Twin Cities Wine Tasting with John Glas
Host your own wine tasting with John Glas

Twin Cites Wine Club

Bordeaux Style Wines

July 16, 2006

 

This was one of our smaller events of the year.  The company as always was great and I found a new favorite merlot the 2001 Avignonesi Desiderio.  This was one of those rare wines where you just can’t believe how good it was.  Even more interestingly was the fact that the nose, taste and finish didn’t seem overly impressive but the combination of everything was a different story.  That is why I rate wines with a score as this wine would have been overlooked based on my written review.  This event also celebrated my brother’s return to Minnesota after a long absence.  I look forward to this event next year as it is one of our biggest themed events of the year.

 

The Wines

 

2003 Spring Valley Uriah Walla Walla/Columbia Valley

Color:  Deep ruby color

Nose:  Menthol and earth

Taste:  Earth with a hint of menthol, medium tannins

Finish:  Licorice, plum and earth notes dominate on this long finish

Evaluation:  Nice right now but cellar for two to three years.  90 points

Group average:  88.57 average


2001 J. Phelps Insignia Napa Valley
Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Strong earth tones with tobacco and forest floor

Taste:  Cherry, tobacco, plum with earth rounding out the taste

Finish:  What a great finish and extremely long.

Evaluation:  Well balanced wine that should improve a few points with some cellaring.  93 points

Group:  91.58 average

 

1995 Pride Spring Mountain Cabernet

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Vegetal, rubbing alcohol and some heat

Taste:  Plum, spice, sour cherries

Finish:  Medium with plum, spice and cherries

Evaluation:  This wines nose and taste were polar opposites.  Drink now.  90 points

Group:  88.71 average

 

1994 Laurel Glen Sonoma Valley Cabernet

Color:  Medium purple

Nose:  Earth, sour cherries, forest floor

Taste:  Earth, forest floor, oak and a little tart from the sour cherries

Finish:  Medium finish from this age worthy wine

Evaluation:  A nice surprise for a wine over 10 years old 90 points

Group:  89.28


2001 Avignonesi Desiderio Vino da Tavola Tuscany

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Methanol, earth

Taste:  Explosive taste with espresso, little gritty and earth elements

Finish:  Extremely long rewarding finish over 3 minutes.

Evaluation:  This is why you should give wines a score.  By just writing a review you would not want to pick this up but this was a 95 pointer!

Group average:  93.57


1991 Dominus Napa Valley

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Earth

Taste:  Earth dominated

Finish:  No detectable fruit and all earth notes on a medium finish

Evaluation:  This wine was a disappointment and did not seem to be damaged.  87 points

Group average:  87


2003 Lascombes  Marguax Region

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Earth with forest floor and oak

Taste:  Fruit not detectable but nice earth elements

Finish:  Long finish with oak, forest floor and vanilla.

Evaluation:  If you like Bordeaux you will love this wine and it is a fraction of the cost as many First Growths.  93 points

Group average:  91.28

 

2003 Clarendon Hills Sandown Cabernet

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Earth, pepper

Taste:  Gritty texture with pepper and sweet fruit

Finish:  Medium with not a lot of fruit showing

Evaluation:  Not a crowd pleaser at one of your events.  84 points

Group average:  85.42

 

2001 Januik Columbia Valley Cabernet

Color:  Dark purple

Nose:  Forest floor and oak

Taste:  Cherry, pepper, and forest floor (a little evergreen)

Finish:  A nice buttery finish kicked in after about 30 seconds.  91 points

Group average:  87.71

 

Wine of the Night

 

1.  2001 Avignonesi Desiderio Vino da Tavola Tuscany

2.  2001 J. Phelps Insignia Napa Valley
3.  2003 Lascombes  Marguax Region