[wine] TN Anything but Europe at Sapor 2-3-2005

Anything but Europe at Sapor – 2/3/2005 A small but select group gathered at Sapor for a free-form, "run what you brung" wine tasting. Those who weren't there missed some elderly NZ sauvignon blancs, and one of the best Washington state wines I've ever had. :) W1 – fresh acid snap on nose, herbal flavor, high personality, uncomplicated but sweet, long and tasty. Two minutes later the fruit on the nose was disappearing and the wine was taking on a defrosting refrigerator aroma, apparently corked. Chance Creek, 2001 Sauvignon Blanc, Redwood Valley. W2 – medium gold, attractively acidic nose suggests sauvignon blanc, round and medium bodied, sweet fruit adequately balanced by the acid but this isn't highly structured, smooth finish, good length. Kanu, 2003 Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch. W3 – strong asparagus, bell pepper and other forms of plant life on nose, maybe VA as well, not tasted. Omaka Springs, 2000 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough. W4 – fairly rich gold color, oak and mango chardonnay nose, big wine, maturing chardonnay flavor, touch of an attractive dried fruit taste, quince? Smooth transition to finish, good length, faint blue cheese flavor on the finish, quite good. Robert Sinskey, 1999 Chardonnay, Three Amigos Vineyard, Carneros. W5 – unattractively vegetal nose, not tasted. Goldwater, 2001 Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough. 2.1 – dark color, funky dirty smell, not tasted. Alexis Bailly, 2003 Marechal Foch, Minnesota. 2.2 – medium to light color, Beaujolais nose with some alcohol showing, this could be pinot noir, tastes like pinot too, sweet to the point of artificial, strawberry hard candy? Finishes smoothly, reasonable length, but lacks power. Chateau St. Jean, 2003 Pinot Noir, Sonoma. This wine was much better with 10- 20 minutes more air, the extreme sweetness coming into better balance with the wine's other components; I'd like to taste this in a pinot noir glass. 2.3 – medium color, nose suggests cabernet, touch of alcohol, medium body, smoky oak, flavor lacks fruit, balance pretty good, hot finish lacks length. Stonestreet, 1995 Merlot, Alexander Valley. Probably a touch past its prime. 3.1 – very dark, bashful dark fruit and bell pepper cabernet nose, big smooth wine, pronounced Rutherford dust flavor, pretty good fruit, herbs and chocolate, smooth finish as it tastes, alcohol showing on finish, neither length nor power is special, good wine though. Raymond, 1997 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa. 3.2 – medium dark, nose is alcoholic and vegetal, extremely bell peppery, VA? Flavor smooth, rich, and intrusively vegetal, black pepper on top of the green, finishes alcoholic, could this be going downhill? 2000 Escudo Rojo, Maipo. (Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Cabernet Franc.) On the whole, the group liked this wine better than I did. 3.3 – dark color, distinguished minty cabernet nose, sweet black currant and blackberry; smooth and full, BIG fruit, some alcohol and acid showing on midpalate, very very smooth transition to finish, exceptional length, medium power, considerable finesse, really good. Quilceda Creek, 2000 Red Wine, Columbia Valley. Note: research indicates this is about 90% cabernet sauvignon with small amounts of merlot and cabernet franc. 3.4 – darkly brilliant color, chocolate mint coffee nose with exotic tones of dried tropical fruit, smooth and full bodied, big fruit on midpalate, ripe tannins, some acid still to integrate; transition to finish alcoholically hot, good length and power though, this needs time. Enzo Boglietti, 2001 Barbera. (I did not write down the specific appellation – probably Barbera d'Alba, but I would appreciate confirmation or correction from someone else's notes.)