November: Burgundy

We gathered at Emily’s house to drink Burgundy. Just to throw a wrench in the works we tasted one bottle twice and threw in a Pinot Noir from California and Oregon respectively.

The guests for the evening were Emily’s roommate Beth, law student Temma Stout and Chris Lombard, bartender at Hugo’s and famed Horse Whisperer. Temma's tasting notes on the wines were lost in the debauchery. Before all was said and done the six of us had drank eleven bottles of wine. I did not make it to class the next day, but Phil, ever the warrior, was at Verrill-Dana promptly at 9:17 AM (I am assuming). All wines were tasted blind.

The Wines:
First place: Domaine Tollot-Beaut, Chorey-Cote De Beaune, 2003. $24. Average Score (on a scale of 1-10): 7.91.
According to the Web: The wine is aged in oak for 18 months and is noted for its crispness, structure and tannins. On line wine oenophiles tend to rate it “good, but not exceptional”. www.wine-journal.com says: “A very raspberry, strawberry nose. A sweet palate, well-balanced with a fine subtle level of new oak. A little rustic, but lovely sweet raspberry finish.”

What We Said:
Nancy: Earth nose- moist, rich, alive, forest floor. Round. Slight tingle at first- outstanding. Smooth, warm, not particularly berry.

Emily: Smells mossy. Like a ship’s hull. Smooth, dirty with pepper. Sexy. Spicy delish.

Frank: Earth, forest floor. Delicious, rich. Thick- this wine is sexy. I want to drink this wine on my wedding day, after the ceremony, when my wife and I sneak into the woods and get nasty.

Phil: Earthy, peppery, mushrooms. Bitter, interesting, a little berry.

Chris: This wine has no need to impress me. It doesn’t care what I think. I don’t know how I feel about that. I think this is a great wine, but we are traveling down separate roads.

Runner Up: Mark West, Central Coast (California), Pinot Noir, 2004. $10. Average Score: 6.75.
Nancy was “mortified” and “very disappointed in us” that this crap from California did so well. winecast.net says: “Ruby in color with black cherry and spice aromas; raspberry and black cherry fruit flavors finishing with nice balancing acidity and light tannins. Enjoyable for current drinking and another great value in California Pinot Noir for under $10. Score: 8.5/10.”

But get this- among the comments on the website someone wrote, “This wine is trash. I wanted to vomit after just one taste. Wouldn’t recommend to anyone for any reason. I might sue someone for the pain I suffered trying to injest this hauntingly awful beverage.”

What We Said:
Nancy: Smells like soap. Powerful taste. Bitter aftertaste. No finish- boring. Would buy because the label looked funny, then give to the host of a party.

Emily: Smells soapy, but tastes romantic. Burnt subtle smoky, charcoal. Eyeshadow wine. Slowly falling in love wine.

Frank: Darkest. Chocolate. Really big up front, but disappears. This is the wine I drank with a buxom prostitute in Morocco. She rocked my world, but stole away during the night with my passport and wallet.

Phil: Sweet smell, open flavor, not hot, grapey. Tiny bit of earth or asparagus.

Chris: The rebel has arrived! A surprise at the end of the game has hit me like the crane technique hit Johnny the bad guy at the end of the Karate Kid! And just like the crane technique it was won the game.

Third Place: St. Innocent, Willamette Valley (Oregon), Pinot Noir. 2003. $28. Average Score: 6.08.
www.northwest-wine.com says: “Highly recommended. The wine has a nose and flavors of red and black fruits with spice and floral notes. Deeply colored and full bodied, this wine was well made, and the heat of the summer contributed to a big structure and rounded, sweet and juicy flavors.”

What We Said:
Nancy: Earth/ fruit smell- want to bite into it. Fruit followed by dryness. Smells better than it tastes. Easy to drink.

Emily: Mild odor. Skunky? Mild taste. Light with some spice on the tail end. Easy drinkin’. Share this for a quick and fun conversation with a stranger. Afternoon delight.

Frank: Dirty, barnyard, poopy. Too rich- deep fruit. I would drink this wine a snowy January Sunday after taking a bath with an ex-girlfriend. A guilty pleasure.

Phil: Softer, herbal, lighter, still slightly pepper, bitter aftertaste, hot.

Chris: A liar! This wine has a great nose, but did not follow up its tasting. I can’t trust this wine- the deceiver.

Fourth Place: Santennay, 1er Cru, 2002. $26. Average Score: 5.75.
What We Said:
Nancy: Light as air. Innocuous. Pleasant, easy drinking. Eat at a picnic on a sunny day. Not as thin or acidic.

Emily: Ooh! Smells boring, but surprising KICK. Causes a pucker. Pucker up. Wait...gets progressively less interesting. Like a bad date, well, a disappointing one.

Frank: Not quite as filthy. Limited bouquet. Kind of tart. After the maid has gone to bed I am feeling a little guilty, so I drink this on the chalet steps with the Sugar Momma’s labradoodle (see next comment).

Phil: Smooth, open, soft, non-complicated.

Chris: I think I am home. An old friend has opened the door and greeted me with a “hey, Chris, come on in...the livin’s easy...” “I will support you,” the friend says, “during a dinner...during a crazy party...and in your thermos when no one is the wiser...”

Last place: Joseph Drouhin, Laforet, Bourgogne. 2004. $13. Average Score: 4.96.
We tasted two of these bottles and our scores were nearly identical for each.
What We Said:
Nancy: (Bottle 1) Flat nose. Thin at first. Cherry. Nondescript. Juice. (Bottle 2) Sharp! No taste. Boring. I’d regift this. Could drink really fast, however...dangerous.

Emily: (Bottle 1) Sour and pungent. Mouthwatering. Wow! (not necessarily good wow...). (Bottle 2) I think we’ve found our double. Nutricious and Delicious.

Frank: (Bottle 1) Kind of thin- very light color. Not much bouquet. I would drink this bottle of wine with a booty call at 3am, BOUYA! (Bottle 2) Drier. Rough. Probably good with food. I want to drink this wine at some Sugar Momma’s ski chalet, but with the maid.

Phil: (Bottle 1) Peppery, sharp, a little bitter at the end. Sour, initially. Broccoli rabe. A little berry. (Bottle 2) Lemon. Pretty color. Light tasting, cherry.

Chris: (Bottle 1) Pretty good- I could see myself drinking this wine very easily after the first sip. Good 7PM wine, and also the wine that would take me over the edge at 2AM. Sneaky. (Bottle 2) A wine that is wandering like a lost school girl in the dark forest of wine identities. It has not found itself yet and it is looking to be found. I cannot help it...