Friday Betsy made an Ottolenghi recipe for scallops, shrimp, clams, tomato and feta. Sounds strange, tastes delicious. Wine was a white, the 2012 Abbatucci Il Cavaliere Diplomate d'Empire. Blend of several grapes, of which only Vermentino is known to me. Good acids, exotic nose of herbs and pit fruits, on palate full and a little oily but with good acidic lift.Stony mineral finish. At various points through night I see resemblances to white Rhone, Pigato, and Chablis! A-/B+
Saturday dinner was a chicken curry with the 2015 Yves Leccia Patrimonio rose. Red cherries with orange zest and a little pine resin note. Fun and interesting pink. B
Sunday dinner was fajitas (beef and chicken), wine was the 2015 Domaine de Robert Fleurie. Black cherry, light tannins, good acids, nice buy at $14. B/B+
Saturday afternoon I combined a work trip to city with the Heritage Auctions Blind Tasting Challenge (I was very challenged). Really nice set up, at the Milling Room on Columbus Avenue. Heritage did a great job hosting, with Champagne before and after each session.
2004 Dom Perignon
Bright and fresh style, more peppy than I expect from Dom, I would have guessed this was BdB.
Very good. B+/A-
After the tasting while scores were being tabulated we had some nice little amuses- octopus, shrimp , beet, and more, along with the 2002 Pommery “Cuvee Louise” . Fuller style, apple and a little cherry, fairly yeasty. Nice. B+
Oh yeah, the tasting. I didn;t distinguish myself. 8 wines, 40 minutes, with no clues or context, is hard. I second-guessed myself a lot. I spend way too much time on the first 2 reds (and completely missed both of those). Blind tasting is humbling (I blind taste fairly often, but more often either within a structure or with conversation where you can ask host questions).
2010 Marcassin Chardonnay Three Sisters Vineyard
Very ripe, I went back and forth CA vs Burg, eventually guessed 2003 Girardin Meursault
1995 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Clos des Capucins
Pretty sure Riesling, put down Alsace and then almost switched to German GG, luckily left as Alsace but guessed CSH
1993 Vietti Barolo Rocche
OK, this one I can’t see even though I know it. This had muted fruit and a real ashtray note, I thought it was going downhill, started to go with old Rhone, think I guessed 1971 Bordeaux. Never thought of Piedmont. Biggest whiff of the day on a really bad day!
2012 Gros Freres et Soeurs Echezeaux
Light color, bright cherries, I initially put down Burg but changed to Barbaresco due to color. Damn.
2007 Domaine de la Janasse Chateauneuf du Pape, Chaupin
Tannic. I can’t remember what I guessed here, but it wasn’t CdP or anything close. Some others thought most obvious, but CdP never entered my mind.
1990 Dominus
Well, got vintage, just was in wrong country (guessed 1990 Gazin)
1988 Latour
Structured. Think I guessed ‘91 Cal Cab
2010 Sine Qua Non Five Shooter Grenache
Overripe, guessed Pride merlot
There were three sessions, top 3 showings (who more than doubled my point total) are invited to Las Vegas along with winners from 3 other cities. Humbling, but very fun event, and I hope to go next year if they have again. Great job by Heritage.
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C drinkable. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice.Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.