Exhibit A of what not to drink after a Bordeaux tasting
November was the season of Twitter tastings and I was asked to be a part of three tastings – one from #planetbordeaux, the second from Franciacorta, and a Whole Foods Top Holiday wines under $25. Lesson learned #1 – if you really want to enjoy the next morning, don’t invite your girlfriends over, taste all the wines and then plan a crazy night out. Lesson learned #2 – and I should know better – even if you are spitting the wines, tasting eight of them in one evening leads to palate fatigue.
Franciacorta
You may remember that I was blown away by the sparkling wines from Franciacorta during the last Twitter tasting. Let’s just say that “the blush is not off the rose.” I continue to be blown away by the versatility, complexity and individuality of these sparkling wines. We tried four during the tasting and they were delicious:
– Antica Fratta Brut ($25 retail) – notes of green apple, flowers; citrus; bread and a nice minerality.
– Bellavista Cuvee ($35 retail) – pear, apple, fresh baked biscuits and ginger made this blend in my top #2.
– Ricci Curbastro Extra Brut ($40 retail) – it was complex with minerality and savoriness; notes of almond, fresh baked bread and pear. I loved it.
– Contadi Castaldi Rose ($25 retail) — notes of berry, spice, flowers and bread.
The other tasting scheduled the same night was the Whole Foods: Holiday Wines Under $25 Tasting. We tried several wines with other bloggers around the country including the following:
– 2011 Grace Lane Yakima Valley Riesling – notes of peach and green apple with spiciness that would be perfect with a holiday dinner – especially turkey. This was in my favorite two.
– 2012 Tablao Navarra – notes of stewed plum, tobacco and cherry. A nice tempranillo for under $10.
– 2008 H&G Priorat – nice balance with notes of black cherry, vanilla and black pepper. This was my favorite of the tasting.
– 2011 Les Hauts de Bel Air Bordeaux Rouge – notes of raspberries, blackberries, violet and black pepper.
The final tasting was for “Planet Bordeaux for the Holidays.” This is #Planet Bordeaux (shout out to Duran Duran’s Planet Earth).
There I said it as it goes through my mind every single time I see the hashtag. We had a line-up of six wines that were all priced under $15 and all were ready to drink today although some may benefit from decanting.
– 2011 Mouton Cadet Bordeaux – red fruit, herbs and oak.
– 2011 Chateau de Camarsac Bordeaux – spice, berry, cassis and plum. This was one of my favs.
– 2011 Les Hauts de Lagarde Bordeaux – cranberry, herbs, spice and blackberry. Definitely one of the top ones from the tasting for me and many of the participating bloggers.
– 2011 Chateau du Bois Chantant Cuvee Laurence Bordeaux Superieur – plum, soft berry, cedar and mocha.
– 2010 Chateau des Arras Bordeaux Superieur – plum, vanilla, mocha and toast. This is a fantastic wine for the price (under $14).
– 2010 Domaine de Courteillac Bordeaux Superieur – oak, berry, plum, chocolate and a touch of anise.
To read more about these Bordeaux wines, visit www.planet-bordeaux.com.
