WTN: Heritage blind challenge, + Gazin, Falanghina, etc

Betsy used airline points to get me a WS sub, was flipping through last month when I saw the matching column featured a recipe by James Boyce. We love his lobster/corn/tomato salad, so I read recipe. Betsy makes a mean seafood risotto, but I was interested by the inclusion of , broccoli rabe. Friday Betsy decided to make it (clams, squid, shrimp) along with caprese & chicory salad. I actually had (totally coincidentally) the recommended wine, the 2015 Feudi Di San Gregorio Falanghina (Sannio). Ripe peach and pear, good acid, touch of almond, easygoing. Could use a bit more length, but good QPR at $10. B/B-

Saturday afternoon I dropped some stuff for one of my groups in the city, and then headed to Vaucluse on the UES for the final session of the day of the Heritage Auctions Blind Tasting Challenge. Lots of friends in the bar -some just finished the second session, the rest of us ready to test ourselves (or in my case humiliate myself). Some nice appetizers were passed (duck croquettes with piquillo sauce, truffle gougeres, deviled eggs, more). A couple of Champagnes (a Bereche and I think a Ulysse Collin) but I wasn’t taking notes, enjoyed both.

To table (I sat with 2 friends). 8 numbered wines (this time 1 white 7 reds) in identical stems. 40 minutes. I think each time I second guessed myself I got farther away. Blind tasting with no feedback (I blind taste fairly often, usually I’m in a situation where we guess and are told no/yes as we narrow), its hard not to second guess.

Wine 1: I thought white Burgundy was obvious, young, good acids. and a little oaky. A retaste after I filled out my book made me a little worried, seemed softer but I left guess (thankfully). Guessed 2010 Jadot Meursault Charmes, liked a lot.
2012 Joel Noel Gagnard Batard Montrachet
(France/Burgundy/Chardonnay/2012/Puligny Montrachet/Batard Montrachet/Gagnard)

Wine 2: Guessed red Burg, ripe vintage. Can’t remember if I went Pommard or Volnay on this one (see # 6) 2009 Pousse d’Or Corton Clos du Roi
(France/Burgundy/Pinot Noir/2009/Corton/Clos du Roi/Pousse d’Or)

Wine 3: Not my style. Got Cali, but’s it. Big, superripe wine, I think I guessed Alban Syrah
2008 Colgin IX Estate Red
(USA/California/ Cabernet-Bordeaux Blend/2008/Napa/IX Estate/Colgin)

Wine 4: Boy, was this tannic. That should have put me in St. Estephe but I went Pauillac (I think Pichon Baron)
1990 Chateau Cos d’Estournel
(France/Bordeaux/Cabernet-Bordeaux Blend/1990/St. Estephe/Cos D’Estournel)

Wine 5: If I wouldn’t have switched on this one, I woulda been a contender (but not a finalist). Some real barnyard stink, I wrote Cote Rotie on my mat but decided it was stinky with moderate acids and changed to 1995 Beaucastel. 40 pts down the drain (I wouldn’t have guessed Jasmin or 01 if I had gone CR).
2001 Patrick Jasmin Cote Rotie
(France/Rhone/Syrah/2001/Cote Rotie/x/Jasmin)

Wine 6: My other “shoulda stuck with it” . I originally had Bdx, though I was thinking ripe vintage, but the sweet red fruit and oak made me switch to riper styled Burgundy with some oak (I think Lafon Champans, but it might have been Comte d’Armand Rugiens, see # 2)
1995 Chateau Troplong Mondot
(France/Bordeaux/Merlot-Bordeaux Blend/1995/St. Emilion/Troplong Mondot)

Wine 7: Probably wine where my initial gut was best. Clear edge, tar and red fruit, but almost painful tannin, pretty sure Piedmont/Nebbiolo. I think my guess was 2000 Aldo Conterno Bussia Barolo (I was trying to encompass multiple wines with the Bussia guess for vineyard, but later realized from a game theory point I should have just written Conterno for producer).
2004 Sandrone Barolo Le Vigne
(Italy/Piedmonte/Nebbiolo/2004/Barolo/Le Vigne/Sandrone)

Wine 8: Whoa, ripe, volatile, and I don’t want to drink. I guessed hot vintage Kistler PN, O points
2005 Greenock Creek Shiraz Seven Acres
(Australia/South Australia/Syrah/2004/Barossa/Seven Acres/Greenock Creek)

So I scored 235, not great but better than last year. Email came out Sunday with winners (invitees to the “finals” where the top 3 from 5 cities compete), my tablemate Paul got 305 and came in 2nd in NYC (winner got 385).

That night on patio we had skirt and Denver streaks, yellow tomato caprese, leftover risotto (no seafood), I had decanted the 1990 Ch. Gazin (Pomerol) a bit earlier. Pretty lovely unroasted ‘90, black plums with mocha and leather, velvety texture, good length. Overachiever. A-

Sunday Betsy went to TX, my dinner was swordfish, long beans, collards, and salad. I opened the 2016 Romagnoli Flusia Rosato (Marche). Hello, white Zinfandel. OK not that sweet, but sweet enough, round and empty. C/C+

Replacement was 2013 Jean Louis Chavy Puligny-Montrachet (in 375 ml). Moderate acids, pear and a touch of earth, clean white Burg. B

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C drinkable. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice.Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.

[Jenise]

What a contest! Interesting to ponder that an Aussie shiraz would/could ever come across as California pinot. Most of us would like to think we'd never mistake one for the other, but if an expert taster like you went there then the rest of us would too.

What a contest! Interesting to ponder that an Aussie shiraz would/could ever come across as California pinot. Most of us would like to think we'd never mistake one for the other, but if an expert taster like you went there then the rest of us would too.

Thanks, Jenise, but I'm scarcely an expert taster, lots of experience doesn't equal lot of aptitude. I'm confident of my experience, less so of my physical skills. I know better tasters than me! But lots of people at this, almost all very experienced, and according to Ian scores average in low 100s. I know a VERY experienced person (worked auction and retail for many years) who did well this time (but not finalist) who said his point total was more than his combined 2 previous scores.

As to the Greenock, I've made worst guesses than that. When you get to 15+% jammy and volatile, and it doesn't taste like Amarone, I'm just throwing darts. I actually had CA syrah at first I believe, but once I changed #3 to that I went with PN when I finished. I;m much more embarrassed by the Troplong Mondot guess.

BTW, As far as I know, there are seats available in remaining cities:
https://www.ha.com/information/blind-wi ... 017-081617

I'm very used to blind tastings. One group is usually totally blind, but host answers questions (sometimes cryptically) as we narrow down. Plus we know a bit about what people might own. Then next group does blind focused tasting- a lot easier if you know it's Spain or Italy outside Piedmont and Tuscany. Last group tastes blind but usually within an appellation, great for removing price/status bias, but not the same. 8 wines, a point system, and no context is harder. Any WLDGer who wants to come to dinner at my house I'll happily do an 8 wine test !

[David M. Bueker]

Blind tasting is so humbling. At a relatively recent group tasting I said the Gonon Ile des Ferey was a Burgundy. One of my worst efforts.

[Jenise]

I'm very used to blind tastings. One group is usually totally blind, but host answers questions (sometimes cryptically) as we narrow down. Plus we know a bit about what people might own. Then next group does blind focused tasting- a lot easier if you know it's Spain or Italy outside Piedmont and Tuscany. Last group tastes blind but usually within an appellation, great for removing price/status bias, but not the same. 8 wines, a point system, and no context is harder. Any WLDGer who wants to come to dinner at my house I'll happily do an 8 wine test !

I get it. We taste blind often--Bill's lunch group, no context. I'm always the wild or at least wildEST card because most of them haven't seen my cellar and I have access to things they never see up there, plus I'm probably a less-focussed buyer than most of them. What I bring could be ANYthing.

My few blind tastings have had really humiliating results.