Tag: Sangiovese

Tasting

Josh tastes 118 wines at Top Drop

Posted on by Josh

If there was one unforgettable takeaway uttered by a wine god during this year’s Wine Bloggers Conference, it was the keynote speaker Karen MacNeil (author of the Wine Bible) who opined – and I’m paraphrasing, here – that people should pay more attention to tasting the wines during such events. Of course, I was thrilled, because that gave me even more validation to ignore people. Ha! Key advice when the militant goal is to taste every wine during a well-curated tasting, but it’s harder than it sounds because I guess I like to wave and flail at people.

A regretful ode to the few tables I did not get to visit: Anthonij Rupert, Badia a Coltibuono, Elio Altare, Giusti, Latta, Montenidoli, Orofino, Scribe, Spottswoode Estate, and that miscellaneous Australia Table.… read more

Life · Tasting

Vancouver International Wine Festival 2015: “Mod Oz”

Posted on by Josh

It just feels slightly unfortunate that this seminar didn’t sell out – I mean, if the idea of Australian Shiraz is being purportedly tired, why aren’t we getting excited about every other fucking grape that can be grown there? Did you see Australian Grüner Veltliner coming? The answer is no. You didn’t.

I mean yes – I tire my face out by tensing my eye sockets and resisting an eye roll every time someone says they “don’t like Australian wine”, which is somewhat fair considering that the market can be saturated with its own stereotypes. I suppose it’s just good business sense, but there’s so much potential past the generic back-of-the-bottle tasting notes that preach deep berry fruit, “smooth”, and an empty promise that it’ll pair well with barbecue.… read more

Life · Quaffing · Tasting · WSET Diploma

WSET Diploma – Unit 3 – Week 11: Central Italy

Posted on by Josh

Sangio-crazy.

So on some last Tuesday of some sort, we were supposed to have practice (I love referring to practice blind tasting sessions as such because it sounds like I’m vaguely into sports) but it was cancelled because there’s a bit of a cold going around. The viruses have decided disregard me over the past few months so I’m lucky, and that’s saying something when you’re in retail because you’re basically touching everyone. I’ll get it at the worst time, I’m sure. That one birthday when I invited my friends over but was wrapped up in a blanket the whole time.

I hopped onto the 2015 Vancouver Wine Festival tickets slightly more ravenously than I did for Lady Gaga concert tickets last year, even though I’m not supremely stoked that Australia is the theme country.… read more

Life · Tasting

Wine Bloggers Conference 2014 – Blends: 2 + 2 = 5?

Posted on by Josh

Okay! So flashback to Day 2 of the the Wine Bloggers Conference: it’s one of those times where we have to choose between three different seminars. There’s a seminar each on Merlot (hosted by Rutherford Hill and Duckhorn wineries), something on “How Pros Taste” (hosted by Jackson Family Wines), and then one on wine blends (hosted by Winebow), the last seeming like a strangely divergent topic from the former two. And I know – I should probably be basking in the Californian-based seminars (when in Rome etc.), but I couldn’t help but be intrigued by something less specific and more amalgamate in style i.e. the idea, at the time, of trying a row of Napa Merlots in the California heat made me scrunch my face.… read more

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

WSET Diploma

2008 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, med- garnet, legs
Nose: clean, med+ intensity, developing, red fruit, earthy, sour cherry, floral, pine, dried herbs, mineral, strawberry, savoury, meaty
Mouth: dry, med body, high coarse tannin, med+ acid, med alcohol, med+ flavour intensity, med+ length, sour cherry, earth, red fruit, herbal, strawberry, spice, savoury, leather, dried fruit, orange peel, baking spice
All in all: Very good quality: the acid is high and the generous tannins are rough but are well woven into the wine, giving good structure for more ageing and further complexity. Persistent. Can drink now, but has potential for ageing.
Identity Guess: High-priced (Barbera/Sangiovese/Nebbiolo) from Tuscany, Italy; 3 years old.
Is really: High-priced Sangiovese from Tuscany, Italy; 5 years old.

2008 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 11]

Had to read out my nose notes for this one.… read more

WSET Diploma

2006 Ruffino “Riserva Dicale Oro” Chianti Classico Riserva

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, deep garnet, legs
Nose: clean, med+ intensity, developing, spice, oak, stewed red fruit, sour cherry, oak, dried herbs, cola, cedar, leather, smoke, prune
Mouth: dry, med+ bodied, high acid, med tannin, med+ flavour intensity, med alcohol, med+ length, sour cherry, spice, leather
All in all: Very good quality: the components are very well balanced. The high acidity is integrated with the concentrated and complex flavours. The length is long, but the alcohol was slightly imbalanced. Drink now, but has potential for ageing.
Identity guess: High-priced Chianti from Italy; 4 years old.
Is really: Premium Chianti Classico Riserva from Italy; 7 years old.

2006 Ruffino "Riserva Dicale Oro" Chianti Classico Riserva

[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 5]

In theory I’ve never really been hot about Chianti.… read more

WSET Diploma

2011 Ruffino Chianti

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, med+ ruby, legs
Nose: clean, med intensity, youthful, ripe red fruit, cherry, spice, black pepper, dried herbal notes, slight confected note
Mouth: dry, med bodied, med+ acid, med- tannin, med- flavour intensity, med alcohol, med- finish, cherry, red fruit
All in all: Good quality: despite simple characteristics and a relatively short finish, this wine had a well-integrated high acidity that provided structure wish fresh intensity. Drink now; not suitable for ageing.
Identity Guess: Mid-priced Chianti from Italy; 2 years old.
Crossed that out like a dingus and instead guessed: Mid-priced Beaujolais-Villages from France; 2 years old.
Is really: Mid-priced Chianti from Italy; 2 years old.

2011 Ruffino Chianti

[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 5]

I always thought that tasting wines comparatively always helped – and it does – but the strength can also be a pitfall. … read more

Quaffing

2010 Fattoria Colmone della Marca Bianco del Moro

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Notes:

Eyes: clear, water white with peachy tinge
Nose: clean, low to med- intensity, youthful to developing, vanilla, spice, floral, subtle woodiness, apple
Mouth: dry, med body, med- to med acid, med+ alcohol, med- intensity, med- length, bitter citrus rind
All in all: Good quality; drink now.

DSC_0540

Blind tasting time!

A clear, almost colourless wine. I wasn’t sure whether or not the hint of peachiness in the wine was due to the red stains in the wine glasses we were using or because of some strangely coloured grape. Like Gewurztraminer.

The nose was weird. I captured little to no fruit – just an ethanol-like spice, a slight neutral vanilla fruitiness, and neutral wood. Further smelling revealed a flutter of apples and more notably, nuts.… read more