My first batch of Tasting Notes

Tasting notes from a very enjoyable supper among friends. As well, our host did a great job of lining up the wines so they didn’t step on one another’s toes too much. Remember, these are BP’s notes and may bear little or no resemblance to those of a civilized person. The name and vintage of each wine is followed by a thought that describes the wine (to me) but may also more accurately describe where my head was at while tasting drinking these great wines.  

Delaine Vineyard 2007 Chardonnay – Brighton, Ontario Apple Fest - Superior example of an Ontario Chard. Nice bright colour, opens fresh, crisp and apple-y on the nose and palate, clean pure flavours. Nice wine from a terrific vintage.

Grilli de Testamatta 2006 –1992 Bjorn Daehlie meets 1960 Marcello Mastroianni – Powerful, longlasting, but at the same time subtle and suave! This is a wonderful, smooth, opaque wine made to be enjoyed. It glides across the palate. Hint of oak apparent but nicely integrated at this time. Fuller and more viscous than many Sangiovese – maybe due to the Caniolo / Colorino combo in the blend – this shows the best of a great Tuscan vintage and is so long on the palate.

Franciscan Stylus 2005 – Darryl Hall – but not from the big hair days, from the ‘Live from Darryl’s Place’ days. (Google it and Pick your favourite song)  - A little full of itself and doesn’t care who knows it! Great California nose with hints of cocoa, cedar and fruit. On the palate, drying tannins are prevalent but not overwhelming. Less fruit driven on the palate than I expected, I was expecting currants galore, but still plenty of subtle dark fruit and cocoa dust.

Thorn Clarke William Randell 2005 – Fleetwood Mac - Rumours - Smooth and in perfect harmony. Barossa in a glass. Big, well integrated oak, fruit on fruit, both nose and palate-wise. Kirsch, caramel notes maybe? Quite a prelude to the next wine.

Mollydooker The Boxer 2008 – Hmmm, conficting thoughts here. Was this “AC/DC on the stereo while watching Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior ” or was that Robitussen in my reidel stemware? This is way over the top in a ‘once a year and it makes me smile’ kinda way.  Actually thought it was better with the spicy ribs than alone but unlike all the other wines, I could not make a habit of this wine. That said, it was enough to make me want to try to find another of the Mollydooker wines the next time I’m in B.C. - in spite of B.C.’s crazily elevated wine prices.

Chateau Reynella Basket Press Shiraz 2004 – Russell Crowe. Normally with Chateau Reynella, I’d say Russell Crowe in Gladiator. But to describe this one following the MollyDooker, I have to say Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind. It seemed understated after the Boxer. That is really saying something because this wine has never been accused of being that!  Another terrific big wine from the McLaren Vale. Gobs of dark fruit and hints of nori or olive tapenade. Some sort of salty note anyway.

Robert Mondavi Reserve 2000 – Cary Grant. This wine says “relax on the sofa with the headphones on listening to Nat King Cole on a drizzly November day  while a great big prime rib roasts in the oven and fills the house with glorious aromas”. But as it was and where it was in the lineup, imagine Cary Grant coming to dinner with a crowd of Aussie rules football players.  He’d still be Cary Grant but some of his subtleties might get overlooked. Leather, plums becoming prunes, and fine, almost imperceptible tannins at this point. A very, very nice mature Cab.

We closed the night with a very good older vintage ice wine. Name and vintage escape me. It started with notes of raisins, raisin pie to me, then morphed into apples baked with raisins, a cinnamon stick, brown sugar and maple syrup – ooops and pecans or walnuts. And yes I really did smell all that and taste it too.