juice and dark chocolate dominating the mostly black sweet fruit on the palate. VERY PRIMARY. Bigger, tighter and firmer than the next wine which it's very similar to. I presume they're both the Washington wines, and that turns out to be correct. It was a tossup throughout the evening which of these two I preferred least. 2009 Owen Roe "Rosa Mystica", Washington, $48. My 4th, group 3nd.
Dark garnet-black with a little clearing at the rim. Coconutty American Oak, warm berry fruit, mild tannins. I detest the nose but though this one's more 'ready' and therefore pleasurable to drink right now than the Roe above but the Owen Roe has a better future ahead of it and could turn into something interesting if it can shed the oak. 2010 O. S. Winery, Champoux Vineyard, Washington, $30. My 5th, group 2nd (and just to give you an idea of the group tastes, this got 15 out of 45 available first place votes.
Medium red. Very spicy at first with an earthy-mineral thing and initially no fruit whatsoever in the nose. Lightest color of all six wines, and because of all that I initially peg it as one of the Loires (thinking the Bourgeil, by process of elimination). Goes rapidly downhill in the glass, however, losing the spice and picking up that dreaded American oak component along with some vanilla which muddles the soft red fruit and outs it as the Jed Steele wine. My last place wine by a mile, but group first by the same distance with 18 out of 45 available first place votes. $20. (This, btw, was Wine A, and therefore the first wine tasted by most of the group. I'm convinced that any of the American wines in that same spot would have won. Wine A wins about 50% of the time.) 2009 Steele Winery, Lake County, California.