Category Archives: Wine Tasting

Zachys Welcome Port Chester Tasting

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Zachys is one of the oldest fine wine and spirits retailer in the country and a spirits auction house. It’s a family-owned operation that was founded in 1944.

Their shop was located in Scarsdale village for many years but then they moved their operations to Port Chester, a town in northeast Westchester about an hour’s ride by Metro North rail.

Not surprisingly for a wine and spirits shop, they often host tastings in the store. On May 20 & 21 they hosted a “Welcome Port Chester” mega tasting at the store to benefit Meals on Main Street. For those two days they had advertised that would have 40 producers pouring over 70 wines.

I attended the event on Sunday afternoon. If you were a fan of Champagne, the selections that were poured were worth the price of the ticket just for that. Piper Heidsieck Rare, Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, and Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame were just a few of the top notch Champagne that were offered for tasting.

The rest of the wines were a good mix of Italian, U.S. and French and made for a nice afternoon of wine tasting. I did try something for the first time that I never had before, a pretzel croissant. Very delicious.

Some of what I sampled:

2020 Louis Jadot Meursault: Light gold, tropical fruit notes on the nose and on the fruit, good acidity.

2020 Louis Jadot Chassagne Montrachet: Medium gold, ripe, floral nose with tropical fruit notes and lime, nice balance.

2003 Chateau Clarke Listrac-Medoc (In Magnum): Opaque brick with a light brick rim, ripe bell pepper and peppermint on the nose, tight silky fruit, ripe vegetable notes on the nice and firm finish.

2012 Chateau Clarke Listrac-Medoc: Clear medium brick, closed nose of leather, tight with slate and pencil shavings on the finish, firm tannins.

2014 Joseph Swan Pinot Noir “Catie’s Corner” Russian River: Clear light brick, big nose of crushed cherry and forest floor, juicy red licorice fruit ending with silky, firm tannins.

2015 Col d’Orca Brunello di Montalcino: Clear light brick, perfume of crushed red fruit with silky red fruit and silky tannins. Some heat.

2015 Muga Prado Enea Gran Reserva: Opaque medium red with a brick rim, dusty roast meat and bacon and the nose and fruit, firm finish.

2017 San Lorenzo Brunello di Montalcino: Clear medium red, tobacco on the nose, tight red fruit ending with dusty tannins.

2018 Raen Pinot Noir Royal St. Robert Cuvee: Clear light brick, forest floor and camphor on the nose, juicy red fruit with tar and tobacco notes, nice balance.

2018 Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon: Opaque dark red with a brick rim, leather and tobacco on the nose, tight and dense with slate notes on the silky finish. Nice wine with a price tag to match.

2018 Vallepicciola Chianti Classico Riserva: Clear medium red, tar and leather on the nose, nice red fruit with good balance.

2019 Rombauer Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley: Opaque medium red, purple rim, bell pepper on the nose, chewy with crushed rock notes on the fruit, firm and balanced.

2019 Forman Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley: Clear medium red, woody crushed red fruit on the nose, chewy with black licorice and dark chocolate on the fruit ending with firm and silky tannins.

2019 Ulysses Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley: Clear medium red, crushed black fruit and tree bark on the nose, dusty fruit with slate notes on the fruit and finish, balanced.

2019 Paul Hobbs Pinot Noir Russian River Valley: Clear medium purple, forest floor on the nose, juicy red fruit with cola and crushed rocks on the balance finish.

2019 Greppicaia Bolgheri “Greppi”: Clear medium red, brick rim, dusty crushed rock on the nose, tight and juicy with brick dust notes, firm finish.

2021 Bethel Heights Pinot Noir “Estate”: Clear light brick, toasty earth on the nose, juicy cola on the fruit with tar and rocks on the balanced finish.

2021 Bethel Heights Pinot Noir “Aeolian”: Light brick with toasty earth on the nose, juicy cola on the fruit with tar and crushed rocks on the finish, nice balance.

SlowWine NYC 2023

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The Slow Wine movement began 30 years ago in Piedmont, Italy and is aligned with the Slow Food movement.

The wineries that were selected by Slow Wine are wineries “that respect and reflect the local terroir and practice sustainable methods that benefit the environment” and are 100% free of chemical herbicides. They are given the “snail” seal of approval.

The multi city tour stopped in San Francisco, Miami, Dallas, Seattle and on March 14th, in New York City.

The event was held at Eataly downtown at 101 Liberty Street in downtown Manhattan in a stylish room with an expansive view of the surrounding area. Of course, since it was Eataly, some nice food was provided.

About three quarters of the wines at the event were from Italy with wines from the United States a distant second and a handful from the rest of the world. Most of the wine regions of Italy were represented, and the U.S. had a respectable showing with wines from California and Oregon.

My pet peeve: When I go to these events, I like to take notes on what I sample. I do it the old school way with a pen and paper. Usually in the past a book or sheet with the wines being poured and room to take notes was available. Nowadays they are forgoing a physical book for a QR code, and I have to grab a scrap of paper to write on and it’s time consuming to copy all of the wine information.

Some of what I sampled:

2019 Unti Aglianico (Sonoma): Rare Italian varietal in Cali, dark red to black, perfume of sweet violets, chewy dusty fruit, nice grip and a long finish.

2019 Unti Syrah (Sonoma): Opaque dark red, forest floor and camphor on the nose, juicy and chewy with slate notes, good grip.

2019 Ruby Vineyard Pinot Noir “Flora’s Reserve” (Oregon): Clear light purple, red fruit and earth on the nose with juicy red fruit.

2019 Evening Land Pinot Noir “La Source” (Eola-Amity Hills): Clear medium purple, earthy black cherry on the nose ending with tart red fruit.

2019 Gallica Grenache (Sonoma): Clear medium red, ripe crushed fruit on the nose, chewy, earthy fruit with crushed stone notes on the finish.

2019 Gallica Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Opaque medium red, slate and crushed black fruit on the nose with dusty black fruit and a firm finish.

2018 Newton Cabernet Sauvignon Mt Veeder (Napa Valley): Dark red with a brick rim, roasted meat and camphor on the nose ending with tight red fruit.

2018 Newton Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mt (Napa Valley): 100% Cabernet, opaque dark red, tobacco and crushed rocks on the nose, dusty, dark fruit with silky tannins.

2021 Vicara Grignolino (Piedmont): Very light red, smoky nose, delicate fruit with crushed stone notes ending with moderate acidity.

2020 La Spinetta Barbaresco “Bordini” (Piedmont): Clear light brick, toasty barnyard on the nose, tight red cherry fruit with moderate acidity.

2019 Castello di Neive Pinot Nero (Piedmont): Clear light brick, tree bark on the nose, tight red cherry fruit, moderate tannins and acid.

2019 La Spinetta Barolo “Garretti” (Piedmont): Clear light brick, tar and leather on the nose, silky dark fruit with gritty tannins and a long finish.

2018 Pian delle Querci Brunello di Montalcino (Tuscany): Clear light brick, tar and cigar box on the nose, good fruit with a nice balance.

2016 Col D’Orcia Cabernet Sauvignon “Olmaia” (Tuscany): Clear medium red, barnyard on the nose, black licorice fruit.

2016 Badia a Coltibuono “Sangioveto” (Tuscany): 100% Sangiovese, clear light brick, toasty nose, tight, dark ripe fruit with red licorice notes on the finish.

2015 Col D’Orcia Brunello di Montalcino Riserva “Poggio al Vento” (Tuscany): Clear medium brick, cooked ripe fruit on the nose, tight and tannic.

La Paulée de New York 2023

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La Paulée is a centuries old tradition of the end of harvest feast for the vintners and workers. The modern version began in 1923 when the Mayor of Meursault in Burgundy invited friends from the nearby domains to his winery for the celebration.

This tradition was brought to the new world in 2000 when the Daniel Johnnes, the sommelier of Montrachet restaurant at the time, created the modern-day version in New York City.

It began as a one-day event and is now a week-long event this year from February 24 to March 4. It’s a series of wine tastings and wine dinners culminating with the Grand Tasting on Saturday March 4.

I attended the Grand Tasting on Saturday where over 100 white and red Burgundy were poured from the 2020 vintage which is the latest vintage to be released.

The event was held at the Chelsea Piers sports complex in Pier 60 restaurant overlooking the Hudson River on the west side on Manhattan.

No one would call this vintage “opulent” by any means. I thought that the reds had some nice red fruit but, not surprisingly, very hard edged at this stage. I would love to taste them a few years down the road after they have had a chance to settle down.

The whites on the other hand, for the most part I was getting very pretty aromas but with very light fruit and good acidity. I suppose light and delicate would be a good way to explain them.

In any case it was an enjoyable afternoon drinking some of the best wines in the world.

2020 Vintage

Caroline Morey Chassagne Montrachet “Chambrees”: Light gold, big nose of tropical fruit with tropical fruit notes on the light finish. 

Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru: Light gold, toast and honey on the nose, mouth filling moderate fruit, nice balance. 

William Fevre Chablis Grand Cru “Les Clos”: Light yellow, floral nose, moderate fruit with crisp acidity, good balance. 

Bouchard Pere & Fils Beaune 1er Cru “Clos de la Mousse ” monopole: Clear light brick, soft leather on the nose, silky red fruit ending with silky tannins, long finish.  

David Duband Echezeaux Grand Cru: Clear medium purple, roasted vegetables on the nose, gritty and chalky black fruit ending with firm tannins.

Domaine Arnaud Mortet Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru: Clear medium purple, sweet, dusty spice on the nose, silky dark fruit ending with silky tannins. great balance.

Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru: Clear medium brick, leather and tobacco on the nose, silky dark fruit with a long, balanced finish. 

Domaine Duroche Gevrey Chambertin: Clear medium purple, sweet spices on the nose, silky red fruit and a great balance. 

Domaine Nicolas Rossignol Volnay 1er Cru “Santenots”: Clear medium red, forest floor on the nose, dense black fruit ending with big tannins on the long finish. 

Domaine Chevillon Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru “Les Roncieres”: Clear medium purple, crushed black cherry and spice on the nose, juicy black fruit with firm tannins.

Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits St. George 1er Cru “Les Saint Georges”: Opaque dark red, dark leather and mint on the nose, cherry dark fruit with gritty tannins and a nice mouth feel. 

Domaine Derey Freres Marsannay “Les Genelieres”: Clear medium purple, crushed red fruit on the nose, silky red fruit ending tight and tannic. 

Domaine Didier Fornerol Cote de Nuits Villages Rouge: Clear light purple, earth and wood on the nose, juicy with tight and silky tannins.

Domaine Didier Fornerol Cote de Nuits Village Rouge “La Rue des Foins”: Opaque medium purple, black leather on the nose, silky black fruit ending with silky tannins, great balance. 

Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay: Clear medium purple, nice perfume of tar, violets and tobacco with red fruit ending with firm tannins. 

Domaine Hudelot Noellat Vosne Romanee 1er Cru “Les Suchots”: Clear dark purple, crushed red fruit and damp earth on the nose with tight, dark fruit and gritty tannins. 

Domaine Meo Camuzet Nuit St. Georges 1er Cru “Aux Boudots”: Clear medium purple, roast meat on the nose, tight red fruit with crisp acids. 

Caroline Morey Chassagne Montrachet Rouge: Clear light purple, roast meat on the nose, silky fruit, tight tannins. 

Joseph Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru “Clos des Mouches”: Clear light purple, cherry and earth on the nose, juicy red fruit with leather notes, moderate tannins and acid. 

Wine & Spirits Top 100 2023

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On February 15th, I attended the 3rd annual Wine & Spirits magazine’s Top 100 wine event.

Wine & Spirits magazine was founded in 1982 and focuses on, not surprisingly, the personalities, geography and news of the wine and spirits industry. They also evaluate and rate wines and spirits.

This was a tasting of what they considered the top 100 wines of the world for this year. It was also a benefit for the NY/NJ Baykeeper, an organization which bills itself as an advocate for the NY/NJ harbor estuary.

The event was held at the perennial event venue, the Metropolitan Pavillion located at 123 West 18 Street in Manhattan and was open to both Trade and Consumer.

They had a good sampling of sparkling, rosé, white, red and dessert wines of the world and I particularly enjoyed the California Cabernets. Whoever was responsible for the food at the event did a good job this time around, there was some very tasty nibbles to go with all that good wine.

Some of my highlights:

White

2020 Fess Parker Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict Vineyard: Light gold with toasty notes, nice balance.

2021 Tablas Creek Cotes de Tablas Blanc: Medium gold, ripe flowers and lime on the nose with pineapple and lime notes on the crisp finish.

2019 Zind-Humbrecht St. Urbain Pinot Gris: Medium gold with a closed nose of green herbs, nice floral finish with a good balance.

Red

2019 Corison St Helena Cabernet Sauvignon “Sunbasket Vineyard”: Clear medium purple, closed nose, juicy, silky fruit ending with firm, silky tannins.

2016 Duckhorn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mt: Clear medium brick, dried leaf on the nose, juicy black fruit with mint notes, firm black cherry finish.

2018 Diamond Creek Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon “Red Rock Terrace”: Opaque dark red, black licorice and forest floor on the nose, silky red fruit with dark chocolate notes, great balance.

2018 Diamond Creek Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon “Gravelly Meadow”: Opaque dark red, perfume of black licorice and forest floor, concentrated with dark chocolate, slate and cherry notes ending with a silky grip.

2015 Jordan Vineyards Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: Nice to try a Cab with some bottle aging, clear medium red, violets on the nose, silky and balanced.

2018 Ridge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon “Monte Bello”: Clear medium red, black licorice on the nose with silky and dusty fruit ending with a balanced finish.

2019 Sullivan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon “Founders Reserve”: Opaque dark red, roasted nuts on the nose, thick with dark chocolate and black fruit notes, moderate tannins and acidity, drinking nicely.

2019 Delas Freres Cote Rotie “La Landonne”: Opaque dark red, roast meat on the nose, concentrated dark fruit with ripe, silky tannins.

2018 Fratelli Alessandria Barolo “Gramolere”: Clear light brick, closed nose of tar, dusty and tight.

2019 Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore: Clear medium brick, leather and mint notes on the nose, dusty fruit with silky tannins, nice balance.

2019 Petrolo Barolo Val d’Arno di Sopra Boggina Riserva: Clear light brick, tree bark on the nose, silky, earthy fruit with firm, silky tannins.

2017 Produttori del Barberesco “Rabaja”: Clear light brick, closed nose of anise, silky and tight

2016 Sandrone Barolo “Vite Talin”: Clear light brick, dark chocolate and dirt on the nose, tight rasperry fruit ending with big tannins.

2017 Vega Sicilia Tinto Valbuena 5: Clear medium red, leather notes on the nose, silky red fruit with a nice balance.

Chianti Classico Book Seminar

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On February 6, I attended a talk given by Alessandro Masnaghetti who wrote a newly published book on Chianti Classico.

The lecture was held at the offices of Baneville Wine Merchants located at 126 East 38th Street in midtown Manhattan.

It’s a big book with a lot of detail for that district of Chianti. I did learn what a UGA (Unita Geografiche Aggiuntive) is which are officially delimited subzones within a Chianti subzone.

As part of the lecture, we tasted five Chianti from five of those UGA subzones. They were from the 2020 vintage and were drinking nicely.

2020 Cigliano Di Sopra (San Casciano): Clear medium purple, dusty tar. graphite and earth on the nose, concentrated dusty bright red fruit with crushed rock notes on the finish.

2020 I Fabbri “La Mole” (Lamole): Clear medium brick, dusty nose of green stems and rocks, juicy red fruit and black licorice ending with a mouthful of tannins.

2020 Fattoria Le Masse (San Donato in Poggio): Clear medium red, big perfume of sweet crushed red fruit and some earth, concentrated silky black fruit with dusty leather notes on the long and balanced finish. My favorite of the flight.

2020 Tolaini “Mello” (Gaiole): Clear red with a perfume of violets and roast meat, tight red fruit with firm tannins and a long finish.

2020 Tolaini “Vallenuova” (Castelnuova Beradenga): Opaque dark red, perfume of tar, red leather and sweet fruit with dusty, silky red fruit with a good grip and a nice balance. Another favorite of the tasting.

Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux NYC 2023

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On Monday, January 23, I attended the annual world tour of the Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux.

The Union is a trade organization that represents the Grand Crus of 130 chateaux in Bordeaux. The tour brings them to Europe, Asia and North America and showcases the current released vintage of the wines, in this case the 2020 vintage.

The event was held at Cipriani restaurant at 110 East 42nd Street in Manhattan with a trade tasting in the afternoon and the consumer tasting in the evening.

This was an excellent tasting with an opportunity to sample many grand cru Bordeaux while getting an idea on how the vintage turned out.

The 2020 vintage generally got good reviews, from my point of view I had the impression that many of the wines exhibited characteristics of a cool weather vintage. I was getting a lot of tart red cherry fruit and bitter cherry notes on the finish. Some were a mouthful of tannins while others were more approachable but even the approachable ones will need a few more years in the bottle to round things out. Alcohol levels were manageable since I wasn’t getting a lot of heat on the finish for the most part.

2020 Vintage

Saint-Emillion

Chateau Canon: Opaque medium red with a purple rim, petroleum on the nose, silky fruit with firm tannins and bitter cherry on the finish.

Chateau Canon La Gaffieliere: Opaque dark red, tar and tobacco on the nose, concentrated red cherry fruit with firm tannins and bitter cherry on the finish.

Chateau Fourtet: Opaque dark red, tar and violets on the nose with dusty sweet black and black licorice ending with firm tannins.

Chateau La Gaffieliere: Clear medium red, toasty leather on the nose, dusty and silky red fruit with silky tannins, good balance.

Chateau Pavie Macquin: Clear medium red, perfume of tar, leather and cigar box, silky red fruit with balanced tannins and acid at the end.

Pomerol

Chateau Le Bon Pasteur: Opaque dark red, crushed black fruit and toast on the nose, dusty black fruit with mint notes, firm, silky tannins.

Chateau Clinet: Opaque dark red, brambly, black fruit and green stem on the nose, silky black fruit with firm tannins.

Chateau La Pointe: Clear medium red, candy apple nose, black fruit with firm but balanced finish.

Chateau Le Gay: Clear medium red with a brick rim, dusty nose, red cherry fruit with bitter cherry notes on the tart finish.

Listrac-Medoc

Chateau Fourcas Dupre: Clear medium red, toasted barnyard on the nose, silky red fruit with a firm, nice balance.

Haut-Medoc

Chateau Citran: Clear medium red with a brick rim, toasty red cherry on the nose, dusty black fruit with toast notes on the finish, moderate tannins.

Margaux

Chateau Angludet: Opaque medium red, stinky, tar and damp earth on the nose, juicy fruit with a tarry balance. Accessible.

Chateau Brane-Cantenac: Opaque dark red, sweet perfume and green herbs on the nose, tight red cherry fruit, firm tannins.

Chateau Cantenac Brown: Opaque medium red, dust crushed black fruit on the nose, tart, bright red fruit ending with moderate to low tannins.

Chateau Kirwan: Opaque medium red, crushed red fruit on the nose, juicy red fruit with firm, silky tannins.

Saint-Julien

Chateau Beychevelle: Clear dark red, pretty perfume of earth, tar and violets with silky black fruit, bitter cherry on the finish, silky tannins.

Chateau Branaire Ducru: Clear medium red, perfume of crushed black fruit and damp earth with earthy black fruit and a dusty finish. Moderate tannins.

Chateau Leoville Poyfere: Opaque red fruit with a purple rim, smoky gravel on the nose, black fruit with dusty, firm tannins.

Chateau Talbot: Clear medium red, big perfume of toasty black fruit, toasty red fruit with big tannins at the end.

Pauillac

Chateau Clerc Milon: Clear medium red, red cherry on the nose, red cherry fruit with leather notes on the finish, moderate tannins and firm acidity.

Chateau Duhart Milon: Clear medium red, wet earth and tar on the nose, silky red fruit with firm tannins.

Chateau Lynch Bages: Clear medium red, toasted tobacco on the nose, tart red cherry fruit with moderate tannins.

Saint-Estephe

Chateau Ormes de Pez: Clear medium red, damp earth and barnyard on the nose, tight and tannic.

Wine Shop Wine Class

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New York Vintners is a wine shop in lower Manhattan. For many years in addition to selling wine, they would host wine classes and wine dinners on a variety of wine topics.

The tastings were small, sit-down affairs and they were usually a lot of fun, unfortunately they stopped having those tastings a few years ago and the pandemic didn’t help matters.

They recently moved into a new shop at 63 Barclay Street right up the block from Eataly downtown and began hosting wine tastings and classes last December.

I signed up for the “Wines of the Southern Hemisphere” class on a Sunday afternoon in December. The new wine store is dark and chic and when I arrived for the class, I was given a glass of Prosecco (not southern hemisphere but close enough). It was an intimate event with me and two others and the in-house Sommelier presenting the wines. We were served five wines and some nice charcuterie.

The wines served in class:

2017 Klein Constantia Chardonnay (South Africa): Clear medium gold, ripe fruit and earth on the nose, ripe pear notes on the fruit, tight, oaky, dry.

2021 Fabre Montayou Torrontes (Argentina): Clear light gold, peach and spice on the nose, tight stone fruit ending dry and mouth watering.

2015 Casa Silva Carmeniere “Los Lingues Vineyard” (Chile): Opaque black with a purple rim, dusty, peppery, black licorice and tobacco on the nose, concentrated black fruit with oak, gun metal and dried leaf notes on the finish. Some heat.

2020 Fabre Montayou Cabernet Sauvignon (Argentina): Dark black with a purple rim, closed nose of coconut, sage and black cherry, chewy and chunky with dusty black fruit and a crisp finish.

2019 Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon (Chile): Opaque dark red with a purple rim, perfume of red bell pepper and floral red fruit, chewy with tobacco notes on the fruit, good grip at the end.

La Tablée NYC 2022

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The La Tablée tasting was held in New York City on November 19 of last year and featured the wines of the Rhone Valley of France.

The term La Tablée denotes the meal celebrating the end of harvest, similar to Burgundy’s La Paulée and not surprisingly, the folks who ran this event also run the New York La Paulée event.

The Rhone is divided into the Northern Rhone and the Southern Rhone. In the north, Syrah is the primary grape used. Those wines are wines that California wine drinkers would love since they tend to be beefy wines with notes of roast meat and bacon on the nose.

In southern Rhone they are legally able to use up to thirteen varietals with Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Syrah doing the bulk of the work for the red wines. At this tasting I tried Chateauneuf du Pape that were 100% Grenache.

The tasting was held at City Winery located at 25 11th Avenue at Pier 57 overlooking the East River on the west side of Manhattan. With large picture windows overlooking the river, there was plenty of natural light in the room. The venue didn’t get overcrowded that afternoon but that was probably due to the price of the ticket than the perceived quality of the wines.

Many of the reds poured were from the 2019 vintage which received a very good score from the wine writers.

Some of the highlights:

Southern Rhone

2019 Domaine Giraud Chateauneuf du Pape “Tradition”: Clear light purple, red fruit with some earth on the nose, juicy and spicy with a nice balance.

2019 Domaine Roger Sabon Chateauneuf du Pape “Prestige”: Opaque dark purple, chalk and crusted stone on the nose with juicy black fruit and notes of green herbs, nice balance.

2019 Domaine de Cristia Chateauneuf du Pape “Vieilles Vignes”: Clear medium red, crushed rocks on the nose, juicy, chunky dark chocolate fruit, good balance at the end.

2020 Domaine de la Janasse Chateauneuf du Pape “Chaupin”: Clear medium purple, toasted bread and crushed red fruit on the nose, silky, spice red fruit, great balance.

2019 Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf du Pape “Cuvee Reservee”: Clear medium red, spicy tar on the nose, silky, tarry and spicy fruit ending with firm tannins.

2012 Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf du Pape “Cuvee Laurence” ed jeroboam: Clear medium brick, pretty perfume of bacon and earth, silky, earth fruit, balanced with some bitter cherry on the long finish.

2019 Domaine de la Monardiere Vacqueyras “Vieilles Vignes: Opaque medium purple, ripe red fruit on the nose, chewy, silky, ending with firm tannins.

2019 Chateau de Beaucastel Gigondas “Clos des Tourelles”: Clear medium red, cigarette smoke on the nose, juicy red fruit, nice balance.

Northern Rhone

2019 E. Guigal Cote-Rotie “Brune et Blonde”: Clear medium red, gun metal and roast pork on the nose, sweet fruit of milk chocolate ending with a great balance.

2011 Jean Michel Gerin Cote-Rotie “Les Grand Places” en magnum: Cloudy medium red, sweet, minty nose, moderate fruit of leather, drops a bit but drinking nicely.

2019 Jean Michel Gerin Cote-Rotie “La Vialliere”: Clear medium purple, damp earth on the nose, tasty, silky black fruit, geat balance.

2019 Domaine Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage ‘La Guiraude”: Opaque medium red, smoky roast meat on the nose with tart, purple fruit.

2020 Cave Julien Cecillon Saint-Joseph “Babylone”: Opaque dark red, red leather on the nose, dark, earthy fruit, great balance.

2020 Cave Yves Cuilleron Saint-Joseph “Serines”: Clear medium purple, toasted notes on the nose with chewy leather notes on the fruit, nice balance.

Rosé Splash 2022

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In the past few years there have been a couple of wine events that featured rosé wines and a boat ride around Manhattan. Those events were La Nuit en Rosé and Rosé Splash.

The La Nuit en Rosé event had a day for the consumer with an afternoon and an evening sail. They also set aside one afternoon with a sailing for members of the hospitality industry while the Rosé Splash event did not. Because they held a tasting for members of the trade, I feel that the La Nuit event poured a better selection of worldwide rosés than the Splash event.

What they shared in common was a boat with three decks of rosé, food, a DJ, a dancefloor and a sail around New York harbor cruising by local icons such as the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge.

Unfortunately, The La Nuit event ran into some “issues” and was forced into bankruptcy last year and did not have an event this year. Fortunately, on August 6th after a two-year Covid hiatus the Rosé Splash set sail on the Spirit of New York from Pier 61 on the West side of Manhattan.

While it didn’t have the same quality of wines as the La Nuit en Rosé boat ride, with three decks of rosé wine to sample and a nice sunny Summer afternoon to be on the water, it was a nice day.

Some of the Rosé I sampled:

2020 Chateau de Berne Romance2020 Chateau de Berne Inspiration
2021 Dauo Family Estate Rose2021 Ame du Vin Provence Rose
NV 90+ Cellars Prosecco RoseNV Bridge Lane Rose In A Can
2020 The Vice Rose of Pinot Noir2020 Croteaux Vineyards Jolie
2021 D’Agostino Rose2021 Albert Bichot Cest la Vie Syrah-Granache
2020 Maiden + Liberty Rosalies2020 Borghese Vineyards Rose of Merlot
2021 Lange Twins Rose of Anglianico

Decanter Wine Encounter NYC 2022

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Decanter is a British based magazine similar to the Wine Spectator magazine in that it reports on all things concerning wine including wine personalities, vineyards, wine regions and the influential wine reviews.

They hold a big tasting in London and in Asia and on June 18th they held their first tasting in the United States in New York City.

That tasting was held at Manhatta restaurant on 28 Liberty Street in the Financial District of lower Manhattan. The restaurant is located on the 60th floor of the building which gave for an amazing view of lower Manhattan.

The tasting was more Euro-centric with France and Italy well represented and a handful of wines from the rest of the world including California. Most of the tables had at least one older vintage that they poured which made for an interesting tasting.

Some of what I sampled:

1995 Col d’Orca Poggio al Vento Brunello di Montalcino Riserva (Tuscany) Clear medium brick, sweet tar and anise on the nose, toasty and tannic.

2005 Chateau Lagrange (St-Julien) Clear medium to dark red, pretty nose of olives and crushed red fruit, concentrated, silky and dusty fruit with silky tannins.

2005 Lungarotti Vigna Monticchio Rubesco Riserva (Umbria) Opaque dark brick, stinky smoke on the nose, silky red fruit ending tight and tannic.

2006 Chateau Lascombes (Margaux) Opaque dark red with a brick rim, toasty, earth notes, ripe vegetable and violets on the nose, chewy with big tannins.

2006 Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape (Rhone) Clear medium brick, dried leaf notes on the nose, chewy and tight, long finish.

2009 Jean-Claude Boisset Chambolle-Musigny (Burgundy) Light brick, roasted meat on the nose, silky red fruit with some earth notes, dusty finish.

2009 Chateau Beychevelle (St-Julien) Medium brick, violets and black olives on the nose, silky, tree bark and olives on the fruit, balanced and long.

2010 Chateau La Dominique (St-Emilion) Opaque black, closed nose of crushed dark chocolate, chunky and chewy with a good grip at the end.

2014 Chateau Lagrange (St-Julien) Opaque medium red, cinnamon and sweet bell pepper on the nose, medium red fruit with big tannins at the end.

2015 Mas de Daumas Gassac Cuvee Emile Peynaud (Languedoc-Roussillon) Opaque dark red to black, earthy nose, chunky and dense with meat notes on the finish, good balance.

2015 Col d’Orca Olmaia Cabernet Sauvignon (Tuscany) Medium clear red, sweet bacon fat on the nose, dusty bell pepper fruit with firm tannins.

2016 Domaine de Chevalier (Pessac-Leognan) Medium with a red purple rim, pretty nose of tar, red leather and sweet spices, chunky and silky with gritty tannins, balanced and long.

2002 Freemark Abbey Sycamore Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) Opaque dark red, pretty nose of mint and cocoa, chewy dark chocolate fruit with a good grip and great balance.

2012 La Jota Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) Opaque black, anise and black fruit on the nose with dense black fruit ending with lip smacking tannins.

2013 Trefethen HaLo Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) Opaque black with a purple rim, mint, smoke and black pepper on the nose, chewy fruit with mint notes, good grip with a long finish.

2013 Domaine Anderson Dach Vineyard Pinot Noir (Anderson Valley) Clear medium red, sweet herbs on the nose, dense with roasted nuts and coffee on the finish, good balance.

2014 Staglin Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) Opaque black, cracked black pepper on the nose, chewy fruit with dark chocolate on the long finish, great balance.

2017 Beaux Freres The Belles Soeurs Pinot Noir (Ribbon Ridge) Clear medium red, sweet red fruit on the nose, silky red fruit with a nice balance.

2018 Freemark Abbey Sycamore Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) Opaque dark red to black, crushed black fruit on the nose, dense red fruit ending with firm tannins.

2018 La Jota Howell Mountain Merlot (Napa Valley) Black with a purple rim, plum and bacon on the nose, dense, bright fruit with tight tannins at the end.

2018 Staglin Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) Opaque black with a purple rim, bacon fat and black pepper on the nose, dense and chewy with mint and dark chocolate on the finish, good grip.

2020 Freemark Abbey Chardonnay (Napa Valley) Light gold in color, lime and green herbs on the nose, juicy tropical fruit notes, good grip.