Tag: Merlot

Tasting

Wine Bloggers Conference 2014 – Speed Tasting i.e. Tinder for Wines

Posted on by Josh

Speed tasting. It’s one of the unique events of the Wine Bloggers Conference that’s always explained to you if you’ve never heard of the WBC before, kind of like the warning nod of the hangover to the newly legal. It’s always described as “speed dating but with wine” – though in this case, it’s only a one-way road of looking at your date in disgust. So there’s a plus, and it’s sort of like a Tinder swipe-left-or-right sort of situation.

In the essence of the Live Wine Blogging event, you have 50 minutes to taste through 10 wines. In each 5-minute session, the winery representative pours you wine and gives you a bit of a quick overview before moving on to the next table.… read more

Quaffing

Sandor “The Hound” Clegane: 2010 Máté “Mantus” Merlot

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, deep purple, legs
Nose: clean, med+ intensity, developing, dried red fruit, dried black fruit, earth, mineral, black cherry, dark chocolate, hint barnyard, spice, cloves, cinnamon, fruitcake, blackberry, plum, white pepper
Mouth: dry, med+ body, med+ acid, high slightly coarse tannin, high alcohol, med length, med flavour intensity, earth, dried red fruit, black cherry, mineral, spice
All in all: Good (to very good) quality: the wine shows promise with a complex nose with concentrated and intense flavours. But the tannins tightly close around some of the flavours. Can drink now, but has potential for ageing.

2010 Máté "Mantus" MerlotHoly shit is this potent at 15% ABV. But overall, the aromas are a little less boisterous, and you can imagine the level of spice that emanates from this alcoholic bombshell.… read more

Life · Tasting

2014 Vancouver International Wine Festival – Wine Tour de France Seminar

Posted on by Josh

This year’s wine fest kicked off with me doing the blind tasting challenge on the Wednesday – the rest of my day consisted of lunch with colleagues, errands involving heavy lifting, and then seeing the new Lego movie. I didn’t get as much sleep as I wanted, which is an obvious call for trouble: the next day started off with a France-themed tasting at 9:30AM; the big, busy, and irritating trade tasting at 2:30PM; and an exciting Bourgogne-themed tasting at 5PM. A day full of constant mouth stimuli.

Since this was one of the trade tastings (opposed to a consumer one), there were lots of familiar faces. But I shamelessly admit that any human interaction is personally difficult and gruelling before 11AM (or maybe I’m just a naturally horrible human being), and so I sat down on one of the seats, smiled at the 12 glasses in front of me, got my notebook ready, and did my best not to spill anything.… read more

WSET Diploma

2009 Château L’Argilus du Roi Saint-Estèphe

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clean, deep ruby, legs
Nose: clear, developing, med+ intensity, red fruits, tobacco, black fruits, oak, earth, rubbery earthy character
Mouth: dry, med+ body, med+ broad tannin, med+ flavour intensity, med+ acid, long length, med+ alcohol, earthy, black pepper, cassis, plum, oak, smoke, cinnamon, cedar, mint, floral
All in all: Very good quality: despite broad tannins, the structure is very well balanced and supports a concentrated and complex flavour profile. The wine is persistent and is almost proves to exist at a higher quality level. Drink now, but has potential for short-term ageing.

2009 Château L'Argilus du Roi Saint-Estèphe

[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 9]

And we arrive at the wine I was most choked about not being able to analyze to the fullest due to fried smell receptors, since I’m recovering from a cold – but I did the best that I could.… read more

WSET Diploma

2008 Benziger Merlot

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, med+ ruby, legs
Nose: clean, med+ intensity, youthful to developing, plum, spice, oak, cherry, raspberry, floral, strawberry, red fruit, black fruit, juicy, sweet baking spice
Mouth: dry, med+ body, med fine tannin, med acid, med+ alcohol, med flavour intensity, med+ length, cherry, plum, spice, prune, vanilla, baking spice
All in all: Very good quality: there is a good concentration of fruit and developing characteristics here, and balanced structural components for Merlot. The alcohol is a little warming, but the wine has a long length. Drink now, but has potential for short-term ageing.

2008 Benzinger Merlot

[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 9]

Where Cabernet Sauvignon is vanilla, Merlot is chocolate, and the voluptuous grape that makes textured, fuller mid-palate wines is often blended with the former grape, sort of like a McDonalds vanilla-chocolate swirl ice cream cone.… read more

WSET Diploma

2009 Clos de los Siete

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, deep ruby, legs
Nose: clean, med intensity, developing, earth, musty, pepper, spice, blackberry, black fruits, blueberry, blackcurrant, oak
Mouth: dry, med+ acid, med+ fine tannin, med+ alcohol, med+ body, med+ flavour intensity, blackberry, blueberry, earthy, gamey, savoury, bitter, med+ length
All in all: Good quality: the flavour components are intense and concentrated as is the structure, with a well-integrated acidity and a high level of smooth tannin; however, there is a bit of a bitter finish. Drink now, but has potential for ageing.
Identity guess: High-priced Shiraz from Australia; 2 years old.
Is really: Mid-priced red blend (57% Malbec, 15% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah, 3% Petit Verdot) from Argentina; 4 years old.

2009 Clos de los Siete

[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 6]

First off: the label and the name.… read more

WSET Diploma

2009 Stella Bella Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, deep ruby, legs
Nose: clean, med+ intensity, developing, soy, leather, dark cherry, stewed red fruits, black fruits, oak, mint, green pepper (capiscum), eucalyptus, meat, vanilla, hints of cola
Mouth: dry, med acid, med fine tannin, med+ alcohol, med+ body, med flavour intensity, med+ finish, savoury, leather, green bell pepper, dark cherry, cedar
All in all: Good quality: the flavour characteristics in the wine definitely showed grape character and a sense of place (despite the fact that I got it wrong) along with a relatively long finish. On the nose, I feel that there should be a little bit more fruit to tame the secondary characteristics, along with balance – the slightly lower acid on the palate makes the ripeness a little bit more evident although by no means does this ruin or distract the balance too negatively.… read more

WSET Diploma

2009 Baron Philippe de Rothschild “Baron Nathaniel” Pauillac

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, deep ruby, legs
Nose: clean, med+ intensity, youthful, blackberry, plum, spice, oak, cola, earth, mint, eucalyptus
Mouth: dry, med+ acid, med+ coarse tannin, med+ alcohol, med body, med flavour intensity, long finish, savoury, black cherry, black fruits
All in all: Good quality (apparently on the higher end of such): a long finish is complemented by a balanced structure. Age can both add character to the average complexity and soften the slightly rough tannin. Can drink now, but has potential for ageing.
Identity guess: High-priced Merlot from Chile; 2 years old. (although I was TRICKED, I TELL YOU)
Is really: High-priced left bank Bordeaux from France; 4 years old.

2009 Baron Philippe de Rothschild "Baron Nathaniel" Pauillac[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 4]

Hi.… read more

WSET Diploma

2009 Château Potensac

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, deep purple
Nose: clean, med+ intensity, youthful to developing, blackcurrant, nutmeg, oak, chocolate
Mouth: dry, med+ bodied, med acid, med+ ripe tannin, med+ alcohol, med intensity, med+ finish, blackcurrant, oak
All in all: Very good quality: The wine is concentrated in its intensity, complex in its aromas, and is structurally sound; however, although the tannins are ripe, they are slightly off-balance and need time to soften. Can drink now, but has potential for ageing.

2009 Château Potensac

[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 1]

Deep, dark, and concentrated nose dominated by dark fruit and oak, while the palate was concentrated and powerful, and bordered on ripe, so it wasn’t surprising to me when others guessed that this was from the New World.… read more

WSET Diploma

Jackson Triggs “Proprietor’s Selection” Merlot

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, med ruby, pale rim
Nose: clean, med intensity, youthful, baked blackberries, blueberries, confectionary
Mouth: dry, med- bodied, med- acid, low tannin, med alcohol, med flavour intensity, short length, juicy fruit from a bit of residual sugar.
All in all: Acceptable quality. The good amount of juicy fruit gives a quaffable nature, but lacks in concentration, complexity, and varietal character. Drink now; not suitable for ageing.

Jackson Triggs "Proprietor's Selection" Merlot

[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 1]

I wouldn’t have been able to say this years ago, but now I’m used to it: a wine like this was dominated by a confected and baked fruity nose, mostly cancelling out any varietal character. A second opinion by the palate confirmed that it was thin and out of balance, with a bit of residual sugar that added a juiciness and newbie-attracting character.… read more