This past weekend, February 13-14 I attended the 25th anniversary of the Boston Wine Expo held at the Seaport World Trade Center and Seaport Hotel along the Boston waterfront. With the grand tasting featuring 1,800 wines from over 200 wineries, various seminars, a vintner’s tasting room with high-end wines and chef demonstrations, it’s one of the best consumer wine shows in the country and I look forward attending every year.
Last year was the year of the blizzards in Boston with record amount of snowfall in that city. That year I was able to make it up to the Saturday event only to have a blizzard shut down the event (and the city) on Sunday. Thankfully, this year Boston did not have that problem and Mother Nature cooperated with clear days that weekend in both New York City and Boston. But Mother Nature still had ways to throw a wrench into the works. On Thursday I came down with a stomach virus that knocked the wind out of me and was hoping that by Saturday afternoon, things would calm down.
On both days of the event, the trade is let in a couple of hours before the consumers are and on Saturday afternoon I was at the check-in booth at the start time and ready to go. Unfortunately the lingering effects of the stomach virus keep me from tasting that day. Fortunately on Sunday morning I was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and ready to drink some juice.
Seminar
Wine Spectator’s Gems Of Napa Valley, a sit-down tasting of fifteen Napa wines.
2014 Honig Sauvignon Blanc (Napa Valley). Light yellow with greenish tints, grassy nose, crisp and grassy.
2014 Merryville Sauvignon Blanc (Napa Valley). Light yellow with green tints, peachy lemon on the nose with moderate peach, grass and kiwi fruit.
2014 Kenefick Ranch White “Pickett Road” (Calistoga). Yellow with greenish tints, lime and spicy nutmeg on the nose, moderate oak on the fruit, balanced finish.
2013 Starmont Chardonnay (Carneros). Light yellow with green tints, closed nose of mango, tight and crisp, balanced.
2013 Artesa Chardonnay “Estate Reserve” (Carneros). Medium gold, hazelnut, oak on the nose with tropical fruit notes and good acidity.
2014 Rombauer Chardonnay (Carneros). Light gold, lime and melon on the nose, medium juicy with menthol notes on the moderate to long finish.
2013 Davies Pinot Noir “Hyde Vineyard” (Carneros). Medium red with dark plum and black olive on the nose, juicy plum fruit and good balance.
2013 Truchard Pinot Noir (Carneros). Medium to dark red, sweet strawberry on the nose, juicy with some green fruit on the finish.
2012 Paraduxx Proprietary Red (Napa Valley). Black with a purple robe, slate and mint on the nose with dark, concentrated fruit and crushed rock notes on the balanced finish.
2012 St. Supéry Merlot (Napa Valley). Black in color with a closed nose of ground charcoal, and dark chocolate, tight with graphite notes on the concentrated finish. Very enjoyable.
2012 Madrigal Petite Sirah (Napa Valley). Inky black, brambly and dark berries on the nose, jammy and juicy with graphite tannins.
2013 Round Pound Estate Cabernet Sauvignon “Kith & Kin” (Napa Valley). Black in color with blueberry and tea on the nose with concentrated, silky tannin and black licorice on the finish.
2012 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon “Vintner Select” (Napa Valley). Black in color with a light purple robe, raspberry and black olive on the nose, with juicy red fruit and a crisp finish.
2010 Knights Bridge Winery Cabernet Sauvignon “Beckstoffer Dr.Crane Vineyard” (Napa Valley). Dark red with a purple robe, plum and black cherry on the nose, harsh with high acid on the finish. Not the best in the pack.
2012 Caymus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon “Special Select” (Napa Valley). Inky black with blueberry and menthol on the nose, mint and roast meat on the dense and concentrated fruit, dried herbs on the juicy finish. Big wine.
Vintner’s Reserve Lounge
A separate tasting lounge with some extra special juice.
2011 Bodega Catena Zapata Chardonnay Adriana Vineyard “White Stones” (Argentina). Gold in color, ripe mango on the nose with juicy ripe tropical fruit.
2009 Louis Latour Meaursalt-Blagney (Burgundy). Medium gold, floral dried flowers on the nose, tight with earthy floral notes on the firm finish.
2012 Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne (Burgundy). Medium gold with dried flowers on the nose, tight and balanced with just enough tropical fruit notes on the finish. Tasty.
2008 Bouchard Père & Fils Meursault “Les Perrières” (Burgundy). The local wine school had a table pouring wines with some bottle age to them. Many were over the hill or on their way there except this one. Medium yellow with a ripe nose, mineral notes on the ripe fruit and nicely balanced.
2005 Chateau Suduiraut Sauternes (Bordeaux). Dark gold, dusty ripe apricot and botrytis on the nose, silky peach fruit with nice acidity and a long finish.
2012 Hewitt Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Rutherford). Dark red with a purple robe, closed nose of dried herbs, dense, dusty, chewy with a good grip on the moderate to long finish.
2012 Beaulieu Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon “Georges de Latour” (Napa Valley). Dark red with a purple robe, floral, black pepper and black fruit on the nose, dense with silky tannin and green herbs on the finish.
2012 Sterling Vineyards “Platinum Reserve”. (Napa Valley). Dark purple, black licorice on the nose, dense and dusty with bright fruit and a firm finish.
2012 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon “Private Reserve”. (Napa Valley). Dark red, purple robe, slate and crushed rock on the nose, dense and tight with dried herbs on the firm, balanced finish.
2013 Caymus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley). Dark red to black, very fruity nose, chewy dark chocolate fruit. Plush.
2012 William Cole Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon “Cuvée Clair” (Napa Valley). 100% Cabernet, dark purple with red licorice on the fruit forward juice, good balance.
2012 Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon “Bin 707” (Australia) . Dark red with slate and dried herbs on the nose, tight and silky with great balance.
2010 Bodega Catena Zapata Malbec “Nicasia ” (Argentina). Dark red, ripe berries on the nose, dense with some salinity on the fruit.
2010 Bodega Catena Zapata “Nicolás Catena Zapata”. (Argentina). Their flagship wine, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. Decanted, black in color with a purple robe, slate and crushed rock on the nose, dense and concentrated with herbs and black licorice on the firm and balanced long finish.
2010 Usiglian del Vescovo “Il Barbiglione” (Tuscany). A super Tuscan, medium to dark red with a big nose of stinky black cherry, tight, medium dusty fruit, silky tannin at the balanced finish.
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